Kendall Gretsch

Last updated

Kendall Gretsch
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1992-04-02) April 2, 1992 (age 31)
Downers Grove, Illinois, U.S.
Height5 ft 0 in (152 cm) [1]
Weight110 lb (50 kg)
Sport
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Sport Paralympic Nordic skiing (Paralympic biathlon and Paralympic cross-country skiing), Paratriathlon
Disability class LW11.5
Medal record
Representing Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Women's para biathlon
Winter Paralympics
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2018 Pyeongchang 6 km sitting
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Beijing 10 km sitting
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg2022 Beijing 12.5 km sitting
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg2022 Beijing 6 km sitting
Women's para cross-country skiing
Winter Paralympics
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2018 Pyeongchang 12 km sitting
Women's para triathlon
Summer Paralympics
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2020 Tokyo PTWC

Kendall Gretsch (born April 2, 1992) is an American triathlete, biathlete and cross-country skier. [1] [2] She was born with spina bifida. [1] She has competed in both Summer Paralympics and Winter Paralympics and has a unique distinction of winning gold medals in both Summer Paralympics and Winter Paralympics.

Contents

Education

Gretsch studied at Washington University in St. Louis where she earned a degree in Bio Medical Engineering. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. [3]

Career

2018 Winter Paralympics

Gretsch made her Paralympic debut at the 2018 Winter Paralympics and created history in her maiden Paralympic appearance after claiming a gold medal in the women's 6km sitting biathlon event. [4] She eventually became the first American to claim a medal in a biathlon event in either the Olympics or the Paralympics. [5] Her medal was also the first gold medal achieved by the United States at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in the opening day of the multi-sport event. [6]

Gretsch also repeated her gold medal hunt at the 2018 Winter Paralympics after emerging as the winner in the women's 12km sitting event which is a part of the cross-country skiing event. [7] [8] This was her second Paralympic gold medal and the first gold medal that she achieved in cross-country skiing. [9]

Gretsch was one of two Paralympic gold winners representing the United States, the other being Daniel Cnossen, the first male biathlete to achieve a medal in either the Olympics or the Paralympics. [10] [11]

2020 Summer Paralympics

Gretsch made her debut Summer Paralympics appearance representing United States at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in paratriathlon event and it also marked her second Paralympic appearance after featuring in 2018 Winter Paralympics. [12] She went onto clinch her first Summer Paralympic medal in her maiden Summer Paralympic appearance. She became a Paralympic champion in the women's PTWC paratriathlon event whereas she notably defeated reigning world champion Lauren Parker of Australia to claim gold medal in the relevant competition. [13] [14]

She also became the fifth American and third American woman to have clinched gold medals in both Summer Paralympics and Winter Paralympics. [15]

2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships

She won the gold medal in the women's 7.5 km sitting cross-country skiing event at the 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships held in Lillehammer, Norway. [16] [17] She also won gold medals in the women's 10 km sitting biathlon event [18] [19] and in the women's Individual sitting biathlon event. In cross-country skiing, she won the silver medal in the women's long-distance sitting event. [20] [21]

2022 Winter Paralympics

She competed in the Women's 6 kilometres Biathlon seated, winning a bronze medal. [22] [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oksana Masters</span> Ukrainian-born American Paralympic rower and cross-country skier

Oksana Masters is an American multi-sport Paralympic athlete of Ukrainian descent from Louisville, Kentucky. Having primarily specialized in rowing and cross-country skiing, she won the first ever United States medal in trunk and arms mixed double sculls at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. She was also a part of the U.S. Nordic skiing team at the 2014 Winter Paralympics and the 2018 Winter Paralympics. She won two Paralympic medals in 2014 and five Paralympic medals in 2018, including two gold. She switched to para-cycling after the 2012 Paralympics and competed at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Paralympics, winning two gold medals at the latter. She competed at the 2022 Winter Paralympics, winning a gold medal in Biathlon – Women's 6 kilometres, sitting.

