Anna Ringsred facts for kids
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Ringsred in 2006
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 27, 1984 Duluth, Minnesota |
| Alma mater | University of Calgary |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Speed skating |
| Coached by | Andrey Zhuikov |
Anna Ringsred (born September 27, 1984) is an American speed skater. She competed for the United States in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Anna started speed skating when she was 13 years old. She even joined the United States junior team while still in high school.
In 2004, she competed in the Junior World Allround Championships. She also competed in World Championship events in 2007, 2008, and 2010. Her best result was fifth place in the team pursuit in 2007. At the 2010 National Championships, Anna finished third four times. However, she was not chosen for the 2010 Olympic team.
After that, she stopped speed skating for a while. But in 2012, she decided to make a comeback! She made it to the World Championship teams in 2013. Anna then placed third in the 3000 meters at the 2013–2014 National Championships. She followed this by finishing second in the same event at the Olympic trials. This amazing effort helped her make her first Olympic team. At the 2014 Olympics, she finished 26th in the 3000 meters race.
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Anna's Early Life
Anna Ringsred was born on September 27, 1984, in Duluth, Minnesota. She used to be a ski jumper. But when she was 13, she broke her ankle. Around that time, she saw an advertisement for speed skating. It was in the Duluth News Tribune newspaper. She decided to try it out!
Anna went to the Montessori School of Duluth. She graduated from Duluth Marshall High School in 2003. After high school, she moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She went there to train for speed skating.
Anna's Speed Skating Journey
While in high school, Anna was chosen for the Junior National Team. In 2004, she competed in the Junior World Allround Championships. In 2007, she achieved a great fifth-place finish. This was at the World Championships in the team pursuit event. She also placed 15th in the 1500 meters. Anna competed in the World Allround Championships in 2008 and 2010.
Before the 2010 National Championships and Olympic Trials, many thought Anna would make the Olympic team. She set a personal best time in the 500 meters race. She finished third in the 500, 1000, 1500, and 5000-meter events. She also placed fourth in the 3000 meters. However, she was not selected for the 2010 Olympic team.
After missing the team, Anna decided to stop speed skating. She later explained that she felt too much pressure. She was also tired of training hard every day. She then earned a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Calgary. After that, she spent time traveling around Europe. She even got a full-time job as an engineer in Calgary. But after a few months, she realized she missed speed skating.
The Comeback
In 2012, Anna decided to return to speed skating. She wanted to try one last time to make it to the Olympics. She worked with a sports psychologist. This helped her control her nerves during competitions. She used to be scared and nervous before races. Now, she just goes out and enjoys it. She said, "I sort of fell in love with it again."
In the past, her best event was the 1000 meters. But after her comeback, she started doing better in longer distance races.
For the 2012–2013 season, Anna competed in the World Cup. She placed 20th at the 2013 World Allround Speed Skating Championships. At the 2013 World Championships, she placed 21st in the 1000 meters. She also placed 18th in the 1500 meters. Anna then finished third in the 3000 meters at the 2013–2014 National Championships.
Anna entered the 2014 United States Olympic Trials. She planned to retire after the season, no matter what happened. In her first event, the 3000 meters, she placed second. This amazing result qualified her for the United States Olympic Team! Her time was 4 minutes and 13.80 seconds. She was so happy and surprised. She said, "This was my last chance. I can't believe it. I made it."
Anna competed in all five events at the Trials. She finished in the top ten in all of them. Her coach, Andrey Zhuikov, said that this achievement put her "on the map." He believes she can go even further with more training.
At the 2014 Winter Olympics, Anna finished the 3000 meter race in 4 minutes and 21.51 seconds. She said the ice was slower than she expected. But she was happy that she fought hard the whole way. She placed 26th in the event.
Anna's Personal Life
In her free time, Anna volunteers at a local homeless shelter. She currently lives in Calgary, Canada.
Anna's Best Times
Here are some of Anna Ringsred's personal best times in speed skating:
- 500 meters: 39.72 seconds (January 12, 2013, Salt Lake City)
- 1000 meters: 1 minute, 16.71 seconds (January 20, 2013, Calgary)
- 1500 meters: 1 minute, 57.86 seconds (October 31, 2009, Calgary)
- 3000 meters: 4 minutes, 12.49 seconds (November 15, 2013, Salt Lake City)
- 5000 meters: 7 minutes, 21.18 seconds (December 30, 2009, Salt Lake City)
