Print the Biography/Short

Kimi Goetz

United States

SportShort Track
FederationIDSTUSA21308199401
NOCUnited States
Born13 Aug 1994 in Flemington, NJ 
GenderWomen
ResidenceSalt Lake City, UT, USA
LanguagesEnglish
FamilyHusband Mitchell Whitmore
OccupationAthlete
General Interest
General Interest
Other informationHUSBAND AS COACH
She is coached by her husband Mitchell Whitmore. "No one knows me better [than Mitch]. He knows what's going on outside of skating to know if he needs to push me a little more or pull back a little more based on how I'm eating and sleeping and recovering and feeling outside of the rink." (teamusa.com, 01 Mar 2023)

INJURY ENDS OLYMPIC DREAMS
She describes the concussion she sustained at the US Olympic Trials for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang as the worst injury of her career. "My biggest obstacle has been injuries. I've had my fair share, but the worst to overcome was a concussion during the first day of the 2018 [US] Olympic Trials. I fell in the warm-up because of an equipment problem and I wasn't able to compete in the trials. At the time it was the worst thing that could have happened, since I had a realistic shot at making the [2018 short track] Olympic team. I tried to carry on but I wasn't even close to being myself. I was in the locker room throwing up, over and over again, in between my races. It wasn't guaranteed that I would have qualified without that incident happening, but I think I had a great chance to be there in Korea. It took me four months of physical therapy before I was able to get back on the ice again." (teamusa.org, 08 Jan 2019; usatoday.com, 18 Feb 2018)

SHORT TRACK TO SPEED SKATING
After recovering from the concussion that ended her hopes of competing at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, she earned a spot on the US short track team in 2018/19. But her 2016 back injury flared up and she found that her passion for short track had waned, so she decided to switch to speed skating. "I think the underlying main reason [for leaving short track] is I'm not very good at racing. I'm not quite aggressive enough for the passing and the bumping, and maybe I didn't want to admit that at the time when I was skating short track. Looking back, I never would have gotten past a certain level because of my fear of that. It's intimidating because you think you know how to skate - and you don't. I think I'm at a World Cup level and then I go to being the slowest person on the team. I feel like I 'started over' when I switched from inline skating to short track, and again from short track to long track. It's easy to feel uninspired when you are learning something new and to feel 'behind', so that quote ['An expert at anything was once a beginner'] always made me realise that everyone at one point started from nothing." (olympics.nbcsports.com, 24 Feb 2019; teamusa.org, 08 Jan 2019, 16 Feb 2020; gr8nola.com, 01 Jan 2019)

COOK BOOK
In 2019 she produced the 'Mindful Meals Cookbook', featuring her own recipes. "When I moved from my parents' home in New Jersey to Salt Lake City to pursue speed skating I had zero kitchen skills. Shortly into beginning my skating career and chasing my Olympic dream, I realised I needed to learn ways to nourish my body to be prepared for training. Soon after, it hit me that my budget would be an issue to sustain this type of eating. I made this book for people like me, who are average at cooking, who have standard food budgets and who don't want to go to a speciality store to find ingredients. These meals are designed to require as little time and money possible and for the most part, are six ingredients or less and six steps or less." (Facebook profile, 02 Jan 2020, 30 Nov 2019; mindfulmealscookbo.wixsite.com, 2020)

OCCUPATION
She combines her speed skating career with working part-time at a finance company. (olympics.nbcsports.com, 04 Sep 2021)
 
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Training RegimeShe trains twice a day, six days a week.  
Social Media
Social Media
twitter.com/GoetzKimi  
General Interest
General Interest
Nicknames"There were three Kimberlys on my inline team so one went by Kimberly, one went by Kim, and I got Kimi. It stuck as my skating name ever since. At school and work I go by Kim. My family call me Kimberly." (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)  
Other sportsShe has represented the United States of America in short track, making her World Cup debut in 2014. She has also competed in roller speed skating at junior international level. (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018; SportsDeskOnline, 16 Nov 2018; worldskate.org, 2010)  
Famous relativesHer partner Mitchell Whitmore represented the United States of America in speed skating at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Her sister Samantha represented the United States of America in roller speed skating at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. (teamusa.org, 16 Feb 2020; SportsDeskOnline, 22 Jan 2021; nj.com, 15 Sep 2010)  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Reason for choosing this sportHer father took her to a local roller rink when she was a child before she switched to the ice. "My dad would take me and my sister there [the roller rink] three days a week, and we have a little brother who's 10 years younger than me, so once he was old enough to skate, he started coming as well. So it was just like a family thing. I really had no intentions of switching to ice. A lot of the people that I skated with, they had already moved to Utah or moved to Milwaukee [WI, United States of America] and started ice, and I really just wasn't interested. But my sister had already been living in Utah because her now-husband was a skater, and I went to visit her, and I went to watch him practise, and I thought, 'I want to do this'."  
General Interest
General Interest
Most influential person in careerHer partner Mitchell Whitmore. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Name of coachMitchell Whitmore, USA  
When and where did you begin this sport?She began inline skating at age five. She took up short track in 2013 in Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America, and switched to speed skating in August 2018.  
General Interest
General Interest
Sporting philosophy / motto"An expert at anything was once a beginner." (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018)  
Social Media
Social Media
www.facebook.com/kimi.goetz  
General Interest
General Interest
InjuriesWhile competing in short track she suffered a concussion at the US Olympic Trials for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, which ruled her out of the trials and ended her hopes of competing at the Games. She was off the ice for four months after the injury. (teamusa.org, 08 Jan 2019)

She injured her back in 2016. The problem was eventually resolved in April 2018 after she underwent a medical procedure. (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018)

In 2011 a torn Achilles tendon kept her out of action for five months. (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018)
 
Memorable sporting achievementQualifying for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. (tapinto.net, 10 Jan 2022)  
Hero / IdolUS speed skater [and her husband] Mitchell Whitmore. (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018)  
HobbiesCooking, baking, hiking with her dog. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)  
Championships results
Year Competition Event Rank  
Championships results
    2013/2014 World Junior Championships 3000m Relay11  
    2015/2016 World Championships 500m20  
    2014/2015 World Championships 500m24  
    2013/2014 World Junior Championships Overall29  
    2015/2016 World Championships Overall29  
    2015/2016 World Championships 1500m30  
    2015/2016 World Championships 1000m31  
    2014/2015 World Championships Overall32  
    2014/2015 World Championships 1000m33  
    2014/2015 World Championships 1500m38  
World Cups
Year Competition Event Rank  
World Cups
    2015/2016 Dresden 1000m4  
    2016/2017 Calgary, AB 3000m Relay5  
    2014/2015 Dresden 3000m Relay6  
    2016/2017 Gangneung 3000m Relay7  
    2016/2017 Salt Lake City, UT 3000m Relay9  
    2016/2017 Shanghai 3000m Relay11  
    2015/2016 Dresden 3000m Relay14  
    2014/2015 Dresden 500m18  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification 1000m22  
    2016/2017 Salt Lake City, UT 500m25  
    2014/2015 Dresden 1500m27  
    2016/2017 Calgary, AB 500m28  
    2016/2017 Salt Lake City, UT 1500m30  
    2016/2017 Shanghai 1500m38  
    2016/2017 Gangneung 1500m38  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification 500m39  
    2015/2016 Dresden 500m42  
    2014/2015 World Cup Classification 500m44  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification 500m49  
    2014/2015 World Cup Classification 1500m56  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification 500m65  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification 1500m79  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification 1500m85  
    2014/2015 World Cup Classification 1000m90