Shani Davis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Shani Davis

Davis in 2006
Personal information
Born	(1982-08-13) August 13, 1982 (age 42) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater	Northern Michigan University
Height	6 ft 2 in
Weight	190 lb
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Speed skating
Medal record Representing the  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 2 0 World Allround Championships 2 1 1 World Sprint Championships 1 1 2 World Distance Championships 8 4 3 Total 13 8 6 Men's speed skating Olympic Games Gold 2006 Turin 1000 m Gold 2010 Vancouver 1000 m Silver 2006 Turin 1500 m Silver 2010 Vancouver 1500 m World Allround Championships Gold 2005 Moscow Allround Gold 2006 Calgary Allround Silver 2004 Hamar Allround Bronze 2008 Berlin Allround World Sprint Championships Gold 2009 Moscow Sprint Silver 2014 Nagano Sprint Bronze 2007 Hamar Sprint Bronze 2011 Heerenveen Sprint World Single Distance Championships Gold 2004 Seoul 1500 m Gold 2007 Salt Lake City 1000 m Gold 2007 Salt Lake City 1500 m Gold 2008 Nagano 1000 m Gold 2009 Vancouver 1500 m Gold 2011 Inzell 1000 m Gold 2011 Inzell Team pursuit Gold 2015 Heerenveen 1000 m Silver 2008 Nagano 1500 m Silver 2011 Inzell 1500 m Silver 2012 Heerenveen Team pursuit Silver 2013 Sochi 1500 m Bronze 2009 Vancouver 1000 m Bronze 2012 Heerenveen 1000 m Bronze 2013 Sochi 1000 m Men's short track speed skating World Championships Bronze 2005 Beijing 5000 m relay

Shani Earl Davis (born August 13, 1982) is an American former speed skater. He is known for his amazing skill and consistency on the ice.

At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Shani Davis made history. He became the first African American athlete to win a gold medal in an individual event at the Olympic Winter Games. He won the 1000 meter speed skating race. He also earned a silver medal in the 1500 meter event.

Four years later, at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, he did it again! He became the first man to win the 1000 meters twice in a row. He also won another silver medal in the 1500 meter race.

Davis has won many other important titles. He won the World Allround Championships in 2005 and 2006. In 2009, he won the World Sprint Championships. This made him only the second male skater ever to win both the Sprint and Allround titles in his career, after Eric Heiden.

He has also won eight titles at the World Single Distance Championships. These include races at 1000 meters and 1500 meters. In 2011, he led the United States to its first gold medal in the Team Pursuit event.

Shani Davis has set nine world records during his career. He was considered one of the fastest long track speed skaters for over ten years. He trained at U.S. Olympic facilities in West Allis, Wisconsin, and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Early Life and Skating Start

Shani Davis was born on August 13, 1982, in Chicago, Illinois. His father chose the name "Shani," which means "to adventure" in an African language.

When Shani was six years old, his mother, Cherie, enrolled him in a speed skating program. This happened after a lawyer she worked for, who was also a speed skating official, suggested it. To be closer to his skating club, Shani and his mother moved to Rogers Park in Chicago.

Skating Career Highlights

Junior Competition Years

At 16, Shani was invited to Lake Placid, New York. He joined a special program for young speed skaters. After training there for a year, he moved to Marquette, Michigan, to continue chasing his Olympic dreams. He graduated from Marquette Senior High School while training.

In 1999, Davis earned a spot on both the long track and short track national teams. He was the first U.S. skater to make both teams at the Junior World Championships. He did this again in 2001 and 2002. Shani was taller than most short track skaters, which helped him race low to the ice. In 2005, he won a bronze medal in the Team Relay at the World Short Track Championships in Beijing, China.

Becoming a Professional Skater

In 2003, Shani Davis moved from junior competitions to men's speed skating. He quickly became the North American long track champion. This allowed him to compete in the World Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden. He finished 16th overall as he was still getting used to the men's division.

In 2004, Davis won the North American championship again. He also placed second at the World Allround Long Track Championships in Hamar, Norway. In March 2004, he won the 1500 m race at the World Single Distance Championships in Seoul.

Setting World Records

Shani Davis set three world records in 2005. Two of these were in Salt Lake City.

• On January 9, 2005, he broke the 1500 m world record with a time of 1:43.33.
• He also set a world record for the best overall time in the Qualifiers.
• A month later, he won the World Champion all-round title.
• In November 2005, Davis broke another world record in the 1000 m race at a World Cup event, skating it in 1:07.03.

Because of his great performances, he automatically qualified for the 2006 Olympic Team.

2006 Winter Olympics Success

Davis had an amazing performance at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. He won the gold medal in the 1000 m race. He also took home the silver medal in the 1500 m event.

After the 2006 Olympics

Davis during the World Cup in Heerenveen in 2007

After the Olympics, Davis continued to excel. He won the final 1000 m World Cup event of the 2006 season. This made him the first skater to finish below 1:09 in Heerenveen. He also won the overall World Cup title for the 1000 meters.

In March 2006, Davis successfully defended his World Allround Championships title in Calgary. He set a new world record for the allround score. He even broke his teammate Chad Hedrick's world record in the 1500 meter race. Davis later broke his own 1500m record again that year. He said winning the World Allround title felt "bigger than the Olympics" because it tested skaters in many different distances over two days.

In the 2006–07 season, Davis placed third at the World Sprint Championships. He also won world titles in the 1000 m and 1500 m events at the World Single Distance Championships.

In the 2007–08 season, Davis won overall World Cup titles in both the 1000 m and 1500 m. He defended his 1000 m world title at the World Single Distance Championships.

The 2008–09 season saw Davis defend his World Cup titles again. He broke world records in the 1000 m and 1500 m. He also won the 1500 m world title at the World Single Distance Championships. In Moscow, he won the 2009 World Sprint Speed Skating Championship. This made him only the second male skater in history, after Eric Heiden, to win both the World Allround and World Sprint titles.

2010 Winter Olympics Triumph

Davis with the medals he won in the 2010 Winter Olympics

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Davis competed in four long-track speed skating events. These were the 500, 1000, 1500, and 5000 meter races. He had previously set track records in the 1000 m and 1500 m at the Olympic venue.

Davis won the 1000-meter speed skating event. This made him the first man to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the 1000 meters. It was also the only speed skating gold medal for the United States at those games. He won by a very small margin, just 0.18 seconds faster than his rival, South Korea's Mo Tae-bum. Davis also won a silver medal in the 1500 m race.

Later Olympic Appearances

Davis continued to compete in the Winter Olympics.

• At the 2014 Winter Olympics, he finished 8th in the 1000-meter race and 11th in the 1500-meter race.
• At the 2018 Winter Olympics, he finished 19th in the 1500-meter race and 7th in the 1000-meter race.

Retirement from Skating

Shani Davis announced his retirement from speed skating in November 2019. He left behind an incredible legacy in the sport.

Shani Davis's Records

Personal Best Times

World Records Set by Shani Davis

More About Shani Davis

Shani Davis attended Northern Michigan University. He trained at the Olympic speed skating center in Marquette, Michigan.

Some people believe that Frozone, a superhero with ice powers from the animated movie The Incredibles, was inspired by Shani Davis.

See also

In Spanish: Shani Davis para niños