Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Reno’s 1st Olympic gold medalist greeted home

Sochi Olympics Freestyle Skiing Men

Jae C. Hong / AP

David Wise of the United States celebrates after winning a gold medal in the men’s ski halfpipe final at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park at the 2014 Winter Olympics on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.

Reno Skier Takes Gold

David Wise of the United States gets air during the men's ski halfpipe final at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park, at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.  (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) Launch slideshow »

RENO — Reno's first Olympic gold medalist was greeted home by hundreds of people at Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

David Wise received a hero's welcome Thursday night after winning the men's halfpipe freestyle skiing event in Sochi on Feb. 18.

He held up his gold medal to the cheering crowd and thanked those who believed him while he was a student at Wooster High School in Reno.

The school's band played the Olympic theme song as well as the Wooster fight song at the rally.

Gov. Brian Sandoval presented Wise with a couple of Nevada license plates with the word "GOLD" on them and declared Friday as "David Wise Day" in Nevada.

Reno Mayor Bob Cashell also praised him.

The 23-year-old Wise was accompanied by his wife, Alexandra, and 2-year-old daughter, Nayeli.

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