Christina Gao | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Christina Gao | ||||||||||||||
Born | Cincinnati, Ohio | March 7, 1994||||||||||||||
Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||
Figure skating career | |||||||||||||||
Country | United States | ||||||||||||||
Coach | Mark Mitchell Peter Johansson | ||||||||||||||
Skating club | Skating Club of Boston | ||||||||||||||
Began skating | 2001 | ||||||||||||||
Retired | June 17, 2015 | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
Christina Gao (born March 7, 1994) is an American former figure skater. She is the 2012 Skate America silver medalist, the 2009 Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, and the 2009 U.S. Junior bronze medalist.
Christina Gao was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her name in Chinese :高昊; pinyin :Gāo Hào. Her father was a junior national badminton champion in China. [1]
Gao spent several years in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, [2] before moving to Boston in 2012. [3] She was a National Merit semifinalist. In the summer of 2012, she worked at a hospital shadowing a gastroenterologist. [4] In the fall, she began studying at Harvard University, taking a full course load. She graduated in 2017. [3] [4]
Gao began skating at age 7. [2] Early in her career, she trained in northern Kentucky, coached by Stephanie Miller and Ted Masdea. [5]
In the 2004–2005 season, competing on the Juvenile level, Gao won the silver medal at her regional championship [6] to qualify for the United States Junior Championships, where she placed 12th. [7] She moved up to the Intermediate level the following year and won the pewter medal at her regional championship [8] to qualify for the United States Junior Championships, where she placed 11th in her qualifying group [9] and did not advance to the final. She moved up to the Novice level for the 2006–2007 season and placed 13th at her regional championship [10] and did not qualify to her sectional championship.
In the 2007–2008 season, competing again on the novice level, Gao won both her regional [11] and sectional championship [12] to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Championships, where she finished 12th. [13]
The following season, Gao moved up to the junior level. She won the silver medal at her regional championship [14] and the gold medal at her sectional championship [15] to qualify for the 2009 U.S. Championships. At Nationals, she placed third in the short program [16] and second in the free skating, [17] winning the bronze medal overall. [18]
Due to limited ice time in Kentucky, Gao relocated before the 2009–10 season to Toronto, where she was coached by Brian Orser, the 1984 and 1988 Olympic silver medalist, at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club. [2] Gao made her ISU Junior Grand Prix debut in the 2009–10 season. She won the bronze medal at the 2009–10 ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Poland with an overall score of 134.55 points. She had also been assigned to the event in Turkey, where she won another bronze earning 135.01 points.
She qualified for the 2009–10 Junior Grand Prix Final. At the Junior Grand Prix, she placed fifth in the short program with 52.82 points and third in the free skate with 98.65 points, winning the bronze medal overall with a score of 151.47 points. She earned new personal bests in both segments of the competition.
At the 2010 U.S. Championships in January 2010, she placed fifth in the short program with a score 56.26 points and fifth in the free skate with 100.27. She placed 5th overall with 156.53.
She was assigned to compete at the 2010 World Junior Championships. [19] She placed 8th overall.
Gao was assigned to the 2010–11 ISU Junior Grand Prix events in Austria and Japan. She won the silver medal in her first event with a total of 167.14 points. Gao withdrew from the competition in Japan but was reassigned to Germany based on her result in Austria. She placed second totaling 155.67 points. Those placements qualified her for the 2010–11 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, where she came in sixth position earning 145.01 points. She finished 5th at the US Championships at the senior level. She was fourth at the 2011 World Junior Championships.
Gao was assigned to the 2011 Cup of China and 2011 Cup of Russia for the Grand Prix season. She had a hip injury and was off the ice for most of July. [20] At her first event, Cup of China, she came in eighth in the short program with a score of 51.99. She placed fourth in the free skate with a score of 100.47 to finish fifth. [21] At Cup of Russia, she was tenth after the short program with a score of 39.64. She also placed tenth in the free skate with a score of 78.13, to place tenth overall. [22] Gao finished 5th at the 2012 U.S. Nationals Championships. Gao then competed at the 2012 World Junior Championships and finished 7th at the event.
