BIOGRAPHY
Olympian Leanne Smith followed her older sister Laurel into skiing, latched onto racing and has kept shaving microseconds from her time. A NorAm champion and topflight junior skier, she inked a spot on the World Cup elite after finishing 23rd in her career first World Cup start, which also happened to be the first downhill of the 2008 season.
Coming back from injury is never easy, but it didn't slow Smith in 2010. After missing the latter half of 2009 with a torn ACL, this Granite Stater linked World Cup points in seven races (scoring in downhill, super G and super combined) and notched a Europa Cup downhill win en route to three top five finishes at her first Olympic Winter Games. Then she won the U.S. downhill title.
Early summer, she was nailing the Center of Excellence with a bit of rehab following a minor knee scope and a procedure to remove a screw from her ACL surgery, but all things are pointing in the right direction and Smith was full speed by New Zealand.
LEANNE SAYS
It was definitely cool to be a part of the Olympics for the first time, but I didn't want to just be a part of the team, I wanted to kick some butt and I think I could have skied a lot better.
I'm proud of my season and things are coming along. I was more consistent towards the end of the year and feeling more confident. I got my butt kicked in the gym this summer doing a lot of things at the Center of Excellence and I made the switch to Rossignol, which I'm really positive about. I'm psyched on our new coaches and I'm excited about next season and the few after. I'm ready to do some damage.
FIRST TRACKS
On skis at six6, Smith followed sister Laurel into skiing at Cranmore, the heralded Mount Washington Valley ski area made famous when instructional legend Hannes Schneider arrived from Austria in 1938. Smith skied for Cranmore’s race team until she entered Kennett H.S., where she continued racing. She spent a year at UNH and took leave for Winter ’07 when she moved to the Mount Washington Valley Ski Team...and erupted for a breakout season as a double NorAm champion.
OFF THE SNOW
Smith is in her third summer taking classes at Westminster. It's easy to stay motivated on school and working out with roomies/teammates Alice McKennis, Julia Ford, and Hailey Duke around. Spends as much time back East as possible, especially kicking it in NH during the month of May, which for some reason always has amazing weather.
OLYMPICS
2010 U.S. Olympic Winter Games
- 18th in super G
- 19th in downhill
- 21st in super combined
WORLD CUP
2010
- Seven points scoring races in downhill, super combined and super G
2009
- Missed second half of season with torn ACL
2008
- Points in four races during rookie season, including her first two races at Lake Louise
OTHER
- 2010 U.S. downhill champion
- 2010 Europa Cup downhill win at Caspoggio, Italy
- 2007 NorAm overall and super G champion (1 win)
- 2007 Ski Racing Junior of the Year
- 10th in super G at '07 Junior World Championships
No photos to display at this time.
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Crans Montana Super Combi Canceled
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02/20/2010
Vonn Gets Bronze in Super G
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02/14/2010
Vonn, U.S. Women Back to Work
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02/13/2010
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02/12/2010
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02/12/2010
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02/12/2010
Women's Downhill Training Canceled
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02/10/2010
Busy Thursday at Whistler Creekside
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02/05/2010
Today is Leanne Smith Day in Conway
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01/31/2010
Vonn Locks Up Super G Title
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01/30/2010
Vonn 5th, Seven Americans Reach Points
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01/29/2010
Vonn Reaches Podium in Super Combined
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01/23/2010
Vonn's Speed Streak Continues in Cortina
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01/22/2010
Vonn Wins Second Straight Super G
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01/06/2010
Women's Speed Returns in Haus
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09/15/2008
Chile is Sept. Base for Women's Alpine
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08/07/2008
2009 U.S. Alpine Ski Team Named
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03/24/2008
Cook, Lanning Downhill Champs
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03/23/2008
Cook and Francis SG Champs
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