James Morgan (bobsledder)
James Morgan  | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Patrick Morgan December 16, 1948  | 
| Died | February 8, 1981 (aged 32) | 
| Cause of death | Bobsled accident | 
| Resting place | St. Bernard's Cemetery Saranac Lake, New York  | 
| Nationality | United States | 
| Other names | Jimmy, Nitro | 
| Occupation | Automobile salesman | 
| Known for | Bobsled driver, 1976 Winter Olympics  | 
James Patrick Morgan, known as Jimmy, but nicknamed "Nitro" (December 16, 1948 - February 8, 1981) was an American bobsled driver who competed from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. He was killed in 1981 during the third of four runs of the four-man event at the World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, held at the track used for the 1956 Winter Olympics.
Morgan's death at age 32, coupled with the fatality of a stuntman involved in the production of the 1981 film For Your Eyes Only the following week, led to the shortening of the Cortina track to its current configuration.
A native of Saranac Lake, New York, Morgan competed in the 1976 Winter Olympics at Innsbruck, Austria, finishing fourteenth in the two-man event and fifteenth in the four-man event at Igls.
Morgan's brother John (b.1950) was also a bobsledder who has served as a television color commentator for the sport since 1981. He was calling the competition for ABC with Bill Flemming when James' accident occurred.