WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.819 Today, we are strapping on our figurative skis 00:00:02.819 --> 00:00:06.139 and heading straight down maybe the steepest, 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:08.820 fastest slope in sports history. We're talking 00:00:08.820 --> 00:00:11.660 about the life and the legacy of Jean -Claude 00:00:11.660 --> 00:00:13.960 Kili. And this really is a deep dive because 00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:16.399 his career, I mean, it didn't just peak at the 00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:18.480 Olympics. His career became the blueprint for 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:21.320 the modern sports celebrity. Exactly. We're not 00:00:21.320 --> 00:00:24.059 just talking about some great skier who, you 00:00:24.059 --> 00:00:26.719 know, retired young. We're talking about a man 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:29.879 who basically defined what a global sports icon 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:32.380 could achieve after crossing the finish line. 00:00:32.439 --> 00:00:35.859 He leveraged that speed, that flair into, well, 00:00:35.939 --> 00:00:38.219 commercial and even political power. It's an 00:00:38.219 --> 00:00:40.399 incredible story. OK, so let's unpack this for 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:43.259 everyone. Jean -Claude Killy, the French alpine 00:00:43.259 --> 00:00:46.479 skier who just he dominated the late 1960s. And 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:48.560 this was a crucial period, right? The sport itself 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:51.500 is changing. It was shifting from this, you know, 00:00:51.500 --> 00:00:54.240 primarily amateur thing into a huge commercial 00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:56.560 opportunity. So our mission today is to take 00:00:56.560 --> 00:00:58.939 a chronological journey. We're going to start 00:00:58.939 --> 00:01:01.640 with his, frankly, tumultuous childhood in the 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:05.040 French Alps. Then we'll move through this really 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:08.060 reckless, often frustrating early period. I mean, 00:01:08.060 --> 00:01:10.459 he was marked by illness and injury all the way 00:01:10.459 --> 00:01:12.980 up to achieving that legendary triple crown at 00:01:12.980 --> 00:01:15.599 the 1968 Grenoble Olympics. And that's really 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:17.540 only half the story, isn't it? Because after 00:01:17.540 --> 00:01:19.959 that, we have to meticulously track how he took 00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:23.459 that fame. And with the help of some pretty revolutionary 00:01:23.459 --> 00:01:26.379 management, converted it into a decades -long 00:01:26.379 --> 00:01:29.079 career. Right. As a high -octane global celebrity, 00:01:29.219 --> 00:01:31.819 he was racing cars, starring in movies. And then 00:01:31.819 --> 00:01:34.400 ultimately transforming himself into one of the 00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:37.819 most powerful and, frankly, effective high -level 00:01:37.819 --> 00:01:39.920 sports administrators in the world. He played 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:42.239 the long game after winning the short race. I 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:44.340 mean, that initial snapshot of his achievement. 00:01:44.980 --> 00:01:47.560 It's just breathtaking on its own. Three Alpine 00:01:47.560 --> 00:01:50.239 events at the 68 Winter Olympics downhill, giant 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:52.659 slalom and slalom. He was the most successful 00:01:52.659 --> 00:01:54.560 athlete at those games. And crucially, before 00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:57.120 that, he'd won the first two overall World Cup 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:00.939 title in 1967 and 1968. And you have to remember, 00:02:01.099 --> 00:02:04.079 the World Cup was brand new. Exactly. He wasn't 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:06.239 just dominating. He was setting the standard 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:08.479 for what World Cup dominance even looked like. 00:02:08.780 --> 00:02:11.780 And then, the ultimate move, he retires from 00:02:11.780 --> 00:02:14.439 the World Cup at the, well, the absurdly young 00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:18.139 age of 24, at the absolute zenith of his powers. 00:02:18.360 --> 00:02:21.419 And in those two seasons, just two seasons, he 00:02:21.419 --> 00:02:25.139 racks up 18 total World Cup victories. Six downhill, 00:02:25.400 --> 00:02:28.460 seven giant slalom, and five slalom. That's a 00:02:28.460 --> 00:02:30.879 full career for most ski champions, and Kelly 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:33.000 just compressed it into this two -year flash 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:35.449 of brilliance. But to understand the speed of 00:02:35.449 --> 00:02:37.469 that success, you really have to look at the 00:02:37.469 --> 00:02:39.330 incredibly volatile and challenging foundation 00:02:39.330 --> 00:02:41.430 he came from. That's it. The speed and the volatility, 00:02:41.590 --> 00:02:43.969 they were intertwined in his personality right 00:02:43.969 --> 00:02:46.449 from the very start. Absolutely. So let's go 00:02:46.449 --> 00:02:48.669 way back. We're starting this deep dive in St. 00:02:48.810 --> 00:02:51.129 Cloud, a suburb of Paris. Kelly was born there 00:02:51.129 --> 00:02:53.930 in 1943, right in the middle of the German occupation 00:02:53.930 --> 00:02:56.189 of France in World War II. But he didn't spend 00:02:56.189 --> 00:02:58.689 his formative years near the capital. The defining 00:02:58.689 --> 00:03:01.860 