Kimmie Meissner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kimmie Meissner
Meissner at the 2007 Skate America
Personal information
Full name	Kimberly Claire Meissner
Country represented	United States
Born	(1989-10-04) October 4, 1989 (age 35) Towson, Maryland
Home town	Bel Air, Maryland
Height	5 ft 4 in
Began skating	1996
Retired	2010

Kimberly Claire Meissner (born October 4, 1989) is an American former competitive figure skater. She is famous for winning several major titles. Kimmie was the 2006 World champion. She also won the 2007 Four Continents championship. In addition, she was the 2007 U.S. national champion.

Kimmie Meissner made history as the first American woman to hold the World, Four Continents, and national titles all at the same time. In 2005, she became only the second American woman to successfully land a triple Axel jump in a national competition. She was also the youngest American athlete to compete at the 2006 Winter Olympics, where she finished in sixth place. The month after the Olympics, she won the World Championships. The next season, she won the U.S. Nationals. In 2020, Kimmie was honored by being inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

Meissner was known for her strong technical skills in figure skating. However, her performances could sometimes be inconsistent. After retiring from competitive skating, she began working in the medical field. She also started coaching young skaters in Maryland. Kimmie was also a spokesperson for the "Cool Kids Campaign," a charity that helps children with cancer.

Kimmie Meissner's Early Life

Kimberly "Kimmie" Meissner was born on October 4, 1989. She grew up in Towson, Maryland. Kimmie was the youngest of four children. Her father, Paul, played ice hockey when he was younger. Her three older brothers also played hockey. Kimmie often went to their games.

Kimmie first skated in January 1996, when she was six years old. A big ice storm turned her backyard in Bel Air, Maryland, into a temporary ice rink. She used one of her brothers' skates, stuffing them with paper towels to make them fit. Kimmie loved skating right away. Her parents bought her skates and signed her up for lessons. A few years later, she trained at the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club. There, she began working with coach Pam Gregory.

Kimmie attended Fallston High School. This public school was close to her home. It also gave her the flexibility to train in Delaware. This helped her balance school and her intense skating schedule. Her family worked hard to make her life as normal as possible. Her mother often drove her to practices and managed her schedule. Kimmie graduated from Fallston in 2007. In 2014, she graduated from Towson University. By 2020, she was studying to become a physician assistant. She was also coaching five young skaters in Baltimore.

Kimmie's Competitive Skating Career

Kimmie Meissner started skating at age six. She had watched figure skating on TV and loved it. She even gave up ballet, which she started at four, because she preferred skating. Six years later, she landed her first triple jump, the Salchow.

Rising Through the Ranks

In the 1999–2000 season, Kimmie competed as a juvenile. She placed fourth at the South Atlantic Regionals. This qualified her for the 2000 U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships, where she finished 16th. The next season, she again placed 16th at the U.S. Junior Championships, but at a higher level.

She moved up to the novice division in the 2002–2003 season. Kimmie won first place at the Eastern Sectionals. She also placed second at the South Atlantic Regionals. This qualified her for the 2003 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Kimmie surprised everyone by winning the gold medal at Nationals. This was her first U.S. Nationals event. She won both the short program and the free skate. Her free skate included three triple jumps. She ended the season with a third-place finish at the 2003 Triglav Trophy in Slovenia.

Junior Successes

Kimmie competed as a junior in the 2003–2004 season. She earned a silver medal at the Sofia Cup. She also won a gold medal at the Slovenia event. These wins qualified her for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final in Sweden, where she placed fifth. She competed as a junior at the 2004 U.S. Nationals. She won the gold medal again, making her one of the few skaters to win back-to-back Nationals at different levels.

U.S. Figure Skating selected her for the 2004 Junior Worlds Championship in the Netherlands. Kimmie won the silver medal there. She was one of the youngest skaters in the competition. She finished third after the short program. She successfully completed her triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination. She later said it was her first clean program of the season.

Landing the Triple Axel

Meissner at the 2005 World Junior Championships

Kimmie Meissner worked on her triple Axel jump in the 2004–2005 season. She started landing them in August 2004. However, she had to take a two-month break due to a minor back injury. Her free skating program still included seven other triple jumps. Her goal was to make her moves bigger and more visible to the audience.

She competed in two Junior Grand Prix events, placing second in both. This earned her a spot in the Junior Grand Prix final in Helsinki. She finished third overall, despite a difficult short program.

Kimmie made her senior debut at the Campbell's International Figure Skating Classic in October 2004. She competed against her idol, Michelle Kwan, and finished fifth. This event helped her prepare for her first senior Nationals in Portland, Oregon. There was much talk about whether she would try a triple Axel. Her coach said Kimmie had only been consistently landing them for a week before Nationals.

