No American male has ever won an Olympic medal in alpine skiing — gold, silver or bronze — and if France's Robert Faure has anything to say about it, U.S. skiers may never win one. Faure has a lot to say about it. An official of the Federation Internationale de Ski, he has authority over seedings in all international ski meets, including the 1964 Winter Olympics at Innsbruck, Austria.
In competitive skiing, seedings are crucial: the best skiers get first crack at a course — while the snow is fresh. The rest make do with slush. Last month when Faure...