move came right after the war. The family relocated 00:03:01.860 --> 00:03:05.139 to Val d 'Isère in the Alps in 1945. And his 00:03:05.139 --> 00:03:07.759 father, Robert, he seems like a crucial figure 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:10.219 here, a former Spitfire pilot for the Free French 00:03:10.219 --> 00:03:12.500 during the war. Right. And you can imagine he 00:03:12.500 --> 00:03:14.960 brought that kind of rigid discipline, but also 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:18.419 that adventurous spirit to this small Savoie 00:03:18.419 --> 00:03:21.180 village. Robert Kelly first opened a ski shop 00:03:21.180 --> 00:03:24.340 in Val d 'Isère, you know, capitalizing on the 00:03:24.340 --> 00:03:27.080 post -war boom in Alpine tourism. And then later 00:03:27.080 --> 00:03:29.930 he ran a hotel. So this environment, the mountains, 00:03:30.110 --> 00:03:33.129 the snow, the sort of entrepreneurial energy, 00:03:33.330 --> 00:03:35.650 it just became the defining feature of Jean -Claude's 00:03:35.650 --> 00:03:38.469 entire existence. But the family history is marked 00:03:38.469 --> 00:03:41.789 by some pretty serious early trauma. When Jean 00:03:41.789 --> 00:03:45.110 -Claude was only seven in 1950, his mother, Madeleine, 00:03:45.229 --> 00:03:47.889 she abandoned the family for another man. And 00:03:47.889 --> 00:03:50.009 this left Robert, the former fighter pilot, to 00:03:50.009 --> 00:03:53.250 single -handedly raise three children. Jean -Claude, 00:03:53.349 --> 00:03:55.710 his older sister, France, and his infant brother, 00:03:55.870 --> 00:03:58.520 Mike. I mean, for a child, that's a massive emotional 00:03:58.520 --> 00:04:01.219 upheaval. And that disruption had an immediate 00:04:01.219 --> 00:04:03.860 and, well, a profound impact on his education 00:04:03.860 --> 00:04:06.099 and his entire trajectory. Kelly was sent to 00:04:06.099 --> 00:04:08.340 boarding school in Chambury, about 80 miles down 00:04:08.340 --> 00:04:12.099 the valley. And he absolutely hated it. The sources 00:04:12.099 --> 00:04:15.479 are so clear on this. He despised being shut 00:04:15.479 --> 00:04:18.139 up in a classroom. He found the structure just 00:04:18.139 --> 00:04:21.879 confining. especially compared to the freedom 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:24.060 of the mountains. And you see this theme, this 00:04:24.060 --> 00:04:26.620 resistance to traditional authority. It's a key 00:04:26.620 --> 00:04:29.199 insight into his personality. It absolutely is. 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:32.060 And that deep aversion to structured education 00:04:32.060 --> 00:04:34.819 is what pushed him so aggressively into skiing. 00:04:34.980 --> 00:04:37.660 It became his whole focus. It was his escape 00:04:37.660 --> 00:04:40.500 hatch. And his father, eventually, he just made 00:04:40.500 --> 00:04:42.399 a pragmatic decision and he allowed him to drop 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:44.920 out of school entirely at 15. A bet that paid 00:04:44.920 --> 00:04:48.199 off incredibly fast. Within a year, at 16, he's 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:52.000 on the French... But that early career phase 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:54.180 was far from polished, right? He wasn't a professional. 00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:56.420 Oh, not at all. He had a reputation for being 00:04:56.420 --> 00:04:59.879 blisteringly fast, unquestionably talented, but 00:04:59.879 --> 00:05:03.240 also extremely volatile and physically reckless. 00:05:03.500 --> 00:05:05.259 He was the guy everyone knew could win, but they 00:05:05.259 --> 00:05:07.899 also kind of expected him to crash out. The sources 00:05:07.899 --> 00:05:10.060 repeatedly say he did not usually complete his 00:05:10.060 --> 00:05:12.699 races. He was all speed and just minimal control. 00:05:12.819 --> 00:05:15.420 He had to learn to temper that raw velocity. 00:05:16.029 --> 00:05:18.790 And yet, even with that volatility, the talent 00:05:18.790 --> 00:05:23.290 was. You couldn't deny it. In December 1961, 00:05:23.589 --> 00:05:26.110 at just 18 years old, he gets his first international 00:05:26.110 --> 00:05:29.850 win, a giant slalom. And it's right there in 00:05:29.850 --> 00:05:32.470 his home village of Val d 'Isere. And what a 00:05:32.470 --> 00:05:34.740 way to do it. He started from the 39th position. 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:36.819 Now, for anyone who doesn't ski a race, you should 00:05:36.819 --> 00:05:39.699 know the snow conditions degrade rapidly. Starting 00:05:39.699 --> 00:05:42.180 that far back, especially in a giant slalom, 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:44.699 is a massive disadvantage. So to win from there, 00:05:44.740 --> 00:05:47.339 it just showed the sheer physical power and the 00:05:47.339 --> 00:05:49.220 speed he could generate when he actually managed 00:05:49.220 --> 00:05:51.379 to keep his skis underneath him. Yeah. And that 00:05:51.379 --> 00:05:53.720 combination of raw talent and reckless ambition. 00:05:54.430 --> 00:05:56.329 It's perfectly captured in the story from the 00:05:56.329 --> 00:05:59.610 1962 season. He was trying to qualify for the 00:05:59.610 --> 00:06:01.790 downhill in Cortina d 'Ampezzo ahead of the world 00:06:01.790 --> 00:06:04.209 championships in Chamonix. And his reckless style 00:06:04.209 --> 00:06:06.250 just completely caught up with him. It created 00:06:06.250 --> 00:06:08.870 a disaster that could end his career right there. 00:06:09.009 --> 00:06:11.370 He was about 200 yards from the finish, posting 00:06:11.370 --> 00:06:14.129 an exceptionally fast time. When he hits a patch 00:06:14.129 --> 00:06:16.730 of severe ice, he goes down hard. But instead 00:06:16.730 --> 00:06:19.189 of stopping, he immediately gets up and crosses 00:06:19.189 --> 00:06:23.439 the finish line on one ski. On one ski. He was 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:25.560 determined to get a time no matter what it cost 00:06:25.560 --> 00:06:27.420 him. And he got the fastest time of the day. 00:06:27.459 --> 00:06:29.480 But at the finish, the full damage was clear. 