KC Boutiette

Club / Team

Puget Sound Speed Skating Club: Tacoma, WA, USA

Other sports

He competed in downhill skating at the 1998 Summer X-Games. He has also competed in inline skating and marathon skating. (schaatsen.nl, 16 Sep 2016; USOC 29 Apr 2005; US Speedskating, 20 Sep 2001)

Reason for choosing this sport

He initially took up the sport to cross-train for inline skating and improve his technique.

Most influential person in career	His mother. (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017)
Ambitions	To win a medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (nbcolympics.com, 16 Oct 2017)

Name of coach	Matt Kooreman [national], USA; Tucker Fredricks [personal], USA, from 2015; Dave Tamburrino [personal], USA
When and where did you begin this sport?	He began speed skating in 1994 in Milwaukee, WI, United States of America.

Sporting philosophy / motto	"It is never too late to try." (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017)
Other information	OLDEST In 2016 he became the oldest speed skater [at the time] to finish on the podium at a World Cup event when he finished second in the mass start event in Nagano, Japan, at age 46 years 223 days. (SportsDeskOnline, 20 Nov 2016; nos.nl, 20 Nov 2016; teamusa.org, 20 Nov 2016) OLYMPIC MEDAL PLANS He has already decided what he will do if he wins a medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. He intends to cut it into as many pieces as possible and send them to everyone who has helped him during his career. "Letting someone wear your medal and take a picture, that's one thing, but that picture is going to sit on your phone. If you send someone a piece of a medal, it's going to sit in a drawer. For me, that would be the coolest thing ever because they're a part of your team. You'd have maybe a little piece of a medal and a ribbon, that's what I would be left with." (usatoday.com, 28 Sep 2017) MULTISPORT He was an inline skater until 1993, when he decided to switch to speed skating. In 1999 he changed again to focus on marathon skating. He retired in 2007 before returning to speed skating in 2015 at age 45. He is known as one of the first athletes to have made the transition from inline skating to speed skating. "A lot of people look at me as the pioneer that came over from inline skating. It's really nice to be known for that, because that's what is going to stick with me for the rest of my life regardless of meet results." (teamusa.org, 20 Nov 2016; schaatsen.nl, 16 Sep 2016; teamusa.org, 29 Jan 2015) BUSINESS OWNER He owns Rocket7, a company making custom cycling shoes based in Erie, CO, United States of America. (nbcolympics.com, 06 Oct 2017; rocket7.com, 2017)
Injuries	He suffered a back injury in 2001 that troubled him for a number of years. He had surgery on the problem in 2009. (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning the Six Days Marathon Stage Race in Netherlands in 2004 and 2005. (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017)
Hero / Idol	Norwegian speed skater Johann Olav Koss. (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017)

Training Regime

He trains for about four hours on an average day.

Nicknames

Booty (nbcolympics.com, 16 Oct 2017)

www.facebook.com/kcboutiette
twitter.com/kboutie