Kelly Clark (born July 26, 1983) is an American snowboarder who won halfpipe gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Clark was born in Newport, Rhode Island. She started snowboarding when she was 7 years old, began competing in 1999, and became a member of the US Snowboard team in 2000. On January 25, 2019, at the Winter X Games in Aspen, she announced her retirement from the sport.[1]
.jpg) Clark in 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | July 26, 1983 Newport, Rhode Island, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Professional snowboarder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Marcus Hemington (m. 2023) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Biography
editClark trained for competitive snowboarding at Mount Snow Academy in Vermont and graduated in spring 2001. She won a gold medal for women's halfpipe at the 2002 Winter Olympics[2] and competed in the halfpipe event again in the 2006 Winter Olympics. She ended up placing fourth behind fellow Americans Hannah Teter and Gretchen Bleiler, as well as Norwegian Kjersti Buaas. In the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Kelly won a bronze medal in the halfpipe after placing third behind American silver medalist Teter and Australian Torah Bright.
In the TTR World Tour 2007/2008 season, she recorded eight podium finishes out of 12 contest entries, with five of those as TTR Titles including the 6Star Burton European Open, the 5Star Chevrolet Grand Prix and the 6Star season-ending Roxy Chicken Jam US. In the 2008/2009 World Tour she finished the season as Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour Champion.
Clark is based in Mammoth Lakes, California.[3]
Clark is a Christian. She rides with a sticker on her snowboard proclaiming, "Jesus, I cannot hide my love."[4] She discusses her faith and lessons from her life as a professional snowboarder in her 2017 memoir Inspired.[5]
Personal life
editClark married Marcus Hemington in March 2023. In May 2024, she announced she was pregnant with her first child, a baby girl.[6]
Awards and honors
editIn 2015, Clark received the Best Female Action Sports Athlete ESPY Award.[7]
Competition history
editHighlights of Swatch TTR 2009/2010 Season
- 1st – Halfpipe – 5Star Burton New Zealand Open (Ticket to Ride (World Snowboard Tour))
- 1st – Halfpipe – 6Star Burton US Open (Ticket to Ride (World Snowboard Tour))
- 1st – Halfpipe – 6Star Roxy Chicken Jam US (Ticket to Ride (World Snowboard Tour))
Highlights of Swatch TTR 2008/2009 Season Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour Champion 2008/09
- 3rd – Halfpipe – 5Star Burton New Zealand Open (Ticket to Ride (World Snowboard Tour))
- 1st – Halfpipe – 6Star Burton European Open (Ticket to Ride (World Snowboard Tour))
- 1st – Halfpipe – 5Star Nissan X-Trail Asian Open (Ticket to Ride (World Snowboard Tour))
- 2nd – Halfpipe – 6Star Burton US Open (Ticket to Ride (World Snowboard Tour))
- 1st – Halfpipe – 6Star Roxy Chicken Jam (Ticket to Ride (World Snowboard Tour))
Victories on the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour (status: July 2010)
| TTR Star Level | Number of victories |
|---|---|
| 6Star Event | 7 victories |
| 5Star Event | 4 victories |
| 4Star Event | 2 victories |
Career highlights
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- 2010 Winter X Games – Superpipe – 1st place
- 2009 Winter Dew Tour – Dew Cup – 1st place
- 2008 Chevy Grand Prix – Tamarack – Halfpipe – 1st place
- 2008 Winter X Games – Halfpipe – 2nd place
- 2007 New Zealand Open – Quarterpipe – 1st place
- 2007 New Zealand Open – Halfpipe – 2nd place
- 2007 Burton Abominable Snow Jam – Overall – 2nd place
- 2007 Burton Abominable Snow Jam – Halfpipe – 2nd place
- 2006 US Grand Prix – Halfpipe – 1st pace
- 2006 Burton New Zealand Open – Quarterpipe – 1st place
- 2006 Burton New Zealand Open – Superpipe – 1st place
- 2006 Chevrolet Grand Prix – Halfpipe – 2nd place
- 2005 FIS World Cup – Halfpipe – 1st place
- 2005 Grand Prix #3- Halfpipe – 2nd place
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Kelly Clark". Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- ^ "Kelly Clark". Snowboarding Programs. US Snowboarding. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
- ^ [1] Archived January 20, 2018, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved November 27, 2016.
- ^ Kelly Clark. YouTube (January 6, 2010). Retrieved on 2014-04-12.
- ^ "Inspired- Pursuit of Progress". Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ "Clark announces pregnancy". Retrieved June 27, 2024. Instagram
- ^ "2015 ESPY Awards Nominees and Winners". 6abc.com. July 23, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
- McGlinchey, Thomas D. "Olympic journeys". WORLD magazine. February 13, 2010. p. 57.
- Kellys Official Swatch TTR Profile
- [2]
External links
edit
- Kelly Clark at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
- Kelly Clark at the X Games (archived)
- Kelly Clark at Olympics.com
- Kelly Clark at Olympedia (archive)
- Kelly Clark at Team USA (archive May 28, 2023) (archive February 2, 2010)
- Kelly Clark on Go211.com - Kelly's blog, photos and videos at the Wayback Machine (archived May 18, 2007)
- NBC Olympics profile at the Wayback Machine (archived March 12, 2010)
- Onboard magazine interview with Kelly Clark at the Wayback Machine (archived August 24, 2007)
- Shred Betties Magazine interview with Kelly Clark at the Wayback Machine (archived July 16, 2011)
- EXPN Athlete Bio at the Wayback Machine (archived April 3, 2008)
- Mount Snow Athlete Bio at the Wayback Machine (archived November 4, 2006)
