Debra Rae "Debbie" Armstrong was born on December 6,1963 and is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Seattle, Washington.
17 Facts About Debbie Armstrong
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Debbie Armstrong was the first Olympic gold medalist from the US in women's alpine skiing in twelve years, winning the giant slalom at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
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Debbie Armstrong has been inducted in the Seattle Public Schools Hall of Fame, State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame, and the National Ski Hall of Fame.
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Debbie Armstrong developed her racing skills in the 1970s at the Alpental ski area at Snoqualmie Pass, an hour east of Seattle on I-90.
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Debbie Armstrong was the junior national champion in giant slalom in 1980 at Squaw Valley.
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Debbie Armstrong made the 1982 World Championship team in Austria, but broke a leg in a downhill training run and did not compete.
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Debbie Armstrong was runner-up in the giant slalom at the 1983 US Nationals, and in January 1984, was third in a World Cup super-G and fifth in a giant slalom, shortly before the Olympics.
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At the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Debbie Armstrong became the first American woman to win a gold medal in skiing since Barbara Cochran won the slalom a dozen years earlier at Sapporo.
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At the 1985 World Championships in Bormio, Italy, Debbie Armstrong placed 4th in the giant slalom.
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In 1987 at the World Championships, Debbie Armstrong placed sixth in the Super-G.
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Dr Hubert Debbie Armstrong, Debbie Armstrong's father, is a clinical psychologist at the University of Washington; he participated in the 1988 Winter Olympics, representing the US luge team as the sports psychologist.
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Debbie Armstrong completed her World Cup career with 18 top ten finishes: 7 in downhill, three in Super-G, five in giant slalom, and three in combined.
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Debbie Armstrong moved to Albuquerque, NM and attended University of New Mexico and earned an undergraduate degree in History.
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Debbie Armstrong served as the Ski Ambassador at Taos Ski Valley for eight seasons.
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From 2014 to 2017, Debbie Armstrong served as U10 Head Coach position and Coach Trainer at the Sports Club.
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Debbie Armstrong has served on the board of Washington State Ski and Snowboard Museum since 2022.
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In 2024, Debbie Armstrong was given the PSIA-AASI Distinguished Service Award.