Kaetlyn Osmond facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kaetlyn Osmond
Osmond at the 2018 World Figure Skating Championships
Personal information
Country represented	Canada
Born	(1995-12-05) December 5, 1995 (age 29) Marystown, Newfoundland, Canada
Height	1.65 m
Began skating	1998
Retired	May 2, 2019

Kaetlyn Osmond (born December 5, 1995) is a Canadian figure skater who is now retired from competing. She was a top athlete in ladies' singles. Kaetlyn won three Canadian national titles in 2013, 2014, and 2017.

From 2012 to 2018, Kaetlyn competed around the world at the highest level. She earned three Olympic medals: a gold and a silver in the team event, and a bronze medal for her individual performance. She also won two World Championship medals (gold and silver) and a bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final.

Kaetlyn first competed at the senior level in 2012. She won a gold medal at the 2012 Skate Canada International. After winning her first national title in 2013, she placed eighth in her first World Championship. At the 2014 Winter Olympics, Kaetlyn helped the Canadian team win a silver medal.

After some injuries, she came back strong. She won her Canadian title again in 2017 and a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships. The next season was amazing for her. She won a medal at every competition. She earned a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2017–18 Grand Prix Final. She also won gold at the 2018 World Championships and with the Canadian team at the 2018 Olympic team event.

Kaetlyn is one of Canada's most successful women's skaters. She was the sixth Canadian woman to win an Olympic medal in ladies' figure skating. She was also the first Canadian woman to win a World Championship in 45 years.

About Kaetlyn Osmond

Kaetlyn Osmond was born in Marystown, Newfoundland. Her parents are Jeff and Jackie Osmond. When she was seven, her family moved to Montreal, Quebec. At age ten, they moved to Sherwood Park, Alberta. Kaetlyn went to Vimy Ridge Academy in Edmonton. She has two older brothers and sisters.

In April 2014, her hometown of Marystown honored her. They renamed their local ice rink the Kaetlyn Osmond Arena. They also named a street after her and gave her a special key to the town. Kaetlyn said her favorite Olympic memory was watching Joannie Rochette win a bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Rochette was a big inspiration for her.

On January 29, 2019, Kaetlyn received the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador. This is the highest award for a civilian in her home province. It is given for "excellence and achievement."

Kaetlyn's Skating Journey

Kaetlyn started skating when she was three years old. She followed her older sister, Natasha, onto the ice. Because there wasn't much ice available in Marystown during the summer, they often traveled to Montreal to train. Since she was ten, Kaetlyn trained at the Ice Palace Figure Skating Club in Edmonton. Her coach was Ravi Walia, and her routines were choreographed by Lance Vipond.

First Big Competitions

Osmond at the 2012 World Junior Championships.

In the 2011–12 season, Kaetlyn competed at the senior level for the first time. This was at the Canadian Championships. She was in first place after the short program. She ended up winning the bronze medal overall. At the 2012 World Junior Championships, Kaetlyn won the first round. She finished tenth overall in that competition.

Winning National and International Titles

Osmond (center) with Akiko Suzuki (left) and Kanako Murakami (right) on the podium at the 2012 Skate Canada International.

In the 2012–13 season, Kaetlyn won her first international title. This was at the 2012 Nebelhorn Trophy. Then, she made her senior Grand Prix debut at the 2012 Skate Canada International. She placed second in both parts of the competition. This was enough for her to win the gold medal. Kaetlyn said it was "extraordinary" because she usually placed much lower in junior competitions.

Even though she won Skate Canada, Kaetlyn could not go to the Grand Prix Final. This was because she only had one Grand Prix event assigned to her.

Kaetlyn then won her first senior national title. This happened at the 2013 Canadian Championships. It was the first time in ten years that a woman from outside Quebec won this title. At the 2013 Four Continents Championship, Kaetlyn finished seventh.

Because she won the national championship, Kaetlyn was chosen to be the only Canadian woman to skate at the 2013 World Championships. This event was held in London, Ontario. She surprised everyone by placing fourth in the short program. Many people called it the best first World Championship performance by a Canadian woman since the 1970s. Kaetlyn had some trouble in her long program. She fell twice and made a mistake on another jump. She finished tenth in the long program, which put her in eighth place overall. This good result meant Canada would have two spots for women at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Kaetlyn said she had thought about winning a medal. But she focused on her goal, which was to finish in the top 10.

