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Kate Nelson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kate Nelson
Full nameKatherine O'Donnell Nelson
Country represented United States
Born (1977-12-27) 27 December 1977 (age 46)
Evanston, Illinois, United States of America
DisciplineRhythmic Gymnastics
LevelInternational Elite
Years on national team1994–1996
Head coach(es)Rossitza Todorova
Retiredyes
Medal record
Rhythmic gymnastics
Representing  United States
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 1995 Mar del Plata Group all-Around
Four Continents Championships
Silver medal – second place 1995 Cairo Group All-Around

Katherine O'Donnell Nelson (born 27 December 1977), known as Kate Nelson, is a retired American rhythmic gymnast. She was part of the national senior group.

Biography

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Kate practiced ballet and tumbling getting her start in gymnastics at the YMCA, switching from artistic to rhythmic when she was 10–11 years old.[1] Later she was on the US national rhythmic gymnastics team from 1994 to 1996, being part of the national senior group along Aliane Baquerot, Lori Fredreickson, Mandy James, Ginny Ledgerwood, Becky Turner, Brandi Siegel and Challen Sievers.[2] They all lived together in suburban Chicago largely due to Sievers' father, Ron, whose construction firm renovated the house where the gymnasts lived and converted a former racquetball complex into the gym where they trained.[3]

In 1994 the group was 19th at the World Championships in Paris.[4] They won silver at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, and placed second in the group at the 1995 Four Continents Championships.[5]

In the summer of 1996 Kate, Mandy James, Aliane Baquerot, Becky Turner, Brandi Siegel and Challen Sievers were selected to compete at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, the first edition to feature the group competition.[6] They finished in 9th place and so did not advance to the final.[7]

In 2012 she opened the YMCA National Championships and Summer Fest in Milwaukee.[8] Nelson married and later settled in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, with her husband and two sons Will and Tyler.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Kate Nelson interview". StoryCorps Archive. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  2. ^ "Olympedia – Becky Turner". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  3. ^ Tribune, Chicago (1996-05-14). "ALWAYS IN RHYTHM, EVEN AT THE MALL". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  4. ^ "18. World Championships in Paris, France (6.-9. October 1994)". www.rsg.net. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  5. ^ "Sports 123: Rhythmic Gymnastics: Pan American Games: Groups". 2007-12-10. Archived from the original on 2007-12-10. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  6. ^ Writer, MARC HARPER Staff (1996-07-12). "SHE'S HOPING HER GYMNASTICS WILL GET A BOOST". Greensboro News and Record. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  7. ^ "1996 Olympic Games Results" (PDF). static.usagym.org.
  8. ^ Koven, Kent (2012-07-11). "1996 Rhythmic Olympian opens YMCA National Championships • USA Gymnastics". USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  9. ^ "What it's like to walk into the Olympic Games". e-edition.dailyherald.com. Retrieved 2024-03-28.