American Olympian Kelly Curtis completed twenty first in girls’s skeleton on the Winter Video games in Beijing, narrowly lacking the minimize to compete for a medal within the last warmth.
Curtis, an airman firstclass and first-time Olympian, recorded a mixed time of three:09.23 throughout three rounds on the mile-long ice observe — 0.38 seconds behind her nearest opponent and three.24 seconds behind the third warmth’s first-place finisher, German Hannah Neise.
She wanted to land within the prime 20 on Feb. 12 to qualify for the fourth warmth later that day, however completed one spot quick.
Curtis crossed the end line in 1:02.94 within the first warmth, in 1:03.05 within the second and in 1:03.24 within the third, reaching almost 77 mph at her quickest.
The 33-year-old, who’s biracial, is the primary Black skeleton athlete to symbolize Crew USA on the Olympics.
“[I] didn’t actually see too many individuals that appear to be me or had an identical background,” Curtis stated Feb. 9 in a Crew USA press launch. “It simply by no means appeared like a door that will be open.”
The enlisted airman will now slide into her first job with the thirty first Communications Squadron at Aviano Air Base in Italy, the place she’ll safe computer systems and different networks in opposition to assaults. It’s the “solely communications squadron south of the Alps supporting completely assigned fighter plane” for the U.S. Air Pressure in Europe, the service stated.
Curtis is hoping for a repeat look on the 2026 Winter Video games in Milan, whereas additionally working to fee as an officer within the Air Pressure.
“I do know I have to do rather a lot in my profession discipline to earn that [officer] spot,” she instructed Air Pressure Instances on Jan. 24. “I’m unsure precisely how I’ll get down each of these paths, however I’m engaged on it.”
Rachel Cohen joined Air Pressure Instances as senior reporter in March 2021. Her work has appeared in Air Pressure Journal, Inside Protection, Inside Well being Coverage, the Frederick News-Submit (Md.), the Washington Submit, and others.
