Kathryn Thomson Explained

Sport:Short track speed skating
Kathryn Thomson
Birth Date:26 January 1996
Birth Place:Irvine, Scotland
Country:Great Britain
Olympics:2018, 2022
Show-Medals:yes

Kathryn Thomson (born 26 January 1996) is a British short track speed skater who competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China.

Early life

Thomson was born in Irvine,[1] Scotland, and raised in Kilmarnock. She attended Wellington School in Ayr[2] and Grange Academy in Kilmarnock,[3] before leaving full-time education at the age of 16 to pursue her career in short track speed skating.

Career

In 2009, Thomson competed at the "Future Champions Trophy" in Amsterdam, Netherlands. At the time, she was training on the ice twice a week.[4] Thomson moved to Nottingham, England in 2012, to become a full-time athlete.[5] [6] She is based at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham.[7] Thomson won a silver medal in the 500 metres event at the 2013 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival. She crashed out of her 1500 metres semi-final at the Festival.[8] At the start of the 2016–17 season, Thomson set her personal best in a World Cup event in Calgary, Canada.[6]

Thomson qualified to compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics in the 500, 1000 and 1500 metres events.[9] Thomson finished fourth in her 1500 metres heat, and did not qualify for the final.[10] She finished third in her 500 metres heat, and did not qualify for the quarter final,[11] and fourth in her 1,000 metres heat, again not qualifying for the quarter final.[12] She was part of the British team that came third in the mixed team relay at the 2018–19 ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Cup event in Dresden.[13] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Thomson moved in with her parents and worked in a Dunelm furniture store to fund her participation in short track speed skating;[14] the sport did not receive funding for the 2018–2022 funding cycle, and it cost Thomson £22,000 to compete in the 2021–22 season.[15]

