Kathryn Thomson
British speed skater
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.[1]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 26 January 1996 Irvine, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 153 cm (5 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 54 kg (119 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Great Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Short track speed skating | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
Thomson was born in Irvine,[2] Scotland, and raised in Kilmarnock.[3] She attended Wellington School in Ayr[4] and Grange Academy in Kilmarnock,[5] before leaving full-time education at the age of 16 to pursue her career in short track speed skating.[5]
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.[6] Thomson moved to Nottingham, England in 2012, to become a full-time athlete.[3][7] She is based at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham.[8] 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.[9] At the start of the 2016–17 season, Thomson set her personal best in a World Cup event in Calgary, Canada.[7]
Thomson qualified to compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics in the 500, 1000 and 1500 metres events.[10] Thomson finished fourth in her 1500 metres heat, and did not qualify for the final.[11] She finished third in her 500 metres heat, and did not qualify for the quarter final,[12] and fourth in her 1,000 metres heat, again not qualifying for the quarter final.[13] 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.[14] 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;[15] 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.[16]
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[17] and 500 metres events. She tied for first in the 1,500 metres event with Elise Christie.[18] Thomson was selected for the 2022 Games in the 500, 1000 and 1500 metres events.[19] In the 500 and 1000 metres events, she finished last in her heat.[20][21] She withdrew on medical grounds from the 1500 metre event before her first heat.[22]
