Jonathan Kuck
Jonathan Kuck (born March 14, 1990) is an American speed skater and silver medalist in the Winter Olympics.
 Kuck at the World Allround Championships 2013 in Hamar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | March 14, 1990 Urbana, Illinois | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country |  United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Speed skating | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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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 four medals at the World Championships, a silver medal at the World Allround Championships, and a silver medal at the World Junior Championships.
Personal
Kuck started speed skating when he was ten and has competed internationally since 2008.[1] He is an alum of Countryside School and University Laboratory High School. He obtained a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, majoring in engineering physics with a minor in computer science.[2] He is currently pursuing a PhD in computer science at Stanford University.
Career
Trials
On December 27, 2013, Kuck won the Men's 5000-meters by more than 6 seconds at the U.S. Olympic Speedskating Trials in Utah to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic team competing in Sochi in February.[3]
Games
In the 10000 m, Kuck placed 8th with a time of 13:31.78. He was the highest American finish.[4]
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.[5] Kuck, Hedrick, and Hansen then beat the Dutch team by .4 seconds, with a final time of 3:42.71.[6]
The American team were defeated by the Canadian 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.[7]
World Allround Championships
During the 2009- 2010 season, Kuck competed in the 1000m, 1500m 5/10,000m in World Cup events. Kuck won a silver medal at the 2010 World Allround Championships
During the 2010-11 season, Kuck consistently placed in the top 10 on the World Cup circuit. He capped the season with a World Championship title in the Team Pursuit. In November 2011, Kuck won the 3000m title at the U.S. Single Distance Championships.
- Results
| Season | Place | 500m | 5000m | 1500m | 10000m | points |
| 09/10 |  | 36.31 (3) | 6:23.47 (4) | 1:45.36 (1) | 13:15.62 (4) | 149.558 |
| 10/11 | 5 | 35.97 (9) | 6:17.88 (8) | 1:43.12 (2) | 13:11.24 (6) | 147.693 |
| 11/12 | 6 | 36.90 (10) | 6:27.15 (8) | 1:48.41 (11) | 13:30.88 (6) | 152.295 |
| 12/13 | 13 | 37.41 (18) | 6:27.62 (9) | 1:48.44 (12) | 112.318 | |
World Junior Championships
Kuck was the 2008 and 2009 U.S. Junior Speedskating Champion and took second overall at the 2009 World Junior Speedskating Championships.
Personal bests
| Event | Time | Date | Avg. speed | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 35.97 | Feb 12, 2011 | 30.64 mph (49.31 km/h) | Calgary |
| 1000 m | 1:09.25 | Jan 4, 2011 | 31.89 mph (51.32 km/h) | Salt Lake City |
| 1500 m | 1:43.12 | Feb 13, 2011 | 31.85 mph (51.26 km/h) | Calgary |
| 3000 m | 3:42.69† | Oct 8, 2011 | 29.64 mph (47.70 km/h) | Milwaukee |
| 5000 m | 6:16.28 | Mar 23, 2012 | 29.28 mph (47.12 km/h) | Heerenveen |
| 10000 m | 13:11.24 | Feb 13, 2011 | 28.34 mph (45.61 km/h) | Calgary |
| Team pursuit | 3:41.58‡ | Feb 27, 2010 | 30.37 mph (48.88 km/h) | Vancouver |
Key: ‡ = National Record † = Track Record
Last updated March 2, 2010.
References
- Zaccardi, Nick (2010-03-31). "Kuck makes name for himself with two silvers". United States Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
- "Jonathan Kuck, Olympic Speedskating Profile". Retrieved 2014-02-18.
- Associated Press (27 December 2013). "Kuck, Rookard Earn Return Trips To The Olympics". Leaker. Archived from the original on 29 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
- "Speed Skating at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games: Men's 10,000 metres". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
- "Speed Skating at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games: Men's Team Pursuit (8 laps) Quarter-Finals". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
- "Speed Skating at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games: Men's Team Pursuit (8 laps) Semi-Finals". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
- "Speed Skating at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games: Men's Team Pursuit (8 laps) Finals". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2010-07-13.