Kelly Curtis (skeleton racer)
Curtis in 2022 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 25, 1989 Princeton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Tulane University Springfield College St. Lawrence University |
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Skeleton |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | U.S. Air Force |
| Rank | Staff sergeant[1] |
Kelly Curtis (born January 25, 1989) is an American skeleton racer who competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics and 2026 Winter Olympics in the skeleton.[2] At the 2022 games in Beijing, she became the first Black woman to represent the United States in the sport at the Olympics.
Early life and education
Raised in an athletic family in Princeton, New Jersey, her father had played football at Springfield College and was selected by the New York Jets in the 1971 NFL draft, while her siblings include one brother who wrestled at Princeton University and another who played football at both Springfield College and Princeton University.[3][4] Curtis graduated from Princeton High School in 2007, where she competed in basketball, as well as in prep track and field in the long jump, rising in the sport to compete in the sport at the state's Meet of Champions.[5]
After a postgraduate year at the Lawrenceville School she attended Tulane University before transferring after two years at the school.[3] Enrolling as a student at Springfield College in her junior year, she competed in the heptathlon, winning the event at the 2011 Penn Relays, winning the New England Division III Indoor Championship in the heptathlon both years at Springfield and finished fifth as a senior at the NCAA championships.[3] At St. Lawrence University, she earned a master's in educational leadership and was an assistant track coach.[3]
Skeleton
While still a college student at Springfield, a strength and conditioning coach suggested that she had the requisite skills and should try out at a combine run by the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation for prospective participants.[6] Her coaches thought that she had skills similar to Erin Pac, a former Springfield heptathlete who won a bronze medal in two-woman bobsled at the 2010 Winter Olympics.[3]
She had first intended to compete in the bobsled, but decided to switch over to skeleton in 2013 after seeing how the race was run face forward down the ice track at speeds as high as 90 miles per hour (140 km/h). Curtis enlisted in the United States Air Force in 2020, competing as part of the Air Force's World Class Athlete Program. Based in Aviano Air Base in Italy, she serves with the 31st Communications Squadron as a knowledge management technician; the location about 90 miles (140 km) from Cortina d'Ampezzo has allowed her to train at tracks in the area and at venues throughout Europe.[7]
At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, she competed in the women's skeleton held at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre, finishing in the 21st spot; her teammate Katie Uhlaender finished sixth.[6] She became the first Black athlete to compete on behalf of the United States in skeleton in any Olympic Games.[8]
At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Curtis finished 12th in the women's skeleton competition held at the Cortina Sliding Centre in Cortina d'Ampezzo; her American teammate Mystique Ro finished 15th.[6]
Olympic Games
| Year | Age | Women | Skeleton mixed team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Beijing | 33 | 21st | N/a |
| 2026 Milano Cortina | 37 | 12th | 10th |
References
- ^ "Airman Heads Back to Olympics to Compete in Skeleton". U.S. Department of War. 31st Fighter Wing. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ Kelly Curtis, Olympedia. Accessed February 14, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e Fisher, Rich. "Meet the N.J. Olympian on a wild ride through a sport once deemed too dangerous", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 31, 2022, updated February 3, 2026. Accessed February 14, 2026. "It has been quite a trip from Princeton to Beijing for Kelly Curtis.... In high school, Curtis excelled in basketball and track and field. She qualified for the long jump in the Meet of Champions and was a clutch performer in hoops.... She attended Lawrenceville as a post-graduate for one year before enrolling at Tulane University. After two years, Curtis transferred to her family’s old stomping grounds at Springfield, and her track and field career took off."
- ^ "Kelly Curtis, the 1st US Black skeleton Olympian, blazes new trail", Fox News, February 12, 2022. Accessed February 14, 2026. "Her father, longtime and now retired athletic administrator John Curtis, was drafted by the New York Jets in 1971."
- ^ "N.J. mom braves dangerous 80 mph plunge back into Olympic spotlight", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 12, 2026. Accessed February 12, 2026. "But Curtis, a Princeton native and one of the world’s best skeleton racers, wasn’t worried about any of that in early 2024....Like McLaughlin-Levrone, Curtis’ athletic career started on the tracks of Central Jersey, reaching the Meet of Champions as a long jumper at Princeton High in 2007."
- ^ a b c Kelly Curtis, Team USA. Accessed February 14, 2026. "Competed in track and field at Springfield College before she was introduced to bobsledding by the strength and conditioning coach who suggested she try the combine... Curtis competed at Springfield College as a heptathlete (where she won the 2011 Penn Relays Heptathlon) before discovering the skeleton."
- ^ Wagner, Matt. "Aviano-based airman has dreams of Olympic gold", Stars and Stripes, February 10, 2026. Accessed February 14, 2026.
- ^ Diaz, Jaclyn. "Meet the first Black skeleton athlete to compete for the U.S. at the Olympics", NPR, February 11, 2022. Accessed February 14, 2026. "Curtis is the first Black athlete, man or woman, to represent the U.S. at the Olympics in skeleton."