Anja Wicker is a German disabled cross-country skier and biathlete. She represented Germany at the 2014 Winter Paralympics claiming a gold and a silver medal in the biathlon events. She also represented Germany at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Paralympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikhalina Lysova</span> Russian cross-country skier and biathlete

Mikhalina Anatolyevna Lysova is a Russian visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. She has represented Russia at the Paralympics in 2010 and in 2014 competing in the cross-country skiing and biathlon events. She progressed to become one of the most consistent Paralympics Nordic skiers of Russia as she claimed 16 medals in her Paralympic career including 6 gold medals. She was also the recipient of the Order ''For Merit to the Fatherland'' and Order of Friendship awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oksana Shyshkova</span> Ukrainian Paralympic athlete

Oksana Shyshkova is a Ukrainian visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. She has competed at the Winter Paralympics thrice in 2010, 2014 and 2018. Oksana Shyshkova claimed 6 medals at the 2017 IPC World Championships, which is her notable achievement in the sport of Nordic skiing. She competed at the 2022 Winter Paralympics, winning a gold medal, in Women's 6 kilometres.

Sviatlana Sakhanenka is a Belarusian visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. She made her Paralympic debut during the 2018 Winter Paralympics and she competed in the biathlon and cross-country skiing events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ekaterina Rumyantseva</span> Russian biathlete and cross-country skier

Ekaterina Rumyantseva is a Russian biathlete and cross-country skier. She represented the Neutral Paralympic Athletes at the 2018 Winter Paralympics, which is also her first Paralympic competition.

Daniel Cnossen is an American biathlete and cross-country skier competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He won gold in the Biathlon at the 2018 Winter Paralympics – Men's 7.5 kilometres in the sitting division. He is a native of Topeka, Kansas and a double amputee. He lost both legs, above the knees, in the War in Afghanistan due to an improvised explosive device while he was a Navy SEAL. Cnossen also competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics. Cnossen graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2002. He earned a Master of Public Administration in 2016 from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and also a Master of Theological Studies in 2018 from the Divinity School.

Benjamin Daviet is a French male cross-country skier and biathlete. He has competed at the Winter Paralympics twice in his career in 2014 and 2018. Daviet claimed the first Paralympic gold medal of his career after winning the men's 7.5km standing biathlon event during the 2018 Winter Paralympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liudmyla Liashenko</span> Ukrainian cross-country skier and biathlete

Liudmyla Liashenko is a Ukrainian cross-country skier and biathlete. She has competed at the Paralympics in 2014, 2018 and 2022.

Lidziya Hrafeyeva is a Belarusian cross-country skier and biathlete. She has competed at the Winter Paralympics in 2014 and 2018.

Dzmitry Loban is a Belarusian male cross-country skier and biathlete. He has competed at the Winter Paralympics in 2010, 2014 and 2018 claiming 2 medals in his Paralympic career.

Yury Holub is a Belarusian male visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. He made his Paralympic debut during the 2018 Winter Paralympics and went onto claim 3 medals so far in his maiden Paralympic appearance including a gold medal. He claimed his first Paralympic gold medal after winning the men's 12.5km visually impaired biathlon event during the 2018 Winter Paralympics.

Ihor Reptyukh is a Ukrainian male cross-country skier and biathlete. He has represented Ukraine at the Paralympics in 2014 and 2018 claiming 4 medals in his Paralympic career including a gold medal which he claimed during the 2018 Winter Paralympics.

Clara Klug is a German visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. She made her Paralympic debut at the 2018 Winter Paralympics for Germany. Klug claimed a bronze medal in the women's 10km visually impaired biathlon event as a part of the 2018 Winter Paralympics.

