AJ Bear

Aaron J. Bear (born 2 February 1977), known as A. J. Bear, is an Australian former alpine skier who competed in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics.

Bear was a three-time Australian national champion, winning in 1997, 2000, and 2001, along with a National Junior Championship in 2001. With these results, Bear qualified for the 2002 Winter Olympics, competing in the men's downhill, combined, and Super-G events. His best result was 37th in the downhill.

In the three years leading up to 2006 Winter Olympics, Bear sustained injuries that ended his seasons early. A 2003 crash put Bear into a coma, while his 2004 and 2005 World Cup seasons were halted due to knee injuries. Despite that, his performance at the 2005–06 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup was enough for him to qualify for the Super-G event at the 2006 Winter Olympics. He completed one run but not the second, and retired following the Games. Year Age Slalom Giant slalom Super-G Downhill Combined Team combined Team event 2002 Utah 25 — – DSQ1 37 DSQ3 2006 Torino 29 — – DNF1 – –