Katy Taylor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Katy Taylor
Personal information
Full name	Katy Lynn Taylor
Country represented	United States
Born	(1989-10-22) October 22, 1989 (age 35) Houston, Texas
Height	165.9 cm (5.44 ft)
Coach	Jana Conter Mark Poole
Choreographer	Lea Ann Miller Peter Tchernyshev
Skating club	Texas Gulf Coast FSC
Retired	2010
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	164.05 2006 Four Continents
Short program	57.26 2006 Four Continents
Free skate	106.79 2006 Four Continents
Medal record Representing  United States Ladies' singles Figure skating Four Continents Championships Gold 2006 Colorado Springs Ladies' singles World Junior Championships Bronze 2004 The Hague Ladies' singles

Katy Lynn Taylor, born on October 22, 1989, is a former American figure skater. She was a top competitor in the sport. Katy won the Four Continents Championship in 2006. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2004 Junior World Championships. Katy was an alternate for the 2006 Winter Olympics team. This means she was ready to compete if another skater couldn't.

Katy Taylor's Life Story

Growing Up in Houston

Katy Taylor was born in Houston, Texas. Her parents are Keith and Tammy Taylor. Her dad owned a business that sold flowers. Katy has an older brother named Brennan. As a child, Katy tried many activities. These included gymnastics, T-ball, soccer, ballet, and tennis. When she was only four, Katy told her parents she wanted to be a "pretty famous ice skater."

School Days and Achievements

Katy went to Mayde Creek Junior High and High School. She was a great student. Katy was part of the National Honor Society. She was also on the student council. She even won the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence. In 2007, Katy was on the State Farm/U.S. Figure Skating Scholastic Honors Team. She finished high school in 2008. Katy decided to attend the University of Houston. She stayed in her hometown for college.

Katy Taylor's Skating Journey

Starting on the Ice

Katy began skating just before her sixth birthday. When she was eight, she started taking private lessons. Her coach was Jana Conter. By the time she was 10, Katy landed her first triple jump. This was a triple loop.

In 2001, Katy competed at the U.S. Junior National Championships. This event is for younger skaters. She placed third in the juvenile level. The next year, she competed at the intermediate level. She finished tenth. In the 2002–2003 season, Katy moved up to the novice level. She qualified for the 2003 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She finished second at two regional events. At the National Championships, Katy placed second. Kimmie Meissner won the gold medal. After this, Katy was chosen for the Triglav Trophy team. She won a silver medal there.

Junior and Senior Level Skating

Katy Taylor (far right) won a bronze medal at the Junior Grand Prix in Germany in 2004.

For the 2003–2004 season, Katy moved to the junior level. She won a silver medal at her first Junior Grand Prix event. This was in Bratislava, Slovakia. At her next event in Japan, she finished fourth. Nationally, Katy won the Midwestern Sectional Championships. This helped her qualify for the 2004 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She finished second again to Kimmie Meissner. Katy did win the short program at this event. After the championships, Katy was named to the 2004 World Junior Championships team. She won the bronze medal there. Japan’s Miki Ando and Kimmie Meissner placed ahead of her.

In the 2004–2005 season, Katy competed in the Junior Grand Prix again. She earned bronze medals in Hungary and Germany. However, she did not make it to the Junior Grand Prix Final. Katy then moved up to the senior level nationally. She qualified for the 2005 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She finished first at Midwestern Sectionals. At the National Championships, she was sixth after the short program. She ended up in ninth place overall.

Big Wins and Challenges

In the fall of 2005, Katy competed in the Junior Grand Prix once more. She finished fourth in Slovakia and second in Bulgaria. Katy was an alternate for the Junior Grand Prix Final. She got a last-minute call to compete in Ostrava, Czech Republic. This happened after she won a competition in Denver, Colorado. She was even sick with a cold and sinus infection then. Katy and her team traveled for 26 hours to get to Ostrava. She arrived just the day before the event. She placed fourth, very close to a bronze medal.

In January 2006, Katy competed at the 2006 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She placed seventh in the short program. In the long program, she skated to music from Forrest Gump. She had the third-highest technical score. She finished fourth overall. After this, she was named to the Junior World team. U.S. Figure Skating also named her as a second alternate for the 2006 Olympic team. Katy later withdrew from Junior Worlds due to skate problems.

After the National Championships, Katy competed at the Four Continents Championships. This was in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was her first senior international event. She won the gold medal! She placed second in both the short and long programs. During the short program, there was a power outage. This caused a 15-minute delay. Still, Katy earned her best score in the short program. In the long program, she landed five triple jumps. This included a triple Lutz at the end. Her only big mistake was popping a triple loop. Katy is still the youngest Four Continents Champion. She won when she was 16 years and 98 days old.

Later Seasons and Retirement

As the 2006–2007 season started, Katy had new goals. She wanted to reach the Grand Prix Final. She also aimed to make the world team. She hoped to do well at the National Championships. She started the season by winning a bronze medal. This was at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany. Then she competed in the Senior Grand Prix for the first time. She skated at Skate America and Skate Canada International. Before Skate America, Katy had new skates. They caused her a lot of pain. She placed eleventh in the short program after falling. She stayed in eleventh place after the long program. A week later, she finished last at Skate Canada. Katy felt her poor results were due to training, equipment, and personal issues.

After the Grand Prix series, Katy changed her short program music. She switched from "Happy Feet" to "Legends of the Fall." She felt more comfortable with the new music. In December, she performed her new program. This was at a competition where fans voted for their favorite skater. Katy fell on a triple flip. She did not make it to the final round.

Katy's next competition was the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. She said she had fixed her personal and boot problems.

Katy did not compete in the 2007–2008 season. She mentioned an injury. She has not returned to competition since then.

Skating Programs

Competitive Results

Katy Taylor (far right) with other medalists at the 2006 U.S. National Championships.

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix