ESPN captures life of Olympian Bill Johnson

American Bill Johnson’s stunning Olympic downhill gold in 1984 is iconic in ski racing, having left an indelible mark in the annals of U.S. Ski Team history. ESPN’s news magazine program E:60 will look inside his story of triumph and tragedy in an episode airing Oct. 29 at 7pm.

Johnson was a maverick who captured the attention of the country in one audacious moment of glory. At the 1984 Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo, Johnson shocked everyone when, seemingly out of nowhere, he took gold in the men’s downhill, the first time the United States had won the event.

But the glory did not last. The brash American talent insisted on living his life the way he skied – on the edge. Eventually, his performance declined and fame deserted him only to be replaced by personal tragedies.

Johnson spent more than a decade in a futile effort to get back to the top. E:60’s Jeremy Schaap recounts the up and down life of this Olympic hero.