Kerstin Szymkowiak

Kerstin Szymkowiak (born Kerstin Jürgens on 19 December 1977 in Siegen) is a German retired skeleton racer who has competed since 2002. She won three bronze medals in the women's skeleton event, earning them in 2004, 2008, and 2009.

Kerstin Szymkowiak
Szymkowiak (right) at the 2010 Winter Olympics women's skeleton medal ceremony
Personal information
Birth nameKerstin Jürgens
Born19 December 1977 (1977-12-19) (age 45)
Siegen, West Germany
WebsiteKerstinJuergens.de
Medal record
Women's skeleton
Representing  Germany
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place2010 VancouverWomen
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place2004 KönigsseeWomen
Bronze medal – third place2008 AltenbergWomen
Bronze medal – third place2009 Lake PlacidWomen
World Cup Championships
Bronze medal – third place2009–10Women
European Championships
Gold medal – first place2005 AltenbergWomen
Silver medal – second place2004 AltenbergWomen
Silver medal – second place2010 InnsbruckWomen
Bronze medal – third place2008 CesanaWomen

Her best overall seasonal finish in the women's Skeleton World Cup title was third in 2004-5.

Jürgens married after the 2007-08 Skeleton World Cup season and has been competing since in the 2008-09 Skeleton World Cup season under her married name. She finished second behind defending world champion Anja Huber of Germany in the season opener at Winterberg on November 28, 2008.

Szymkowiak's nickname is the "Ice Tiger" (Eistiger in German). She earned the silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

After retiring from the sport Szymkowiak was appointed an Athlete Role Model for the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck.[1] In May 2012 the Swiss bobsleigh and skeleton federation announced that Szymkowiak had been elected as head of their skeleton section.[2]

Szymkowiak's husband Philippe is a massage therapist for the Swiss national bobsleigh team. She gave birth to a daughter, Noalie, in September 2010.[2]

References
  1. "Introducing Athlete Role Models Alexander Resch and Kerstin Szymkowiak". olympic.org. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  2. "Kerstin Szymkowiak to head sport of skeleton in Switzerland". International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2014.


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