In March 2012, Gao left Toronto and returned to Cincinnati. [23] After a June visit to Boston, Gao decided to train with coaches Mark Mitchell and Peter Johansson at The Skating Club of Boston. [3] [23]
After winning the silver medal at the 2012 Skate America, [24] Gao placed fourth at the 2012 Trophée Éric Bompard. [25] In late November, ISU officials announced that she would compete at the 2012–13 Grand Prix Final, replacing Yulia Lipnitskaya who withdrew from the event due to injuries. [26] Gao placed sixth at the Grand Prix Final. [27] She was fifth at the 2013 U.S. Championships and was named in the United States team to the 2013 Four Continents in Osaka, Japan where she finished 4th and was the highest ranking American at the event ahead of teammates Gracie Gold and Agnes Zawadzki.
Gao opened her 2013-2014 season by winning the bronze medal at the 2013 Ondrej Nepela Trophy behind Russian Nikol Gosviani. She has been assigned to two events for the 2013–14 ISU Grand Prix series, her first event was at the 2013 Skate Canada where she finished 4th. In her next assignment, Gao finished 8th at the 2013 Trophée Éric Bompard.
Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
---|---|---|---|
2014–2015 [28] |
| ||
2013–2014 [1] |
|
| |
2012–2013 [29] |
|
| |
2011–2012 [20] [30] [31] |
|
| |
2010–2011 [32] |
|
| |
2009–2010 [33] |
|
| |
2008–2009 [28] |
|
| |
2007–2008 [5] |
|
International [34] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Event | 2009–10 | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | |
Four Continents | 4th | ||||||
Grand Prix Final | 6th | ||||||
GP Bompard | 4th | 8th | |||||
GP Cup of China | 5th | 9th | |||||
GP NHK Trophy | 9th | ||||||
GP Rostelecom | 10th | ||||||
GP Skate America | 2nd | ||||||
GP Skate Canada | 4th | ||||||
Ondrej Nepela | 3rd | ||||||
International: Junior [34] | |||||||
Junior Worlds | 8th | 4th | 7th | ||||
JGP Final | 3rd | 6th | |||||
JGP Austria | 2nd | ||||||
JGP Germany | 2nd | ||||||
JGP Poland | 3rd | ||||||
JGP Turkey | 3rd | ||||||
National [28] | |||||||
U.S. Champ. | 5th | 5th | 5th | 5th | 8th | 11th | |
GP = Grand Prix; JGP = Junior Grand Prix QR = Qualifying round; TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew |
National [28] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Event | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 |
U.S. Championships | 12th N. | 3rd J. | |||
U.S. Junior Champ. | 12th Jv. | 11th I. (QR) | |||
Midwestern Sectionals | 1st N. | 1st J. | |||
Eastern Great Lakes Regionals | 2nd Jv. | 4th I. | 13th N. | 1st N. | 2nd J. |
Levels: Jv. = Juvenile; I. = Intermediate; N. = Novice; J.= Junior |
(Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships.)
2013–2014 season | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
January 5–12, 2014 | 2014 U.S. Championships | Senior | 6 60.91 | 10 102.12 | 8 163.03 |
November 15–17, 2013 | 2013 Trophee Eric Bompard | Senior | 4 58.81 | 8 94.04 | 8 152.85 |
October 25–27, 2013 | 2013 Skate Canada | Senior | 4 62.82 | 4 110.8 | 4 173.69 |
October 3–5, 2013 | 2013 Ondrej Nepela Trophy | Senior | 4 52.14 | 3 100.70 | 3 152.84 |
2012–2013 season | |||||
Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
February 8–11, 2013 | 2013 Four Continents | Senior | 4 62.34 | 5 113.94 | 4 176.28 |
January 19–27, 2013 | 2013 U.S. Championships | Senior | 5 58.74 | 4 117.54 | 5 176.28 |
December 6–9, 2012 | 2012-2013 ISU Grand Prix Final | Senior | 6 48.56 | 6 105.98 | 6 154.54 |
November 15–18, 2012 | 2012 Trophee Eric Bompard | Senior | 7 52.55 | 4 112.16 | 4 164.71 |
October 19–21, 2012 | 2012 Skate America | Senior | 3 56.63 | 2 117.62 | 2 174.25 |
2011–2012 season | |||||
Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
February 27 – March 4, 2012 | 2012 World Junior Championships | Junior | 5 52.66 | 7 98.43 | 7 151.09 |
January 22–29, 2012 | 2012 U.S. Championships | Senior | 6 54.83 | 5 111.53 | 5 166.36 |
