Kendall Gretsch

Kendall Gretsch triathlon, biathlon, cross-country skiing
Personal information
Type of disability (class):	LW11.5
Nationality:	United States
Birthday:	April 2, 1992
Place of birth:	Downers Grove , Illinois

Kendall Gretsch (born April 2, 1992 in Downers Grove , Illinois ) is an American disabled athlete in the disciplines of paratriathlon , biathlon and cross-country skiing .

Life

Kendall Gretsch was born with spina bifida . She graduated from Downers Grove High School in 2010 and then studied medical technology at Washington University in St. Louis until 2014 . In the sporting field, she initially ran paratriathlons and won the ITU World Championships in the PT1 class in 2014, 2015 and 2016 . In 2014 she was named American Paratriathlete of the Year. In the same year she began training in cross-country skiing and biathlon at the Central Cross Country Ski Association in Madison .

At the Winter Paralympics 2018 in Pyeongchang , she won the gold medal in the biathlon over 6 kilometers on March 10, 2018. So she achieved the first victory for the USA at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in this sport. US athlete Daniel Cnossen won the men’s 7.5 km race on the same day and, together with Oksana Masters , who won silver behind Gretsch, completed the US team’s surprise appearance. One day later, Gretsch also won cross-country skiing over 12 kilometers.

At the Nordic Para-Ski World Championships in Prince George, Canada in February 2019, she won five medals and became world champion in biathlon over 12.5 kilometers ahead of the dominant Oksana Masters.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Kendall Gretsch. teamusa.org, accessed on March 11, 2018 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b} Kendall Gretsch. paralympic.org, accessed March 11, 2018 . 
3. ↑ PyeongChang 2018: Double delight for USA in day of biathlon surprises. paralympic.org, March 10, 2018, accessed March 11, 2018 . 
4. ^ Prince George 2019. World Para Nordic Skiing Championships. paralympic.org, accessed February 23, 2019 .