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:34.199 His other leg was broken. It's a phenomenal display 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:37.360 of guts and speed, but the immediate result was 00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:39.899 a catastrophe for his career. He missed the entire 00:06:39.899 --> 00:06:43.220 1962 World Championships, watching the event 00:06:43.220 --> 00:06:46.459 from just 50 miles away in Chamonix on crutches. 00:06:46.910 --> 00:06:49.410 That early pattern of high risk, high reward, 00:06:49.509 --> 00:06:52.230 and devastating setbacks is so crucial to understanding 00:06:52.230 --> 00:06:54.949 the man. And the setbacks just kept coming. Then 00:06:54.949 --> 00:06:57.550 came the 64 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. He 00:06:57.550 --> 00:06:59.829 was 20. His coach had entered him in all three 00:06:59.829 --> 00:07:01.970 events really to prepare him for the 68 games 00:07:01.970 --> 00:07:05.790 in France. But Kili arrives, and he is in extremely 00:07:05.790 --> 00:07:07.889 poor health. Yeah, this was a physical crisis 00:07:07.889 --> 00:07:10.189 that started two years earlier. He was plagued 00:07:10.189 --> 00:07:12.870 by these recurrences of amoebic dysentery and 00:07:12.870 --> 00:07:14.970 hepatitis. Where did he get that? He contracted 00:07:14.970 --> 00:07:17.649 them back in 62 during his mandatory service 00:07:17.649 --> 00:07:19.949 with the French army in Algeria. So imagine trying 00:07:19.949 --> 00:07:21.949 to perform in an explosive sport while suffering 00:07:21.949 --> 00:07:24.269 from a debilitating chronic illness. His form 00:07:24.269 --> 00:07:27.970 was just, it was completely off. And the results 00:07:27.970 --> 00:07:29.689 were just heartbreaking for someone who was already 00:07:29.689 --> 00:07:32.089 being called a heavy favorite. He falls just 00:07:32.089 --> 00:07:34.810 a few yards after the downhill start. He loses 00:07:34.810 --> 00:07:37.750 a binding in the slalom. And in the giant slalom, 00:07:37.870 --> 00:07:40.490 he manages to finish, but he only places fifth. 00:07:41.050 --> 00:07:44.480 The sources paint this picture of total... olympic 00:07:44.480 --> 00:07:46.759 disappointment yeah lost potential so you have 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:49.360 the reckless dropout the broken leg the physical 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:52.420 breakdown at his first olympics why didn't he 00:07:52.420 --> 00:07:55.060 just fade away that's the question and here's 00:07:55.060 --> 00:07:57.709 where you see that mental toughness Despite the 00:07:57.709 --> 00:08:01.370 64 Olympic disaster, just weeks later, he completely 00:08:01.370 --> 00:08:04.509 dominates a giant slalom at Garmisch -Partenkirchen. 00:08:04.649 --> 00:08:07.050 And that race counted toward the prestigious 00:08:07.050 --> 00:08:09.889 Arburg -Candahar events. Which, for those who 00:08:09.889 --> 00:08:11.750 might not know, the Arburg -Candahar events are 00:08:11.750 --> 00:08:14.110 arguably the oldest, most prestigious classics 00:08:14.110 --> 00:08:17.970 in the sport. They date back to 1928. So to win 00:08:17.970 --> 00:08:20.129 one of those right after a major Olympic failure. 00:08:20.730 --> 00:08:22.649 It signaled that his talent was still there. 00:08:22.750 --> 00:08:24.629 And it wasn't a fluke. He goes on to win the 00:08:24.629 --> 00:08:27.149 Hanenkomstlalem in Kitzbühel three times in a 00:08:27.149 --> 00:08:30.389 row, all the way up to 1967. And Kitzbühel is 00:08:30.389 --> 00:08:32.370 one of the most feared courses on the circuit. 00:08:32.789 --> 00:08:36.110 Exactly. This run of consistent wins showed that 00:08:36.110 --> 00:08:39.009 the reckless youth was slowly, painfully evolving 00:08:39.009 --> 00:08:41.649 into a consistent technical winner in the biggest 00:08:41.649 --> 00:08:44.110 races. So this is the turning point. The mid 00:08:44.110 --> 00:08:46.789 -60s, he's overcoming the health issues, managing 00:08:46.789 --> 00:08:49.250 his volatility, and he's improving his technical 00:08:49.250 --> 00:08:52.230 scheme. His colleagues at the time gave him the 00:08:52.230 --> 00:08:55.250 nickname Tutun. It's a bit of a playful, goofy 00:08:55.250 --> 00:08:58.149 name. But underneath that... He was honing himself 00:08:58.149 --> 00:09:00.269 into one of the most disciplined and effective 00:09:00.269 --> 00:09:02.750 technical racers on the planet. And that improved 00:09:02.750 --> 00:09:05.769 form paid off on the global stage in August 66, 00:09:06.049 --> 00:09:08.769 right before the World Cup launched. At the World 00:09:08.769 --> 00:09:11.409 Championships in Portillo, Chile, Kelly scores 00:09:11.409 --> 00:09:13.750 his first major win against an elite international 00:09:13.750 --> 00:09:17.289 field. He takes gold in the downhill. A discipline 00:09:17.289 --> 00:09:19.470 that rewards consistency and controlled aggression. 00:09:19.970 --> 00:09:22.649 He also got the gold in the combined event. So 00:09:22.649 --> 00:09:24.710 he was in peak condition, physically and mentally. 00:09:24.889 --> 00:09:27.070 He had finally mastered that balance between 00:09:27.070 --> 00:09:31.009 speed and control. And the timing. We keep saying 00:09:31.009 --> 00:09:32.309 it, but the timing couldn't have been better. 00:09:32.389 --> 00:09:34.690 As Kili is peaking, the first official World 00:09:34.690 --> 00:09:36.950 Cup season is being launched in January 1967. 