Katherine Reutter American speed skater Date of Birth: 30.07.1988 Country: USA

Biography of Catherine Reutter

Catherine Reutter, an American short track speed skater, was born on July 30, 1988, in Champaign, Illinois, where she grew up. Inspired by five-time Olympic champion Bonnie Blair, Reutter decided to pursue a career in speed skating while in high school. At the age of four, she began taking figure skating lessons, but quickly realized her passion was for speed racing.

In 2005, Reutter, then 17 years old, started her professional career. She trained at the Olympic Training Center in Marquette, Michigan, and graduated from Centennial High School in 2006. From the following year, she trained in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she funded her education, food, and accommodation through sponsor support.

Reutter's breakthrough came at the 2009 Short Track World Cup, where she won four silver medals. On November 7, 2009, she became the season's champion in the 1500m race with a time of 2 minutes and 23.275 seconds, surpassing South Korean athlete Cho Ha-ri. In February 2009, Reutter completed the 1000m track in 1 minute and 29.667 seconds in Dresden, Germany, beating the previous record set by Chinese skater Wang Meng.

As of December 2009, Reutter ranked fifth in the world for the 500m distance and sixth for the 1000m distance. She qualified for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver after winning the 500m race with a time of 44.187 seconds. Although she initially broke the Olympic record in the quarterfinals, her time was surpassed by Wang Meng in the semifinals. Reutter finished in seventh place overall in the 500m race.

Reutter also participated in the women's 3000m relay semifinals with Allison Baver, Alyson Dudek, and Kimberly Derrick. Their team secured a spot in the finals, finishing second to South Korea with a time of 4 minutes and 15.376 seconds. In the final race, Reutter placed fourth in the 1500m event, while Zhou Yang from China took first place, followed by Lee Eun-byul and Park Seung-hi from South Korea.

Reutter set an Olympic record in the 1000m race, finishing first in each stage of the competition. Additionally, she won a bronze medal in the 3000m relay, competing against China and Canada. However, she was edged out by Wang Meng in the 1000m final, earning her a silver medal.

Outside of her athletic career, Reutter appeared as a guest on various TV shows, including "The Colbert Report" and "The Today Show," and participated in the "Rose Parade" tournament. She also helped raise funds for the United States speed skating team after their sponsor, the Dutch bank DSB Bank, went bankrupt. Reutter starred in a commercial for Verizon Wireless, a US-based mobile network operator, alongside the legendary Bonnie Kathleen Blair. The advertisement was directed by Emmy-nominated Brent Rosk. "Thaindian News" named Catherine Reutter as one of the most promising speed skaters on the US team.