American · Vail, Colorado, USA · Born 18 November 1972American snowboarder who became the first organ transplant recipient to compete in and medal at any Olympic Games, winning parallel giant slalom bronze at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
Chris Klug was born on 18 November 1972 in Vail, Colorado, and grew up in the shadow of Mount Bachelor in central Oregon, receiving his first snowboard at age 11. An all-state quarterback in high school, he turned down college football scholarship offers to pursue professional snowboarding, competing full-time on the World Cup circuit by his junior year. In 1991, at age 20, Klug was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare degenerative bile duct disease that would eventually require a liver transplant. He competed at the sport's Olympic debut at the 1998 Nagano Games, finishing sixth while quietly managing his worsening condition. By 2000 his health had deteriorated critically, and on 28 July 2000 he received a liver transplant during six hours of surgery in Denver after three months on the critical waiting list. Klug was riding again within seven weeks and won a World Cup event within six months of his surgery. Eighteen months after his transplant, he competed at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, winning bronze in the parallel giant slalom - completing his second run with a broken boot buckle held together with duct tape - to become the first organ transplant recipient in history to win an Olympic medal. He met the family of his donor, a 13-year-old boy, shortly after his win, calling the experience 'a celebration of life.' Klug went on to compete at a third Olympics in 2010, finishing seventh, and founded the Chris Klug Foundation in 2003 to promote organ and tissue donation awareness.
Becoming the first organ transplant recipient in history to compete in and win a medal at any Olympic Games
How They Played
Technically consistent parallel giant slalom racer known for resilience and composure under physical adversity
Lasting Impact
Remembered as one of the most inspirational figures in Winter Olympics history, whose survival and Olympic bronze medal helped raise global awareness of organ donation
Career Honours
- 2002 Olympic Bronze Medalist, Parallel Giant Slalom
- First organ transplant recipient to compete in and medal at any Olympic Games
- Multiple FIS World Cup victories in parallel giant slalom
- Founder of the Chris Klug Foundation for organ donation awareness
American Athletes