Elise Christie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Elise Christie

Personal information
Born	(1990-08-13) 13 August 1990 (age 34) Livingston, Scotland
Height	1.60 m
Weight	54 kg
Sport
Country	Great Britain
Sport	Short track speed skating
Club	Forth Valley
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	500 m: 42.335 1000 m: 1:28.723 1500 m: 2:18.696 3000 m: 5:05.419
Medal record World Championships Gold 2017 Rotterdam Overall Gold 2017 Rotterdam 1000 m Gold 2017 Rotterdam 1500 m Silver 2014 Montreal 500 m Silver 2015 Moscow 500 m Silver 2015 Moscow 1000 m Silver 2016 Seoul 1000 m Bronze 2013 Debrecen 1000 m Bronze 2016 Seoul Overall Bronze 2016 Seoul 1500 m Bronze 2016 Seoul 3000 m Bronze 2017 Rotterdam 3000 m European Championships Gold 2013 Malmo 1500 m Gold 2013 Malmo 1000 m Gold 2014 Dresden 1500 m Gold 2015 Dordrecht Overall Gold 2015 Dordrecht 500 m Gold 2015 Dordrecht 1500 m Gold 2016 Sochi Overall Gold 2016 Sochi 1500 m Gold 2016 Sochi 1000 m Gold 2016 Sochi 500 m Silver 2010 Dresden 1500 m Silver 2010 Dresden 3000 m Silver 2013 Malmo Overall Silver 2014 Dresden Overall Silver 2014 Dresden Relay Silver 2015 Dordrecht 3000 m Silver 2019 Dordrecht 1500 m Bronze 2010 Dresden Overall

Elise Christie (born 13 August 1990) is a former short track speed skater from Great Britain. She was coached by Nicky Gooch and was especially good at the 1000m race. Elise has won ten gold medals at the European Championships, including two overall European titles in 2015 and 2016. In 2017, at the World Championships in Rotterdam, she won world titles in the 1000m and 1500m events. She also won the overall gold medal, making her the first British woman and first European woman to achieve this amazing feat.

Early Life and Training

Elise Christie was born in Livingston, Scotland, in 1990. She attended St Margaret's Academy in Livingston. Later, she studied at Loughborough College as part of a special sports program.

Elise first started as a figure skater. But when she was about twelve years old, she tried speed skating. By age fifteen, she decided to focus only on speed skating. She moved to Nottingham to train full-time at the National Ice Centre. She explained that she preferred speed skating because "I just didn't like the fact figure skating has judging. I prefer the first over the line, wins the race."

Elise's Skating Career

European Championships Success

Elise Christie achieved great success at the European Short Track Speed Skating Championships.

• In 2010, in Dresden, Germany, she won two silver medals (1500m and 3000m) and an overall bronze medal.
• At the 2013 championships in Malmö, Sweden, Elise won gold medals in both the 1500m and 1000m races. She also earned the overall silver medal.
• She kept her 1000m title in 2014, again in Dresden. That year, she also won a silver medal with the British team in the 3000m relay. She finished with the overall silver medal.
• In 2015, Elise won her first overall European title at the championships in Dordrecht, Netherlands. She took gold in the 500m and 1500m, and silver in the 3000m super final.
• She successfully defended her overall European title in 2016 at the championships in Sochi, Russia. She won gold in the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m events.
• Elise did not compete in the 2017 European Championships. She chose to focus on training for the World Championships instead.

World Championships Achievements

Elise Christie also made a big impact at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships.

• In 2013, in Debrecen, Hungary, she won a bronze medal in the 1000m race. She was also the 1000 metres champion for the 2012–13 World Cup season.
• At the 2014 championships in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Elise won a silver medal in the 500m event.
• In 2015, in Moscow, Russia, she earned two silver medals (500m and 1000m). This made her the first British skater to win two medals at a World Short Track Speed Skating Championships.
• At the 2016 championships in Seoul, South Korea, Elise won four medals! She took bronze in the 1500m, silver in the 1000m, and bronze in the 3000m, which led to an overall bronze medal.
• Her biggest success came at the 2017 championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. She became the first British woman to win a speed skating world championship by taking gold in the 1500m. She then won a second gold in the 1000m and a bronze in the 3000m. This helped her win the overall gold, making her the first non-Asian skater in 23 years to win the women's overall world title.

On November 13, 2016, Elise Christie set a new world record for the 500m short track speed skating event. She clocked an incredible 42.335 seconds at a World Cup meeting in Salt Lake City. Because of this achievement, she was called the "fastest woman on ice." A special banner was even put up at the National Ice Centre to celebrate her success.

Olympic Games Journey

Elise Christie competed in three Winter Olympic Games.

2010 Winter Olympics

Elise took part in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She finished 11th in the 500m, 19th in the 1000m, and 20th in the 1500m.

2014 Winter Olympics

At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Elise had high hopes for a medal. She reached the final of the 500m race but was disqualified after a collision. She also faced some difficult comments online after the race. The BOA called for better support for athletes on social media.

In the 1500m event, she was disqualified in the heats for not crossing the finish line correctly. Later, in the 1000m semi-final, she was disqualified for a third time after another collision.

2018 Winter Olympics

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, Elise started strong. She set an Olympic record in the 500m qualification round with a time of 42.872 seconds. This record was broken shortly after by Choi Min-jeong. Elise then regained the Olympic record in the quarter-finals, but Choi Min-jeong broke it again in the semi-finals. In the 500m final, Elise crashed out after another skater's skate clipped her hand. She finished fourth.

In the 1500m event, Elise won her heat but crashed in her semi-final race and was disqualified. She was taken to the hospital with an ankle injury, which made her participation in the 1000m event uncertain.

In her 1000m heat, Elise fell, causing the race to restart. On the second try, she finished second and qualified for the quarter-finals. However, judges decided she had caused two separate collisions, and she was disqualified from the event.

Elise had planned to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. She also thought about trying long track speed skating.

Retirement and Possible Return

On December 14, 2021, Elise Christie announced she was retiring from short track speed skating. This was because an ankle injury stopped her from qualifying for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

However, just over two months later, Elise hinted at a possible return to the sport. She said she hoped to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. She mentioned that she would need to pay for her next Olympic attempt herself and planned to train outside the United Kingdom. She wants to focus on the shorter 500m and 1000m distances.

Awards and Recognition

Elise Christie was named Nottingham Sportswoman of the Year in 2013 and 2015. She was also a runner-up in 2014. In 2017, she received the prestigious Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year award. This was in recognition of her incredible world title success at the 2017 World Championships.

See also

• Short track speed skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics