Michelle Carter (athlete) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Michelle Carter

Carter at the 2012 World Indoor Championships in Istanbul
Personal information
Nationality	American
Born	(1985-10-12) October 12, 1985 (age 39) San Jose, California, United States
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	260 lb
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Athletics (track and field)
Event(s)	Shot put
College team	Texas Longhorns
Turned pro	2007
Coached by	Michael Carter
Retired	2022
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	Shot put: 20.63 m (67 ft 8.07972441 in) (2016) Discus: 54.06 m (177 ft 4.22145670 in) (2007)
Medal record Olympic Games Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Shot put World Championships Bronze 2015 Beijing Shot put Bronze 2017 London Shot put World Indoor Championships Silver 2012 Istanbul Shot put Gold 2016 Portland Shot put Diamond League 2016 Brussels Shot put Pan American Games Bronze 2011 Guadalajara Shot put NACAC U23 Championships Silver 2006 Santo Domingo Shot put World Junior Championships Gold 2004 Grosseto Shot put Pan American Junior Championships Gold 2003 Bridgetown Shot put World Youth Championships Silver 2001 Debrecen Shot put

Michelle Denee Carter (born October 12, 1985) is a retired American track and field athlete who competed in shot put. She won a gold medal in the event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, making her the first American woman to win Olympic gold in shot put and only the second to win a medal of any color. Carter is the former American record holder in the event with a distance of 20.63 m (67 ft 8.07972441 in) set at the 2016 Olympic Games. She was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.

Early life

Carter was born on October 12, 1985, in San Jose, California, and grew up in Red Oak, Texas. Her parents are Sandra and Michael Carter, the latter of whom won a silver medal in shot put at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and went on to play American football for the San Francisco 49ers. She has one brother, Michael Jr., and one sister, D’Andra.

Carter is a 2003 graduate of Red Oak High School in Red Oak, Texas, where she was a four-time state champion in shot put and held the girls’ national record in the event from 2003 to 2014. She earned an athletic scholarship to University of Texas, where she competed in shot put, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in youth and community studies, with a minor in kinesiology, in 2007.

Career

Carter won the 2016 gold medal at the Rio Olympics on the last of her six throws, edging two-time defending champion Valerie Adams of New Zealand. In doing so, Carter became the first United States women's athlete to win the event since the women's competition began at the 1948 Summer Olympic Games in London, and only the second American to win any medal in the event (Earlene Brown, bronze, 1960). Carter broke her own American record with an Olympic gold medal-winning toss of 20.63 m (67 ft 8.07972441 in).

She finished fifteenth at the 2008 Olympic Games and fourth at the 2012 Olympic Games.

A bronze medalist at the 2015 and 2017 IAAF World Championships, Carter also won the gold medal at the 2016 World Indoor Championships after winning the bronze in 2012.

She won the silver medal at the 2001 World Youth Championships and the gold medal at the 2004 World Junior Championships.

In addition to winning the 2008 United States Olympic Team Trials, she was the 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 national champion. While competing for the University of Texas, she won the NCAA collegiate national championship in 2006. In college, she was a seven-time All-American, and also won the Big 12 Conference title five times. In 2006, she won the NCAA indoor title to also help the University of Texas women claim the NCAA team title. With a runner-up finish in the shot put at the 2005 outdoor meet, Carter helped the Longhorns win the NCAA championship.

In June 2022, Carter announced her retirement from competition.

Awards and recognitions

Carter was inducted into the Texas Longhorns Hall of Honor in 2016, the Texas Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2018, and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.

Personal life

Carter is a Christian. She has said, "Through faith and sports, I've learned discipline and self-control. In the Bible, God tells us we have to work, even if what we want is not going to happen right away. People want a platform, but with that comes responsibility. Before winning the gold medal, I needed to be in a mature place to handle the opportunities that were going to come my way, to make sure I didn't use them for my advantage. You have to put your pride aside and let God's plan come through. He has given me this platform for Him to shine." She has also said "I know God allowed me to have this medal, and with it I want to glorify Him and point others to Him."

As a child, Carter was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia.

Carter is a certified professional make-up artist.

Carter has focused on body image both on and off the field, talking to young women about confidence through her program You Throw Girl. "You have to understand everyone's body was built to do something. I was built to do something, and that's how I was built. I think the world is realizing we were promoting one body type and there have always been many."

Carter married husband Courtney Elder in 2019. They first met as children at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship church, when Carter was 5 years old, and reconnected as adults in 2016.

Carter lives in Grand Prarie, Texas.

Competition history

International competitions

Representing the  United States

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Result	Notes
2001	World Youth Championships	Debrecen, Hungary	2nd	Shot put	15.23 m (49 ft 11.48129922 in)	SB
2003	Pan American Junior Championships	Bridgetown, Barbados	1st	Shot put	16.23 m (53 ft 2.85137796 in)	N/A
2004	World Junior Championships	Grosseto, Italy	1st	Shot put	17.55 m (57 ft 6.81988189 in)	SB
2006	NACAC U23 Championships	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic	2nd	Shot put	16.74 m (54 ft 10.93011811 in)	N/A
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	13th	Shot put	17.74 m (58 ft 2.30019685 in)	N/A
2009	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	5th	Shot put	18.96 m (62 ft 2.33169292 in)	N/A
2010	World Indoor Championships	Doha, Qatar	10th	Shot put	18.20 m (59 ft 8.41043307 in)	N/A
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	8th	Shot put	18.76 m (61 ft 6.45767717 in)	N/A
	Pan American Games	Guadalajara, Mexico	3rd	Shot put	18.09 m (59 ft 4.07972441 in)	N/A
2012	World Indoor Championships	Istanbul, Turkey	2nd	Shot put	19.58 m (64 ft 2.74114174 in)	N/A
	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	4th	Shot put	19.42 m (63 ft 8.44192914 in)	N/A
2013	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	4th	Shot put	19.94 m (65 ft 4.91437008 in)	N/A
2014	World Indoor Championships	Sopot, Poland	4th	Shot put	19.10 m (62 ft 7.84350394 in)	N/A
2015	World Championships	Beijing, China	3rd	Shot put	19.76 m (64 ft 9.82775591 in)	N/A
2016	World Indoor Championships	Portland, Oregon	1st	Shot put	20.21 m (66 ft 3.54429134 in)	N/A
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	1st	Shot put	20.63 m (67 ft 8.07972441 in)	PB
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	3rd	Shot put	19.14 m (62 ft 9.41830709 in)	N/A
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	9th	Shot put	18.41 m (60 ft 4.67814961 in)	N/A

Circuit wins and titles

• Diamond League
  • Memorial Van Damme (Final): 2016
  • Doha Diamond League: 2017
  • London Anniversary Games: 2015

National competitions

See also

In Spanish: Michelle Carter para niños