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Laurence Thoms (born March 26, 1980) is a Fijian alpine skier who was born in Suva. He represented Fiji at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and attracted media attention as a competitor from a tropical nation at the Winter Olympics.

Thoms was Fiji's flag-bearer during the Opening Ceremony, being his country's representative, and was the first Pacific Islander to qualify through FIS regulations for the Winter Games He competed in the Slalom and Giant Slalom events. He failed to complete his first run in the Slalom event after 'clipping' a gate, but completed the Giant Slalom and finished fifty-fifth with a time of 2:41.98. Spectators reportedly cheered as they admired the 'Fiji's ice man' competitive speed in the events, and "went crazy when he crossed the finish line".

One newspaper described Thoms' participation as exemplifying "the true spirit of the Games".

Before taking part in the Olympics, Thoms had worked as a white water rafting guide and ski instructor in New Zealand. His participation in the Olympics was funded by a retired Swiss businessman, Toni Hauswirth, living in Fiji, who had founded the Fiji Alpine Ski Association. Hauswirth had taken an advertisement in a Fijian newspaper in 1999 with an offer of all-expenses paid trip to the Olympics.

References

1. "Laurence Thoms - Ski alpin". L'Équipe (in French). 2023-06-26. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
2. ^ "Beach boy takes to the slopes". BBC SPORT. 2002-02-15. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
3. ^ "Eleven on their own in Games". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 2002-02-13. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
4. ^ Lee, Dana (2002-02-21). "Flames and Flickers: Alcohol fuels trip to Utah". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
5. Ray Grass. "Fiji's lone 2002 Olympian lured by a newspaper ad". Deseret News. Archived from the original on 2004-12-04.
6. "Alping Skiing results - Men's Slalom". Archived from the original on 2003-02-10.
7. "Slaw Says: Olympics produce year's new heroes". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08.
8. "Results -- Thursday, Feb 21". Archived from the original on 2003-01-02.
9. ^ "Games run into scandal at end". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18.
10. "In Praise of the Lone Olympians". Archived from the original on 2002-02-21.
11. Bower, Amanda (February 21, 2002). Time https://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,212042,00.html – via content.time.com. {{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
12. "Skier is Fiji's 1st Winter Olympian". 20 February 2002.

External links

• Laurence Thoms at FIS (alpine)
• Laurence Thoms at Olympedia

• 1980 births
• Living people
• Sportspeople from Suva
• Fijian male alpine skiers
• Olympic alpine skiers for Fiji
• Alpine skiers at the 2002 Winter Olympics