# Bill Johnson dead at 55

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-johnson-dead-at-55/743926>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [January 23, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-johnson-dead-at-55/743926 "2016-01-23T00:37:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-johnson-dead-at-55/743926/1 "2016-01-23T00:37:48Z")

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Sad story after his 84 gold.

> **[Bill Johnson, U.S. Olympic Downhill Skiing Champion, Dies at 55 (Published 2016)](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/23/sports/skiing/bill-johnson-us-olympic-downhill-skiing-champion-dies-at-55.html)**
>
> Johnson, a brash competitor, delivered on his promise to win gold in 1984, at Sarajevo, but was severely injured in a 2001 comeback at age 40 aimed at winning back his ex-wife.

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**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-johnson-dead-at-55/743926/2 "2016-02-01T03:55:38Z")

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Boxing, football, downhill ski racing…all pretty hard on the old noggin, aren’t they?

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**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-johnson-dead-at-55/743926/3 "2016-02-01T13:57:08Z")

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I’m not signed up with the New York Times website.

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**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-johnson-dead-at-55/743926/4 "2016-02-01T18:46:17Z")

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> [@GreenElf](#):
>
> I’m not signed up with the New York Times website.

American skier. Won the downhill gold in 84 at Sarajevo. Retired and while attempting a comeback crashed hard and spent the rest of his life in assisted living facilities.