The Last Time an Oregon Duck Competed in the Winter Olympics

Walking around Eugene, Oregon, there's plenty of references to sports on a world stage. With the Oregon Ducks' home city hosting several track and field Olympic Trials and producing several top level athletes of the same sport, it's no wonder Duck fans refer to Eugene as "Track Town USA".

The Ducks boast 16 total Olympic gold medals across their impressive roster of athletes on the world stage. All of those medals hail from the Summer Olympics, which may make Duck fans believe that's where the Oregon reach stays in a Big Ten Conference with the largest output of Olympians for this years' games in Milano-Cortana.

Feb 20, 2018; Pyeongchang, South Korea; Laurenne Ross (USA) competes in the women's downhill alpine skiing race during the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games at Jeongseon Alpine Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-Imagn Images | Jeff Swinger-Imagn Images

However, there are two former Oregon Ducks that represented their alma mater on the world stage in previous Winter Olympics; both being women apart of the Team USA Alpine Skiing squads of their eras.

Christina "Kiki" Cutter, Hall of Fame Class of 2000, became the first American skier to win a World Cup race when she captured the slalom in Oslo in 1968. She went on to win 5 World Cup races, the most by any American until 1979. #ThrowbackThursday pic.twitter.com/PtJOomyHQs
— Colorado Snowsports Museum (@COSnowsportsMus) June 9, 2022

The Story of the Oregon Ducks' First Winter Olympian

A Bend, Oregon native, Oregon Duck Christina "Kiki" Cutter was the first American athlete (man or woman) to win a World Cup title in 1968 for the "slalom" event (skiing in between poles or gates placed closer together than the "giant slalom" discipline). Cutter was 18 years old at the time.

Prior to winning the World Cup, Cutter was the only American woman to compete in all three disciplines of slalom, giant slalom and downhill at the Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. She placed the highest out of all her Team USA peers. She finished No. 17 in downhill, No. 21 in giant slalom, and did not finish the slalom.

In Feb. of 1970, the New York Times announced Cutter's retirement from international competition at the age of 20, referring to her as a student at the University of Oregon. Cutter continued to compete in promotional and national competitions far into the 1990's.

Tribute Tuesday • Kiki Cutter • Hall of Fame Class of 2000 • Athlete

Christina “Kiki” Cutter became the first American skier to win a World Cup race when she captured the slalom in Oslo in 1968. She went on to win 5 World Cup races, the most by any American until 1979. pic.twitter.com/jyV5aGsGuM
— Colorado Snowsports Museum (@COSnowsportsMus) September 5, 2023

An Oregon Ducks' Winter Legacy

By the time Cutter stepped away from her sport on an international scale, her five World Cup titles surpassed any other American athlete for over a decade. Cutter also wrote advice columns for a national ski magazine before returning to her hometown to create a lifestyle magazine called Bend Living. Cutter's name was immortalized in the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1993.

Dec 28, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks mascot The Duck sits on photo row during the second half against the Omaha Mavericks at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

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Dec 1, 2018; Lake Louise, Alberta, CAN; Laurenne Ross of the United States after her run in the ladies downhill race in the 2018 FIS alpine skiing world cup at Lake Louise Ski Resort. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images | Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks' Second Winter Olympian: Laurenne Ross

More than four decades after Cutter became the first Duck to make the Winter Olympic record books, Canadian and fellow Duck Laurenne Ross followed in Cutter's footsteps to become the second ever Oregon Duck Winter Olympian not only in alpine skiing, but in the entire schools' history.

Though Ross was born in Canada, her and her family moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon when she was 7 years old. Ross also trained on Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Oregon similar to Cutter. Ross balanced competitive skiing with her coursework at the University of Oregon, as she was a student when first competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia at 25 (according to an interview with Oregon News) and the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea when she was 29 (according to an interview with the Daily Emerald in 2018).

According to the same Daily Emerald interview, Ross only attended the University of Oregon during the spring term to keep up with her Olympic training as she strives to attain an art degree.

Laurenne Ross' Olympic Results

During her two Olympic appearances, Ross competed in the Super Giant Slalom and the downhill event. In 2014, Ross did not finish the "Super G" event and placed No. 11 in downhill (no Americans medaled in either event that year). In 2018, Ross placed No. 15 in both events (Lindsey Vonn placed Bronze in downhill and Mikaela Shiffrin placed Gold in "Super G" for Team USA).

Though not initially known for a winter sports prowess, the fact that two athletes with similar backgrounds and connections to the state of Oregon represented the Ducks on a global stage feels impactful.

So, while cheering on the men and women representing the Big Ten Conference in Milano-Cortana, remember the two sole Ducks to do a similar feat (consider this rare Oregon Ducks sport lore to share at the next tailgate).