- Melissa Gregory
-
Melissa Gregory 
Gregory & Petukhov at the 2004 Four Continents ChampionshipsPersonal information Country represented 
United StatesBorn May 22, 1981 Residence Newark, Delaware Height 164 cm (5.38 ft) Partner Denis Petukhov Former partner James Shuford Coach Shae-Lynn Bourne Former coach Priscilla Hill, Natalia Linichuk,
Gennadi Karpanosov,
Nikolai MorozovSkating club SC of New York ISU personal best scores Combined total 183.97
2005 4CCComp. dance 38.02
2005 4CCOriginal dance 55.61
2006 Skate AmericaFree dance 92.74
2003 Skate AmericaMedal recordFigure skating Ice dancing Competitor for the United StatesFour Continents Championships Silver 2005 Hamilton Ice dancing Melissa Gregory (born May 22, 1981) is an American ice dancer. With partner and husband Denis Petukhov, she is the 2004–2007 U.S. silver medalist.
Contents
Biography
Gregory was born in Highland Park, Illinois to a Catholic father, Joseph, and a Jewish mother, Dale.[1][2] She has one older brother, Michael. She began skating at age seven. She competed in novice ladies' singles before deciding to concentrate on ice dance.[3]
Gregory competed in junior ice dance with James Shuford until they split.[4] She was without an ice dancing partner for nearly three years and told her coach that she would quit skating and go to college if she could not find one by September 1, 2000.[5] She met Russian ice dancer Denis Petukhov on an online skating partner search (he spoke little English and so had a friend write his messages for him) and he came to the United States on a tourist visa on August 31, 2000 to try skating with her and several other prospective partners. After skating with Gregory first, Petukhov canceled his other tryouts and never used his return plane ticket to Russia.[6]
Gregory and Petukhov were married in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 2, 2001. The next month they flew to Kirov, Russia so that Petukhov's family could celebrate their marriage as well.[7] Together, they have won four silver medals and two bronze medals at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics.[4]
Gregory and Petukhov both suffered injuries in a fall during the warmup before the free dance at 2007 Skate Canada International on November 4, 2007. Petukhov lost his footing while practicing a one-handed rotational lift and dropped Gregory onto the ice, injuring her ribs and hip and skidding into the boards himself, hurting his own knee and neck. Gregory was taken to a hospital following the fall but released that night.[8] They were then forced to withdraw from competition for the rest of the season while they healed from their injuries.[9]
Gregory and Petukhov did not return to competition, partially due to financial difficulties. In 2008, they moved to Connecticut and began coaching and choreographing for other skaters at the International Skating Center of Connecticut. They also launched their own YouTube channel, OlympianUncut, focusing on a behind-the-scenes look at the skating world.[10] Gregory and Petukhov are successful show skaters and also devote much of their time to Fever on Ice, a program they founded in 2009 that combines learn-to-skate sessions with academics and is targeted at middle school students in Connecticut. Fever on Ice was one of two "Rings of Gold" award winners for 2010, and Gregory was the first skater to receive the individual award for her contribution to the program.[11]
Coaching changes
Gregory and Petukhov were originally coached by Oleg Epstein and Sandra Hess but made a change in 2003 to Nikolai Morozov and Shae-Lynn Bourne.[12] Following the 2005/2006 season, they switched again to Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karpanosov[13] at the University of Delaware in Newark. On September 7, 2007, they announced another coaching change, this time to Priscilla Hill at The Pond Ice Arena, also in Newark.[14]
Competitive highlights
(with Petukhov)
Event 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 Winter Olympic Games 14th World Championships 12th 11th 9th 10th Four Continents Championships 6th 4th 2nd U.S. Championships 3rd 3rd 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd Grand Prix Final 6th Skate Canada International 8th 3rd WD Skate America 5th 5th 2nd Cup of Russia 4th Trophée Eric Bompard 4th NHK Trophy 4th 3rd Cup of China 4th Nebelhorn Trophy 2nd - WD = Withdrew
(with Shuford)
Event 1995–1996 1996–1997 1997–1998 1998–1999 World Junior Championships 10th U.S. Championships 8th J. 4th J. 1st J. Junior Grand Prix, China 2nd - J = Junior level
See also
References
- ^ "Denis Petukhov Becomes a United States Citizen". US Figure Skating Official Site. February 23, 2005. http://www.usfigureskating.org/Story.asp?id=29035. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
- ^ "Gregory & Petukhov Combine Holiday Traditions". Web.icenetwork.com. December 19, 2007. http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071219&content_id=39798&vkey=ice_news. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
- ^ Mittan, Barry (March 26, 2008). "We’ll Be Back Say Dancers". SkateToday. http://www.skatetoday.com/2008/03/26/well-be-back-say-dancers/. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
- ^ a b "Athlete Bio". US Figure Skating Official Site. http://www.usfigureskating.org/AthletePairBio.asp?id=18220. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
- ^ Skating Magazine, January 2006: "Team Destiny: Gregory, Petukhov Cherishing Life On, Off Ice"
- ^ "Figure Skating: Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov". WNBC. January 2006. http://www.wnbc.com/olympics2006/6207733/detail.html. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
- ^ "Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov". About.com: Marriage. http://marriage.about.com/od/unitedstatescouples/p/gregorypetuk.htm. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
- ^ "Melissa Gregory Expected to Make Full Recovery after Fall during Warm-up at Skate Canada". US Figure Skating Official Site. November 5, 2007. http://www.usfigureskating.org/Story.asp?id=39892. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
- ^ "Ice Dancing Team Gregory and Petukhov Withdraw from 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships". U.S. Figure Skating Official Site. January 11, 2008. http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_story.asp?id=40275. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
- ^ "Gregory, Petukhov Hit the Road with Camera". icenetwork.com. January 1, 2009. http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090101&content_id=58066&vkey=ice_news. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
- ^ Gregory, Petukhov hit the ice with Proud Nation
- ^ "Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov Switch Coaches". US Figure Skating Official Site. April 24, 2003. http://www.usfigureskating.org/Story.asp?id=37. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
- ^ "Ice Dancers Gregory and Petukhov Announce Coaching Change". US Figure Skating Official Site. May 31, 2006. http://www.usfigureskating.org/Story.asp?id=34619. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
- ^ "Gregory and Petukhov Change Coaches". US Figure Skating Official Site. September 7, 2007. http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_story.asp?id=39369. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
External links
- Official site
- Melissa Gregory at the United States Figure Skating Association
- Melissa Gregory at the International Skating Union
- U.S. Olympic Team bio
Categories:- 1981 births
- American ice dancers
- Figure skaters at the 2006 Winter Olympics
- Jewish American sportspeople
- Living people
- Olympic figure skaters of the United States
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
