Lake Kwaza
{{short description|American bobsledder and sprinter (born 1993)}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Lake Kwaza
| image = Lake Kwaza 2019-01-05 2-woman Bobsleigh at the 2018-19 Bobsleigh World Cup Altenberg by Sandro Halank.jpg
| image_size = 150
| caption = Lake Kwaza in Altenberg in 2019
| national_team = United States
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|November|7}}
| birth_place = Sycamore, Illinois
| sport = Bobsled
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCompetition | Bobsleigh World Cup }}
{{MedalBronze | 2018 Winterberg | Two-woman}}
{{MedalBronze | 2019 Altenberg | Two-woman}}
{{MedalSilver | 2019 Konigssee | Two-woman}}
{{MedalGold | 2019 Lake Placid | Two-woman}}
{{MedalSilver | 2019 Igls | Two-woman}}
{{MedalGold | 2022 Sigulda | Two-woman}}
}}
Lake Kwaza (born 7 November 1993) is an American bobsledder and sprinter.{{Cite web|url=https://www.teamusa.org/usa-bobsled-skeleton-federation/athletes/Lake-Kwaza|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220130638/https://www.teamusa.org/usa-bobsled-skeleton-federation/athletes/Lake-Kwaza|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 20, 2020|title=Team USA Profile|website=Team USA|access-date=2020-02-20}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ibsf.org/en/athletes/athlete/264292/Kwaza|title=IBSF {{!}} Lake Kwaza|website=www.ibsf.org|language=en-gb|access-date=2020-02-20}}
Biography
Kwaza was recruited to the American bobsled team in 2017. She competed in track and field as a sprinter at The University of Iowa from 2012 to 2016 and competed in Olympic trials for the United States in 2016 in the 200m.{{Cite web|url=https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/Athlete.aspx?AID=5674030|title=Lake Kwaza|website=Athletic.net|language=en|access-date=2020-02-20}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.daily-chronicle.com/2019/02/09/sycamore-grad-lake-kwaza-competing-u-s-bobsled-team/duv0qan/?page=2|title=Sycamore grad Lake Kwaza competing U.S. bobsled team|last=CARIFIOEmailFollow|first=EDDIE|website=www.daily-chronicle.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-20}}
During the 2018–19 Bobsleigh World Cup she was paired with three-time Olympic medallist Elana Meyers acting as the brakewoman of a two-women bobsled.{{Cite web|url=http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2019/feb/07/lake-kwaza-focuses-olympic-goals/|title=Lake Kwaza focuses on Olympic goals|website=amsterdamnews.com|access-date=2020-02-20}} Her best performance to date was a gold medal finish at the 2019 Lake Placid event. She took part in the 2019 World Championships in the two-women event but did not finish having completed only four of the five required runs.{{Cite book|url=https://www.ibsf.org/images/api/download/competitions/a2a3eba1-4de2-4f10-914a-900b68e600d1_finalresult_wch_bobsleigh_women_whistler.pdf|title=BMW 2019 IBSF World Championships Results|publisher=IBSF|year=2019}}
She joined the United States Army in 2019 as part of their World Class Athlete Program with the aim of qualifying for the 2022 Winter Olympics.{{Cite web|url=https://www.daily-chronicle.com/2019/05/09/sycamore-native-joins-army-as-she-chases-olympic-dream/anu4cyi/|title=Sycamore native joins Army as she chases Olympic dream|last=Hern|first=Keith|last2=EZEmailFollow|website=www.daily-chronicle.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-20}}
Lake is currently dating USA Olympic bobsledder Hakeem Abdul-Saboor.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kwaza, Lake}}
Category:American female bobsledders
Category:Iowa Hawkeyes women's track and field athletes
Category:People from Sycamore, Illinois
Category:Sportspeople from DeKalb County, Illinois
Category:Military personnel from Illinois