Kimmie Meissner American figure skater Date of Birth: 04.10.1989 Country: USA

1. Biography of Kimmie Meissner
2. Early Life and Career
3. Rise to Success
4. Later Career
5. Injuries and Retirement

Biography of Kimmie Meissner

Kimmie Meissner is an American figure skater who competes in the singles discipline. She is the 2006 World Champion, the winner of the 2007 Four Continents Championships, and the champion of the United States in the same year. Meissner is known for her difficult jump, the triple axel, which she has only successfully landed once in competition.

Early Life and Career

Kimmie Meissner was born on October 4, 1989, in Towson, Maryland. She is the youngest and only daughter of her parents, who have three other children. Meissner began figure skating at the age of six, following in the footsteps of her older brother who played hockey. In the 2002-2003 season, she won the United States Figure Skating Championships in the juvenile category. The following season, she won the United States Junior Championships and placed second at the World Junior Championships.

Rise to Success

In 2005, at her first senior U.S. Championships, Meissner finished third and successfully landed the triple axel, one of the most difficult jumps in figure skating. She placed fourth at the World Junior Championships that same year. In 2006, she finished second at the U.S. Championships, earning her a spot on the U.S. Olympic team for the Winter Games in Turin, where she placed sixth. She was the youngest athlete on the U.S. team at the Olympics. Following the Olympics, Meissner won the World Championships by successfully executing seven triple jumps, including a double-triple jump combination. She became the second skater after Kristi Yamaguchi to win the World Championships before winning a national title.

Later Career

In the following year, Meissner won the U.S. Championships and the Four Continents Championships, but finished fourth at the World Championships. After these victories, her performance declined. She qualified for the Grand Prix Final for the first time in the 2007-2008 season, winning the Skate America event and placing second at the Trophée Eric Bompard. However, she finished last at the Grand Prix Final and seventh at the U.S. Championships. Despite this, Meissner was selected to represent the U.S. at the World Championships due to age restrictions imposed by the ISU on other skaters, and she placed seventh.

Injuries and Retirement

In the 2008-2009 season, Meissner failed to qualify for the Grand Prix Final, finishing eighth at both the Skate America and Cup of Russia events. In January 2009, she announced that she would not compete at the U.S. Championships due to injury, subsequently missing out on further competitions. The following season, Meissner suffered a knee injury during training, which limited her ability to perform certain jumps. After consultations with doctors and to prevent further complications, she made the decision to withdraw from the Grand Prix events.

Despite her ups and downs, Kimmie Meissner will be remembered as a talented figure skater who achieved great success in her career.