She was in fourth place after the short program. Kimmie decided to include a triple Axel in her free skating program. She successfully completed it, becoming the first American woman to land a triple Axel in competition in 14 years. The last one was by Tonya Harding in 1991. Kimmie finished third overall, earning her first senior-level medal. She successfully completed seven triple jumps. Kimmie was not old enough to compete as a senior at the Worlds Championships. Instead, she was named to the U.S. team for the 2005 Junior Worlds Championships. At Junior Worlds in Canada, she finished fourth overall.

Olympic Debut and World Champion

Meissner and her coach, Pam Gregory.

Kimmie's main goal for the 2005–2006 season was the 2006 Winter Olympics. She focused on making her routines more mature. She also worked on more difficult spins and footwork. She stopped trying the triple Axel for a while to focus on other jumps. Despite her past successes, Kimmie received little media attention that season. She struggled in many competitions.

She started the season with a third-place win at the 2005 Campbell's Classic. At Trophée Éric Bompard in Paris, her first senior Grand Prix, she had a difficult short program. However, she came back with a strong free skating program. It included two triple-triple combinations and two triple Lutzes. She finished fifth overall. At NHK Trophy, she again placed fifth.

At the 2006 U.S. Nationals, Kimmie won the silver medal. This earned her a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. She was in fourth place after the short program. But a great free skating performance moved her up to second. Sasha Cohen won her first U.S. Nationals title. Kimmie was one of the youngest competitors at the Olympics. She was the youngest American athlete in Turin. She finished sixth overall, which was a strong showing for her first time at the Games.

After the Olympics, Kimmie got the flu and had an ear injury. This disrupted her training for the Worlds Championships. Despite this, her Olympic experience gave her more confidence. At Worlds in Calgary, Kimmie finished third after the short program. In her free skating program, she successfully completed seven triple jumps. This included two triple-triple combinations, which were the only ones in the competition. She earned a personal-best score. Kimmie won the gold medal at Worlds in Calgary. This was a big surprise and a highlight of her career. She became the seventh-youngest world champion at that time. It was the first time an American woman won a World title since Michelle Kwan in 2003.

National and Four Continents Champion

Meissner during her short program, 2006

In the summer of 2006, Kimmie toured with Stars on Ice. She also did many promotional events. She became a Grand Marshal in parades and threw out first pitches at baseball games. She also got endorsement deals with companies like Subway and Visa. In August 2006, she received the Michelle Kwan Trophy as the favorite skater of the year. She started working on her triple Axel again. She also worked with new choreographers to improve her artistry.

At 2006 Skate America, her first Grand Prix competition after winning Worlds, Kimmie finished second overall. She had a difficult short program but a strong free skate. At Trophée Bompard in Paris, she finished third overall. Her performances that season were inconsistent. This led to questions about whether her Worlds title was a one-time event.

As the reigning World champion, Kimmie was the favorite at the 2007 U.S. Nationals in Spokane, Washington. She finished first after the short program with a personal-best score. She skated a clean program, which she had been struggling with. In the free skate, she had some errors but managed to refocus. She won her first senior U.S. title. Kimmie was the first female skater since 1962 to win the "U.S. nationals triple crown." This means she won gold medals in the Novice, Junior, and Senior divisions.

At Four Continents in Colorado Springs, Kimmie had a disappointing short program. She finished sixth. However, she came back strong in the free skate. She won the gold medal, her first time competing at Four Continents. She completed five clean triple jumps. Spectators gave her a standing ovation.

Due to her inconsistent skating, Kimmie had a lot to prove at the 2007 World Championships. She finished fourth after the short program with a personal-best score. She skated a clean program, including a triple Lutz-triple toe combination. In her free skate, she made a few small errors. She finished third in the free skate and fourth overall. Her performance showed her inconsistency throughout the season.

Later Career and Retirement

Meissner at the 2007-2008 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final

Between seasons, Kimmie toured with Stars on Ice. She also trained with coach Frank Carroll to improve her artistry and jumps. She started college, taking courses at the University of Delaware. She aimed to defend her U.S. title. She also changed her free skating program. Kimmie faced personal challenges, including a sprained ankle.

At 2007 Skate America, Kimmie won her first Grand Prix gold medal. She won the short program. In her free skate, she made some errors but still won. At Trophee Bompard, she finished second overall. She qualified for the Grand Prix final for the first time. At the Grand Prix final, she finished sixth. Her performances were inconsistent.

