Kathy Watt facts for kids
Watt at the 1999 Women's Challenge
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kathryn Ann Watt |
| Born | 11 September 1964 |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Road and track |
| Role | Rider |
Kathryn ("Kathy") Ann Watt (born 11 September 1964) is a famous Australian racing cyclist. She won two medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. She earned a gold medal in the road race and a silver medal in the pursuit event.
Kathy has won an amazing 24 national championships across different cycling types. These include road racing, track racing, and even mountain biking. She also has four gold medals from the Commonwealth Games. In 1990, she became a life member of the Blackburn Cycling Club. She was also supported by the Australian Institute of Sport.
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Early Life and Cycling Journey
Kathy Watt is the daughter of Geoff Watt, who was a marathon runner. Kathy first tried running herself and even won a national junior championship for a 3 km race.
However, she started having problems with her achilles tendon, which made running difficult. So, she began training on a bike instead. For a while, she competed in duathlon, which combines running and cycling. But she soon found out she was much better at cycling than running!
Olympic Challenges and Comebacks
In 1996, Kathy faced a challenge regarding who would race in the Olympic Games. She had been told she would compete in the pursuit event. However, just a few days before the race, another cyclist was chosen instead.
Kathy disagreed with this decision and took her case to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport. The court decided that Kathy should be allowed to race, and she was put back into the event.
In 2000, Kathy had another similar situation about being chosen for a race. This time, her appeal was not successful.
After the 2000 Olympics, Kathy decided to retire from cycling. But she loved the sport too much to stay away! Three years later, she made a comeback and tried to qualify for the 2004 Olympics, but she didn't make it.
After retiring again, Kathy worked as a coach and personal trainer. But she made yet another comeback to compete in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. There, she won a silver medal in the time trial event. In January 2006, she also won the time trial section of the Australian open road championship.
Education and Achievements
Kathy Watt is not just a talented athlete; she's also very smart! She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Melbourne. Her main studies were in physiology and pathology. She also learned about nutrition, anatomy, and physiotherapy. Kathy went to Tintern Church of England Girls' Grammar, which is now called Tintern Grammar.
Awards and Recognition
Kathy Watt has received many honors for her amazing career.
- In 2015, she was one of the first people to be inducted into the Cycling Australia Hall of Fame.
- In 2019, she was added to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.
See also
In Spanish: Kathryn Watt para niños