00:09:38.029 --> 00:09:41.149 The stage was just perfectly set for two years 00:09:41.149 --> 00:09:44.230 of absolute unprecedented dominance. Right. That 00:09:44.230 --> 00:09:46.549 takes us to that flashpoint, the period of just 00:09:46.549 --> 00:09:50.269 sheer overwhelming dominance, 67 and 68. This 00:09:50.269 --> 00:09:52.889 is the two -year window where he transforms from 00:09:52.889 --> 00:09:56.110 a very good French racer into a global sports 00:09:56.110 --> 00:09:59.690 phenomenon, a national hero. The 1967 season, 00:09:59.850 --> 00:10:02.429 that was the inaugural World Cup season, and 00:10:02.429 --> 00:10:04.629 Kili immediately becomes its face, its first 00:10:04.629 --> 00:10:06.610 champion. And his dominance that first year, 00:10:06.669 --> 00:10:08.690 it wasn't just about accumulating points. It 00:10:08.690 --> 00:10:10.429 was about crushing the competition across every 00:10:10.429 --> 00:10:12.429 single discipline, which was incredibly rare. 00:10:12.940 --> 00:10:15.720 The season had 17 races and Kili won 12 of them. 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:19.320 12 of 17. That level of efficiency is just staggering. 00:10:19.539 --> 00:10:21.419 He swept the board. He took the overall title 00:10:21.419 --> 00:10:24.379 easily. And remarkably, he won the season standings 00:10:24.379 --> 00:10:27.480 in all three classic disciplines. Downhill, Giant 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:30.019 Salamam, and Salamam. That's a true trifecta. 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:32.740 If you look at the data from 67, it's even more 00:10:32.740 --> 00:10:35.340 impressive. There were five scheduled downhill 00:10:35.340 --> 00:10:37.639 races that season. He won all five. A perfect 00:10:37.639 --> 00:10:40.639 season. In the most dangerous discipline. He 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:43.679 also won four out of five giant slalom races. 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:47.700 So this total domination in 67 meant he was the 00:10:47.700 --> 00:10:51.659 undisputed king heading into 1968 with the Olympics 00:10:51.659 --> 00:10:54.519 on his home soil in France. The pressure must 00:10:54.519 --> 00:10:57.000 have been unimaginable. Which takes us straight 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:00.200 to the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. This 00:11:00.200 --> 00:11:02.240 was the moment the entire country, the French 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:05.120 press and this new global TV audience had been 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:08.019 waiting for. And he delivered, achieving the 00:11:08.019 --> 00:11:10.860 legendary Triple Crown. The Triple Crown. That's 00:11:10.860 --> 00:11:13.620 all three Olympic alpine golds, downhill, giant 00:11:13.620 --> 00:11:16.019 slalom, and slalom. He was the story of the games. 00:11:16.279 --> 00:11:18.919 And a fascinating technical detail. Because the 00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:21.279 Olympics doubled as the world championships back 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:23.960 then, his combined results also secure him the 00:11:23.960 --> 00:11:25.740 world championship title in the combined event. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:28.120 The sources call that a paper race. Can you explain 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:30.679 what that means for our listeners? Sure. In those 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:33.259 days, the combined title wasn't a separate dedicated 00:11:33.259 --> 00:11:36.419 race. It was calculated by compiling the times 00:11:36.419 --> 00:11:39.080 or points from the three individual Olympic events. 00:11:39.950 --> 00:11:42.509 Since Kili won all three, he automatically won 00:11:42.509 --> 00:11:45.149 the combined title on paper. It just solidified 00:11:45.149 --> 00:11:48.309 his status as the best all -around skier in the 00:11:48.309 --> 00:11:51.330 world. The 68 games are remembered not just for 00:11:51.330 --> 00:11:53.549 the wins, but for the technology and the controversy, 00:11:53.789 --> 00:11:55.850 especially in the downhill. The margins were 00:11:55.850 --> 00:11:58.710 razor thin. That's right. The Tet heightened 00:11:58.710 --> 00:12:01.490 the drama. These were the first games to use 00:12:01.490 --> 00:12:04.580 electrical timing by Omega. accurate to one hundredth 00:12:04.580 --> 00:12:07.080 of a second. Before that, it was often hand timing, 00:12:07.220 --> 00:12:09.940 rounded to the tenth. Suddenly, every tiny physical 00:12:09.940 --> 00:12:13.100 margin counted. Absolutely. And the sources detail 00:12:13.100 --> 00:12:15.500 this specific move Kelly exploited at the start 00:12:15.500 --> 00:12:19.179 gate. It was arguably brilliant, arguably controversial. 00:12:19.419 --> 00:12:21.679 He used his upper body strength to hit the start 00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:24.019 bar while his body was already moving forward. 00:12:24.200 --> 00:12:26.879 So he's essentially starting the clock a fraction 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:29.159 of a second after he's already begun his descent. 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:31.980 It was a subtle maneuver designed to give him 00:12:31.980 --> 00:12:41.700 just a few. And those few hundreds, they proved 00:12:41.700 --> 00:12:44.799 absolutely critical in the downhill. He beat 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:48.259 his teammate Guy Perilat by that incredibly slim 00:12:48.259 --> 00:12:50.299 margin. And when the difference between gold 00:12:50.299 --> 00:12:52.759 and silver is measured in milliseconds, and the 00:12:52.759 --> 00:12:55.019 winner is using a physical trick against the 00:12:55.019 --> 00:12:58.600 new timing system, it just underscores his competitive 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:01.809 ruthlessness. Absolutely. And that slight edge 00:13:01.809 --> 00:13:04.470 sealed the first of his three goals. It gave 00:13:04.470 --> 00:13:06.490 him the psychological momentum to complete the 00:13:06.490 --> 00:13:08.850 sweep. The Olympics were also folded directly 00:13:08.850 --> 00:13:11.049 into the World Cup standings that year, which 00:13:11.049 --> 00:13:13.710 was a unique inclusion. So because of those three 00:13:13.710 --> 00:13:16.549 gold medals, Kelly easily defended his overall 00:13:16.549 --> 00:13:19.149 World Cup title, his second consecutive globe. 