Mica Moore
Mica Moore in athletics kit
Mica Moore during the 2013 Loughborough International Athletics
Personal information
CitizenshipBritish
Born (1992-11-23) 23 November 1992 (age 31)
Alma materCardiff Metropolitan University
Years active2008– (sprinting)
2016–2018, 2021– (bobsleigh)
Sport
Country
  • Wales
  • Great Britain
Sport
University teamCardiff Metropolitan University
ClubBirchfield Harriers
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals2018
Commonwealth finals2014
Medal record
Representing  Great Britain
Junior Bobsleigh World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Winterberg 2-woman

Mica Moore (born 23 November 1992)[1] is a British women's sprinter and bobsleigher. She competed for Wales in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, and competed in the 2-women bobsleigh event at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Athletics career

Moore began her sporting career as a sprinter, running for Birchfield Harriers and Cardiff Metropolitan University.[2] Moore was coached by her father Lawrence.[3]

In May 2008, Moore won the 100m and 200m events at the under-17 Wales National Championships. Her mother Lolita Moore won the 100m and 200m Masters events at the same event.[4] In May 2014, Moore, Hannah Thomas, Hannah Brier and Rachel Johncock broke the Welsh 4 × 100 metres relay national record at the Loughborough International event.[3] In the same month, she won a bronze medal in the 100m event and a silver medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay event at the British Universities and Colleges Sport Outdoor Championships.[5] Moore competed for Wales in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, finishing seventh in the final. The team consisted of Moore, Thomas, Brier and Johncock.[3][6][7] Moore won the 100m event at the 2017 Welsh Athletics Championships.[8] Moore failed to reach the qualifying standard for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.[9]

At the 2019 Welsh Athletics Championships, Moore came second in the 100m event.[10] At the 2020 British Indoor Athletics Championships, Moore came fourth in the 60m event, and fifth in the 200m race, in a season's best time.[11]

Bobsleigh career

In November 2016, after failing to reach the 2018 Commonwealth Games qualifying standard in a qualifying event, Moore decided to take up bobsleigh in addition to sprinting.[6][12] In January 2017, Moore and Mica McNeill won the 2-women event at the 2017 IBSF Junior Bobsleigh World Championships in Winterberg, Germany.[6][13] Later in the year, the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association withdrew funding for Moore and McNeill, after deciding to maintain funding only for the British male bobsleigh teams. The pair then managed to crowdfund £30,000, allowing them to compete in the 2017–18 Bobsleigh World Cup events. The money was needed to pay for travel between races for the pair of them, transport of the sled, race fees, insurance and possible medical expenses, among other things, and allowed them to concentrate on trying to win races.[14] By January 2018, McNeill and Moore had raised over £41,000 to fund their competitions.[15] The pair had the slogan "Powered By The People" written on their sled.[16] Moore and McNeill finished fifth in the 2-women bobsleigh event in Whistler, Canada, which was the best result for a British women's team in the Bobsleigh World Cup for eight years.[17]

In January 2018, Moore was selected to compete in the 2-women bobsleigh event at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Moore was the team's brakewoman, and McNeill piloted the bobsleigh;[18] their result of 8th was the best ever by a British women's Olympic bobsleigh team.[19] Moore chose to miss the 2018–19 bobsleigh season to focus on her degree,[20] before eventually deciding to give up bobsleigh and return to athletics.[11]

In July 2021, Moore returned to bobsleigh.[21] She aimed to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics alongside McNeill, with other contenders for the Games being shot putter Adele Nicoll and former sprinter Montell Douglas.[22] Later in the year, she withdrew from the British team, after claiming that it was a negative environment and alleging discrimination based on her gender and skin colour.[23] Moore returned to the team as a pilot for the 2022–23 season.[24]

Personal life

Moore is from Newport, South Wales.[25] She attended Bassaleg School,[26] and as of 2020, she was studying for a master's degree in Sport Broadcasting and Media at Cardiff Metropolitan University.[6] As of 2020, Moore lived in St Mellons, and was in a relationship with decathlete Curtis Mathews.[11]

She won an episode of the BBC game show Winter Wipeout in 2012.

References

  1. ^ "Winter Olympics 2018: Great Britain's team for Pyeongchang". BBC Sport. 25 January 2018. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  2. ^ Pearlman, Michael (12 December 2016). "Mica Moore: Welsh athlete targets summer and winter Olympic success". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 15 December 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Penman, Andrew (11 June 2014). "Mica Moore thrilled by Commonwealth Games chance". South Wales Argus. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Athletics: Moore of the same for Lolita and Mica". Wales Online. 17 May 2008. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Cardiff Met Athletics enjoy BUCS Outdoors success". Cardiff Metropolitan University. 15 May 2014. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d "Mica Moore: Welsh bobsleigher hopes to reach Olympics despite funding cut". BBC Sport. 20 September 2017. Archived from the original on 22 November 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Athletics: Women's 4 × 100m Relay Final". Glasgow 2014. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  8. ^ Griffiths, Gareth (11 June 2017). "Mica Moore: Bobsleigh star wins Welsh sprint title". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  9. ^ Walford, Jessica (11 February 2018). "The young Welsh woman competing in the Winter Olympic bobsleigh after raising her own funds to do it". Wales Online. Archived from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  10. ^ "Welsh Championships gold for Ieuan Thomas and Macey Jones as Mica Moore seals silver". South Wales Argus. 16 July 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  11. ^ a b c "Lockdown 'blessing in disguise' says sprinter Mica Moore". South Wales Argus. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Mica Moore". British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  13. ^ "IBSF Junior World Championship Bobsleigh" (PDF). International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation. 28 January 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  14. ^ "Mica McNeill says British bobsleighers 'powered by the people'". BBC Sport. 25 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 December 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  15. ^ "PATH TO PYEONGCHANG: County Durham bobsleigh driver Mica McNeill hails 'people power' after Winter Olympic place is confirmed". The Northern Echo. 23 January 2018. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  16. ^ Bloom, Ben (23 January 2018). "Winter Olympics 2018: British bobsleigh women crowdfund their way to Korea". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  17. ^ Hope, Nick (25 November 2017). "Bobsleigh World Cup: Mica McNeill and Mica Moore fifth in Whistler". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 21 December 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  18. ^ "Winter Olympics 2018: Mica McNeill and Mica Moore named in GB team". BBC Sport. 23 January 2018. Archived from the original on 23 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  19. ^ "Winter Olympics: GB's bobsleigh women hope for funding after finishing eighth". BBC News. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  20. ^ "Mica Moore: Winter Olympian to take bobsleigh break". BBC Sport. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  21. ^ "Newport sprinter returns to bobsleigh squad in bid for Olympic glory". South Wales Argus. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  22. ^ "'I cut 20kg to make bobsleigh team': Meet the Welsh duo aiming for Olympic bobsleigh glory". BBC Sport. 24 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  23. ^ "Welsh Olympian Mica Moore quit team amid allegations of 'damaging and offensive behaviour' towards 'BAME community and women'". Wales Online. 5 March 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  24. ^ "Mica Moore to start post-Olympic season as bobsleigh pilot". International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation. 23 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  25. ^ "Newport's Moore to chase Olympic dream in South Korea". South Wales Argus. 23 January 2018. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  26. ^ "Welsh Winter Olympics star Mica Moore sets her sights on the running track". Wales Online. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2021.

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