Jonathan Kuck
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Kuck is an American speed skater
and silver medalist in the Winter Olympics.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics
, Kuck won a silver medal in the team pursuit along with Brian Hansen
and Chad Hedrick
. Kuck has also won a gold medal at the World Championships
, a silver medal at the World Allround Championships
, and a silver medal at the World Junior Championships
.
The American
pursuit team consisted of Kuck, Chad Hedrick
, Brian Hansen
, and Trevor Marsicano
. Kuck, Hedrick, and Marsicano eliminated Japan
in the quarterfinal, which advanced them to face the heavily favored Netherlands
in the semifinal. Kuck, Hedrick, and Hansen then beat the Dutch team by .4 seconds, with a final time of 3:42.71.
The American team were defeated by the Canadians
in the gold medal final. The same trio that skated the semifinal trailed Canada in the gold medal final by as much as 0.73 seconds early in the race, trimming that margin to 0.21 at the finish with a time of 3:41.58. The Canadians hit the line at 3:41.37 to win the gold medal, leaving the American team with silver. The bronze went to the Netherlands, which set an Olympic record in the B final with a time of 3:39.95.
.
Key: ‡ = National Record † = Track Record
Last updated March 2, 2010.
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
and silver medalist in the Winter Olympics.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, Kuck won a silver medal in the team pursuit along with Brian Hansen
Brian Hansen (speed skater)
Brian Hansen is an American speed skater and silver medalist in the Winter Olympics.At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Hansen won a silver medal in the team pursuit along with Jonathan Kuck and Chad Hedrick...
and Chad Hedrick
Chad Hedrick
Chad Hedrick is an American inline speed skater and ice speed skater. He was born in Spring, Texas.Hedrick revolutionized the inline speed skating world with his unique technique, called the double push or DP...
. Kuck has also won a gold medal at the World Championships
World Single Distance Championships for Men
The International Skating Union has organised the World Single Distance Championships for Men since 1996.-Locations:* 1996 Hamar, Norway* 1997 Warsaw, Poland* 1998 Calgary, Canada* 1999 Heerenveen, Netherlands* 2000 Nagano, Japan...
, a silver medal at the World Allround Championships
World Allround Speed Skating Championships
The World Allround Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of the world...
, and a silver medal at the World Junior Championships
World Junior Speed Skating Championships
||valign=top width=50%|In 1971, when the ISU had a congress they decided to hold a World Junior Speed Skating Championships. After 2 test-championships , where only boys where allowed to skate, the first official championship was introduced in Cortina d'Ampezzo. In this championship boys and girls...
.
Games
In the 10000 m, Kuck placed 8th with a time of 13:31.78. He was the highest American finish.The American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pursuit team consisted of Kuck, Chad Hedrick
Chad Hedrick
Chad Hedrick is an American inline speed skater and ice speed skater. He was born in Spring, Texas.Hedrick revolutionized the inline speed skating world with his unique technique, called the double push or DP...
, Brian Hansen
Brian Hansen (speed skater)
Brian Hansen is an American speed skater and silver medalist in the Winter Olympics.At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Hansen won a silver medal in the team pursuit along with Jonathan Kuck and Chad Hedrick...
, and Trevor Marsicano
Trevor Marsicano
Trevor Marsicano is an American long-track speedskater and silver medalist in the Winter Olympics.At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Marsicano won a silver medal for his part in the team pursuit...
. Kuck, Hedrick, and Marsicano eliminated Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in the quarterfinal, which advanced them to face the heavily favored Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in the semifinal. Kuck, Hedrick, and Hansen then beat the Dutch team by .4 seconds, with a final time of 3:42.71.
The American team were defeated by the Canadians
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the gold medal final. The same trio that skated the semifinal trailed Canada in the gold medal final by as much as 0.73 seconds early in the race, trimming that margin to 0.21 at the finish with a time of 3:41.58. The Canadians hit the line at 3:41.37 to win the gold medal, leaving the American team with silver. The bronze went to the Netherlands, which set an Olympic record in the B final with a time of 3:39.95.
Personal
Kuck's demeanour is described as quiet and reserved. Kuck started speed skating when he was ten and has competed internationally since 2008. Kuck is a graduate of University Laboratory High SchoolUniversity Laboratory High School (Urbana, Illinois)
University Laboratory High School, known as Uni, or Uni High, was established in 1921 and is a laboratory school located on the engineering part of the campus of the University of Illinois. Its enrollment is approximately 300 students, spanning five years...
.
Personal bests
| Event | Time | Date | Avg. speed | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 35.97 | Feb 12, 2011 | 30.64 mi/h | Calgary Calgary Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies... |
| 1000 m | 1:10.15 | Dec 30, 2009 | 31.89 mi/h | Salt Lake City |
| 1500 m | 1:43.12 | Feb 13, 2011 | 31.85 mi/h | Calgary Calgary Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies... |
| 3000 m | 3:46.41† | Sept 19, 2009 | 29.64 mi/h | Milwaukee |
| 5000 m | 6:17.88 | Feb 13, 2011 | 29.28 mi/h | Calgary |
| 10000 m | 13:11.44 | Feb 13, 2011 | 28.34 mi/h | Calgary |
| Team pursuit | 3:41.58‡ | Feb 27, 2010 | 30.37 mi/h | Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,... |
Key: ‡ = National Record † = Track Record
Last updated March 2, 2010.