Racing career

Born and raised in Lutsen in northeastern Minnesota, Nelson's family ran the local ski area and she was on skis before the age of three. She raced in all five alpine disciplines, with a focus on downhill, and was on the World Cup squad of the U.S. Ski Team at age 16. Nelson won the silver medal in the downhill at the 1982 World Championships and was the bronze medalist in the downhill at the 1976 Winter Olympics.

During her first World Cup season, she had two top-15 finishes in downhill as the 1972 Winter Olympics neared. She was expected to make the U.S. Olympic team, but dislocated a hip in a downhill at Grindelwald on January 18, two weeks before the games began. She missed those Winter Olympics but competed in 1976, 1980, and 1984. Two years after her hip injury she won her first World Cup race back at Grindelwald in 1974, the first-ever American to gain a World Cup victory in downhill. Nelson's only victory in a World Cup giant slalom was also her only win in North America, in the rain at Whistler, British Columbia. She retired from international competition after the 1985 season with six World Cup wins, 26 podiums, and 123 top ten finishes.

World Cup results

Season standings

Season	Age	Overall	Slalom	Giant Slalom	Super G	Downhill	Combined
1972	16	—	—	—		—
1973	17	—	—	—		—
1974	18	15	14	—		—
1975	19	8	28	6		4
1976	20	8	12	6		7	3
1977	21	19	19	19		10
1978	22	5	13	8		2
1979	23	4	26	7		4
1980	24	10	43	31		4	3
1981	25	8	15	12		7	7
1982	26	5	25	7		7	3
1983	27	7	39	2		25	7
1984	28	41	—	15		—	—
1985	29	48	—	22		34	—

Race victories

• 6 wins - (3 DH, 1 SG, 1 GS, 1 K)
• 23 podiums - (15 DH, 1 SG, 4 GS, 1 SL, 1 K)

Season	Date	Location	Discipline
1974	13 Jan 1974	Grindelwald, Switzerland	Downhill
1975	21 Dec 1974	Saalbach, Austria	Downhill
	1 Mar 1975	Whistler, Canada	Giant Slalom
1976	9 Jan 1976	Hasliberg, Switzerland	Combined
1979	9 Feb 1979	Pfronten, West Germany	Downhill
1983	10 Jan 1983	Verbier, Switzerland	Super-G

• Nelson also won an unofficial Super-G race on March 23, 1982, a test event in San Sicario, Italy.

World Championship results

Year	Age	Slalom	Giant Slalom	Super-G	Downhill	Combined
1972	16	—	—		—	—
1974	18	11	DNF		18	—
1976	20	13	21		3	4
1978	22	30	15		5	6
1980	24	11	13		7	2
1982	26		16		2	4
1985	29	—	—		25	15

Olympic results

Year	Age	Slalom	Giant Slalom	Super-G	Downhill	Combined
1972	16	—	—		—
1976	20	13	21		3
1980	24	11	13		7
1984	28	—	18		—

Other

In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Nelson's name and picture.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]