November 25–27, 2011 | 2011 Cup of Russia | Senior | 10 39.64 | 10 78.13 | 10 117.77 |
November 4–6, 2011 | 2011 Cup of China | Senior | 8 51.99 | 4 100.49 | 5 152.48 |
2010–2011 season | |||||
Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
February 28 – March 6, 2011 | 2011 World Junior Championships | Junior | 3 56.80 | 6 98.47 | 4 155.27 |
January 22 – 30, 2011 | 2011 U.S. Championships | Senior | 5 58.43 | 6 108.77 | 5 167.20 |
December 9–12, 2010 | 2010–2011 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final | Junior | 7 43.98 | 3 101.03 | 6 145.01 |
October 6–10, 2010 | 2010–2011 ISU Junior Grand Prix, Germany | Junior | 2 47.66 | 2 108.01 | 2 155.67 |
September 15–19, 2010 | 2010–2011 ISU Junior Grand Prix, Austria | Junior | 2 58.07 | 2 109.07 | 2 167.14 |
2009–2010 season | |||||
Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
March 8–14, 2010 | 2010 World Junior Championships | Junior | 9 49.34 | 6 94.52 | 8 143.86 |
January 14–24, 2010 | 2010 U.S. Championships | Senior | 5 56.26 | 5 100.27 | 5 156.53 |
December 3 – 6, 2009 | 2009–2010 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final | Junior | 5 52.82 | 3 98.65 | 3 151.47 |
October 14–18, 2009 | 2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix, Turkey | Junior | 7 44.91 | 1 90.10 | 3 135.01 |
September 9–12, 2009 | 2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix, Poland | Junior | 3 50.52 | 3 84.03 | 3 134.55 |
2008–2009 season | |||||
Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
January 18 – 25, 2009 | 2009 U.S. Championships | Junior | 3 49.45 | 2 79.24 | 3 128.69 |
November 11–15, 2008 | 2009 Midwestern Sectional Championships | Junior | 4 43.89 | 1 85.94 | 1 129.83 |
October 10–14, 2008 | 2009 Eastern Great Lakes Regionals | Junior | 1 47.01 | 5 66.61 | 2 113.62 |
2007–2008 season | |||||
Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
January 20–27, 2008 | 2008 U.S. Championships | Novice | 11 | 11 | 12 83.75 |
November 14–17, 2007 | 2008 Midwestern Sectional Championships | Novice | 3 41.83 | 1 85.34 | 1 127.17 |
October 1–6, 2007 | 2008 Eastern Great Lakes Regionals | Novice | 1 45.52 | 1 73.49 | 1 119.01 |
Caroline Zhao Zhang is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2007 World Junior Champion, the 2006 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, and a three-time U.S. national medalist.
Ashley Elisabeth Wagner is an American former competitive figure skater. She is the 2016 World silver medalist, a 2014 Olympic bronze medalist in the team event, the 2012 Four Continents champion, a three-time Grand Prix Final medalist, a thirteen-time Grand Prix medalist, and a three-time U.S. national champion. Wagner competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and placed 7th. At the junior level, Wagner is a two-time World Junior bronze medalist, the 2006-07 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist, a two-time Junior Grand Prix medalist, and the 2007 U.S. junior bronze medalist.
Emily Samuelson is an American former competitive ice dancer. With former partner Evan Bates, she is the 2009 Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2008 World Junior champion, and the 2009 U.S. national silver medalist. The duo competed at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Samuelson later skated with Todd Gilles.
Madison Hubbell is an American former ice dancer. She competed with Zachary Donohue from 2011 to 2022. With him, she is a two-time 2022 Winter Olympics medalist, a four-time World medalist, the 2018 Grand Prix Final champion, the 2014 Four Continents champion, and a three-time U.S. national champion.
Keiffer J. Hubbell is an American ice dancer. He competed with his sister Madison Hubbell from 2001 to 2011. They are the 2010 Four Continents bronze medalists, two-time U.S. pewter medalists, and 2006 Junior Grand Prix Final champions.