Sin Eui-hyun is a South Korean male cross-country skier and biathlete. He is the first South Korean Paralympic competitor to clinch a gold medal in Winter Paralympics as he achieved it in his home nation at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taras Rad</span> Ukrainian amputated cross-country skier and biathlete

Taras Rad is a Ukrainian amputated male cross-country skier and biathlete. He made his Paralympic debut at the age of 18 for Ukraine at the 2018 Winter Paralympics competing in Cross-country skiing and Biathlon events. He also went onto claim his first Paralympic medal during the 2018 Winter Paralympics after clinching the gold medal in the men's 12.5km sitting biathlon event.

Oleksandr Kazik is a Ukrainian male visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete.

Vilde Nilsen is a Norwegian Paralympic cross-country skier and biathlete.

Jacob Adicoff is an American visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. He competed at the Winter Paralympics in 2014 and 2018.

Emily Young, also known as Emily Weekes, is a Canadian female Paralympic cross-country skier and biathlete. She has competed formerly as a wrestler and triathlete for Canada in international and national competitions.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Kendall Gretsch". Team USA. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  2. Union, International Triathlon. "Athlete Profile: Kendall Gretsch H2 | Triathlon.org". Triathlon.org. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  3. Becque, Fran (February 7, 2018). "Fraternity and Sorority Members Competing in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics". Fraternity History & More. www.franbecque.com. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  4. "Biathlon | Athlete Profile: Kendall GRETSCH - Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games". www.pyeongchang2018.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  5. "Biathlon | Event Schedule Women's 6km, Sitting - Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games". www.pyeongchang2018.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  6. "Kendall Gretsch wins first U.S. gold medal of Paralympics". OlympicTalk. March 10, 2018. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  7. "Cross-Country Skiing | Athlete Profile: Kendall GRETSCH - Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games". www.pyeongchang2018.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  8. "Cross-Country Skiing | Event Schedule Women's 12km, Sitting - Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games". www.pyeongchang2018.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  9. "Kendall Gretsch Wins Second Gold In Two Days In Paralympic Nordic Skiing". Team USA. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  10. "Kendall Gretsch, Dan Cnossen Win Team USA's First Olympic Or Paralympic Biathlon Gold Medals To Open Paralympics In PyeongChang". Team USA. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  11. "PyeongChang 2018: Double delight for USA in day of biathlon surprises". Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  12. "Tokyo 2020 transition for Kendall Gretsch". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  13. Azzi, Alex (August 29, 2021). "Kendall Gretsch wins triathlon gold in thrilling sprint finish (video)". On Her Turf. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  14. "Gretsch adds Paralympic triathlon gold at Tokyo 2020 to Pyeongchang 2018 success". www.insidethegames.biz. August 29, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  15. OlympicTalk (August 28, 2021). "Kendall Gretsch becomes just the fifth American to win gold at both summer and winter Paralympics". OlympicTalk | NBC Sports. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  16. "Royals crown six new champions as hosts strike cross-country gold on first day". Paralympic.org. January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  17. Houston, Michael (January 13, 2022). "Golubkov and Gretsch among first winners at World Para Snow Sports Championships". InsideTheGames.biz . Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  18. "Belarus' Yury Holub reigns supreme for second gold medal despite icy slip". Paralympic.org. January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  19. Houston, Michael (January 16, 2022). "Russian trio win again in biathlon at the World Para Snow Sports Championships". InsideTheGames.biz . Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  20. Houston, Michael (January 18, 2022). "Masters wins first gold of World Para Snow Sports Championships". InsideTheGames.biz . Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  21. "USA's Oksana Masters claims 10th world title days after recovering from COVID". Paralympic.org. January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  22. Conti • •, Kristen (March 5, 2022). "Team USA Wins Their First Paralympic Gold of the 2022 Games". NBC10 Philadelphia. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  23. "OKSANA MASTERS, KENDALL GRETSCH WIN TEAM USA'S FIRST MEDALS OF THE 2022 WINTER PARALYMPICS". teamusa.org.