Nathan Crumpton Explained

Nationality:American
Birth Date:9 October 1985
Birth Place:Nairobi, Kenya
Education:Princeton University
Height:6 ft
Weight:173 lbs
Country:American Samoa
Sport:Athletics and Skeleton
Event:Sprinting
Citizenship:United States

Nathan Ikon Crumpton (born October 9, 1985) is an Olympic athlete who has competed in skeleton (sledding) for the United States of America and American Samoa, and in athletics for American Samoa.[1]

Early and personal life

Crumpton was born in Kenya, where his father was stationed with the U.S. Foreign Service, and is a natural-born U.S. citizen. His mother is of Chinese and Hawaiian descent, and growing up, he spent most of his childhood in Africa before moving to Switzerland, Australia, and then to Virginia, where he graduated from high school.[2] Now, most of his family lives in Hawaii. When he was younger, Crumpton was a track-and-field athlete first and foremost. He competed in the triple jump and long jump at Princeton, where he was a four-year NCAA Division I track and field athlete and an All-Ivy League selection in the triple jump, and as the third-farthest triple jumper in Princeton history.[3]

He worked as a sports photographer for The Daily Princetonian and remains a keen photographer.[4] In December 2021, he published a 553-page book titled "Alpha Status: A Non-fiction Novel."[5] [6] He graduated from Princeton University with an A.B. in sociology and a certificate in environmental studies in 2008 after completing a 132-page-long senior thesis, titled "Dissonant Realities: Behind the Veil of AIDS in Tanzania," under the supervision of Elizabeth Armstrong.[7]

Skeleton

In 2015, he raced in his first Skeleton World Cup event, and he finished the 2016–17 season in 11th place overall, a career-best. He had four top-10 and twelve top-15 World Cup finishes in his career, with a best World Cup race result of fifth place at Park City in 2016.[8] [9] At the IBSF World Championships 2016, he led all American sliders and finished ranked eighth in the world.[10] However, a herniated disc in his back prevented him from competing further at the World Cup and, ultimately, the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.[11] [12] In 2019 he switched to American Samoa to represent his Polynesian heritage, and he won the first gold medal in a winter Olympic sport for American Samoa at the North America's Cup in Park City.[13]

Olympic career

After leaving the US team in 2019, Crumpton went looking for a new nation to represent and was eventually adopted by American Samoa.[14]

He competed for American Samoa in the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in the 100m race.[15] He ran a time of 11.27 seconds, which was the second fastest ever time by an American Samoan athlete at the Summer Olympic Games.[16] [17] He was selected as the closing ceremony flag bearer for American Samoa.[18] He also holds the American Samoan national records in both the long jump and triple jump.[19]

Crumpton qualified to compete for American Samoa at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Skeleton. He again served as flagbearer, this time at the opening ceremony, becoming an "Olympic sensation" according to The New York Times by marching topless in traditional Samoan clothing in the freezing weather.[14] After qualifying for the fourth and final heat, he posted a total time of 4:06.80 and placed 19th in the field.[20]

He later competed at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, in Budapest in the 100 metres.[21]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: IBSF | Nathan Crumpton. www.ibsf.org. June 10, 2021 .
  2. Web site: Nathan Crumpton is More Than a Shirtless Flag Bearer. February 9, 2022 .
  3. Web site: Nathan Crumpton . https://web.archive.org/web/20150916222224/http://www.teamusa.org/usa-bobsled-skeleton-federation/athletes/Nathan-Crumpton . dead . September 16, 2015 . Team USA . October 8, 2021.
  4. Web site: A Case Of Split Personality | An Interview with Nathan Ikon Crumpton. October 1, 2014.
  5. Book: Crumpton, Nathan Ikon. Alpha Status: A Non-fiction Novel. 2021. Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP Print US . 979-8790324017.
  6. Web site: Nathan Ikon Crumpton. February 3, 2022. www.nathancrumpton.com.
  7. Crumpton. Nathan I. . Princeton University . Dissonant Realities: Behind the Veil of AIDS in Tanzania . 2008. English.
  8. Web site: IBSF Nathan Crumpton . September 29, 2022 . www.ibsf.org . June 10, 2021 . en-gb.
  9. Web site: Crumpton tops Americans with 8th News, Sports, Jobs - Adirondack Daily Enterprise . https://web.archive.org/web/20220929001356/https://www.teamusa.org/usa-bobsled-skeleton/Features/2016/January/16/Antoine-and-Crumpton-in-top-five-of-mens-skeleton-Park-City-World-Cup . dead . September 29, 2022 . September 28, 2022 . en-US.
  10. Web site: Crumpton tops Americans with 8th News, Sports, Jobs - Adirondack Daily Enterprise . September 29, 2022 . en-US.
  11. Web site: Skeleton athlete Nathan Crumpton to start for American Samoa at Tokyo Olympics. www.ibsf.org. June 10, 2021 .
  12. Web site: Crumpton leads Team USA at skeleton worlds | News, Sports, Jobs – Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
  13. Web site: Utah's Nathan Ikon Crumpton wins first winter sports gold medal for American Samoa . September 28, 2022 . The Salt Lake Tribune . en-US.
  14. News: He Became an Olympic Sensation, Without a Shirt and Without Competing. The New York Times. February 11, 2022. Wee. Sui-Lee.
  15. Web site: Parkite Nathan Crumpton brings his journey full circle by punching Olympic ticket. Brendan. Farrell. www.parkrecord.com. June 5, 2021 .
  16. Web site: Athletics – Preliminary Round – Heat 1 Results. July 31, 2021. August 4, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210804052438/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/result-men-s-100m-prel-000100-.htm. dead.
  17. Web site: American Samoa in Athletics . Olympedia . February 6, 2022.
  18. News: Hassan and Warner among Tokyo 2020 Closing Ceremony flag bearers . February 6, 2022 . . August 8, 2021.
  19. Web site: Nathan CRUMPTON Profile World Athletics . September 29, 2022 . worldathletics.org.
  20. Web site: February 11, 2022 . Men's Skeleton – Official Olympic Results . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220224043411/https://olympics.com/beijing-2022/olympic-games/static/owg2022/pdf/OWG2022/SKN/OWG2022_SKN_C73B_SKNMSINGLES-----------FNL---------.pdf . February 24, 2022 . March 1, 2022 . Olympics.
  21. Web site: Men's 100m Results: World Athletics Championships 2023. Watch Athletics. August 20, 2023. August 19, 2023.