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
Height	5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Discipline	Men's artistic gymnastics
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 is a famous Canadian gymnast. He was born on May 6, 1982, in Calgary, Alberta. Kyle made history at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He won a gold medal in the men's floor exercise. This was the first time a Canadian had ever won a medal in artistic gymnastics. It was also Canada's first gold medal at those Olympics! Kyle even has a gymnastics move, a vault, named after him.

Kyle Shewfelt's Gymnastics Journey

Kyle Shewfelt started gymnastics in 1988 when he was six years old. A neighbor inspired him to try it. His dad was also an athlete, playing hockey for the Brandon Wheat Kings. Even though Kyle was good at hockey, he chose to focus on gymnastics from a young age.

Early Training and Olympic Dreams

Kyle went to Calgary's National Sport School. This school helped him finish high school while training for the Olympics. He trained at the Altadore Gymnastic Club. His coach, Kelly Manjak, worked with him until the 2004 Olympics. After 2004, Kyle stayed in Calgary and trained with coach Tony Smith.

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

The "Shewfelt" Vault

Kyle became known for a new vault move. It was a Yurchenko with two and a half twists. Judges approved this new move, and it was named the Shewfelt vault after him.

Road to the 2004 Athens Olympics

Kyle's dream was to win an Olympic gold medal. In March 2004, he hurt his ankle badly. This put his Olympic goal at risk. Luckily, he recovered fully in time for the Athens Games.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Kyle won gold on the floor exercise. He also placed fourth in the vault final. There was a close call in the vault event. He narrowly missed a bronze medal by a tiny amount of points.

After the Athens Olympics

In 2005, Kyle acted in a Hungarian movie 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 Commonwealth Games in Australia. He also won a bronze medal on floor and a gold medal on vault for himself. That same year, his team finished second at the Pacific Alliance competition. Kyle won gold on both vault and floor at this event.

Later in 2006, Kyle competed at the World Championships in Denmark. His team achieved their best-ever ranking, finishing sixth. Kyle also won another bronze medal on the floor exercise.

Injuries and the 2008 Beijing Olympics

In August 2007, Kyle broke both of his lower leg bones (tibias). This happened during a floor exercise training session. He had to miss the World Championships in Germany. Kyle worked hard for 11 months to recover. He wanted to be ready for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

After proving he was in top shape, Kyle was named to his third Canadian Olympic team. At the Beijing Olympics, Kyle competed in the preliminary rounds. He finished ninth in vault and eleventh in floor. This meant he did not qualify for the finals in either event. After the Olympics, Kyle became a gymnastics commentator for CBC Television.

Retirement from Competition

On May 21, 2009, Kyle Shewfelt announced he was retiring from competitive gymnastics. He shared this news on his blog. He wrote about moving on to new adventures. Kyle took on a new role as an ambassador for Gymnastics Canada. He helped promote the sport across the country.

Life After Gymnastics

After retiring, Kyle continued to be involved in gymnastics.

Broadcasting and Coaching

During the 2012 London Olympics, Kyle worked as a gymnastics analyst. He provided commentary for the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium. By 2018, he was working as a gymnastics coach, sharing his skills with new athletes.

Autobiography

In 2021, Kyle Shewfelt published his autobiography. The book is titled Make it Happen.

Gymnastics Skills and Routines

Kyle Shewfelt was known for his powerful and precise gymnastics skills.

• Vault: His signature move was the 2½-Twisting Yurchenko, also known as "The Shewfelt." He also performed the Double-Twisting Tsukahara.
• Floor: His routines included complex tumbling passes. Some of these were a 1½ Whip to a Full Twist to a Rudi, and a Double Twisting Double Back.
• Horizontal Bar: On the horizontal bar, he performed moves like the Deff, Tkatchev, and a Double Twisting Double Layout.

Images for kids

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  Shewfelt at Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Induction Dinner, November 10, 2010, Calgary, Alberta

See also

In Spanish: Kyle Shewfelt para niños