00:13:19.389 --> 00:13:21.529 He was human, though. While he won the overall 00:13:21.529 --> 00:13:24.190 in the giant slalom standings, he finished second 00:13:24.190 --> 00:13:26.289 in the downhill and slalom that year. Correct. 00:13:26.350 --> 00:13:28.490 But the Olympic points were more than enough 00:13:28.490 --> 00:13:31.320 to guarantee the overall victory. And then the 00:13:31.320 --> 00:13:33.580 ultimate mic drop. He retires from the World 00:13:33.580 --> 00:13:36.139 Cup circuit immediately after the 1968 season. 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:39.500 At age 24, he just stepped away at the absolute 00:13:39.500 --> 00:13:42.399 zenith of his career. An unprecedented move. 00:13:42.600 --> 00:13:44.779 That retirement at that age, it's a signal that 00:13:44.779 --> 00:13:46.600 he had a bigger plan. He wasn't just retiring 00:13:46.600 --> 00:13:48.700 from competition. He was retiring from amateur 00:13:48.700 --> 00:13:53.080 era competition to become Killy, the global celebrity. 00:13:53.259 --> 00:13:56.379 He was launching the next phase of his life. 00:13:56.580 --> 00:13:58.320 Which takes us to this truly unique chapter. 00:13:58.759 --> 00:14:01.100 Killy the global celebrity. This is where he 00:14:01.100 --> 00:14:03.039 becomes a walking, talking commercial brand. 00:14:03.259 --> 00:14:05.940 And the timing, again, was everything. His success 00:14:05.940 --> 00:14:08.740 in Grenoble coincided perfectly with the 68 games 00:14:08.740 --> 00:14:11.220 being the first to be extensively televised in 00:14:11.220 --> 00:14:14.360 color by ABC. That's the key. Color television 00:14:14.360 --> 00:14:16.600 turned him from a European sports star into an 00:14:16.600 --> 00:14:19.139 overnight celebrity in the United States. He 00:14:19.139 --> 00:14:21.759 had the Gallic flair, the rugged looks, the narrative 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:24.840 of total victory. It made him a massive commodity, 00:14:25.100 --> 00:14:26.820 especially in the U .S. market. And the business 00:14:26.820 --> 00:14:29.120 world moved instantly. Within months of his triple 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:31.820 crown, in May of 68, he signs with international 00:14:31.820 --> 00:14:35.019 management group IMG, the revolutionary firm 00:14:35.019 --> 00:14:37.059 headed by Mark McCormack. And for anyone who 00:14:37.059 --> 00:14:39.080 doesn't recognize the significance of IMG at 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:42.340 that time, McCormack basically invented modern 00:14:42.340 --> 00:14:45.259 sports marketing. He realized athletes weren't 00:14:45.259 --> 00:14:47.259 just competitors, they were endorseable properties. 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:50.879 What was his strategy with Kili? McCormack realized 00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:53.860 Kili transcended skiing. He wasn't just selling 00:14:53.860 --> 00:14:56.620 equipment. He was selling lifestyle, speed, success. 00:14:57.299 --> 00:15:00.220 Kili was one of IMG's earliest and biggest successes 00:15:00.220 --> 00:15:02.639 outside of golf, where McCormack had started 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:06.179 with Arnold Palmer. And the Kili brand just exploded. 00:15:06.460 --> 00:15:09.179 He signed a huge deal with Head Ski in the fall 00:15:09.179 --> 00:15:12.659 of 68 to endorse the metal and fiberglass Kili 00:15:12.659 --> 00:15:15.220 800 ski. Yeah. A direct product with his name 00:15:15.220 --> 00:15:17.500 on it. And his endorsement portfolio was so diverse, 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:20.460 it spanned luxury and mass market appeal, which 00:15:20.460 --> 00:15:22.679 was revolutionary for an athlete. He promoted 00:15:22.679 --> 00:15:24.620 the American Express card, signaling prestige 00:15:24.620 --> 00:15:26.620 and global travel. But then he balanced that 00:15:26.620 --> 00:15:28.659 with mass market products. He was a spokesman 00:15:28.659 --> 00:15:31.399 for Schwinn Bicycles, United Airlines, and famously, 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:33.799 Chevrolet. And that's where his celebrity status 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:36.460 crossed into pop culture commentary. The journalist 00:15:36.460 --> 00:15:39.500 Hunter S. Thompson dedicated a 1970 article to 00:15:39.500 --> 00:15:42.320 Kelly's role as a Chevrolet spokesman. The Temptations 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:45.080 of Jean -Claude Kelly. When one of the era's 00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:47.500 sharpest cultural commentators is writing about 00:15:47.500 --> 00:15:49.919 your endorsement deals, you have definitely crossed 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:52.120 over into the celebrity zeitgeist. Oh, absolutely. 00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:54.600 And for a generation of American kids watching 00:15:54.600 --> 00:15:58.259 TV in the early 70s, Kili was instantly recognizable, 00:15:58.600 --> 00:16:00.840 partly because of this TV commercial anecdote. 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:03.759 His French accent was so thick that when he introduced 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:06.620 himself, American children often misheard his 00:16:06.620 --> 00:16:09.799 name as Chocolate Kitty. It's a marvelous piece 00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:12.429 of accidental branding. Yeah. Did that undermine 00:16:12.429 --> 00:16:14.090 him or did it make him even more accessible? 