Katie Uhlaender a skeleton racer places 6th in Olympics
Katie Uhlaender a skeleton racer places 6th in Olympics
A skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender places 6th in Olympics:
Katie Uhlaender, a skeleton racer, is no stranger to big athletic events, whether it’s hearing about her father’s Major League Baseball career or her five trips to the Olympics. The McGregor, Texas native’s run at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre on Saturday could be her final—if not one of her favorites.
At the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, skeleton was added to the Olympic program. Unlike luge, racers slide prone on the ice at speeds of up to 75 miles per hour.
The former McGregor Bulldog:
The former McGregor Bulldog was all smiles as she slowed down near the end of the track shortly after crossing the finish line in her fourth and final run (51.14). For a little while, the 37-year-old even had the lead. However, riders who were considerably faster and younger than she were able to beat her overall time. Germany’s Hannah Neise took gold (4:07.62). Silver went to Jacalyn Narracott of Australia (4:08.24), while bronze went to Kimberly Bos of the Netherlands (4:08.46). Katie, who had previously competed in four Olympic Games, came in sixth place (4:09.23).
19-year career:
Her 19-year career included twelve operations, which is even more astounding than her voyage to the World’s Biggest Stage. In the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, she came closest to winning an Olympic medal. She came in fourth place there, missing the podium by.04 seconds. Uhlaender was noticeably sad in the NBC interviews that followed her heartbreaking loss in the race. Elena Nikitina of host-nation Russia, who won bronze that year, has subsequently been a central figure in investigations into the country’s state-sponsored doping program.
Best Performance:
One of her best performances was in the 2012 ISBF World Championships in Lake Placid, New York, where she won two world titles—one solo and the other in a mixed team event. Steve Holcomb, who led the United States to bobsled gold in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, was one of her closest pals on that aforementioned squad and also one of her dearest friends.
Family Background:
Katie grew up in a sporting family, as previously stated. Ted Uhlaender, her father, played outfield for the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, and Cincinnati Reds from 1965 to 1972. She was a track and basketball star at McGregor High School before she discovered skeleton.
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