For the past three days 96 athletes over the age of 50 competed in 14 events at the Summit 50+ Winter Games, a local tradition so established not even the organizers know how long it’s been happening.
(Seriously! Ask them and they’ll tell you “decades,” at least since the ‘70s.)
But never mind how many Games there’ve been or how long they’ve been played. We’re here to learn who won gold.
Let’s open with the unofficial “Queen of the Games,” Leslie Reuter. She went undefeated this year with FIVE gold medals – one for every event she entered in the women’s 50-59 division (giant slalom, alpine obstacle race, hockey shoot, oval skate race, 2K snowshoe race).
Not far behind the Queen was one of the most “veteran” competitors, Bill Hubble, in the men’s 80+ division. Bill also went undefeated with FOUR gold medals (hockey shoot, oval skate, 2.5K Nordic classic, 2K snowshoe race.)
Now for the rest of the best:
3 Golds (name, age, medal events)
- Eric Weidman, 50-59 (5K classic, 10K skate, biathlon)
2 Golds (name, age, medal events)
- Rochelle Bernestein, 50-59 (5K skate, biathlon)
- Sandra Hawkins, 70-79 (giant slalom, obstacle race)
- Matt Elston, 50-59 (giant slalom, obstacle race)
- Tom LaVoy, 60-69 (giant slalom, obstacle race)
- Kent White, 70-79 (obstacle race, rally race)
- Mark Hinz, 60-69 (uphill race, 5K skate)
- Nancy Nicholson, 60-69 (uphill race lap 2, biathlon)
- Kati Campbell, 70-79 (uphill race lap 2, 5K skate)
- Mike Hagen, 60-69 (uphill race lap 2, 5K classic)
- Stuart Reddell, 50-59 (hockey shoot, oval skate race)
- Julie Hicks, 60-69 (oval skate race, 5K skate)
- Thomas Kullman, 60-69 (oval skate race, 2.5K classic)
- Zlatko Rauker, 80+ (2.5K skate, biathlon)
- Scott Yule, 60-69 (10K skate, biathlon)
- Carol Bilbrey, 70-70 (10K classic, biathlon)
1 Gold (name, age, medal events)
- Disa Kullman, 60-69 (giant slalom)
- Mark LaPoint, 70-79 (giant slalom)
- Gene Teaney, 80+ (giant slalom)
- Karen Stout, 60-69 (obstacle race)
- Bart Snow, 80+ (obstacle race)
- Sybil Praski, 60-69 (skimo race)
- Claire Carren, 70-79 (skimo race)
- TJ Sanders, 50-59 (skimo race)
- Bob McNamara, 70-79 (uphill race)
- Tim Schlough, 50-59 (uphill race lap 2)
- Catherine Hubble, 70-79 (hockey shoot)
- Pasi Virta, 60-69 (hockey shoot)
- Lewis Cutter Jr, 70-79 (oval skate race)
- Pamela Paling, 50-59 (2.5K classic)
- Julie Scott, 60-69 (2.5K classic)
- Linda Schutt, 70-79 (2.5K classic)
- Sharon Crawford, 80+ (2.5K classic)
- Ken Raggio, 70-79 (2.5K classic)
- Michael Murphy, 50-59 (5K skate)
- Barbara DelGrego, 60-69 (5K classic)
- Robert Klumpp, 70-79 (5K classic)
- Lester Lockspeiser, 80+ (5K classic)
- Patty Heiser, 60-69 (10K skate)
- Claire Carren, 70-79 (10K skate)
- James Walsh, 70-79 (10K skate)
- Christine Murakami, 60-69 (10K classic)
- Jim Smith, 60-69 (10K classic)
- Douglas Coffed, 60-69 (snowshoe race)
- Kurt Dallow, 70-79 (snowshoe race)
- Lowell McCoy, 70-79 (biathlon)