Print the Biography/Short

Kristen Santos-Griswold

United States

SportShort Track
FederationIDSTUSA20211199401
NOCUnited States
Born02 Nov 1994
GenderWomen
OccupationAthlete
LanguagesEnglish
Higher educationHuman Movement Studies - University of Utah: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
FamilyHusband Travis
Personal Bests
EventRecordDateLocation 
Personal Bests
  Event RecordDateLocation 
    500m 42.332 16 Mar 2024 Rotterdam  
    1000m 1:26.783 11 Feb 2022 Beijing  
    1500m 2:17.329 21 Oct 2021 Beijing  
    3000m 5:26.009 07 Mar 2021 Dordrecht  
Main Achievements
 
Main Achievements
World Championships
Event  
World Championships
    500m     1  
    1000m 1      
    1500m   1    
    2000m Relay     1  
    3000m Relay   1    
General Interest
General Interest
Other informationOLYMPIC MEDAL PURSUIT
Heading into the 2021/22 season, she had her mind set on retiring at the end of the year. However, a fourth-place finish in the women's 1000m at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, in which she was involved in a crash with Italian skater Arianna Fontana, gave her the drive to continue to the 2026 Games in Milan-Cortina. "Going into [the 2021/22] season, I think I had kind of set my mind to it being my last year, and that was something that motivated and pushed me at every practice. Falling in the last race when you're in medal position isn't fun. That was hard to deal with, and honestly, it's still hard to deal with. It was something I went back-and-forth with a lot. It's tough. But after the season and how the Games went, I still feel like I'm improving a lot, and I realise that I have unfinished business with the sport. I'm not necessarily ready to walk away from that. I think, while I could have definitely medalled in that race if that had not happened, I want to be in a position where I'm almost untouchable, in that sense. Where I'm in front and nobody can take me out. I think I am in it for another cycle." (teamusa.org, 15 Apr 2022)

RACE STRATEGY
Ahead of the 2021/22 season she began implementing a new strategy before races that involved sticking to her own plan and worrying less about what her competitors were doing. "I've definitely learned how to calm myself down going into a race, how to focus on myself and give myself positive talk, things like that. One thing that has helped is keeping a training log, a notebook where I write down everything I do in practices. It's a physical representation of how hard I've worked and how far I've come, a reminder of what I am capable of." (teamusa.org, 24 Oct 2021)

FURTHER EDUCATION
In 2022 she began studying for a doctorate in physical therapy at the University of Utah in the United States of America. (teamusa.org, 15 Apr 2022)
 
Superstitions / Rituals / BeliefsShe takes her teddy bear [named Teddy] whenever she travels. (teamusa.org, 01 Oct 2021)  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Reason for choosing this sportShe became interested in the sport after watching an advert on television that featured Dutch short track skater Wilma Boomstra. "So then I begged my mum to go and then after a year of begging her, I finally started it up."  
When and where did you begin this sport?She began figure skating at age three, and took up short track at age nine in Fairfield, CT, United States of America.  
General Interest
General Interest
NicknamesPuff [because her face swelled up once after suffering an allergic reaction]. (teamusa.org, 01 Oct 2021; isu.org, 09 Sep 2020)  
Social Media
Social Media
www.kristensantos.com/  
instagram.com/kristensantos  
General Interest
General Interest
InjuriesIn 2019 she herniated a disc in her back and was off the ice for one month. (Athlete, 05 Dec 2019)

In 2017 she required surgery after cutting a tendon in her hand. She was out of action for one month and had to skate in a cast for three months. (Athlete, 05 Dec 2019, 08 Nov 2018)

In 2013 she broke her foot and was unable to skate for three months. (Athlete, 08 Nov 2018)
 