At the 2008 U.S. Nationals, Kimmie finished fourth after the short program. She fell on a triple flip. She performed a difficult free skating program. However, she fell three times. She finished seventh overall, her lowest score at U.S. Nationals. This was a difficult moment for her. Despite her struggles, U.S. Figure Skating chose to send her to Worlds. This was because of her experience.

In February 2008, Kimmie left her long-time coach Pam Gregory. She moved to Florida to work with coach Richard Callaghan. She hoped this change would help her career. At Worlds, she finished ninth after the short program. She finished seventh overall. Her low standing meant the U.S. would send fewer women to the next Worlds.

Meissner at 2008 Skate America

Going into the 2008–2009 season, Kimmie worked to get her career back on track. She worked with Callaghan and former World Champion Todd Eldredge. At 2008 Skate America, she had a difficult competition. She fell on jumps and struggled. She finished eighth overall. At 2008 Cup of Russia, she also finished eighth.

Kimmie withdrew from the 2009 U.S. Nationals. She had a hip injury from training. She went through physical therapy. The pain was too much to compete. In August 2009, she suffered another injury. She pulled out of a jump to avoid another skater. She landed on her right knee, causing chronic pain. She was diagnosed with severe patellar tendonitis. She withdrew from her Grand Prix assignments. This meant she would not be eligible for the 2010 Olympics. Kimmie retired from competitive skating in 2010.

Kimmie later shared that the end of her competitive career was hard. She felt depressed and lost without training. It took her five years to recover from retiring. She found support from her family and other skaters. In 2012, she competed in a pro-am competition. In 2014 and 2015, she toured full-time with Stars on Ice. In 2016, she worked as a researcher for NBC at the Sochi Olympics. By 2016, she was coaching young skaters. She said coaching brought the joy of skating back into her life. In 2020, she was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame. She called it one of the top achievements of her career. In October 2018, Kimmie got engaged to Josh Heyne. They were married in the summer of 2019.

Kimmie's Skating Style

Kimmie Meissner was known as one of the best technical figure skaters. She had good position in the air on her jumps. Her landings were smooth, and she skated with fast speed and high energy. However, her artistic side was sometimes seen as a weakness. Her coach, Pam Gregory, praised Kimmie's discipline and strong work ethic. She compared her to Olympic gold medalists Tara Lipinski and Sarah Hughes. Kimmie also enjoyed performing for large, excited crowds.

Her coach called her "extremely tough mentally." However, her performances could be inconsistent, especially after late 2006. For example, some wondered if her World title win and triple Axel were just "one-time wonders." Kimmie once said she knew on the day of a competition if she would be able to land her triple Axel. She often performed better in the free skate. This was because her many jumps could make up for any artistic weaknesses.

Many sports reporters saw Kimmie as the future of women's figure skating. They expected her to have long-term success. In 2007, Michelle Kwan, Kimmie's idol, called her "the new face of figure skating."

Kimmie's Philanthropic Work

After winning the World championships in 2006, Kimmie Meissner became an ambassador. She worked for the "Cool Kids Campaign." This charity provided toys and games for children with cancer. These children were patients at the University of Maryland Medical Center and Johns Hopkins Hospital. The charity also paid for their families' outings. Kimmie designed bracelets to raise money for the charity. Her choreographer said Kimmie's work with children helped her become a better skater. Kimmie also became a spokesperson for a public school reading challenge.

In 2007, Kimmie headlined her first ice show. It was called "Kimmie's Angels on Ice." This show was a fundraiser in Baltimore for the Cool Kids Campaign. Several other famous figure skaters performed in the show. About 120 young cancer patients and their families watched the show for free. They also got to meet the performers at a party.

Kimmie's Records and Achievements

• One of the few skaters to win all U.S. novice (2003), junior (2004), and senior (2007) titles.
• Youngest American to compete at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
• First American and first woman to hold the World (2006), Four Continents (2007), and U.S. National (2007) titles at the same time.
• Second American woman to successfully complete a triple Axel in competition (2005 U.S. Championships).

Awards

• Michelle Kwan Trophy, Favorite skater of the year, 2006
• Inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame, 2020

Programs

Meissner performs a sit spin at the 2005 World Junior Championships.

Results

The women's podium at the 2006 U.S. Nationals. From left: Kimmie Meissner (2nd), Sasha Cohen (1st), Emily Hughes (3rd), Katy Taylor (4th)

The women's podium at 2007 Skate America. From left: Miki Ando (2nd), Kimmie Meissner (1st), Caroline Zhang (3rd)

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

See also

In Spanish: Kimmie Meissner para niños