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Nathan Crumpton

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Nathan Crumpton
Crumpton looking downwards while outdoors
Crumpton in 2020
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipUnited States
Born (1985-10-09) October 9, 1985 (age 39)
Nairobi, Kenya
EducationPrinceton University
Height6 ft (183 cm)
Weight173 lb (78 kg)
Sport
CountryAmerican Samoa
SportAthletics and Skeleton
EventSprinting

Nathan Ikon Crumpton (born October 9, 1985) is an Olympic athlete who has competed in skeleton (sledding) for the United States of America and American Samoa, and in athletics for American Samoa.[1]

Early and personal life

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Crumpton was born in Kenya, where his father was stationed with the U.S. Foreign Service, and is a natural-born U.S. citizen. His mother is of Chinese and Hawaiian descent, and growing up, he spent most of his childhood in Africa before moving to Switzerland, Australia, and then to Virginia, where he graduated from high school.[2] Now, most of his family lives in Hawaii. When he was younger, Crumpton was a track-and-field athlete first and foremost. He competed in the triple jump and long jump at Princeton, where he was a four-year NCAA Division I track and field athlete and an All-Ivy League selection in the triple jump, and as the third-farthest triple jumper in Princeton history.[3]

He worked as a sports photographer for The Daily Princetonian and remains a keen photographer.[4] In December 2021, he published a 553-page book titled "Alpha Status: A Non-fiction Novel."[5][6] He graduated from Princeton University with an A.B. in sociology and a certificate in environmental studies in 2008 after completing a 132-page-long senior thesis, titled "Dissonant Realities: Behind the Veil of AIDS in Tanzania," under the supervision of Elizabeth Armstrong.[7]

Skeleton

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In 2015, he raced in his first Skeleton World Cup event, and he finished the 2016–17 season in 11th place overall, a career-best. He had four top-10 and twelve top-15 World Cup finishes in his career, with a best World Cup race result of fifth place at Park City in 2016.[8][9] At the IBSF World Championships 2016, he led all American sliders and finished ranked eighth in the world.[10] However, a herniated disc in his back prevented him from competing further at the World Cup and, ultimately, the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.[11][12] In 2019 he switched to American Samoa to represent his Polynesian heritage, and he won the first gold medal in a winter Olympic sport for American Samoa at the North America's Cup in Park City.[13]

Olympic career

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After leaving the US team in 2019, Crumpton went looking for a new nation to represent and was eventually adopted by American Samoa.[14]

He competed for American Samoa in the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in the 100m race.[15] He ran a time of 11.27 seconds, which was the second fastest ever time by an American Samoan athlete at the Summer Olympic Games.[16][17] He was selected as the closing ceremony flag bearer for American Samoa.[18] He also holds the American Samoan national records in both the long jump and triple jump.[19]

Crumpton qualified to compete for American Samoa at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Skeleton. He again served as flagbearer, this time at the opening ceremony, becoming an "Olympic sensation" according to The New York Times by marching topless in traditional Samoan clothing in the freezing weather.[14] After qualifying for the fourth and final heat, he posted a total time of 4:06.80 and placed 19th in the field.[20]

He later competed at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, in Budapest in the 100 metres.[21]

References

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  1. ^ "IBSF | Nathan Crumpton". www.ibsf.org. June 10, 2021.
  2. ^ "Nathan Crumpton is More Than a Shirtless Flag Bearer". February 9, 2022.
  3. ^ "Nathan Crumpton". Team USA. Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  4. ^ "A Case Of Split Personality | An Interview with Nathan Ikon Crumpton". October 1, 2014.
  5. ^ Crumpton, Nathan Ikon (2021). Alpha Status: A Non-fiction Novel. Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP Print US. ISBN 979-8790324017.
  6. ^ "Nathan Ikon Crumpton". www.nathancrumpton.com. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  7. ^ Crumpton, Nathan I. (2008). Dissonant Realities: Behind the Veil of AIDS in Tanzania (Thesis). Princeton University.
  8. ^ "IBSF | Nathan Crumpton". www.ibsf.org. June 10, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  9. ^ "Crumpton tops Americans with 8th | News, Sports, Jobs - Adirondack Daily Enterprise". Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  10. ^ "Crumpton tops Americans with 8th | News, Sports, Jobs - Adirondack Daily Enterprise". Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  11. ^ "Skeleton athlete Nathan Crumpton to start for American Samoa at Tokyo Olympics". www.ibsf.org. June 10, 2021.
  12. ^ "Crumpton leads Team USA at skeleton worlds | News, Sports, Jobs – Adirondack Daily Enterprise".
  13. ^ "Utah's Nathan Ikon Crumpton wins first winter sports gold medal for American Samoa". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Wee, Sui-Lee (February 11, 2022). "He Became an Olympic Sensation, Without a Shirt and Without Competing". The New York Times.
  15. ^ Farrell, Brendan (June 5, 2021). "Parkite Nathan Crumpton brings his journey full circle by punching Olympic ticket". www.parkrecord.com.
  16. ^ "Athletics – Preliminary Round – Heat 1 Results". Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  17. ^ "American Samoa in Athletics". Olympedia. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  18. ^ "Hassan and Warner among Tokyo 2020 Closing Ceremony flag bearers". World Athletics. August 8, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  19. ^ "Nathan CRUMPTON | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  20. ^ "Men's Skeleton – Official Olympic Results" (PDF). Olympics. February 11, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  21. ^ "Men's 100m Results: World Athletics Championships 2023". Watch Athletics. August 19, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
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