Kaillie HUMPHRIES

FROM CANADA TO USA

In 2021 she was granted US citizenship. This followed a 2018 harassment complaint against Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton and subsequent attempt to be released from her contract with the federation.

“I need to be the best athlete I can be and go where it’s safe and where I have an opportunity to continue my career. And unfortunately, that is not with Bobsleigh Canada anymore.”

She obtained a US green card through marriage to her husband, a US citizen, and began representing the United States on the World Cup circuit in 2019. "This has been the most difficult ordeal of my life and I want Canada to know that competing for you and winning for you at the Olympics will always be the highlight of my career." With the United States requiring a three-year wait for citizenship through marriage, Humphries, the two-time world champion, was still in limbo at the start of the 2021/22 season, having turned down instant citizenship from other countries, including China. On 1 December 2021, she flew from Altenberg, Germany where she was training for the upcoming World Cup, back to California for her citizenship test, a final interview and, once she passed, a swearing-in ceremony before returning to Germany.

Back in Altenberg - on a track where she won three world titles in the past two years - Humphries won both the two-woman and monobob events as a US citizen. “I really do feel that the strength that I drew from actually being able to be an American citizen now – the stress of worrying about, 'Am I going to be able to go to the Games? Am I going to be able to represent this country to the best of my ability at the Olympics?’, that is now gone, and I had more capacity, definitely, to focus just on sport and being the best that I could be without those little thoughts." (cbc.ca, 22 Nov 2019; cbc.ca, 13 Sep 2019; washingtonpost.com, 16 Oct 2021; usatoday.com, 6 Dec 2021; yahoo.com, 18 Nov 2021; nbccports.com, 5 Dec 2021)

FEMALE FIRST
In 2014 in Calgary, she and Elana Meyers Taylor became the first women to compete in the four-man discipline at a World Cup event. In January 2016, she piloted the first all-female bobsleigh team to compete in a four-man World Cup competition. With teammates Cynthia Appiah, Genevieve Thibault and Melissa Lotholz she finished 15th in Lake Placid. "It was a lot of fun. For us, step one was everybody getting in and being successful in a racing atmosphere. You've got to start somewhere and we did that." (Info 2018)

BODY ART
Because she is away from her family so often, she takes them with her in her body art. All five members of her immediate family are on her arm; her leg is a memorial piece to her grandparents, with the words 'Because you love me' in Icelandic. “All my tattoos – family, goals, dreams, hopes – are just kind of the story of my life, where I’ve been, and where I want to go, who I am and how I got there.” When she made her first national team, her parents and sisters all got tattoos to celebrate. “I feel happier with myself in the way that I look the more [tattoos] I get. I feel more self-acceptance with each tattoo, and they help me overcome certain stuff.” (theglobeandmail.com, 30 Jan 2014; washingtonpost.com, 16 Oct 2021)

© Data by Sports Data Warehouse

OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES
Won her third Olympic gold medal in monobob at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in the event's debut. Her four Olympic medals is a record for female bobsledders that she shares with Elana Meyers-Taylor (USA). With her medal, she is now the oldest gold medallist in women’s bobsledding at 36 years, 163 days.

At the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, became the first female pilot to win multiple Olympic gold medals after successfully defending her title from Vancouver 2010 (with brakewoman Heather Moyse).

Entered PyeongChang 2018 favoured to win her third consecutive gold in the two-woman, having won the 2017/18 World Cup and finishing as the runner-up at the World Championships in 2016 and 2017. With new partner Phylicia George (Olympic hurdler in 2012 and 2016), they were in fifth after the first run, and, despite equalling the old track record on the second run, finished with the bronze medal.

Became the first Canadian woman (with Moyse) to win a gold medal in bobsleigh at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, setting a track record on the first three runs.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At the 2021 World Championships, became the first woman to win four world titles in the two-woman event, eclipsing Sandra Kiriasis (GER), who won three.

Won her fourth and fifth world championship titles in 2021 in the two-woman (with brakewoman Lolo Jones) and monobob. Previously won gold in the two-woman in 2020 representing the United States and in 2012 and 2013 for Canada. Also has three silver (2016 and 2017 two-woman, 2008 team) and four bronze medals (2011 two-woman, 2011, 2012, 2013 team).

Her 12 world championships medals rank second all-time, one behind Kiriasis.

In 2012, with a victory in the two-woman at the World Championships in Lake Placid, she and brakewoman Jennifer Ciochetti became the first Canadian women to win a world title in the sport.

Won the first monobob world title in 2021 in the sport's debut season. Went into the final run in fourth, setting a track record in her final run to win her second world championship of the season.

WORLD CUP
Won four career overall World Cup titles (2012/13, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2017/18), finishing second three times (2009/10, 2014/15, 2016/17) and third in 2010/11.

Recorded a podium appearance in all nine World Cup races in the two-woman in 2012/13 - and two team events - en route to winning the overall World Cup title with 1960 points.

Between February and December 2012, won seven-straight World Cup races in the two-woman, as well as the World Championships.

In 2019, won her debut World Cup race for the United States of America in Lake Placid (with brakewoman Lauren Gibbs).