Caroline Zhang

Infobox Figure skater
title= Caroline Zhang


caption= Zhang and her coach Li Mingzhu at the 2007 Grand Prix Final.
country= USA
dateofbirth= birth date and age|1993|05|20
residence=
height= convert|158|cm|ftin|abbr=on
coach= Li Ming Zhu, Sondra Holmes
choreographer=Lori Nichol, Tom Dickson,
Karen Kwan
skating club= All Year FSC
retired =
combined total= 176.48
combined date= 2007 Grand Prix Final
SP score= 62.60
SP date= 2008 World Juniors
FS score= 114.66
FS date= 2007 Grand Prix Final

Caroline Zhang (born May 20, 1993 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American figure skater. She is the 2006 Junior Grand Prix Final Champion, 2007 World Junior Champion, and the 2008 U.S. pewter medalist.

Personal life

Caroline Zhang is ethnically Chinese. Her Chinese name is Yuan-Yuan (Chinese-inline
c=
s= 张圆圆
t= 張圓圓
p= Zhāng Yuányuán
w=
tp=
gr=), which literally means round-round, and that is the name by which she is known in China and referred to in the Chinese media. She was born in Boston and moved to California at a young age [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Rising Chinese-American skater hopes to become next Kwan |url=http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90779/90867/6307003.html |work= |publisher=People's Daily Online |date=2007-11-22 |accessdate=2007-12-06 ] . Her parents are from Wuhan, China, and her older sister was born in China. She currently resides in Brea, California.

Zhang is proficient at the piano, was concert master in her middle school's orchestra on violin [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Effortlessly Rising to the Top |url=http://www.mywire.com/pubs/PhiladelphiaInquirer/2007/10/28/4819264 |work= |publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=2007-10-28 |accessdate=2007-12-15 ] , and was a ballet dancer before switching to figure skating.

She trains at the East West Ice Palace in Artesia, which is the rink owned by the Kwan family.

Career

Zhang began skating at age five. She first came to national attention when she placed 8th at the junior level at the 2006 United States Figure Skating Championships at the age of twelve. She made her debut on the international stage in the following season, starting off by winning her first Junior Grand Prix event in Mexico by a record [ [http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/high_school/pennsylvania/20071028_Effortlessly_gliding_to_top.html Effortlessly gliding to top | Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/28/2007 ] ] fifty-three points. [cite web |url=http://www.isufs.org/results/jgpmex2006/CAT002RS.HTM |title=Junior Grand Prix Mexico City Ladies Result |accessdate=2007-06-15 |format= |work= ] She went on to win her second event by thirty-three points [cite web |url=http://www.isufs.org/results/jgptpe2006/CAT002RS.HTM |title=Junior Grand Prix Taipei City Ladies Result |accessdate=2007-06-15 |format= |work= ] and then the Junior Grand Prix Final by twenty. [cite web |url=http://www.isufs.org/results/jgpf0607/CAT002RS.HTM |title=Junior Grand Prix Final Ladies Result |accessdate=2007-06-15 |format= |work= ] Zhang is already known for her creative spin positions, musicality and spiral extension, prompting comparisons to Sasha Cohen and Michelle Kwan by those in the figure skating community, [cite news |first=Alexandra |last=Stevenson |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Zhang Provides Magical Moment at JGP Mexico |url=http://www.usfigureskating.org/Story.asp?id=35474 |work= |publisher=U.S. Figure Skating |date=2006-09-15 |accessdate=2007-06-15 ] including international judge Joe Inman. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/sports/20070125/c2chris25.art.htm Usatoday.Com ] ]

After placing second at the junior level at the 2007 National Championships behind Mirai Nagasu, Zhang was named to the World Junior team. At the 2007 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, Zhang beat Nagasu to win the title.

For the 2007-08 season, Zhang moved up to the senior level both nationally and internationally. She competed at the 2007 Skate America and won the bronze medal. At this competition, she earned a level 4 and +3 grades of execution for her layback spin, which is the highest score a skater can receive under Code of Points. [ [http://www.isufs.org/results/gpusa07/sa07_Ladies_FS_Scores.pdf Skate America protocol] ] Zhang was hit hard by deductions for underrotating jumps, costing her 17 points overall. Zhang went on to the 2007 Cup of China, where she received fewer deductions and won the silver medal. She has earned 24 points in the Grand Prix series. Following the result of 2007 NHK Trophy, she qualified for the 2007-2008 Grand Prix Final, where she placed 2nd in the short program and fourth overall. She is the fourth World Junior Champion in a row to qualify for the Grand Prix Final in her first senior season.

Zhang had a bye through Regionals due to Skate America and a bye through Sectionals due to Cup of China. She made her senior national debut at the 2008 United States Figure Skating Championships, where she won the pewter medal. Zhang returned to the World Junior Championships, where she won the silver medal.

She's been assigned to Skate Canada and Trophée Eric Bompard for the 2008-2009 Grand Prix Season.

Innovative moves

Zhang popularized the "Pearl" spin position [cite news |first=Jeff |last=Bunch |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Ice queen at thirteen: Future appears unlimited for young skater Zhang |url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/skate/stories/?ID=170269 |work= |publisher=The Spokesman-Review |date=2007-01-21 |accessdate=2007-06-15 ] , a cross between a catch-foot layback spin and a Biellmann spin. In the Pearl, the free leg is brought up to waist-height and the free blade is grasped with both hands. The back and head are bent down towards the knee, with the free leg held above the head in a Biellmann position. This makes the spin, in essence, a catch-foot layback in a Biellmann position, because the Biellmann position, according to regulations, is achieved when the level of the boot passes the head so that the boot is above and behind or over the head. [PDFlink| [http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4844-175180-192398-89562-0-file,00.pdf ISU Communication No. 1319] |574 KiB ] It is a layback spin because it is an upright spin with the head and shoulders dropped backwards and the back arched downwards toward the ice. [cite web |url=http://www.usfigureskating.org/About.asp?id=60 |title=USFSA: Glossary of Terms |accessdate=2007-08-07 |format= |work= ] This position has become Zhang's signature spin.

Zhang also performs a "hyper-extended" Biellmann spin. She is one of several young skaters to perform this move. In this variation, the leg is pulled straight up in the air and the back bent as far into the spin as possible. Zhang is able to perform the spin with her free leg pulled straight up into the air, with very little knee bend, making the spin look closer to a capital-I position than the usual Biellmann teardrop shape. This is a crowd favorite in exhibitions.

Zhang has also performed a forward Charlotte spiral.

Programs

Competitive highlights

* N = Novice level; J = Junior level

References

External links

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