Karine Ruby

 ( 1978 Births ) 

Karine Ruby (4 January 1978 in Bonneville, Haute-Savoie – 29 May 2009) was a French snowboarding and Olympic champion. She won two medals at the Winter Olympics, with a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, "1998 Winter Olympics – Nagano, Japan – Alpine skiing" – databaseOlympics.com (Retrieved on 5 March 2008) and a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. "2002 Winter Olympics – Salt Lake City, United States – Alpine skiing" – databaseOlympics.com (Retrieved on 5 March 2008) She also earned six gold medals and four silver medals at the FIS Snowboard World Championships, and 67 wins and 122 podiums at the FIS Snowboard World Cup, which earned her the description by The New York Times as "the most decorated female snowboarder in the world".Robinson, Joshua. "Karine Ruby, French Snowboarding Star, Dies at 31 ", The New York Times, May 30, 2009. Accessed June 24, 2009.

Ruby won the giant slalom event in the snowboarding competition at the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano, Japan, overcoming severe weather conditions to win the first Olympic gold medal awarded in the event to a woman.Clarey, Christopher. "THE XVIII WINTER GAMES: SNOWBOARDING; It's Nearly A Wipeout For U.S. Women", The New York Times, February 10, 1998. Accessed June 24, 2009. She finished a combined 1.74 seconds behind Isabelle Blanc in the parallel giant slalom in snowboarding competition at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, an event that the two French snowboarders had dedicated to the memory of teammate Régine Cavagnoud, who had died in a 2001 training accident.Wong, Edward. "OLYMPICS: SNOWBOARDING; Defying the Odds Again, Klug Grabs the Bronzez", The New York Times, February 16, 2002. Accessed June 24, 2009.

Ruby came in third place to win a bronze medal in snowboardcross at the Winter X Games IX held in Aspen, Colorado in January 2005.Murphy, Austin. "Soaring In The Slush", Sports Illustrated, January 31, 2005. Accessed June 24, 2009. She competed in the snowboardcross event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, and retired from the sport after being eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Ruby was training to become a mountain guide, a process that can take as long as 15 years, and was killed at age 31 on 29 May 2009 after a climbing accident in the Mont Blanc massif. Having climbed the Tour Ronde, she fell into a in the glacier du Geant at around 3,300 m, dragging in two other members of the climbing party she had been leading who had all been roped to each other. One man was killed in the fall, while another sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized after being evacuated by helicopter, although died later that night.

• AP Obituary in The Times