Mélanie Turgeon

A natural talent combined with unflagging determination to win swept Mélanie Turgeon to the very top of international alpine ski competition. Already racing at the age of 4, she first attracted international interest in her accomplishments with an unprecedented performance at the 1994 FIS (Federation Internationale de Ski) World Junior Championships at Lake Placid, New York, where she won five of Canada’s six medals, two of them Gold. Two years earlier, in 1992, she was appointed to the national alpine women’s team at the age of 16 competing overseas in FIS World Cup competition. In February, 2000, she won her first FIS World Cup ski race in Super G at Innsbruck, Austria, the first Canadian Women’s team member to win a World Cup Gold medal since 1993. She would remain with the team until October 2005 when injury forced her retirement.

In a long and exceptional career, she competed in 147 FIS World Cup and FIS sanctioned races (excluding World Ski Championship, Olympic and other race appearances), placing in the top-3 on 24 occasions and in the top-10 no fewer than 61 times.

She competed in six FIS World Ski Championships:

• 1993 | Morioka Shizukuishi, Japan
• 1996 | Sierra Nevada, Spain
• 1997 | Sestriere, Italy
• 1999 | Vail, Colorado (7th place in Downhill, 9th place in Super G)
• 2001 | St Anton, Austria (10th place in Super G)
• 2003 |St Moritz, Switzerland where she became a World Champion, winning Gold in the Downhill event and 6th place in Super G.

She made two Olympic Winter Games appearances, in 1998 at the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, Nagano, Japan and, in 2002 at the XIX Olympic Winter Games at Salt lake City (Snowbasin), where she had an impressive 8th place finish in the Downhill event.

Competing in the Canadian Championships, her record was equally impressive winning medals in every competition, in 1995, Gold in Giant Slalom, 1996, Gold in Slalom and Giant Slalom, Silver in Downhill, 1997, Gold in Super G, and in 2001, Gold in Downhill and Silver in Super G.

When she retired in 2005, Ken Read, president of Alpine Canada, former national team member and renowned Crazy Canuck, was full of praise for her accomplishments, “Mélanie remains one of Canada’s most successful ski champions. Through her willingness to take time to speak and ski with young ski racers, she brought a positive influence which continues to inspire future generations of Canadian champions”.

Competitive Highlights in National and International Competition (Top 10 finishes)
1993
6th place, Slalom event, FIS Junior World Championships, Monte Campione/Colere, Italy
5th place, Super G event, FIS Junior World Championships, Monte Campione/Colere, Italy
3rd place, Combined events, FIS Junior World Championships, Monte Campione/Colere, Italy
9th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Kvittfjell, Norway
5th place, Downhill event FIS World Cup, Tignes, France

1994
3rd place, Downhill event, FIS Junior World Championships, Lake Placid NY, USA
2nd place, Super G event, FIS Junior World Championships, Lake Placid NY, USA
1st place, Giant Slalom event, FIS Junior World Championships, Lake Placid NY, USA
3rd place, Slalom event, FIS Junior World Championships, Lake Placid NY, USA
1st place, Combined events, FIS Junior World Championships, Lake Placid NY, USA
9th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Lake Louise AB

1995
1st place, Super G event, FIS Race, Mt Tremblant QC
1st place, Giant Slalom event, National Championships, Stoneham/Le Relais QC
4th place, Downhill event, National Championships, Mt Ste Anne, QC
3rd place, Downhill event, FIS Race, Mt Ste Anne QC
1st place, Super G event, National Championships, Mt Ste Anne, QC
1st place, Downhill event, South American Cup, La Parva, Chile
1st place, Downhill event, South American Cup, La Parva, Chile
4th place, Super G event, Nor-Am Cup, Lake Louise AB
5th place, Super G event, FIS Race, Castelrotto/Kastelruth, Italy
1st place, Super G event, FIS Race, Castelrotto/Kastelruth, Italy

