Kyle Shewfelt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kyle Shewfelt
Shewfelt at Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Induction Dinner, November 10, 2010, Calgary, Alberta
Personal information
Full name	Kyle Keith Shewfelt
Country represented	Canada
Born	(1982-05-06) May 6, 1982 (age 43) Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Hometown	Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Height	5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Discipline	Men's Artistic Gymnastics
Level	Senior Elite International
Club	Altadore Gymnastics Club
Retired	May 21, 2009
Medal record Men's gymnastics Representing Canada Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Floor World Championship Bronze 2003 Anaheim Floor Bronze 2003 Anaheim Vault Bronze 2006 Aarhus Floor Commonwealth Games Gold 2002 Manchester Floor Gold 2002 Manchester Vault Gold 2006 Melbourne Team Gold 2006 Melbourne Vault Silver 2002 Manchester Team Bronze 2006 Melbourne Floor

Kyle Keith Shewfelt (born May 6, 1982) is a Canadian gymnast. He made history at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He won a gold medal in the men's floor exercise. This was the first time a Canadian had won an Olympic medal in artistic gymnastics. It was also Canada's first gold medal at those Olympics. Kyle also has a gymnastics move, a vault, named after him. Before the Athens Games, many people thought Kyle would win a medal. He ended up winning gold on the floor and placing fourth on the vault.

Gymnastics Career Highlights

Kyle Shewfelt was born in Calgary, Alberta. He started gymnastics in 1988, when he was six years old. A neighbor inspired him to try the sport. His father was also an athlete, playing hockey. Even though Kyle was good at hockey, he chose gymnastics early on.

He went to the National Sport School in Calgary. This school helped him finish high school while training for the Olympics. Kyle trained at the Altadore Gymnastic Club for many years. His coach, Kelly Manjak, guided him until the 2004 Olympics.

Early Olympic Experiences

In 2000, Kyle was chosen for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. This was a surprise because he was very young. He competed in the floor and vault events. He did not make it to the finals that year.

Kyle later created a new vault move. It was a Yurchenko with two and a half twists. Gymnastics judges approved this new move. It was then officially named the Shewfelt vault.

Road to Olympic Gold

Kyle's dream was to win an Olympic gold medal. In March 2004, he hurt his ankle badly. He bruised a bone in his ankle. Luckily, he recovered fully in time for the Athens Olympics.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Kyle won gold on the floor exercise. He also competed in the individual vault final. He finished fourth, just missing a bronze medal.

After Athens

In 2005, Kyle acted in a Hungarian film called White Palms. He played his former coach, Kelly Manjak.

In 2006, Kyle returned to international competitions. He helped the Canadian team win a gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia. He also won a bronze medal on the floor and a gold medal on the vault for himself.

That same year, Kyle helped his team get second place at the Pacific Alliance competition. He also won first place on both vault and floor in the individual events.

Next, he competed at the World Championships in Denmark. Kyle led his team to their best-ever finish, placing sixth. He also won another World Championship medal, a bronze on the floor exercise.

Injuries and Comebacks

In August 2007, Kyle broke both of his lower leg bones (tibias). This happened during a floor exercise training session. He had to withdraw from the World Championships in Germany. Kyle worked hard to recover. He hoped to be ready for the 2008 Summer Olympics team.

After 11 months of intense recovery, Kyle was named to his third Canadian Olympic team. He proved he was in top shape at a test competition in Calgary.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Kyle competed in the preliminary artistic gymnastics round. He did not reach the top eight to qualify for the finals. He finished ninth in vault and eleventh in floor. After leaving the Olympics, Kyle became a guest commentator. He talked about artistic gymnastics for CBC Television's Olympic coverage.

On May 21, 2009, Kyle announced his retirement from competitive gymnastics. He wrote on his blog that it was time to start new journeys. He decided to take on a role as an ambassador for Gymnastics Canada. This meant he would help promote the sport.

Life After Gymnastics

During the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Kyle worked as a gymnastics analyst. He provided commentary for the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium.

In 2018, he was working as a gymnastics coach.

In 2021, Kyle published his autobiography. It is titled Make it Happen.

Gymnastics Skills and Routines

Gymnasts perform different moves on each apparatus. Here are some of Kyle Shewfelt's well-known skills:

• Vault: He performed the 2½-Twisting Yurchenko, also known as "The Shewfelt." He also did the Double-Twisting Tsukahara.
• Floor: His routines included complex twists and flips. For example, he performed a Double Twisting Double Back.
• Horizontal Bar: On the horizontal bar, he performed moves like the Deff, Tkatchev, and a Double Twisting Double Layout.

See also

In Spanish: Kyle Shewfelt para niños