Olympic Medals and More Titles

Osmond at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

In August 2013, Kaetlyn trained in California for two weeks. Her coaches were Ravi Walia and Frank Carroll. She had a stress injury in her left ankle. This kept her off the ice for most of September 2013. In October, she competed at the 2013 Skate Canada International. She was fifth after the short program. But she had to pull out before the free skate because of a torn hamstring in her right leg. She also withdrew from another competition. But she came back strong at the 2014 Skate Canada Challenge. At the 2014 Canadian Championships, she placed first in both parts. She won her second national championship.

In February 2014, Kaetlyn represented Canada at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. She skated in both parts of the team event. She placed fifth in both, helping Canada win a silver medal. Then she competed in the individual ladies' singles event. She finished thirteenth. She later said her short program in the individual event was "probably my worst short program all year." In March, she placed eleventh at the 2014 World Championships in Saitama, Japan.

Coming Back from Injury

For the 2014–15 season, Kaetlyn was set to compete in two Grand Prix events. She wanted to add a triple loop jump to her program. She had never tried this jump in competition before. However, she had to withdraw from both competitions. She broke her leg on September 11, 2014. This injury kept her out for the rest of the season. She broke her right fibula bone. This needed two surgeries: one to put in a metal plate and screws, and another to take them out. The injury made her think about retiring at age 18. She thought her Olympic dreams might be over. But she later said the injury and getting better actually helped her. It made her more focused, more determined, and stronger.

Kaetlyn started the 2015–16 season by winning gold at the 2015 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. This was an ISU Challenger Series event. She returned to the Grand Prix series at 2015 Skate Canada International. She sprained her ankle in practice. But she was able to compete. In the short program, she fell on a spin and hurt her groin and hip. Her long program was very difficult. She fell many times and made mistakes on other jumps. She finished eleventh out of twelve skaters. She later finished sixth at the 2015 NHK Trophy. This season, she included the triple loop jump in her program for the first time.

Kaetlyn was first after the short program at the 2016 Canadian Championships. But she finished third overall. She later said that this bronze medal made her start seeing a sports psychologist. Kaetlyn ended the season at the 2016 Four Continents Championship. She placed sixth there. She said her fourth-place finish in the long program showed progress from her therapy.

Another National Title and World Silver

In October, Kaetlyn won the 2016 CS Finlandia Trophy. She beat famous skaters like Mao Asada. Later that month, she won the silver medal at the 2016 Skate Canada International. She was behind Evgenia Medvedeva. In November, she took silver again at the 2016 Cup of China. She was first in the short program and third in the free skate. Her good results meant she qualified for the Grand Prix Final in Marseille, France. She was the first Canadian woman to qualify for the Grand Prix Final since Joannie Rochette in 2009–10.

Osmond in the short program at the 2017 World Championships.

In January 2017, Kaetlyn won her national title again at the 2017 Canadian Championships. She called it an "incredible" feeling. Kaetlyn was expected to do well at the 2017 Four Continents Championship. She placed second in the short program. However, she fell three times in the long program and made a mistake on a jump. She finished fourth overall. She called this a "learning experience" and promised to prepare even harder for the World Championships.

In March 2017, Kaetlyn won the silver medal at the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. She was second in both parts of the competition. This was the best result for a Canadian woman at this event since 2009. Her Canadian teammate, Gabrielle Daleman, won the bronze medal. This was a historic moment for Canada. Kaetlyn said that staying focused and trusting her training paid off.

Osmond (left), Evgenia Medvedeva (center), and Gabrielle Daleman (right) at the 2017 World Championships.

This was the first time Kaetlyn competed in all the major events of the season. These included the Grand Prix series, the Canadian National, the Four Continents, and the World Championships.

Kaetlyn's short program for the 2016–17 season was very popular. It used music by the French singer Edith Piaf. Many people said it was one of the best programs of 2017. For her long program, Kaetlyn wanted to skate to Black Swan and Swan Lake. But her coach and choreographer suggested La bohème to help her improve her performance skills. This was the music she used.

