One legged speed skier at 130+ mph

http://www.sportal.com.au/othersports.asp?i=news&id=65180


What can you say?
This guy....well words fail me really.
WOW!



Milton smashes own record in France
Sportal



One-legged Australian downhill skier Michael Milton has smashed his own world speed record at a downhill run in France.

Milton reached an amazing 210.4kph on the run at Les Arcs, beating his previous record by more than 10kph.

Naturally he was ecstatic after recording the speed, but wasted no time in declaring he can go even faster.

"It was just awesome. I feel fantastic," he told AFP. "I knew I could do 200 [kilometres an hour] but 210.4 kilometres an hour is faster than I expected. My run was clean and solid and I just can't wait to ski even faster."



Milton is the first one-legged skier to break the 200kph mark, with just 328 able-bodied skiers achieving the same feat, and he said his next target is to break the Australian able-bodied record of 212kph.
Naturally he was ecstatic after recording the speed, but wasted no time in declaring he can go even faster.

"It was just awesome. I feel fantastic," he told AFP. "I knew I could do 200 [kilometres an hour] but 210.4 kilometres an hour is faster than I expected. My run was clean and solid and I just can't wait to ski even faster."



Milton is the first one-legged skier to break the 200kph mark, with just 328 able-bodied skiers achieving the same feat, and he said his next target is to break the Australian able-bodied record of 212kph.

That's badass.

He's been obsessing about it for ages, so it's funny and excellent that he smashed the 200km/hr mark to bits.
how fast can he go?! I reckon in his mind, nothing is off limits.

Agreed. I remember seeing a one legged instructor years ago who would absolutely own the zipper line on bump runs...very inspiring.

Anybody here ever been clocked at triple digit speeds? (On skis, that is...cars don't count, as I'm sure most of us have flirted with the century mark at one time or another on pavement!)

Yea, I took my kids up to watch the paralympics up at Snowbasin and it was a thrill. Those guys don't pull any punches.

After reading the article in the above link, I was unable to tell. Did he hit this speed while running a down hill course? or clocked @ 130MPH on a Speed course (Straitline for the purpose of setting speed records?)

MTT

He was on a speed skiing course.

It had to be? I knew DH was getting pretty fast but 130MPH seemd awfull fast for making turns and going over changes in pitch. I have not watched a DH race on TV for the past 3years?

MTT

Nothing to do with running gates. Only 329 people have broken 200kph. It takes a very special course, equipment and individual to go that fast. I wonder how many have done 210? I saw the video on TV, very smooth run. He has less drag than two legged skier but the balance requirement is much, much greater and the nerve to go that fast knowing the chance of falling and risk thereof... Awesome performance! Hope he can break the Australian (able-body) record! The other guy can still claim best with two legs.

I can only imagine what that speed on one leg looks like going past a person standing on the hill.

Where's the video!?

Having the power in his quad muscle to tuck at that speed is pretty impressive, especially if he has to hit a compression on the run out.

Did he use a custom ski to help with the weight distribution or was it a standard ski?

I was at Les Arcs in France last week and watched some of the practice sessions for the race on Saturday. The one-legged racer was skiing then. I don't think he had special skis - they all race on around 238s, which are incredibly long alongside my 160s!

Here's a picture I took of the Flying Kilometre, it's much steeper than it looks on the photo.
http://lying.fotopic.net/p14654826.html

he was on THE speed skiing course
amazing
kudos to him

This is just one on Michael Milton's skiing acheivements. He has mountains of medals from the Paralympics and other events. He is a living legend.

Even having taught adaptive for many years and hung around these guys, I am continually amazed at the athletic feats that some skiiers achieve. It is entirely attitude. I've skiied with a number of Paralypians and absolutely struggle to keep up. Those guys know how to fly!!!

As the DS/USA (Disabled Sports USA) moto says, "If I can do this, I can do anything." These remarkable atheletes epitomize this.

I went and geezed at the site www.speedski.com which is apparently the speed skiing site. Doesn't mention one legged skiiers or snowboarders (as Australia holds the records in both!), but I noticed a friend at number 187. Michael beat his mark, although it was set in 1992. Watching Hugh do the speed stance on teles was always quite thrilling! Useful for long traverses, evidently.

That list looks kind of old, but Mr. Milton at 210.4 would be 155th on that list. That puts him in a very select group. Steve McKinney never went 210.

ant makes a funny.

Go Aussie!

T-square - Seth was not kidding about the list of that guys achievements - he took out gold in all 4 alpine disciplines in the last winter paralympics(from memory). He is a TRUELY amazing skier...

Even worse most of the people here have no idea WHO he is (grrr).... (I have an autograph )

disski

Having watched the coverage of the Paralympics I understand why no one knows who any of the atheletes are. Basically, there is no coverage. I think if Sports Broadcasters gave the Paralympics better coverage people would have a better idea of what people can do no matter what their "ability" level is.

The adaptive world of sports still labors under the misconceptions of the past. Hollywood and most media outlets work under the concept that if it ain't "pretty" and it ain't "normal" it ain't getting on TV. (This is true even if it is subconcious.)

If only they would cover this stuff for what it is. Truely outstanding atheletic accomplishment on a parr with Lance Armstrong, Bode Miller, et al.

Yep - if that guy was able bodied he would be sponsored by everyone - selling cereal/milk/soft drink/clothes/chewing gum you name it.....

As a disabled skier he is lucky to make the news for a few minutes when he breaks the world record....

Here is a list of his Olympic and World Championship performances.

Paralympic Games
2002Salt Lake City, USASL 1st GS 1st SG 1st DH 1st
1994Lillehammer, NorwaySL 2nd GS 1st SG 3rd DH 3rd
1992Albertville, FranceSL 1st GS 4th SG 2nd DH 8th
1988Innsbruck, AustriaSL 12th GS 11th DH 18th
World Championships
2004Wildshonau, AustriaSL 1st GL 1st SG 2nd DH 2nd
2000Anzere, SwitzerlandSL 1st GS 2nd SG 1st DH 1st
1996Lech, AustriaSL 2nd GS 1st SG 3rd DH 8th

12 Gold Medals
5 Silver
3 Bronze

Not a bad return.

I had a chance to chase Milto for a couple runs when I was racing against him in the world cup in Salt Lake back in 2002. He's truely an amazing skier. He's a genuenly nice guy too.

As for the media coverage. I think there is a definate disconnect between Able bodied sport and disabled. But as people like Milto continue to push the envelope and disabled athletes continue to catch up to and surpas able bodied athletes, I think that media in general may have no choice but to report the news, haha.