00:16:14.370 --> 00:16:16.990 It made it accessible and memorable. It took 00:16:16.990 --> 00:16:20.370 him from a distant European hero to this instantly 00:16:20.370 --> 00:16:23.370 recognizable, if slightly comical, figure in 00:16:23.370 --> 00:16:25.590 American pop culture. That kind of widespread 00:16:25.590 --> 00:16:28.370 recognition is the definition of a successful 00:16:28.370 --> 00:16:31.190 brand crossover. And speaking of branding, he 00:16:31.190 --> 00:16:33.610 was backed by the champagne company Moet & Chandon, 00:16:33.889 --> 00:16:36.730 who had a very specific demand. Yeah, they paid 00:16:36.730 --> 00:16:39.149 him specifically to be seen with a bottle of 00:16:39.149 --> 00:16:48.250 their champagne on his table every day. And this 00:16:48.250 --> 00:16:50.649 high -stakes sponsorship led to one of the most 00:16:50.649 --> 00:16:52.750 incredible stunts of his post -skiing career. 00:16:53.129 --> 00:16:56.649 The 1974 Extreme Skiing Venture. As part of that 00:16:56.649 --> 00:16:59.370 champagne deal, Kelly was paid to ski down the 00:16:59.370 --> 00:17:02.450 previously unskied eastern slope of Mount Ngauruho 00:17:02.450 --> 00:17:05.490 in New Zealand, an active volcano. Which our 00:17:05.490 --> 00:17:07.269 listeners will know as Peter Jackson's meant 00:17:07.269 --> 00:17:09.750 doom from Lord of the Rings. This was a stunt 00:17:09.750 --> 00:17:12.470 with genuine life -threatening risk. He had to 00:17:12.470 --> 00:17:14.930 descend this rugged slope and radar recorded 00:17:14.930 --> 00:17:17.430 his speed at over 100 miles per hour. That's 00:17:17.430 --> 00:17:20.069 160 kilometers per hour. He actually had to do 00:17:20.069 --> 00:17:22.549 it in two takes because clouds spoiled the video. 00:17:22.440 --> 00:17:24.299 visibility for the cameras on the first run. 00:17:24.380 --> 00:17:26.799 Imagine that. Being paid by a champagne company 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:28.920 to perform a near -death stunt on a volcano. 00:17:29.160 --> 00:17:32.500 That is P -1970 celebrity marketing. And the 00:17:32.500 --> 00:17:35.039 fame went beyond stunts. He leveraged it into 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:38.099 acting. He starred as a ski instructor in a 1972 00:17:38.099 --> 00:17:40.819 crime movie called Snow Job. And he didn't just 00:17:40.819 --> 00:17:43.720 do crime dramas. He played himself in a 1983 00:17:43.720 --> 00:17:46.019 comedy Copper Mountain, which starred a young 00:17:46.019 --> 00:17:48.759 Jim Carrey. He also had two of his own TV series. 00:17:49.019 --> 00:17:51.519 Those were key to sustaining the Kili brand in 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:54.769 the U .S. The Kili style showcased resorts. and 00:17:54.769 --> 00:17:56.490 the Kili Challenge had him racing celebrities 00:17:56.490 --> 00:17:59.490 with handicaps. He was constantly curating his 00:17:59.490 --> 00:18:02.349 image as the ultimate sportsman. Now let's talk 00:18:02.349 --> 00:18:04.849 about his brief but intense foray into motor 00:18:04.849 --> 00:18:07.109 racing, which actually happened during his peak 00:18:07.109 --> 00:18:11.029 skiing years. Yes, between 1967 and 1970. And 00:18:11.029 --> 00:18:13.410 this wasn't a hobby, it was a serious competitive 00:18:13.410 --> 00:18:17.970 outlet. In the 1967 Targa Florio, a legendary 00:18:17.970 --> 00:18:20.990 road race in Sicily, he teamed up with Bernard 00:18:20.990 --> 00:18:23.220 Cahier. And they finished seventh overall, which 00:18:23.220 --> 00:18:25.160 is exceptional. And they were first in the GT 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:28.059 class driving a Porsche 911 S. It shows that 00:18:28.059 --> 00:18:30.559 speed and technical precision translated seamlessly 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:32.960 from the sloops to the track. And he entered 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:35.440 the most famous endurance race in the world, 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:39.079 the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1969. He partnered 00:18:39.079 --> 00:18:41.980 with Bob Wolick, another skier turn driver. They 00:18:41.980 --> 00:18:44.480 led their class for a huge portion of the race 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:46.420 before a mechanical issue forced them out with 00:18:46.420 --> 00:18:49.039 only four hours left. Even after retiring from 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:50.900 the World Cup, the competitive pull of ski racing 00:18:50.900 --> 00:18:53.480 was too strong. He made a brief but impactful 00:18:53.480 --> 00:18:56.180 comeback on the U .S. pro circuit. Right. In 00:18:56.180 --> 00:18:58.839 November 72, at 29, he comes out of retirement. 00:18:59.579 --> 00:19:02.279 This was the era of cash purses and head -to 00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:04.319 -head racing, a totally different environment. 00:19:04.700 --> 00:19:06.960 And the comeback was fueled by a direct challenge 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:09.839 from the two -time defending pro champion, Spider 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:13.440 Savich. Kili came in, and after a spirited contest, 00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:17.940 he won the 1973 season title. dethroning Sabich. 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:20.599 And the money reflected that. He took over $28 00:19:20.599 --> 00:19:24.680 ,000 in winnings, plus a $40 ,000 bonus. He proved 00:19:24.680 --> 00:19:27.319 he could still perform at the highest level five 00:19:27.319 --> 00:19:29.640 years after his Olympic peak. But unfortunately, 00:19:29.819 --> 00:19:32.599 history repeated itself. His health issues came 00:19:32.599 --> 00:19:35.940 back, echoing the setbacks of 64. He missed the 00:19:35.940 --> 00:19:38.059 next season due to a recurring stomach ailment. 