Women
USA
Kelly Gunther
USA- Date of birth14 Aug 1987
- Height165 CM
- ProfessionAthlete
- HometownSalt Lake City
- Place of birthOberlin, OH
- Start skatingShe began roller skating at age four in Ohio, United States of America, and switched to inline skating at age 11. She took up speed skating at age 19.
- Club N/A
- HobbiesN/A
- LanguagesEnglish
- Other nameComeback Kid (cleveland.com, 12 Feb 2014)
- CoachN/A
- Former CoachN/A
- General Interest
- Sport Specific Information
Competing at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. (Athlete, 11 Nov 2017)
Believe in yourself, no matter what. (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017)
US figure skater Tara Lipinski, US swimmer Michael Phelps, US artistic gymnast Shawn Johnson. (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017)
Her mother. (Athlete, 11 Nov 2017)
In 2010 she suffered a compound fracture of her leg when she crashed entering the first turn in the 500m American Cup final. She returned to action in January 2011 at the national championships. (sltrib.com, 04 Jan 2011)
To compete at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (teamusa.org, 16 Jul 2015)
OLYMPIC HEARTBREAK
She initially set the fastest time in the 1000m at the 2010 National Championships, which doubled as the US Olympic trials ahead the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. However, she was denied a place on the team after rival Rebekah Bradford was given a reprieve. Bradford had fallen at the finish of her race but was allowed to re-skate it. She went on to set a quicker time to win the event and secure the Olympic spot for herself. Gunther appealed, but the decision stood. (sltrib.com, 04 Jan 2011)
STRENGTH IN ADVERSITY
Missing the US team for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and suffering a compound fracture of her leg came with three months of each other. The injury was so serious that her foot was almost severed from her leg. Months of rehabilitation followed at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center in the United States of America. "It has been a long road back to skating, but I just love the journey. If I didn't want to accept it and take it on, I think I wouldn't be back where I am. You keep going and keep pushing no matter what gets in your way." (teamusa.org, 16 Jul 2015)
She initially set the fastest time in the 1000m at the 2010 National Championships, which doubled as the US Olympic trials ahead the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. However, she was denied a place on the team after rival Rebekah Bradford was given a reprieve. Bradford had fallen at the finish of her race but was allowed to re-skate it. She went on to set a quicker time to win the event and secure the Olympic spot for herself. Gunther appealed, but the decision stood. (sltrib.com, 04 Jan 2011)
STRENGTH IN ADVERSITY
Missing the US team for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and suffering a compound fracture of her leg came with three months of each other. The injury was so serious that her foot was almost severed from her leg. Months of rehabilitation followed at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center in the United States of America. "It has been a long road back to skating, but I just love the journey. If I didn't want to accept it and take it on, I think I wouldn't be back where I am. You keep going and keep pushing no matter what gets in your way." (teamusa.org, 16 Jul 2015)
I started because I saw it on television. I remember watching [US figure skater] Tara Lipinski and I said to myself that I wanted to go to the Olympic Winter Games.
