Jeff Pain

{{Short description|Canadian skeleton racer (born 1970)}} {{About|the Canadian skeleton racer|the British musician|Mr Big (UK band)|the American football player|Jeff Paine|the American writer|Jeffery Paine}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Jeff Pain | image = Jeff-pain-skeleton.jpg | image_size = 150px | caption = | fullname = Jeffrey Thomas Pain | birth_date = {{birth-date and age|December 14, 1970}} | birth_place = Anchorage, Alaska, United States | headercolor = lightsteelblue | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Skeleton }} {{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }} center|80px {{MedalSilver | 2006 Turin | Men }} {{MedalCompetition | World Championships }} {{MedalGold | 2003 Nagano | Men }} {{MedalGold | 2005 Calgary | Men }} {{MedalSilver | 2001 Calgary | Men }} }}

'''Jeffrey Thomas "Jeff" Pain'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sport.gov.cn/n10503/c845878/content.html |title=第23届平昌冬奥会中国体育代表团名单 |author=|date=1 February 2018|website=State General Administration of Sports|language=Chinese |trans-title=List of the 23rd Pyongchang Winter Olympic Games Chinese Sports Delegation |access-date=10 March 2018}}</ref> (born December 14, 1970) is an American-born Canadian former skeleton racer who competed from 1995 to 2010. He is regarded as one of the most successful male competitors in the history of the Canadian skeleton program.

Pain was born in Anchorage, Alaska. He graduated from the University of British Columbia, where he was a member of the school's varsity track and field team.<ref>{{cite web|last=Drexhage|first=Glenn|title=Insane Pain: Thrill of the Skeleton|date=8 February 2010 |url=http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/2010/02/08/insane-pain-thrill-of-the-skeleton/|publisher=UBC Public Affairs|accessdate=6 August 2012}}</ref>

Pain has had a 15-year career with 22 World Cup podium finishes in 74 starts, including ten wins,<ref name=retire>{{cite web |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/pain-announces-retirement-from-skeleton/article4330464/ |title=Pain announces retirement from skeleton |last=Christie |first=James |date=27 March 2017 |website=theglobeandmail.com | publisher=The Globe and Mail |access-date=10 March 2018}}</ref> 3 World Championship medals, and an Olympic silver medal. This included winning the men's Skeleton World Cup overall title twice (2004-5, 2005-6). He first represented Canada at the 2002 Olympic Winter games, finishing 6th, where Skeleton returned after a 54-year hiatus. Subsequently, Pain went on to compete in the 2006 Winter Olympics where he finished with a silver medal behind fellow Canadian Duff Gibson. One distinguishing feature of Pain's skeleton gear is his custom-painted helmet, depicting the face of an enraged beaver. Pain was married to his wife Aly in 1997, divorced from her in 2022, and they have two sons. Pain now lives in Lethbridge, AB and has a new life partner, Stacey.

Pain also won three medals in the men's skeleton event at the FIBT World Championships with two golds (2003, 2005) and a silver (2001).

He finished in ninth place at the 2010 Winter Olympics racing with a badly injured right oblique muscle. In October 2010, he announced his retirement from competition.<ref name=retire />

In 2015 Pain was appointed as coach of the Chinese skeleton team after the 2022 Winter Olympics were awarded to Beijing<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/olympics/china-stumbling-on-path-to-olympic-glory-at-2022-home-games/2018/02/23/43037792-1916-11e8-930c-45838ad0d77a_story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224094741/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/olympics/china-stumbling-on-path-to-olympic-glory-at-2022-home-games/2018/02/23/43037792-1916-11e8-930c-45838ad0d77a_story.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 February 2018 |title=China stumbling on path to Olympic glory at 2022 home games |last=Leicester |first=John |date=23 February 2018 |website=WashingtonPost.com |access-date=10 March 2018}}</ref> and remained with the Chinese team until 2019. Since then, Pain has coached the Austrian National Skeleton (2022-2023), and is currently the Korean National Skeleton team head coach (2023 - present).

==References== {{reflist}}

==Other sources== * {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105190421/http://sports123.com/ske/mwc.html |date=November 5, 2011 |title=List of men's skeleton World Cup champions since 1987 (sports123.com)}} * [http://sports123.com/ske/mo.html Men's skeleton Olympic medalists since 1928 (sports123.com)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206231409/http://sports123.com/ske/mo.html |date=2020-02-06 }} * {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929111059/http://sports123.com/ske/mw.html |date=September 29, 2007 |title=Men's skeleton world championship medalists since 1989 (sports123.com)}}

==External links== * {{IBSF|100562|Jeff Pain}} * {{Olympics.com profile|jeff-pain}} * {{COC profile|jeff-pain}} * {{SR/Olympics profile|pa/jeff-pain-1}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pain, Jeff}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Canada Category:American male skeleton racers Category:Canadian male skeleton racers Category:Olympic silver medalists for Canada Category:Olympic skeleton racers for Canada Category:Sportspeople from Anchorage, Alaska Category:Skeleton racers at the 2002 Winter Olympics Category:Skeleton racers at the 2006 Winter Olympics Category:Skeleton racers at the 2010 Winter Olympics Category:Olympic medalists in skeleton Category:University of British Columbia alumni Category:Medalists at the 2006 Winter Olympics Category:Canadian sports coaches Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:20th-century American sportsmen