Beth Jan Coats (born July 20, 1966) is an American former biathlete and cyclist.[1] She competed at the 1992 Winter Olympics and the 1994 Winter Olympics.[2] Coats was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and graduated from Eldorado High School.[3] She later suffered severe injuries in a climbing accident.[4]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Beth Jan Coats |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | July 20, 1966 Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Biathlon |
Biography
editIn the 1980s, Coats went on a skiing trip in New Mexico, which resulted in her enrolling at Western State College and joining the cross-country ski team.[5] After learning how to use a .22 caliber rifle, Coats moved on to biathlon.[5] In 1993, Coats joined the National Guard, helping her to qualify to the United States Olympic team.[5]
Coats competed at two Winter Olympics, and in seven World Championships in biathlon.[1] Coats also competed professionally in mountain biking,[6] ranking tenth in the world as a professional,[5] finishing second overall in the US national championships in 1997,[1] and later became a mountain climber.[1][7] However, while climbing in Eldorado Canyon State Park in 1998, Coats suffered a spinal cord injury during a fall, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down.[1][8] Despite suffering a spinal injury, Coats went on to climb El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.[1][9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Beth Coats". Olympedia. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Beth Coats Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
- ^ Frentzel, Martin (February 10, 1992). "Local Biathlete Shooting for Medal". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved August 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Professional Cyclist Injured in Climbing Accident". National Spinal Cord Injury Association. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "An unexpected life: The rise and fall of Beth Coats". Crested Butte News. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "Furthermore". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "Beth Coats, an ascent of El Cap". Mountain Zone. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "Pro-Mountain Biker Beth Coats is Paralyzed". Mountain Zone. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "Desperate measures". Boulder Weekly. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
External links
edit- Beth Coats at IBU
- Beth Coats at Olympics.com
- Beth Coats at Olympedia