Meryl Davis is a former competitive American ice dancer. With partner Charlie White, she is the 2014 Olympic champion, the 2010 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time World champion, five-time Grand Prix Final champion (2009–2013), three-time Four Continents champion and six-time U.S. national champion (2009–2014). They also won a bronze medal in the team event at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Mirai Aileen Nagasu is an American figure skater. She is a 2018 Olympic Games team event bronze medalist, three-time Four Continents medalist, the 2007 JGP Final champion, a two-time World Junior medalist, and a seven-time U.S. national medalist.
Angela Yuka Maxwell is an American former competitive figure skater. She won five medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series and the junior silver medal at the 2008 U.S. Championships.
Maia Harumi Shibutani is a retired American ice dancer. Partnered with her brother Alex Shibutani, she is a two time 2018 Olympic bronze medalist, a three-time World medalist, the 2016 Four Continents champion, and a two-time U.S. national champion. The siblings have won six titles on the Grand Prix series and stood on the podium at 14 consecutive U.S. Championships, at five levels including eight as seniors. They are two-time members of the US Olympic team, competing at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics. In 2018, the siblings became the first ice dancers who are both of Asian descent to medal at the Olympics. They are the second sibling duo to ever share an ice dancing Olympic medal, and the first from the United States. The Shibutani siblings are often referred to by their nickname the Shib Sibs.
Alex Hideo Shibutani is an American former competitive ice dancer. Partnered with his sister Maia Shibutani, he is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist (2018), a three-time World medalist, the 2016 Four Continents champion, and a two-time U.S. national champion. The Shibutanis have also won six titles on the Grand Prix series and a silver medal at the 2009 World Junior Championships. They are two-time members of the US Olympic team, competing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. In 2018, they became the first ice dancers who are both of Asian descent to medal at the Olympics. They are the second sibling duo to ever share an ice dancing Olympic medal, and the first from the United States.
Kanako Murakami is a Japanese retired figure skater. She is the 2010–11 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, 2014 Four Continents champion, 2010 World Junior champion, 2009–10 JGP Final champion, and a four-time Japanese national medalist.
Rebecca Ann "Becky" Bereswill is an American figure skater. She is the 2008 Junior Grand Prix Final champion. In 2014, she was cast as Elsa in the Disney on Ice version of Frozen.
Adelina Dmitriyevna Sotnikova is a retired Russian figure skater. She is the 2014 Olympic gold medalist in ladies' singles, a two-time European silver medalist, a two-time Rostelecom Cup bronze medalist, and a four-time Russian national champion.
Ross Miner is an American skating coach and retired competitive figure skater. He is the 2012 Four Continents bronze medalist, 2009 JGP Final bronze medalist, 2013 and 2018 U.S. national silver medalist and 2009 U.S. junior champion. In 2021, Miner was suspended from coaching for six months by the United States Center for SafeSport, for sexual harassment.
Ksenia Olegovna Makarova is a retired Russian, later an American, figure skater. She is the 2010 Skate Canada International silver medalist, 2009 Cup of Nice champion, and 2010 Russian national champion. She represented Russia at the 2010 Winter Olympics, where she placed 10th.
Kiri Nicole Baga is an American former figure skater. She won two gold medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series and placed 7th at the 2010 World Junior Championships. She is the 2010 U.S. junior pewter medalist and 2009 novice national champion.
Amanda J. Dobbs is an American former competitive figure skater. As a single skater, she placed fourth at the 2010 Four Continents Championships. She also competed in pair skating on the national senior level with Joseph Jacobsen.
Li Zijun is a Chinese former competitive figure skater. She is the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic bronze medalist and the 2014 Four Continents bronze medalist. Li is also the 2017 Asian Winter Games silver medalist, 2010 JGP Final bronze medalist, and a four-time (2011–2014) Chinese national champion.
Grace Elizabeth Gold, known as Gracie Gold, is an American figure skater. She is a 2014 Olympic bronze medalist in the team event, a six-time Grand Prix medalist, and a two-time U.S. national champion. Gold placed 4th at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. At the junior level, Gold is the 2012 World Junior silver medalist, the 2011 JGP Estonia champion, and the 2012 U.S. junior national champion.
Davis and White are American former ice dancers. The pair are the 2014 Olympic Champion, the 2010 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time World champion, five-time Grand Prix Final champion (2009–2013), three-time Four Continents champion and six-time U.S. national champion (2009–2014). They also won a bronze medal in the team event at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Media related to Christina Gao at Wikimedia Commons