At the British trials for the 2022 Winter Olympics, Thomson won the 7-lap time trial, 1 lap with a flying start, 1.5 laps from standing start[16] and 500 metres events. She tied for first in the 1,500 metres event with Elise Christie.[17] Thomson was selected for the 2022 Games in the 500, 1000 and 1500 metres events.[18] In the 500 and 1000 metres events, she finished last in her heat.[19] [20] She withdrew on medical grounds from the 1500 metre event before her first heat.[21]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kathryn Thomson . teamgb.com . . 16 July 2018 . 16 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180716224050/https://www.teamgb.com/athletes/kathryn-thomson . live .
  2. Web site: PyeongChang 2018 Awaits Former Wellington Pupil, Kathryn Thomson . wellingtonschool.org . . 10 February 2022 . 10 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220210142105/https://wellingtonschool.org/news/pyeongchang-2018-awaits-former-wellington-pupil-kathryn-thomson/ . live .
  3. News: Kathryn Thomson ready for her Olympic debut while Elise Christie has her sights set on silverware. The Herald. 4 February 2018. 10 February 2022. 10 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220210142104/https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/15918594.kathryn-thomson-ready-olympic-debut-elise-christie-sights-set-silverware/. live.
  4. News: Speed skating: Kathryn Thomson competes in Holland . Fullerton . Clair . . Glasgow . 27 March 2009 . 27 December 2017 . 27 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171227123158/http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/speed-skating-kathryn-thomson-competes-2439707 . live .
  5. Web site: Kathryn Thomson . gbshorttrack.org . GB Short Track . 27 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171228064520/http://www.gbshorttrack.org/index.php?p=1_32_Kathryn-Thomson . 28 December 2017 . dead .
  6. News: Speed skating: Kathryn Thomson keen to crash Olympic party . Egelstaff . Susan . . 9 December 2016 . 27 December 2017 . 7 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180707042337/http://www.thenational.scot/news/14955867.Speed_skating__Kathryn_Thomson_keen_to_crash_Olympic_party/ . live .
  7. News: Kathryn Thomson relishing speed skater medal battle . Talbot-Smith . Charlie . . 16 February 2013 . 27 December 2017 . 27 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171227123603/https://www.scotsman.com/sport/athletics/kathryn-thomson-relishing-speed-skater-medal-battle-1-2795286 . live .
  8. News: Speed skating: Kathryn Thomson hits new heights with silver in Romania . Talbot-Smith . Charlie . . 19 February 2013 . 27 December 2017 . 27 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171227123407/https://www.scotsman.com/sport/more-in-sport/speed-skating-kathryn-thomson-hits-new-heights-with-silver-in-romania-1-2797807 . live .
  9. News: Five short track speed skaters selected for PyeongChang 2018 . . 13 December 2017 . 27 December 2017 . 27 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171227180229/https://www.teamgb.com/news/five-short-track-speed-skaters-selected-for-pyeongchang-2018 . live .
  10. News: Elise Christie wins 1,500m short-track speed skating heat and Charlotte Gilmartin qualifies. Sky Sports. 17 February 2018. 14 February 2021. 5 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211105111359/https://www.skysports.com/olympics/news/15234/11254123/elise-christie-wins-1500m-short-track-speed-skating-heat-and-charlotte-gilmartin-qualifies. live.
  11. Web site: Heats results . 9 September 2021 . 15 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180315232849/http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000056&gen=w&ref=18697&view=rou . live .
  12. Web site: Heats results . 9 September 2021 . 23 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180323125034/http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000056&gen=w&ref=18712&view=rou . live .
  13. News: CHRISTIE PRAISES TEAMMATES AS BRITISH QUARTET WIN MIXED RELAY BRONZE. Team GB. 2 February 2019. 20 August 2021. 20 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210820164344/https://www.teamgb.com/article/christie-praises-teammates-as-british-quartet-win-mixed-relay-bronze/1YzI8pYI1inQZr2BfGrXx7. live.
  14. News: Winter Olympics: Speed skater Kathryn Thomson goes from furniture shop to second Games. BBC Sport. 4 February 2022. 5 February 2022. 4 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204202148/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-olympics/60259085. live.
  15. News: Ayrshire speed skater Kathryn Thomson hopeful £22k gamble will pay off at Beijing Olympics. Yahoo! Sports. 4 February 2022. 5 February 2022. 5 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220205124404/https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/ayrshire-speed-skater-kathryn-thomson-191408186.html. live.
  16. Web site: All You Need to Know From Days 1 & 2 of the Short Track Speed Skating Selection Event. Ice Skating. 20 August 2021. 21 December 2021. 21 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211221104520/https://www.iceskating.org.uk/post/all-you-need-to-know-from-days-1-2-of-the-short-track-speed-skating-selection-event. live.
  17. Web site: Final Day of Racing Closes GB Performance Squad Selection Event. Ice Skating. 26 August 2021. 21 December 2021. 21 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211221104513/https://www.iceskating.org.uk/post/final-day-of-racing-closes-gb-performance-squad-selection-event. live.
  18. Web site: Three Short Track Speed Skaters Selected for Beijing 2022. Team GB. 20 December 2021. 21 December 2021. 21 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211221104021/https://www.teamgb.com/article/three-short-track-speed-skaters-selected-for-beijing-2022/2WQ20HQHYp6Tew8rvAsi5S. live.
  19. News: Winter Olympics: Short-Track Skating – Women's 500m. BBC Sport. 5 February 2022. 5 February 2022. 5 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220205124403/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-olympics/60271531. live.
  20. News: Winter Olympics 2022 - GB's Kathryn Thomson out of 1000m as Suzanne Schulting and Arianna Fontana progress untroubled. Eurosport. 9 February 2022. 9 February 2022. 3 December 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231203115225/https://www.eurosport.com/geoblocking.shtml. live.
  21. Team GB . TeamGB . 1493876555449204736 . Following tests this afternoon it has been decided that Kat Thomson will not compete in the women's 1500m short track competition on medical grounds..