1996
5th place, Giant Slalom event, FIS Race, Brixen/Bressanone, Italy
9th place, Giant Slalom event, FIS Race, Reith im Alpachtal, Austria
2nd place, Downhill event, European Cup, Innerkrems, Austria
7th place, Downhill event, European Cup, Innerkrems, Austria
7th place, Super G event, European Cup, Innerkrems, Austria
1st place, Downhill event, European Cup, Pra Loup, France
1st place, Downhill event, European Cup, Pra Loup, France
3rd place, Slalom event, Nor-Am Cup, Mt Garceau QC
4th place, Giant Slalom event, Nor-Am Cup, Mt Garceau QC
1st place, Super G event, FIS Race, Mt Orford QC
1st place, Slalom event, National Championships, La Relais QC
1st place, Giant Slalom event, National Championships, La Relais QC
2nd place, Downhill event, FIS Race, Mt Ste Anne QC
2nd place, Downhill event, National Championships, Mt Ste Anne QC
3rd place, Slalom event, Nor-Am Cup, Mission Ridge WA, USA
7th place, Slalom event, FIS Race, Mt Ste Anne/Le Relais QC

1997
5th place, Super G event, Castelrotto, Italy
5th place, Super G event, Castelrotto, Italy
1st place, Super G event, National Championships, Rossland BC
5th place, Giant Slalom event, National Championships, Rossland BC
1st place, Super G event, Nor-Am Cup, Mt Tremblant/Mt Garceau QC
5th place, Slalom event, FIS Race, Camp Fortune QC
4th place, Slalom event, FIS Race, Skibec QC
1st place, Slalom event, FIS Race, Skibec QC
6th place, Giant Slalom event, FIS Race, Mt Ste Marie QC
2nd place, Giant Slalom event, FIS Race, Skibec QC
2nd place, Giant Slalom event, FIS Race, Skibec QC

1998
10th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Cortina d’Amepezzo, Italy
1st place, Slalom event, FIS Race, Le Relais QC
1st place, Slalom event, FIS Race, Le Relais QC
1st place, Giant Slalom event, Mt Ste Anne QC
1st place, Giant Slalom event, Mt Ste Anne QC
1st place, Giant Slalom event, Mt Ste Anne QC
7th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Veysonnaz, Switzerland

1999
6th place, Super G event, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
7th place, Downhill event, FIS World Ski Championships, Vail/Beaver Creek Co, USA
3rd place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Sierra Nevada, Spain
5th place, Super G event, FIS World Cup, Lake Louise AB
5th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, St Moritz, Switzerland

2000
1st place, Giant Slalom event, FIS Race, Mt Tremblant QC
1st place, Giant Slalom event, FIS Race, Mt Tremblant QC
8th place, Super G event, FIS World Cup, Santa Caterina, Italy
6th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Are, Sweden
5th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Innsbruck Austria
1st place, Super G event, FIS World Cup, Innsbruck, Austria
2nd place, Super G event, FIS World Cup, Innsbruck, Austria
6th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Bormio, Italy
10th place, Super G event, FIS World Cup, Bormio, Italy
7th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Lake Louise AB
9th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, St Moritz, Switzerland
2nd place, Super G, overall FIS World standings
9th place, Downhill, overall FIS World standings

2001
3rd place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Haus im Ennstal, Austria
2nd place, Super G event, FIS World Cup, Haus im Ennstal, Austria
4th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
2nd place, Super G event, FIS World Cup, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
10th place, Super G event, FIS World Ski Championships, St Anton, Austria
9th place, Super G event, FIS World Cup, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
5th place, Super G event, FIS World Cup, Lenzerheide, Switzerland
4th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Are, Sweden
2nd place, Super G event, FIS World Cup, Are, Sweden
5th place, Downhill event, Nor-Am Cup, Snowbasin UT, USA
1st place, Downhill event, National Championships, Mt Ste Anne QC
2nd place Super G event, National Championships, Mt Ste Anne QC
4th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Lake Louise AB
9th place, Super G, FIS World Cup, Lake Louise AB
4th place, Super G, overall FIS World standings
6th place, Downhill, overall FIS World standings

2002 8th place, Downhill event, XIX Olympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City/Snowbasin UT, USA
10th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria
6th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Lenzerheide, Switzerland

2003
6th place, Super G event, FIS World Cup, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
3rd place, Super G event, FIS World Cup, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
10th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
6th place, Super G event, FIS World Ski Championships, St Moritz, Switzerland
1st place, Downhill event, FIS World Ski Championships, St Moritz, Switzerland
10th place, Super G event, FIS World Cup, Innsbruck, Austria
5th place, Downhill event, FIS World Cup Lillehammer, Norway
8th place, Downhill, overall FIS World standings

Please Note: The ski information gathered here is compiled from a number of sources; it may not be inclusive of all accomplishments. Copyright © 2023, Canadian Ski Museum. For Personal/Educational use only. All Rights Reserved.