Jon Montgomery facts for kids
Jon Montgomery sings the Canadian national anthem at his 2010 Olympic medal ceremony.
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Jonathan Riley Montgomery | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 6, 1979 Russell, Manitoba, Canada |
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| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 74.7 kg (165 lb; 11.76 st) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Canada |
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| Sport | Skeleton | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Jon Montgomery (born May 6, 1979) is a Canadian skeleton athlete and a television host. He is famous for winning a gold medal in skeleton at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. Many people in Canada remember him for his exciting celebration after his win. He was seen celebrating with a pitcher given by a fan while a crowd cheered and sang O Canada. Jon Montgomery later said that if this moment is what he is remembered for, he feels very lucky.
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Jon Montgomery's Skeleton Career
Jon Montgomery started skeleton racing when he lived in Calgary. He worked as an auctioneer near Canada Olympic Park. In 2002, he visited the track with his parents and saw a skeleton race. He loved the sport right away and soon began racing.
Early Races and First Wins
At first, Jon did not do well in his first two seasons on the World Cup tour. But in 2008, he won his first World Cup race in Cesana, Italy. He also won two silver medals at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany. These medals were for the men's skeleton and a mixed team event. His best overall World Cup finish was second place in the 2007–08 Skeleton World Cup season.
Olympic Gold Medal Victory
Jon Montgomery earned his spot in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver based on his results. In the Olympic race, he was behind another athlete, Martins Dukurs, after the first run. But Jon had the fastest times in the next two runs. He even set a new track record on his third run.
On February 19, 2010, in the final run, Jon was still behind Dukurs by a small amount. However, Dukurs was slower on his last run. This meant Jon Montgomery won the gold medal by just 0.07 seconds! He was very excited after his win. He later apologized to Dukurs for his big celebration. Jon said he had planned to stay calm, but he "lost his mind" when he saw he had won. He received his gold medal on February 20, 2010. Jon was the second Canadian in a row to win gold in men's skeleton.
A Memorable Celebration
After winning his medal, Jon Montgomery walked through a crowd of Canadian fans. They were singing the national anthem. He was seen celebrating with a pitcher given by a fan. In 2020, Jon explained that this moment was special. He felt it connected him with people. He said that while not everyone can win an Olympic medal, many people can relate to celebrating a big achievement.
Inspiring Others
Jon Montgomery has a tattoo of a maple leaf with the word "Canada" above it. He got this tattoo with his mother after finishing high school. He hopes his gold medal win will inspire more people to try amateur sports. He also wants to show parents that skeleton is a safe sport for kids.
Jon wore a picture of a painted turtle on his helmet during races. He chose this after finding one trying to cross a road in British Columbia. This helped bring attention to the conservation of this turtle species.
End of Skeleton Career
Jon Montgomery did not qualify for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. After that, he said he was almost certain his skeleton career was over. In 2019, he was added to the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.
Jon Montgomery on Television
After his Olympic win, Jon Montgomery started a career in television.
Early TV Appearances
In the summer of 2010, Jon and some friends filmed a TV special called Best Trip Ever. This show was about their adventures in different summer sports. It aired on Discovery Channel Canada in November 2010. In 2011, he was a judge on an episode of Top Chef: Texas.
Hosting The Amazing Race Canada
On June 5, 2013, it was announced that Jon Montgomery would be the host of CTV's The Amazing Race Canada. This is a popular reality competition show. As of September 2024, he has hosted all 10 seasons of the show.
Jon Montgomery's Personal Life
Jon Montgomery is married to Darla Montgomery, who is also a skeleton athlete. They have a son named Jaxon Mark, born in 2016. They also have a daughter named Lennon, born in 2019.
When he is not busy with sports or TV, Jon works as a sales consultant and car auctioneer in Calgary. He looks up to another athlete from his hometown, Theoren Fleury. Jon also studied at the Automotive Business School of Canada at Georgian College.
See also
In Spanish: Jon Montgomery para niños
