Richard Alfred Weiss (September 18, 1963 – June 25, 1997), known as Rich Weiss, was a

West German West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

-born,

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

slalom kayaker who competed from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. He won a silver medal in the K1 event at the

1993 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships The 1993 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships were held in Mezzana, Italy under the auspices of International Canoe Federation. It was the 23rd edition. It was the first time that the Czech Republic and Slovakia competed as separate nations followi ...

in Mezzana. Weiss also competed in two

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The ina ...

, earning his best finish of sixth in the K1 event in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone on b ...

. His finish in the

1992 Olympics 1992 Olympics may refer to: *1992 Summer Olympics, which were held in Barcelona, Spain *1992 Winter Olympics ) , nations = 64 , athletes = 1,801 (1313 men, 488 women) , events = 57 in 6 sports (12 disciplines) , opening = 8 ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...

was mired in controversy when the television replay showed a judge's error cost him a bronze medal. Weiss was born in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

, and earned a B.S. in Geological Engineering from the

Colorado School of Mines The Colorado School of Mines, informally called Mines, is a public research university in Golden, Colorado, founded in 1874. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, science, and mathematics, with a focus on ene ...

, an M.S. in Hydrogeology from

Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State becam ...

, and a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

. He founded and owned an environmental consulting company, Weisswater Associates.John F. Russell, Steamboat Today
''Weiss made waves''
July 27, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2015. He drowned in a

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits facin ...

accident on the

White Salmon River The White Salmon River is a tributary of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Originating on the slopes of Mount Adams, it flows into the Columbia Gorge near the community of Underwood. Parts of the river have been designated ...

Washington state Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washingto ...

in 1997. Preparing for a race with a friend, he unsuccessfully attempted to run Big Brother, a Class-V rapid with a 30-foot waterfall. His wife, Rosi, gave birth soon afterwards to a boy whom she named "River". The accidental death of a world-class paddler was the subject of much reflection and soul-searching in the whitewater community. The town of

Steamboat Springs, Colorado The City of Steamboat Springs is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Routt County, Colorado, United States. Steamboat Springs is the principal city of the Steamboat Springs, CO Micropolitan Stat ...

dedicated a park, with a statue, in his honor.Jon Libid, Steamboat Today
Forever immortalized
June 10, 2001. Retrieved June 23, 2015. Richieweiss

World Cup individual podiums

References

*
Sports-reference.com profile
1963 births 1997 deaths American male canoeists Canoeists at the 1992 Summer Olympics Canoeists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Olympic canoeists for the United States Emigrants from West Germany to the United States Accidental deaths in Washington (state) Medalists at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships Canoeing deaths Deaths by drowning in the United States {{US-canoe-bio-stub

World Cup individual podiums

See also

References