Most influential person in careerHer husband Travis. (teamusa.org, 15 Apr 2022)  
Hero / IdolUS short track skater John Celski. (Athlete, 08 Nov 2018)  
Sporting philosophy / motto"Never be afraid of failure. Just go for it." (Athlete, 08 Nov 2018)  
HobbiesHiking, skiing, spending time at the pool. (teamusa.org, 01 Oct 2021)  
AmbitionsTo win a medal at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (teamusa.org, 15 Apr 2022)  
Championships results
Year Competition Event Rank  
Championships results
    2023/2024 World Championships 1000m1  
    2023/2024 Four Continents Championships 1500m1  
    2023/2024 Four Continents Championships 1000m1  
    2023/2024 Four Continents Championships 500m1  
    2022/2023 Four Continents Championships 2000m Relay1  
    2023/2024 Four Continents Championships 2000m Relay2  
    2023/2024 World Championships 3000m Relay2  
    2023/2024 World Championships 1500m2  
    2022/2023 Four Continents Championships 500m2  
    2022/2023 Four Continents Championships 1500m2  
    2022/2023 Four Continents Championships 3000m Relay3  
    2023/2024 World Championships 2000m Relay3  
    2023/2024 World Championships 500m3  
    2022 Olympic Games 1000m4  
    2020/2021 World Championships 500m4  
    2022/2023 World Championships 1500m6  
    2022/2023 World Championships 2000m Relay7  
    2020/2021 World Championships 3000m Relay7  
    2022/2023 World Championships 3000m Relay8  
    2022 Olympic Games 3000m Relay8  
    2022 Olympic Games 2000m Relay8  
    2020/2021 World Championships Overall8  
    2022 Olympic Games 1500m9  
    2018/2019 World Championships 1000m12  
    2012/2013 World Junior Championships 3000m Relay12  
    2022/2023 World Championships 1000m13  
    2018/2019 World Championships 1500m13  
    2018/2019 World Championships 500m16  
    2018/2019 World Championships Overall17  
    2022 Olympic Games 500m17  
    2022/2023 World Championships 500m17  
World Cups
Year Competition Event Rank  
World Cups
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification 1000m1  
    2023/2024 Beijing 500m1  
    2023/2024 Dresden 2000m Relay1  
    2023/2024 Gdansk 1500m1  
    2023/2024 Montreal, QC 1000m1  
    2023/2024 Gdansk 1000m1  
    2023/2024 Beijing 1000m1  
    2021/2022 Nagoya 1000m1  
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification 1000m2  
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification Overall2  
    2024/2025 Beijing 1500m2  
    2023/2024 Seoul 1000m2  
    2023/2024 Seoul 1500m2  
    2023/2024 Dresden 1500m2  
    2022/2023 Dordrecht 1000m2  
    2022/2023 Almaty 1000m2  
    2023/2024 Montreal, QC 1500m2  
    2022/2023 Dresden 1500m2  
    2024/2025 Montreal, QC 1000m2  
    2024/2025 Montreal, QC 500m2  
    2023/2024 Montreal, QC 3000m Relay2  
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification 1500m3  
    2023/2024 Dresden 3000m Relay3  
    2023/2024 Gdansk 3000m Relay3  
    2023/2024 Montreal, QC 1500m3  
    2022/2023 Salt Lake City, UT 500m3  
    2022/2023 Montreal, QC 1500m3  
    2023/2024 Montreal, QC 1000m3  
    2022/2023 Salt Lake City, UT 1000m3  
    2018/2019 Turin 2000m Relay3  
    2023/2024 Montreal, QC 3000m Relay3  
    2023/2024 Seoul 2000m Relay3  
    2022/2023 Almaty 500m3  
    2022/2023 Salt Lake City, UT 2000m Relay3  
    2021/2022 Beijing 1500m3  
    2021/2022 Beijing 1000m3  
    2019/2020 Nagoya 1000m3  
    2023/2024 Beijing 2000m Relay3  
    2019/2020 Shanghai 3000m Relay3  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification 1500m4  
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification 1500m4  
    2022/2023 Almaty 1500m4  
    2022/2023 Almaty 1500m4  
    2023/2024 Dresden 1000m4  
    2018/2019 Calgary, AB 2000m Relay4  
    2019/2020 Salt Lake City, UT 2000m Relay4  
    2019/2020 Shanghai 2000m Relay4  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification Overall5  
    2016/2017 Calgary, AB 3000m Relay5  
    2018/2019 Dresden 1000m5  
    2018/2019 Salt Lake City, UT 1000m5  
    2022/2023 Dresden 1500m6  
    2019/2020 Salt Lake City, UT 3000m Relay6  
    2018/2019 Dresden 3000m Relay6  
    2022/2023 Almaty 2000m Relay6  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification 1000m7  
    2016/2017 Shanghai 500m7  
    2023/2024 Gdansk 2000m Relay7  
    2016/2017 Gangneung 3000m Relay7  
    2018/2019 Salt Lake City, UT 2000m Relay8  
    2018/2019 Salt Lake City, UT 3000m Relay8  
    2022/2023 Dresden 3000m Relay8  
    2019/2020 Salt Lake City, UT 1000m8  
    2019/2020 Dresden 3000m Relay8  
    2018/2019 Dresden 2000m Relay9  
    2022/2023 Dresden 2000m Relay9  
    2016/2017 Salt Lake City, UT 3000m Relay9  
    2018/2019 Calgary, AB 3000m Relay9  
    2019/2020 Dresden 1000m9  
    2019/2020 Shanghai 1000m9  
    2022/2023 Salt Lake City, UT 3000m Relay9  
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification 500m10  
    2022/2023 Almaty 2000m Relay10  
    2018/2019 World Cup Classification 1000m11  
    2019/2020 World Cup Classification 1000m11  
    2017/2018 Shanghai 3000m Relay11  
    2016/2017 Shanghai 3000m Relay11  
    2015/2016 Dresden 3000m Relay14  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification 500m15  
    2016/2017 Gangneung 1000m16  
    2016/2017 Salt Lake City, UT 1000m17  
    2016/2017 Calgary, AB 1000m17  
    2016/2017 Gangneung 500m18  
    2018/2019 Calgary, AB 1000m19  
    2018/2019 Calgary, AB 1500m20  
    2015/2016 Dresden 1000m22  
    2016/2017 Shanghai 1000m22  
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification 500m23  
    2016/2017 Calgary, AB 500m24  
    2016/2017 Salt Lake City, UT 500m26  
    2015/2016 Dresden 500m26  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification 500m28  
    2019/2020 Dresden 1500m28  
    2014/2015 Dresden 1500m28  
    2017/2018 Shanghai 500m29  
    2014/2015 Dresden 500m32  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification 500m46  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification 1000m50  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification 1000m52  
    2018/2019 World Cup Classification 500m52  
    2018/2019 World Cup Classification 1500m56  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification 500m61  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification 1000m69  
    2014/2015 World Cup Classification 500m76  
    2019/2020 World Cup Classification 1500m81  
    2014/2015 World Cup Classification 1500m85