Quick Facts
Biography
Jonathan Kuck (born March 14, 1990) is an American speed skater and silver medalist in the Winter Olympics.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Kuck won a silver medal in the team pursuit along with Brian Hansen and Chad Hedrick. Kuck has also won a four medals at the World Championships, a silver medal at the World Allround Championships, and a silver medal at the World Junior Championships.
Personal
Kuck's demeanour is described as quiet and reserved. Kuck started speed skating when he was ten and has competed internationally since 2008. Kuck is a prized alum of Countryside School and a graduate of University Laboratory High School. He currently attends the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana, majoring in engineering physics with a minor in computer science.
Career
2014 Winter Olympics
Trials
On December 27, 2013, Kuck won the Men's 5000-meters by more than 6 seconds at the U.S. Olympic Speedskating Trials in Utah to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic team competing in Sochi in February.
2010 Winter Olympics
Games
In the 10000 m, Kuck placed 8th with a time of 13:31.78. He was the highest American finish.
The American pursuit team consisted of Kuck, Chad Hedrick, Brian Hansen, and Trevor Marsicano. Kuck, Hedrick, and Marsicano eliminated Japan in the quarterfinal, which advanced them to face the heavily favored Netherlands in the semifinal. Kuck, Hedrick, and Hansen then beat the Dutch team by .4 seconds, with a final time of 3:42.71.
The American team were defeated by the Canadians in the gold medal final. The same trio that skated the semifinal trailed Canada in the gold medal final by as much as 0.73 seconds early in the race, trimming that margin to 0.21 at the finish with a time of 3:41.58. The Canadians hit the line at 3:41.37 to win the gold medal, leaving the American team with silver. The bronze went to the Netherlands, which set an Olympic record in the B final with a time of 3:39.95.
World Allround Championships
| Season | Place | 500m | 5000m | 1500m | 10000m | points |
| 09/10 | 02 ! | 36.31 (3) | 6:23.47 (4) | 1:45.36 (1) | 13:15.62 (4) | 149.558 |
| 10/11 | 5 | 35.97 (9) | 6:17.88 (8) | 1:43.12 (2) | 13:11.24 (6) | 147.693 |
| 11/12 | 6 | 36.90 (10) | 6:27.15 (8) | 1:48.41 (11) | 13:30.88 (6) | 152.295 |
| 12/13 | 13 | 37.41 (18) | 6:27.62 (9) | 1:48.44 (12) | 112.318 |
Personal bests
| Event | Time | Date | Avg. speed | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 35.97 | Feb 12, 2011 | 30.64 mph (49.31 km/h) | Calgary |
| 1000 m | 1:09.25 | Jan 4, 2011 | 31.89 mph (51.32 km/h) | Salt Lake City |
| 1500 m | 1:43.12 | Feb 13, 2011 | 31.85 mph (51.26 km/h) | Calgary |
| 3000 m | 3:42.69† | Oct 8, 2011 | 29.64 mph (47.70 km/h) | Milwaukee |
| 5000 m | 6:16.28 | Mar 23, 2012 | 29.28 mph (47.12 km/h) | Heerenveen |
| 10000 m | 13:11.24 | Feb 13, 2011 | 28.34 mph (45.61 km/h) | Calgary |
| Team pursuit | 3:41.58‡ | Feb 27, 2010 | 30.37 mph (48.88 km/h) | Vancouver |
Key: ‡ = National Record † = Track Record
Last updated March 2, 2010.