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:40.920 He returned in the fall of 74, but injuries and 00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:43.579 age had slowed him down. But by then, his ties 00:19:43.579 --> 00:19:46.019 to the U .S. ski industry were cemented, and 00:19:46.019 --> 00:19:48.039 his influence began shifting from competition 00:19:48.039 --> 00:19:50.119 to infrastructure. This is a fascinating transition. 00:19:50.750 --> 00:19:53.589 In 75, he's hired to lead ski operations at Shawnee 00:19:53.589 --> 00:19:55.769 Mountain in Pennsylvania. This wasn't just a 00:19:55.769 --> 00:19:58.029 marketing contract. He was tasked with leadership 00:19:58.029 --> 00:20:00.490 and design. And I love this observation from 00:20:00.490 --> 00:20:02.670 a journalist at the time. He recalled seeing 00:20:02.670 --> 00:20:04.849 Kili at Shawnee and it was the perfect snapshot. 00:20:05.250 --> 00:20:08.170 He wrote that Kili would flash by at Shawnee. 00:20:08.269 --> 00:20:11.170 He was fast and smooth and he stopped frequently 00:20:11.170 --> 00:20:14.289 to check the time on his Rolex. It's that perfect 00:20:14.289 --> 00:20:17.829 fusion of speed, flair, and high -stakes professionalism. 00:20:17.930 --> 00:20:20.029 He also designed a challenging ski trail called 00:20:20.029 --> 00:20:22.690 Cup Run at the Snowshoe Resort in West Virginia, 00:20:22.869 --> 00:20:25.470 showing his continued technical influence. And 00:20:25.470 --> 00:20:28.230 this transition leads us perfectly into the final 00:20:28.230 --> 00:20:30.990 and perhaps most impactful chapter of his professional 00:20:30.990 --> 00:20:34.250 life. Killy the statesman and power broker, he 00:20:34.250 --> 00:20:36.569 moves from competing in sports to running them. 00:20:36.710 --> 00:20:38.609 That is the ultimate character arc, isn't it? 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:41.380 The link between the reckless dropout who hated 00:20:41.380 --> 00:20:44.059 being confined in a classroom and the disciplined 00:20:44.059 --> 00:20:46.799 administrator who oversaw massive global logistics. 00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:49.440 The shift back to structured sports began early. 00:20:49.829 --> 00:20:53.329 From 1977 to 1994, he was on the executive board 00:20:53.329 --> 00:20:56.089 of the Alpine Skiing Committee of the FIS. That's 00:20:56.089 --> 00:20:58.329 17 years of sustained high -level administrative 00:20:58.329 --> 00:21:01.569 commitment. And his profile grew exponentially 00:21:01.569 --> 00:21:04.349 when he served as co -president of the organizing 00:21:04.349 --> 00:21:08.029 committee for the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, 00:21:08.049 --> 00:21:10.609 France. The Albertville Games were notoriously 00:21:10.609 --> 00:21:12.690 complex. They were spread across 13 different 00:21:12.690 --> 00:21:16.240 sites. Huge logistical challenges. Keeley was 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:18.740 instrumental in ensuring that operational success. 00:21:19.059 --> 00:21:20.680 And what's fascinating is that he didn't limit 00:21:20.680 --> 00:21:25.339 his focus to skiing. In 1992, right after Albertville, 00:21:25.480 --> 00:21:27.799 he becomes the president of the Société de Tour 00:21:27.799 --> 00:21:30.920 de France. He held that role until 2001. Nine 00:21:30.920 --> 00:21:33.319 years overseeing one of the world's most massive 00:21:33.319 --> 00:21:36.220 annual sporting events. It required a level of 00:21:36.220 --> 00:21:38.940 diplomatic and political savvy that far outstripped 00:21:38.940 --> 00:21:41.240 just being a celebrity. And he rose quickly through 00:21:41.240 --> 00:21:43.220 the ranks of the ultimate global sports body. 00:21:43.630 --> 00:21:45.950 The International Olympic Committee, the IOC. 00:21:46.190 --> 00:21:49.430 He served as an IOC member from 1995 to 2014. 00:21:49.769 --> 00:21:51.670 And this is where his influence truly solidified. 00:21:51.809 --> 00:21:53.990 He chaired the crucial coordination committee 00:21:53.990 --> 00:21:57.890 for two major Winter Olympics. during 2006 and 00:21:57.890 --> 00:22:00.450 Sochi 2014. That role means you're responsible 00:22:00.450 --> 00:22:02.130 for overseeing the host city's preparations, 00:22:02.509 --> 00:22:05.049 ensuring they meet all obligations, arbitrating 00:22:05.049 --> 00:22:07.809 disputes. It's a huge, sustained commitment. 00:22:08.049 --> 00:22:10.230 His career trajectory just shows that the initial 00:22:10.230 --> 00:22:12.930 volatility was channeled into competitive drive 00:22:12.930 --> 00:22:15.849 and that drive matured into structured, effective 00:22:15.849 --> 00:22:19.099 leadership. The man who hated the classroom became 00:22:19.099 --> 00:22:21.519 one of the world's most powerful sports bureaucrats. 00:22:21.619 --> 00:22:23.900 We have to touch on one more unusual athletic 00:22:23.900 --> 00:22:26.700 pursuit, though. It shows that need to push boundaries 00:22:26.700 --> 00:22:30.240 never faded. In addition to skiing and driving, 00:22:30.460 --> 00:22:33.210 Kili turned to distance running. He competed 00:22:33.210 --> 00:22:37.769 in the 1983 New York City Marathon, and he finished 00:22:37.769 --> 00:22:41.049 in a very respectable 3 hours, 58 minutes, and 00:22:41.049 --> 00:22:44.970 33 seconds. Again, it's that intrinsic need to 00:22:44.970 --> 00:22:47.230 test himself. And his name is now permanently 00:22:47.230 --> 00:22:49.490 etched into the landscape of the French Alps. 00:22:49.630 --> 00:22:52.450 The massive ski area connecting Val d 'Isère 00:22:52.450 --> 00:22:55.150 and Tignes was officially named Le Space Kili 00:22:55.150 --> 00:22:57.740 in his honor. He also received France's highest 00:22:57.740 --> 00:23:00.500 national recognition. He was made Grand Officer 00:23:00.500 --> 00:23:03.599 of the Legion d 'honneur in 2000. This confirms 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:06.339 his status not just as a sports hero, but as 00:23:06.339 --> 00:23:09.000 a deeply respected influential figure in French 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:11.460 public life. So let's bring this deep dive to 00:23:11.460 --> 00:23:13.359 a close by looking at his personal life and drawing 00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:15.460 some final takeaways. There are a few fascinating 00:23:15.460 --> 00:23:18.279 personal connections. He married the French actress 00:23:18.279 --> 00:23:22.119 Danielle Gobert in 1973, a partnership that lasted 00:23:22.119 --> 00:23:25.369 until her death from cancer in 1987. They had 00:23:25.369 --> 00:23:27.789 a daughter, Emily, and their marriage bridged 00:23:27.789 --> 00:23:30.430 the worlds of sports celebrity and European cinema. 