About Kikkan
Kikkan "Kikkanimal" Randall
Date of Birth: 12-31-82
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
Club: APUNSC
Team: United States Ski Team
Coaches: Erik Flora
Height: 5' 4"
Weight: 135 lbs.
Favorite place to ski: Hillside Trails
Married to Jeff Ellis
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Career Highlights
- 2008 World Cup - Rybinsk Sprint Women's Champion *1st ever US Women's World Cup Victory
- 2006 Winter Olympics Sprint - 9th place *Best ever American finish
- Two World Cup Podiums
- Six World Cup Top-Ten Results
- Nine-time US National Champion
- US Olympic Team (2002, 2006)
- World Championships Team Member (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007)
- 2004 U23 Championships - 6th place women's sprint
- 2001 World Junior Nordic Championships - 6th place women's 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
In 2008, Randall scored the first ever World Cup Victory for an American woman in cross-country and notched two more World Cup Top-tens to close the season ranked 15th in the world in sprint rankings.
Despite being diagnosed with a massive blood clot in her left leg last April, Randall has rebounded well and reports "the best summer of training on record." Looking forward to the 2009 season, the lone American woman on the US World Cup team is gunning for more World Cup wins and a shot at the first ever US women's World Championship medal at the World Championships in February.
Randall tied the knot with Canadian ski racer Jeff Ellis on May 16, 2008.
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.
Kikkan's unique name is partly inspired by Christina "Kiki" Cutter, the first American, male or female, to win a World Cup title. In December 2007, Kikkan joined Kiki in the history books by becoming the first American woman to win a cross-country World Cup title. Both women also achieved Olympic best results for their respective disciplines.
I AM
"Kikkanimal"...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, '06 and '08...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 Championships team member (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007)
- NCCSEF National Skier of the Year (2001)
- East Anchorage High School Graduate - Summa Cum Laude (2001)
