Kelly Curtis — The First Black US Skeleton to Compete in the Olympics — Comments on Media Attention Surrounding Her Biracial Heritage

Posted in Articles, Media Archive, United States on 2022-02-18 16:34Z by Steven

Kelly Curtis — The First Black US Skeleton to Compete in the Olympics — Comments on Media Attention Surrounding Her Biracial Heritage

The Independent
London, United Kingdom
2022-02-16

Meredith Clark, U.S. Lifestyle Reporter
New York, New York

Kelly Curtis is first Black athlete to represent Team USA in skeleton

Kelly Curtis — the first Black athlete to compete in skeleton at the Olympics — has commented on the media attention surrounding her biracial heritage

Curtis is making history at the 2022 Winter Olympics as the first Black athlete to represent Team USA in the sport of skeleton. The 33-year-old athlete made headlines for her trailblazing career, and now she’s opening up about the media attention surrounding her race.

“Welp, I didn’t expect my first Olympic Games to create such a buzz around my genotype,” Curtis wrote in an Instagram post. “I think it’s okay to claim this space being bi-racial, Black and White at the same time. Not half and half.”

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Meet the first Black skeleton athlete to compete for the U.S. at the Olympics

Posted in Articles, Media Archive, United States, Women on 2022-02-13 05:39Z by Steven

Meet the first Black skeleton athlete to compete for the U.S. at the Olympics

National Public Radio
2022-02-10

Jaclyn Diaz, Reporter

Kelly Curtis stands next to the Olympic rings. She’s competing in the skeleton competition at the Beijing Olympics.
IBSF

BEIJING — Skeleton is a heart-racing, adrenaline-fueled event where a single racer flies face-first down a frozen track, sometimes going more than 80 mph, belly-down on a sled.

Kelly Curtis is quick to acknowledge this sport is “crazy.” That doesn’t make her love it any less.

The event has been a mainstay at the Winter Games since 2002. At the Beijing Winter Olympics, just three Americans will compete for a medal — and Curtis is one of them.

As soon as Curtis shot herself down a topsy-turvy track in Beijing on Friday, she made history.

Curtis is the first Black athlete, man or woman, to represent the U.S. at the Olympics in skeleton. The 33-year-old is also the only member of the U.S. Air Force at this year’s Winter Games.

Curtis joins a small group of Black athletes competing for the U.S. at the Beijing Olympics…

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