Two Olympic Medals and a World Title

Kaetlyn decided to keep her Edith Piaf program for another season. She explained that for an Olympic year, she wanted to skate her two best programs. She felt this short program was one of them. For her long program, she finally got to skate to Black Swan. She loved the music from Swan Lake since she was a child. But she liked the "darker side" of the Black Swan movie. She felt she could express that more on the ice.

Kaetlyn set a new personal best score in the free skate. This was at the 2017 CS Autumn Classic International in Montreal. She started her Grand Prix season at 2017 Skate Canada. She won this event, five years after her first win in 2012. Even with some mistakes in her long program, she was very happy with her skating. At her second Grand Prix event, the 2017 Internationaux de France, she won the bronze medal. These results qualified her for the Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan. She earned the bronze medal there. At the 2018 Canadian Figure Skating Championships, she placed second.

Osmond (right) with Evgenia Medvedeva (left) and Alina Zagitova (center) on the podium at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

As part of Canada's figure skating team at the 2018 Winter Olympics, she placed third in the short program. The Canadian team went on to win the gold medal in the team event. In the individual event, Kaetlyn set new personal best scores in both programs. She won the bronze medal. This was Canada's twenty-seventh medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. It set a new national record. It also set a record for Canada with four medals in figure skating at one Olympics. After winning two medals in 2018, Kaetlyn said she hoped to be a mentor for the next generation of Canadian skaters.

Osmond (center) with Wakaba Higuchi (left) and Satoko Miyahara (right) at the 2018 World Championships podium.

Kaetlyn finished the season at the 2018 World Championships in Milan, Italy. She was the defending silver medalist. She said it was hard to train for the World Championships after the Olympics because she was tired. But her goal was to show that her Olympic free skate was not just luck. Kaetlyn hurt her ankle at her first practice in Milan. But she decided to compete. She placed fourth in the short program after a mistake on a jump. In the free skate, she placed first, which made her first overall. She became the first Canadian woman to win the World Championships since Karen Magnussen in 1973. She was also the first Canadian woman since Magnussen to win multiple World Championship medals.

Retirement from Competition

On June 4, 2018, Kaetlyn announced she would skip the Grand Prix series competitions. The next day, it was announced she would join the "Thank You Canada Tour." On August 21, 2018, Kaetlyn confirmed she would not compete at all during the 2018–2019 season. She later said she was not sure if she would return to competitive skating. On May 2, 2019, Skate Canada announced that she had officially retired from competitive skating.

Life After Competing

Since retiring from competitive skating, Kaetlyn has continued to perform. She takes part in the annual Canadian tours of Stars on Ice. She also joined the "Thank You Canada" and "Rock the Rink" tours. These tours were organized by famous skaters Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. She also performs in international ice shows like Art on Ice.

In 2019, Kaetlyn moved to Brantford, Ontario. She started coaching at the Brant Skating Club when she wasn't touring. She also began organizing training camps for figure skaters in her home province of Newfoundland. Later, she moved to Toronto. In September 2020, she started studying journalism at Centennial College. In November 2020, she became a skating coach at the Richmond Training Centre in Richmond Hill, Ontario. In April 2021, she moved back to Edmonton to continue her journalism studies. She now coaches at the Ice Palace Figure Skating Club in Edmonton.

Skating Skills

Kaetlyn Osmond spins and jumps in a clockwise direction. In competitions, she has successfully landed difficult jump combinations. These include 3F-3T, 3T-3T, 3S+2T+2Lo, 2A+2T+2Lo, and 2A-3T.

Skating Programs

Osmond at the exhibition gala at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Kaetlyn performed many different programs throughout her career. Here are some of the music choices for her exhibition, short, and free skating programs:

Exhibition Programs (After 2018)

Competition Programs (Before 2018)

Competitive Achievements

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Images for kids

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  Osmond at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

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  Osmond at the 2016–17 Grand Prix Final.

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  Osmond at the 2012 World Junior Championships.

See also

In Spanish: Kaetlyn Osmond para niños