Cathy Gentile-Patti

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Cathy Gentile-Patti is an American para-alpine skier.[1] She represented the United States in alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics held in Tignes and Albertville, France.

Cathy Gentile-Patti
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportPara-alpine skiing
Medal record
Paralympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1992 Albertville Downhill LW2
Silver medal – second place 1992 Albertville Giant slalom LW2

She competed in LW2 events for athletes with a single leg amputation above the knee.[2] She won the silver medal in the women's Downhill LW2 event and the women's giant slalom LW2 event.[3]

Early life and education edit

On June 28, 1962, Cathy Gentile was born in Los Angeles, California.[4] When Gentile had bone cancer at the age of nine, her right leg had to be removed. During high school, Gentile was an executive for Amputees in Motion and met people with amputations as an Orthopaedic Hospital volunteer.[5] During the early 1980s, Gentile continued to volunteer with Orthopaedic Hospital and worked at a prosthetics manufacturer.[6] In 1983, Gentile was selected to work on a proposed project to provide disabled skiing therapy for patients at the Orthopaedic Hospital.[7]

Career edit

In disabled ski championships, Gentile finished second at the women's giant slalom event for above the knee amputees at the 1980 Canadian Disabled Ski Championships.[8] During the 1984 National Handicapped Ski Championships, Gentile was second in the women's LW-2 downhill event.[9] During the 1989 National Alpine Disabled Ski Championships, Gentile was second in both the giant slalom and super-G events for the women's LW2 division.[10][11] While competing at the 1989 Disabled Ski championship, Gentile was disqualified in the slalom event.[12] At the 1990 World Disabled Ski Championships, Gentile won gold in the women's combined and downhill events for above knee amputees.[13]

At the 1988 Winter Paralympics as a LW2 competitor, Gentile was fifth in the downhill and sixth in the giant slalom.[14] In the slalom, Gentitle was disqualified at the 1988 Paralympic event.[15] For the 1988 Winter Olympics, Gentile initially did not receive a spot for the disabled giant slalom event as she finished below the five qualifiers at the World Championship that year. After one of the skiers dropped out before the Olympic event, Gentile was chosen to fill in the vacant spot.[16][17] Gentile won a silver medal in the giant slalom competition when disabled skiing was an Olympic demonstration sport.[18][19]

References edit

  1. ^ "Cathy Gentile-Patti". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  2. ^ "Winter Sport Classification". Canadian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on July 9, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  3. ^ "Alpine Skiing Medalists". 1992 Winter Paralympics – International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  4. ^ "Cathy Gentile". Olympedia. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  5. ^ Rustrum, William A. (February 11, 1979). "Amptuee Uses Her Own Success to Help Others". Los Angeles Times. pp. 1B, 6B.
  6. ^ Vils, Ursula (November 18, 1982). "20-Year-Old Amputee Meets Challenge of the Ski Slopes". Los Angeles Times. sec. V pp. 1, 11.
  7. ^ View staff (November 25, 1983). "Handicapped Skiers". Los Angeles Times. sec. V p. 2.
  8. ^ "Verstraete's fastest skier". Calgary Herald. April 18, 1980. p. B11.
  9. ^ "Handicap Championships". The Wyoming Star-Tribune. March 29, 1984. p. D4.
  10. ^ Latsis, Terianne (September 1989). "Able Disabled". Skiing. Vol. 42, no. 1. p. 286. ISSN 0037-6264. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  11. ^ Mongillo, Dave (March 31, 1989). "New England skiers sparkle at outset of meet for disabled". Record-Journal. Meriden, Connecticut. p. 39.
  12. ^ "People in Sports". The Daily Breeze. Torrance, California. April 2, 1989. p. C2.
  13. ^ "Southland Racers Fare Well at Disabled Event". Los Angeles Times. March 10, 1990. p. C18.
  14. ^ "Cathy Gentile". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  15. ^ "Innsbruck 1988 - Alpine skiing - Women's slalom LW2". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  16. ^ Garcia, Irene (March 10, 1988). "An Impossible Olympic Dream Comes True". Los Angeles Times. sec. Part III p. 14.
  17. ^ "A skiing success story for U.S.". The News-Pilot. San Pedro, California. March 10, 1988. p. D6.
  18. ^ "U.S. sweeps disabled skiing". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. Democrat and Chronicle wire services. February 22, 1988. p. 5C.
  19. ^ Kupper, Mike (February 22, 1988). "Notebook : Disabled Southland Skiers Win Pair of Silver Medals". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 12, 2021.

External links edit