Miroslav Zajonc

Who is Miroslav Zajonc?

Miroslav Zajonc was a Czechoslovakian-born luger who later competed for both Canada and the United States between the late 1970s and the late 1980s. Competing for Canada, he won the gold medal in the men's singles event at the 1983 FIL World Luge Championships in Lake Placid, New York.

Zajonc was born in Czechoslovakia, but defected to Canada in 1981 where he won the country's first medal of any kind in luge either at the Winter Olympics or the World Championships in 1983. Between 1983 and 1985, Zajonc switched his nationality from Canada to the US, finally making his only Winter Olympic team when he was selected to competed for the US at Calgary in 1988. He qualified despite breaking his right foot in a training accident five weeks prior to the 1988 Games. Zajonc would finish 11th in the men's doubles event for the US.

After his retirement, Zajonc joined the USA Luge Team's coaching staff and was head coach of the USA Luge Junior Team from 2007-2011. In September, 2012, Zajonc was named U.S. Senior National Head Coach.