Catherine "Kit" Klein (March 28, 1910 – April 13, 1985) was an American

speed skater Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating. ...

Short biography

Kit Klein was born in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

and started competing on the local level. Later, Klein finished first in the 1500 metres event and third in the 500 metres competition at the

1932 Winter Olympics The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Lake Placid 1932, were a winter multi-sport event in the United States, held in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February ...

of Lake Placid, where speed skating for women was a demonstration sport. She also participated in the 1000 metres event but was eliminated in the heats. She also won the 1,000 m race, as well as the overall bronze medal, at the Unofficial World Allround Championships in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

, Norway in 1935. At the 1936 first official

World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Women The International Skating Union has organised the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Women since 1936. Unofficial championships were held in the years 1933–1935. History Distances used * In the years 1933–1935, three distances were ...

in Stockholm, Sweden, Klein won gold. After the

1936 Winter Olympics The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games (german: IV. Olympische Winterspiele) and commonly known as Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 ( bar, Garmasch-Partakurch 1936), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 16 ...

, Klein toured Europe before sailing home. During the voyage home Klein actually threw her skates overboard to mark her retirement from competitive skating. Towards the end 1936, she married Dr. Thomas "Tom" Outland of

Sayre, Pennsylvania Sayre is a borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is the principal city in the Sayre, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. It lies 18 miles southeast of Elmira, New York, and 30 miles southwest of Bingh ...

and the couple settled down in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. For a while, Klein toured around North America with the

Ice Follies The Ice Follies, formerly known as the Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies, is a touring ice show featuring elaborate production numbers, similar in concept to Ice Capades. It was founded in 1936 by Eddie and Roy Shipstad, and Oscar Johnson. In later ...

skating show. After her husband's retirement in 1967, they moved to

Holmes Beach, Florida Holmes Beach is a city on Anna Maria Island in Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 3,010, down from 3,836 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan S ...

, where Catherine "Kit" Klein-Outland died in 1985 at the age of 75. Klein-Outland was inducted in the ''National Speedskating Hall of Fame'' in 1964, and

posthumously Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death * ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987 * ''Posthumous'' (E ...

in both the ''International Women's Sports Hall of Fame'' and the ''Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame'' in 1993.

Medals

An overview of medals won by Klein at important championships she participated in, listing the years in which she won each. Note that the World Allround Championships of 1935 were unofficial. Also note that speed skating for women was a demonstration sport at the

of Lake Placid. The medals related to these unofficial and demonstration events are ''in italics''. Klein's championship wins included: * 1930 Buffalo City Championships * 1931 Buffalo City Championships * 1933 National Championships, held in

Oconomowoc, Wisconsin Oconomowoc ( ) is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The name was derived from Coo-no-mo-wauk, the Potawatomi language, Potawatomi term for "waterfall." The population was 15,712 at the 2010 census. The city is partially adjacen ...

* 1933 North American Championships * 1934 National Championships, held in

* 1934 North American Indoor Championships, held in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada (the ''Jean Wilson Memorial Trophy'') * 1935 National Indoor Championships, held in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

* 1935 National Outdoor Championships, held in

During the 1932 Winter Olympics, one of Klein's toughest opponents was

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

skater Jean Wilson, who took gold on the 500 m and silver on the 1500 m. The following year, Wilson died from a progressive muscular disease at 23. The ''Jean Wilson Memorial Trophy'' was created in her honor.

World records

Over the course of her career, Klein skated two

world records A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

Personal records

To put these personal records in perspective, the ''WR'' column lists the official world records on the dates that Klein skated her personal records. Note that Klein's personal record on the 5000 m was not a world record because Verné Lesche skated 10:15.3 at the same tournament.

External links

Historical World Records
from the ''International Skating Union''. Retrieved on 2007-08-27.

''The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame''. Retrieved on 2007-08-27.

''Women's Sports Foundation''. Retrieved on 2007-08-27.

''The National Speedskating Museum and Hall of Fame''. Retrieved on 2007-08-27. * Timothy Evans
Kit Klein – World Champion Speed Skater
''Journal of Olympic History''. Volume 12, January 2004, Number 1, pp. 13–15. Retrieved on 2007-08-27. * Pictures of Kit Klein can be foun
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Klein, Kit 1910 births 1985 deaths Olympic speed skaters of the United States Speed skaters at the 1932 Winter Olympics World record setters in speed skating Sportspeople from Buffalo, New York American female speed skaters People from Holmes Beach, Florida World Allround Speed Skating Championships medalists 20th-century American women 20th-century American people