Stone, Nikki (c. 1971—)

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Stone, Nikki (c. 1971—)

American freestyle skier. Born around 1971 in Westboro, Massachusetts.

A favorite in Lillehammer in 1994, aerial skier Nikki Stone, of Westboro, Massachusetts, failed to qualify for the final. In 1998 at Nagano, Stone won the gold medal in freestyle aerials with a clean high-degree of difficulty jump, a lay-tuck-full (also known as a triple twisting double somersault), amassing a total of 193 points. Xu Nannan of China won the silver with 186.97, while Colette Brand of Switzerland took the bronze with 171.83. Stone had been jumping despite a debilitating disc ailment that has given her chronic problems; doctors had advised her to stop competing. "A year and a half ago, I was the most miserable person you've ever met," she told reporters after her win. "Doctors were telling me I'd never jump again and I was believing them." Now "I'm walking on sunshine," she said.