Jon Lugbill (USA)

Jon is generally considered as the best paddler to ever compete in whitewater canoeing dominating the top levels of canoe slalom for over a decade.

Jon’s innovations in paddling technique and designs not only revolutionized the sport of slalom racing, but also affected the rest of whitewater including the development of squirtboating.

Jon is a five-time World Champion in C1 slalom (1979, 1981, 1983, 1987, 1989) and the only athlete in history to have won a record twelve World Championship gold medals. He is a three-time World Cup Gold Overall Medalist (1988, 1989, 1990), a World Championship Silver Medalist in 1985 , a World Cup Silver Overall Medalist in 1991, and a Bronze Medalist in C2 at the 1977 World Championship. He finished 4th at the 1992 Olympics. He is also the only paddler to appear on the Wheaties box (the Breakfast of Champions), recognition of his athleticism.

He was USA Canoe Kayak’s Male Athlete of the Year in 1989 and  picked by the US Olympic Committee as a Top 10 Sportsman of the Year in 1995. He was also an NBC Olympic Canoe/Kayak analyst and commentator (2000 and 2004).