Jordan Malone facts for kids
Malone (#98) & Ryan Bedford (#94) in 2007
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| Born | April 20, 1984 Denton, Texas |
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| Height | 5 ft 6 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 145 lb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country |  United States |
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| Sport | Short track speed skating | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | FAST Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Jordan Malone, born on April 20, 1984, is an American short track speed skater. He was part of the US Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. Jordan also competed in the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. He is from Denton, Texas. During one of the Olympic days, Jordan had a funny moment when he got stuck in a bathroom and later, an elevator!
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About Jordan Malone
Jordan Malone grew up in Denton, Texas. He is the only child of his mom, Peggy Aitken. Jordan has lived in many different places around the world. He has visited over 154 cities in 18 countries across 4 continents! In 2013, he married Angela Kim in Las Vegas.
Jordan is currently studying mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He plans to get an engineering degree. Jordan also enjoys building things. He even started his own business called Full Composite Racing.
Jordan's Skating Tips
Jordan makes special "tips" that speed skaters wear on their fingers. Skaters use these tips when they put their left hands on the ice during turns. Jordan wasn't happy with the old tips because they broke easily. So, he started making new ones from carbon fiber. This material is super strong!
Jordan now provides these tips to many skaters on the national team. He sells them at cost to help other skaters. This also helps him get back the money he spent to start making them.
Hobbies and Pets
Jordan enjoys his free time like most people his age. He likes going to movies and hanging out with friends. He also enjoys being lazy sometimes! Jordan has a puppy named Oly, short for Olympic. Oly is a one-year-old West Highland Terrier. Jordan takes Oly to the dog park almost every night. Oly even went with Jordan to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics!
Jordan also loves playing paintball. He has enjoyed this sport since he was 13. It's a great way for him to relax and get rid of stress. Recently, Jordan also became a certified Scuba Diver.
Inline Speed Skating Career
Jordan started inline speed skating in 1990 when he was 5 years old. His first international race was in 1995. He joined his first World Team in 2000. The next year, he became a professional skater. In 2001, he was known as the most successful junior skater ever. In 2003, he became the fastest man in the world by winning the Senior World Championships.
Jordan left inline skating with many titles. He won 8 Junior and 6 Senior World Championship titles. He also skated for professional teams from 2001 to 2004.
Jordan gives a lot of credit to his mother for his success. She taught him important life lessons, like paying attention to details. She also drove him to practices and meets for years. Sometimes, this meant a two-hour trip to Waco, Texas every weekend! She even helped him train. Jordan said his mom used a moped to pace him while he skated behind her.
Overcoming Injuries
In 2002, Jordan faced two serious injuries while inline skating. First, he slipped during warm-up and broke his left foot. He had to wear a walking cast for four months. During this time, he could only train by riding a bike or running in water.
Just two weeks after he recovered, another accident happened. Jordan tripped over a timing wire during a race. He hit his head on a timing device that had no padding. When he woke up in a hospital in Switzerland, he learned he had broken his upper jaw and lost four teeth. Doctors had to put four plates and 16 screws in his head.
For a moment, Jordan thought about quitting. But then he realized, "No way am I done." He knew skating was what he loved to do.
Short Track Speed Skating Career
Jordan started short track speed skating in 2004. Since then, he has been a key skater for the US team. He is the only male skater to qualify for both Inline and Short Track World Teams in back-to-back years.
He has won many awards in short track speed skating. This includes 6 World Championship medals. In 2009, he won a gold medal in the Men's Relay. In 2007, he finished 7th overall at the ISU World Championships. In 2008, he was ranked 5th in the 1500m and 6th in the 1000m in the ISU World Cup.
Major Achievements
- 2005 World Cup 6: Gold – Men's Relay
- 2005 World Championships: Bronze – Men's Relay
- 2006 World Championship: Bronze – Men's Relay
- 2006-07 World Cup Series: Bronze – Men's Relay (WC3); Silver – 1000m (WC4); Gold – 1000m (WC5); Gold – 1500m (WC5); Bronze – 1000m (WC6)
- 2007 World Championships: 4th overall in 1500m; 5th overall in 500m; 8th overall in 3000m; Bronze – Men's Relay
- 2007-08 World Cup Series: Bronze – 1000m (WC4); Bronze – 1500m (WC4)
- 2008 World Team Championship: Gold
- 2008-09 World Cup Series: Silver – 1000m (WC5)
- 2009 World Championships: Gold – Men's Relay
- 2009 World Team Championships – Bronze