00:23:30.930 --> 00:23:34.009 But the family connections are particularly unusual, 00:23:34.329 --> 00:23:36.509 reaching into international political drama. 00:23:36.910 --> 00:23:39.430 Kelly adopted Gobert's two children from her 00:23:39.430 --> 00:23:42.230 first marriage, and her first husband was Radames 00:23:42.230 --> 00:23:45.779 Trujillo. The son of Rafael Trujillo, the assassinated 00:23:45.779 --> 00:23:48.240 dictator of the Dominican Republic. Right. So 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:50.559 Kili, the champion skier from the French Alps, 00:23:50.579 --> 00:23:53.359 was immediately connected by family to this high 00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:56.920 level post dictatorial international drama right 00:23:56.920 --> 00:23:59.519 at the moment of his global ascension. And his 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:01.859 later life connections are also notable, showing 00:24:01.859 --> 00:24:05.000 his access to the highest global circles, specifically 00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:07.319 his friendship with Russian President Vladimir 00:24:07.319 --> 00:24:10.200 Putin. Kelly chaired the coordination committee 00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:13.000 for the Sochi 2014 games and the sources note 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:15.640 he defended Putin publicly in 2015. It's just 00:24:15.640 --> 00:24:17.380 a statement of fact from our sources that Kelly 00:24:17.380 --> 00:24:19.279 moved in those circles and it highlights his 00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:21.759 status as someone who maintains powerful relationships 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:24.859 years after his official retirement. And finally, 00:24:24.940 --> 00:24:28.160 a touch of classic American celebrity. The surprising 00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:30.500 fact that Killy was a favorite of the king of 00:24:30.500 --> 00:24:33.460 rock and roll. In the 1972 documentary Elvis 00:24:33.460 --> 00:24:36.599 on Tour, Elvis Presley actually named Jean -Claude 00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:38.880 Killy as his favorite skier. Which just confirms 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:41.859 that by the early 70s, Killy was truly a cultural 00:24:41.859 --> 00:24:44.700 icon, recognized by the biggest names in entertainment 00:24:44.700 --> 00:24:47.259 across continents. So what does it all mean? 00:24:47.500 --> 00:24:50.279 The final takeaway is that his career is the 00:24:50.279 --> 00:24:52.700 blueprint for the modern athlete turned mogul. 00:24:52.940 --> 00:24:55.039 He went from a high -speed dropout struggling 00:24:55.039 --> 00:24:58.519 with injury to Olympic icon and then with unprecedented 00:24:58.519 --> 00:25:01.119 speed converted that achievement into global 00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:03.859 commercial power and then into immense administrative 00:25:03.859 --> 00:25:06.660 influence. He was the right man at the right 00:25:06.660 --> 00:25:09.599 time with the right management. His rise coincided 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:11.839 perfectly with color television and global sports 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:14.759 marketing firms like IMG. He became the face 00:25:14.759 --> 00:25:17.079 of his sport at the precise moment television 00:25:17.079 --> 00:25:19.720 changed everything. Which brings us to a final 00:25:19.720 --> 00:25:22.339 thought. And this builds directly on that controversy 00:25:22.339 --> 00:25:25.619 we discussed around his downhill victory. Kelly's 00:25:25.619 --> 00:25:29.900 1968 downhill win hinged on just a few hundredths 00:25:29.900 --> 00:25:32.059 of a second. potentially gained by that subtle 00:25:32.059 --> 00:25:33.940 manipulation of the timing bar at the start. 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:37.160 A tiny edge, but enough for gold. And this raises 00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:39.019 a really important and I think a provocative 00:25:39.019 --> 00:25:42.519 question for you to consider. How might the massive 00:25:42.519 --> 00:25:45.220 subsequent commercial empire, the endorsements, 00:25:45.259 --> 00:25:47.319 the movies, the Tour de France presidency, the 00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:50.700 two decades of IOC roles, how might all of that 00:25:50.700 --> 00:25:52.680 have been radically altered if that gold medal 00:25:52.680 --> 00:25:55.509 had been a silver? Wow. That single marginal 00:25:55.509 --> 00:25:58.329 advantage gained on a split second technicality. 00:25:58.349 --> 00:26:00.430 It highlights the paper -thin margin between 00:26:00.430 --> 00:26:02.869 becoming a timeless global legend and just being 00:26:02.869 --> 00:26:05.269 a great, but historically less impactful, athlete. 00:26:05.509 --> 00:26:07.430 That fraction of a second may have secured a 00:26:07.430 --> 00:26:08.529 five decade long career.