The DU Lounge

The "agony of defeat skier" refers to Vinko Bogataj, a Slovenian ski jumper whose dramatic crash during a 1970 competition became the iconic visual for the phrase "the agony of defeat" on ABC's Wide World of Sports. While Bogataj was unaware of his accidental fame for decades, he later attended anniversaries of the show and became an unlikely American icon. He sustained injuries, including a broken ankle and a concussion, but was able to continue his life and has since become an accomplished painter.