About Kikkan
Kikkan "Kikkanimal" Randall
Date of Birth: 12-31-82
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
Club: APUNSC
Team: United States Ski Team
Coaches: Erik Flora & Frode Lillefjell
Height: 5' 4"
Weight: 130 lbs.
Favorite place to ski: Hillside Trails
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Career Highlights
- 2008 World Cup - Rybinsk Sprint Women's Champion *1st ever US Women's World Cup Victory in Cross-country
- 2007 World Cup - Rybinsk Sprint 3rd place *Best ever American finish
- 2007 US National Champion - 1.4km Classic Sprint
- 2006 World Cup - Borlange Sprint 5th place *Best ever American finish
- 2006 Winter Olympics Sprint - 9th place *Best ever American finish
- 2006 US National Grand Champion
- 2006 US National Champion - 5km skate
- 2006 US National Champion - 10km classic
- 2006 US National Champion - 1.3km skate sprint
- 2005 World Championships - 30th place womens classic sprint
- 2004 US National Sprint Champion
- 2004 US National U23 Grand Champion
- 2003 US National Champion - Skate Sprint
- 2003 U23 Championships (8th womens sprint, 18th womens duathalon)
- 2002 Winter Olympian
- 2002 US National Sprint Champion
- 2002 US National U23 Grand Champion
- 2002 US Junior Olympic Champion (Sprint, 10k classic)
- 2001 World Junior Nordic Championships - 6th place womens sprint
Highlights
Kikkan Randall is one of the few athletes who can say she made her Olympic debut in her birthplace - born in Salt Lake City and a member of the 2002 Olympic Team in Salt Lake (although, admittedly, the races were at Soldier Hollow). A promising cross country runner while growing up in Alaska, she added "serious" cross country skiing as a counter-seasonal training vehicle...and then became a champion skier, too. She's already got the best Olympic and World Cup results by an American woman. And, really, she's just getting started.
UPDATE
After skipping the early season World Cup races in Canada a year ago, Randall stormed through the U.S. championships, winning three titles, including her first two distance gold medals. She went to the Olympics, teaming with Wendy Wagner to grab a top-10 in the inaugural team sprint and then finishing ninth- the alltime U.S. women's top Olympic cross country performance - in the sprint. But she wasn't done, finishing fifth in a nighttime World Cup sprint in Borlange, Sweden - also, the alltime U.S. women's best. "I'm super-psyched. It keeps you motivated when you have some results," she says. She skipped the annual New Zealand training camp this past summer to help reduce travel but is emerging as the women's team leader, a role she relishes. "I think I've got some things I can help these younger girls with," Randall says.
FIRST TRACKS
Her family, in Salt Lake while her mother attended law school at the University of Utah, returned to Alaska after Randall's birth. The niece of two Olympians (Uncle Chris Haines, Mom's brother, was a '76 cross country skier and Aunt Betsy Haines was the first racer on-course in the 1980 5K), she was a first-rate high school cross country skier and turned to skiing as a way to continue training in winter. She went on to become one of the top U.S. junior racers; "It's in my blood," she said with her trademark high-voltage smile. She blends classes at APU (aiming for business degree) with her cross country training and serves as a key liaison between the Ski Team and one of the nation's premier club programs.
I AM
"Kikkanimal"...Works at Skinny Raven Sports, high performance running shop in Anchorage, which allows her time for training and racing...The last Alaska state speed-skiing champion; she tried it almost on a whim and after she'd won the title (1997 - 74.14mph), organizers canceled plans for further speed events...Randall may have something going with even numbers: she's won the U.S. sprint title in '02, '04 and '06...And she added two distance titles in '06, too...
Did You Know?
- Kikkan's favorite color is blue (pink is a close 2nd).
- Kikkan loves all types of music, especially those songs with high energy!
- Kikkan's favorite food is canadian bacon and pineapple pizza.
- Kikkan's fastest mile on the track is 5:00.2
- kikkan can ride a unicycle
- Kikkan was born on New Years Eve
Quote
“I love combining power and technique to push your body to the limit -- to the point of surreal awareness.”
Other Accomplishments
- Fastest Woman in Alaska on Skis 74.14 mph (1994, Speed Skiing)
- Foot Locker Western Regional X-C Running Championships: 10th place (1997)
- Seven times Alaska State High School track champion (800m, 1600m, 3200m)
- Three times Alaska State High School Cross-country champion
- Seven times US Junior National XC Ski Champion
- Winter Goodwill Games: 2000 US Team member
- Alaska Gatorade Track Athlete of the Year (2000, 2001)
- Anchorage Daily News Prep Athlete of the Year (2000, 2001)
- World Cup 2001 - Soldier Hollow, Utah : 24th womens sprint (7 world cup pts)
- World Championships team member (2001, 2003, 2005)
- NCCSEF National Skier of the Year (2001)
- East Anchorage High School Graduate - Summa Cum Laude (2001)
