Kyle Carr facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | September 15, 1986 Hunterdon County, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in | |||||||||||||
| Weight | 174 lb | |||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||
| Country |  United States |
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| Sport | Short track speed skating | |||||||||||||
| Coached by | Stephen Gough | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Christopher Kyle Carr was born on September 15, 1986. He is an American short track speed skater. Kyle grew up roller skating because his mom was a top skater. In 2001, he changed from inline speed skating to ice speed skating. While still in high school, he moved to Marquette, Michigan, to train even more.
Kyle made the Junior World Championships in 2005. He also joined the senior World Cup team for the 2005–06 season. He broke his ankle in 2006 and missed the Olympic Trials. After surgery, he returned to skating. But he found he had lost a lot of his speed.
After a few tough years, he made the World Cup Team again in 2009–10. Kyle went to his first World Championships that spring. He just missed the 2010 Olympics by a tiny bit. He had planned to stop skating after that season. But he decided to try for the Olympics again.
Kyle was on the World Cup team every year from 2010 to 2013. He helped the United States set a national relay record. In 2011, he won a bronze medal at the World Championships. This was with his relay team. Kyle finished fourth at the Olympic Trials. This meant he qualified for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. He retired after those games. He also finished his degree in exercise science.
How Kyle Carr Started Skating
Christopher Kyle Carr was born on September 15, 1986. His birthplace was Hunterdon County, New Jersey. His mother, Lisa, was a nationally ranked skater. His grandfather, George Carr, worked at the Frenchtown Roller Rink. Kyle and his future Olympic teammate Chris Creveling spent a lot of time there. They learned to roller skate at this rink.
Kyle started skating when he was just one year old. At age three, he had his first roller skating competition. When he was seven, he told his mom he would make it to the Olympics. At thirteen, he broke his wrist while inline skating. Soon after, his coach, Shawn Walb, showed him ice short track speed skating. Kyle loved this new sport. He stopped inline skating in 2001. After his junior year at Governor Mifflin Senior High School, he moved. In 2004, he went to Marquette, Michigan. He trained more at the US Olympic Education Center.
Kyle Carr's Skating Journey
Kyle Carr took part in the 2005 Junior World Championships. That fall, he joined the senior World Cup team. He won a gold medal in Slovakia. However, Kyle broke his ankle in 2006. This happened at the Junior World Team trials. He could not compete at the 2006 Olympic Trials. He moved to Peachtree City, Georgia, for surgery. His mother was living there.
After two surgeries and eight months of healing, he was ready to skate again. But he found he was much slower. He thought about quitting. His high school girlfriend, Siobhan O'Rourke, moved to Marquette. Her support helped Kyle's career get better.
Kyle made the 2009–10 United States World Cup Team. Siobhan was finishing college in 2010. Kyle planned to stop speed skating and "become an adult." He placed third in the 500 meters at the National Championships. He qualified for his first World Championships. He was also offered a chance to train full-time. He and Siobhan moved to Salt Lake City. They wanted to give Kyle's Olympic dream one last try.
Kyle missed the 2010 Olympic team by a tiny fraction of a second. In 2011, he won a bronze medal. This was at the World Championship with the US relay team. In 2012, he placed third in the men's time trial. This was at the National Championships. Kyle was on the World Cup team every year from 2010 to 2013. He won six World Cup medals in total. These included one gold, two silver, and two bronze. All of them were for relay events.
At the 2014 Olympic Trials, Kyle made the 500 meter finals. He won his semifinal race. He finished fourth in that event. Then he placed fifth in the 1500 meters. On the last day of the Trials, he fell. This happened in the semifinals of the 1000 meters. He was disqualified. He was upset. He talked to his coach. His coach told him the fall did not matter. Kyle already had enough points to make the Olympic Team. Kyle said, "At that point, all that frustration and anxiety turned into happiness and gratitude."
Kyle finished fourth overall. He competed in the men's relay at the Olympics. An anonymous businessman helped Kyle. He donated money through GoFundMe. This allowed Kyle's mother to join him in Sochi, Russia. Sochi was the site of the 2014 Olympic games. Before this, Kyle used the crowd funding website. Many of his teammates did too. It helped cover his living costs.
Kyle is coached by Stephen Gough. He also has club coaches: Anthony Barthell and Alex Izykowski. Kyle retired after the Olympics. He said, "I'm at an age now where I kind of want to progress with my life." He added, "I'd love to speedskate forever, but it doesn't pay the bills." After retiring, he finished his degree in exercise science. He now works with top athletes on their training plans.
As of 2014, Kyle was part of the team. This team holds the national record in the 3000 meter relay.
Kyle Carr's Life Outside Skating
Kyle Carr is married to his longtime girlfriend, Siobhan O'Rourke. Their wedding date was originally September 5, 2014. But it was moved to September 19. This was so Kyle's teammate and best friend, J.R. Celski, could attend. Kyle has a younger sister named Bethany Camp.
Kyle has pets: a dog, a cat, and a bunny. In his free time, he likes to play basketball. He also enjoys riding his bike. He likes music with a strong beat. This includes hip hop and techno. When he is not skating, Kyle works in real estate. He has volunteered with Operation Christmas Child. He has also helped with National Multiple Sclerosis Society fundraisers. Kyle says basketball player LeBron James influenced him the most. This is because James overcame challenges to win many NBA Championships.
