Jon Phillip Lugbill (born 1961) is an American former slalom canoeist who competed at the international level from 1975 to 1995, specializing in the C1 event. He is the only slalom canoeist to ever appear on the Wheaties box.
Career Lugbill started canoeing in the 1970s in the Washington, D.C. area. He often trained daily in his C1 using slalom gates set up on a feeder canal next to the Potomac River near Great Falls. During the winter, Lugbill and his fellow paddlers also trained in the David Taylor Model Basin. He and some other fellow racers (notably David Hearn) developed new designs of low volume decked canoes, using nylon, kevlar and fiberglass cloths mixed with epoxy resin.
In 1979, Lugbill won the C1 men's individual World Championship in canoe slalom at the first World Championships to be held on the North American continent at Jonquière (Canada). This was the first time an American had won an individual gold medal in the world canoe slalom championships. Lugbill went on to win gold in his category several more times; 1981 at Bala (Wales), 1983 at Meran (Italy), 1987 at Bourg St. Maurice (France), and 1989 at the Savage River (USA). In 1985 at Augsburg (then in West Germany), Lugbill had to settle for the silver medal after David Hearn bested him for the gold. Lugbill also won seven consecutive world championship gold medals in the C1 team event (1979-1991). His older brother Ron was part of the gold medal winning C1 team in 1981.
Lugbill won three consecutive overall world cup titles in the C1 category including the inaugural edition in 1988.
During the peak of Lugbill's career, whitewater canoeing was not included on the competition program of the Summer Olympic Games. His only appearance on the Olympic stage came in 1992, when the sport returned to the Olympics after a 20-year absence. On the man-made course in La Seu d'Urgell, Spain, Lugbill placed fourth after being assessed for a five-second gate touch penalty at Gate 23 during his first run.
In 2025, Lugbill retired after 32 years as the executive director of Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers.
Personal life Lugbill lived in Archbold, Ohio until he was three years old. Then he moved to Vienna and then Fairfax, Virginia. He attended Lanier Intermediate School in Fairfax and Oakton High School. He graduated from the University of Virginia. He has two daughters and he lives in Richmond, Virginia.
World Cup individual podiums Total C1 11 6 0 17
SeasonDateVenuePositionEvent 1988 19 June 1988 Wausau 1st C1 26 June 1988 Savage River 1st C1 7 August 1988 Dublin 2nd C1 14 August 1988 Nottingham 1st C1 21 August 1988 Augsburg 2nd C1 1989 1st C1 1st C1 12 August 1989 Mezzana 1st C1 15 August 1989 Augsburg 1st C1 1990 1 July 1990 Wausau 1st C1 1990 Savage River 1st C1 12 August 1990 Augsburg 1st C1 25 August 1990 Tacen 2nd C1 1991 30 June 1991 Mezzana 2nd C1 10 July 1991 Reals 2nd C1 25 August 1991 Minden 2nd C1 1 September 1991 Wausau 1st C1
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