Kaillie Humphries OLY née Symondson September 4, 1985 is a Canadian-American Bobsleigh Representing Canada, she was the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympic champion in two-woman bobsleigh and a 2018 Winter Olympic bronze medalist with hurdler Phylicia George. With her win in 2014, she became the first female bobsleighed to defend her Olympic title and was named flag bearer for the Winter Olympic closing ceremony with brakeman Heather Moyes.
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Humphries was among the first women to pilot a mixed-gender team in a four-person bobsled event. She was also the first woman to lead an all-female team against men in a four-man World Cup competition.
In 2019, Humphries moved to represent the United States due to alleged abuse and harassment she claims she faced from the Canadian bobsled federation. She earned three IBSF World Championship medals for Team USA during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, becoming a five-time world champion and the most decorated woman in bobsled history. At the 2021 IBSF World Championships, she also competed in the two-woman and monobob events, making her the first female bobsledder to secure a double world title.
Kaillie Humphries A Journey to winter Olympic Gold and Beyond
Humphries was originally low on the Canadian depth chart and was considered to represent Great Britain, the country of her then-fiancé, Dan Humphries, to compete in the 2006 winter Olympic. Opting to stay with the Canadian team, she earned a spot on the roster after signing up for a bobsled driving school. You can read USA Winter Olympic Bobsleigh Inspiring Journeys of Hakeem Abdul-Saboor and Frank Delduca
She won silver in the mixed bobsled team event at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenburg, Germany. After placing seventh in the 2008–09 Bobsleigh World Cup series, she secured second overall in the 2009–10 series, achieving one victory and two additional podium finishes, while consistently finishing in the top six across all eight races in a field of 20.
At the 2010 Winter Olympic, Humphries won gold in the women’s doubles event with hurdler Heather Moyse. The silver medal was claimed by fellow Canadians Shelley-Ann Brown and Helen Upper ton. After the final race, Humphries remarked, I don’t think I can put it into words yet. We did our job, you know. Achieving the goal, I set as a child is truly amazing. Following the 2010 winter Olympic, Humphries faced a period of less success for nearly two seasons.
Kaillie Humphries: Rising Through the Ranks
She finished on the podium just once during the 2010–11 World Cup series, although her consistent top-10 finishes allowed her to finish third overall. She fell to fifth overall in the 2011–12 World Cup series, although she had four podium finishes, including three gold medals. Humphries teamed up with hurdler Emily Baadsvik and then hurdler Jennifer Ciochetti for back-to-back victories in the final two races of the 2011–12 World Cup.
Humphries and Ciochetti also won the 2012 World Championships event in Lake Placid, marking the first gold medal for a Canadian women’s bobsled team at the World Championships. When asked about the significance of the result alongside her Olympic gold, she responded, it feels incredible. It’s another goal accomplished. It means a lot to me. I feel like I’m still growing as a pilot and I try to learn from every experience I’ve worked on for my endurance, and I’m glad it showed up here.
Those three gold medals began a winning streak that would eventually break records for women’s bobsled. Humphries, along with young brakeman Chelsea Valois, was a dominant force during the 2012–13 Bobsleigh World Cup season. The duo secured a spot on the podium in all nine races, achieving an impressive five consecutive victories right from the start of the season. They won the overall season championship with a record 1,960 points in six gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
Kaillie Humphries: Dominance in Bobsledding
Humphries’ success in the 2012–2013 winter included a repeat as world champion as he set a track record at the 2013 FIBT World Championships in St. Moritz. She finished on the podium in all 10 FIBT events during the 2012–13 season, and extended her consecutive FIBT podium finishes to 13 when counting the final two events from the 2011–12 World Cup season along with the 2012 FIBT World Championship event. This streak included an eight-game winning streak from the end of 2011–12 to the beginning of 2012–13, while teaming up with three different drivers (Baadsvik for one win, Ciochetti for two wins and Valois for the rest).
The 2013–14 World Cup season marked a reunion for Humphries with her Vancouver 2010 teammate Heather Moyse. Humphries continued her podium streak, claiming victory in the season’s opening race and securing a silver in the following event, maintaining an impressive run of 11 consecutive gold medals, 2 silver medals and 2 bronze medals dating back to late 2011–12 until the beginning of 2013-14.
Kaillie Humphries: Sochi Success and winter Olympic Legacy
She traded podium positions with the American team of driver Elana Meyers and brakeman Lauryn Williams during the 2013–14 season and eventually won her second consecutive World Cup season title. The close race between the Canadians and Americans carried over to the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Meyers and Williams led by just over two-tenths of a second after Day 1 of racing—uncharacteristically beating Humphries and Moyse in their respective times. a solid beginning, although Humphries committed fewer driving mistakes and delivered smoother runs.
On the second day of competition, the Americans again won the start push, but made some mistakes on the technical course. Humphries’ clean piloting propelled the Canadians from second place to the gold medal position, making them the first women’s bobsled team to repeat as winter Olympic champions and the first Canadian Winter Olympic woman to defend her title since speed skater Catriona Le May Doan. Humphries said of the achievement. How do you describe achieving a dream? This is our four-year goal. This was something we did together. Earning gold is amazing, but walking away satisfied is even better. After the third race, I knew that if we did the business, we could be in the lead.
Kaillie Humphries Why Monobob Gold Was My Most Emotional Winter Olympic Victory
Kaillie Humphries’ fight to become the first winter Olympic monobob champion made her victory all the sweeter. In 2019, the Canadian native made the heartbreaking decision to switch allegiance to the US after winning two winter Olympic bobsleigh gold medals for the country of her birth.
Despite winning two gold medals at the 2021 World Championships wearing the red, white and blue, Humphries endured an agonizing wait for her new passport to arrive, enabling her to compete at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic in December 2021, Humphries received her new citizenship, just in time.
Honestly, it’s every emotion Humphries has after her gold medal race in China. I am happy. I am happy, I am relieved. i am proud It’s a little overwhelming to think about, but it’s definitely a great honor to know that the last four years have been a battle and nothing was guaranteed. This gold medal feels more emotional (than the previous two). This was filled with much more uncertainty and doubt. We had to fight for the event first, and then I had to fight for my spot on Team USA, which is such a strong nation.
I had to fight for citizenship. It’s been difficult, but I’m not someone who backs down from a challenge. There were a lot of tears and a lot of uncertainty, but we got through it. It will always hold a unique place in my heart. First monobob gold for the USA.
Kaillie Humphries: Championing Change in Women’s Bobsledding
The introduction of the monobob into the winter Olympic program means that for the first time in one Games, female bobsledders have the opportunity to win two medals.
Humphries was one of the main advocates for this change and hopes it will lead to a new generation of women participating in the sport.
I still remember in 2002, the first women to win were Jill Bakken and Vonetta Flowers recalls the 36-year-old. I hope that in the future, young girls will say, ‘I remember Kaillie,’ and feel inspired to get involved. Now they have two opportunities, and hopefully even more, to win medals in this sport.
I think it’s great and I’ll keep fighting for it. The women before me have allowed this to happen and I want to make sure it continues for all future generations. The five-time world champion is a big fan of body art and already knows how she will commemorate her historic victory with paint.
I feel like a sleeping dragon tattoo would be nice, along with the track. I will definitely get another tattoo in the US. There won’t be much time to celebrate for Humphries, with two-woman training – and her bid for double gold in China – starting tomorrow (February 15).
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