Meryl Davis

Meryl Davis

Davis & White at the 2008 Four Continents Championships
Personal information
Full name	Meryl Davis
Country represented	United States
Born	January 1, 1987 (1987-01-01) (age 24) Royal Oak, Michigan
Home town	West Bloomfield, Michigan
Height	5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Partner	Charlie White
Coach	Igor Shpilband Marina Zoueva
Former coach	Seth Chafetz
Choreographer	Igor Shpilband Marina Zoueva
Skating club	Arctic FSC
Current training locations	Canton, Michigan
Began skating	1990
World standing	1 (As of 17 June 2011 (2011 -06-17)[update])[1]
Season's bests	1 (2010–2011)[2] 2 (2009–2010)[3] 4 (2008–2009)[4]
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	185.27 2011 Worlds
Short dance:	73.76 2011 Worlds
Free dance	111.51 2011 Worlds
Medal record Figure skating Ice dancing Competitor for the  United States Olympic Games Silver 2010 Vancouver Ice dancing World Championships Gold 2011 Moscow Ice dancing Silver 2010 Turin Ice dancing Four Continents Championships Gold 2011 Taipei Ice dancing Gold 2009 Vancouver Ice dancing Silver 2008 Goyang Ice dancing Grand Prix Final Gold 2010–2011 Beijing Ice dancing Gold 2009–2010 Tokyo Ice dancing World Junior Championships Bronze 2006 Ljubljana Ice dancing Junior Grand Prix Final Silver 2005–2006 Ostrava Ice dancing

Olympic medal record
Figure skating
Pair's Ice dancing
Competitor for the  United States
Silver	2010 Vancouver	Ice dancing

Meryl Davis (born January 1, 1987) is an American ice dancer. With partner Charlie White, she is the 2011 World champion, 2010 Olympic silver medalist, the 2010 World silver medalist, a two-time (2009, 2010) Grand Prix Final champion, two-time (2009, 2011) Four Continents champion and three-time (2009–2011) U.S. national champion.

Davis and White teamed up in 1997 and they are currently the longest lasting dance team in the United States. They are the first American ice dancers to win the World title. At the 2006 NHK Trophy, they became the first ice dancing team to earn level fours on all their elements.^[5]

At the 2010 U.S. Championships, they were nominated to represent the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics.^[6] They won the silver medal in the ice dancing event.

They are the current world record holders for the free dance in the 2010-2011 season.

Personal life

Meryl Davis was raised in West Bloomfield, Michigan. She lives and attends school in Ann Arbor, Michigan and trains in Canton, Michigan.

In June 2005, Davis graduated from Wylie E. Groves High School. She was a member of the National Honor Society and, upon graduation, received the Phi Beta Kappa Society award. She attends the University of Michigan, where she is majoring in cultural anthropology,^[7] and also studying Italian.^[8] She is an active member of the sorority Delta Delta Delta. She can play the flute.^[8]

Career

Early career

Davis began skating at age five on a local lake in the winter.^[9] She started out as a single skater, but began doing ice dance at age eight.^[9] She got as high as Midwestern sectionals in novice ladies before quitting singles to focus on ice dancing.^[9]

She was teamed up with Charlie White by her coach, Seth Chafetz, in 1997.^[9][10] The duo immediately experienced success. In their first year as partners they won the silver medal at the Junior Olympics in the Juvenile division.

In the 2000–2001 season,they qualified for the 2001 U.S. Championships, placing 6th as Novices. The next season they won the silver medal as novices and then moved up to Junior. They did not win a medal at either of their two Junior Grand Prix assignments and placed 7th at the 2002 U.S. Championships in their junior debut.

Junior career

In the 2003–2004 season, they won their sectional championship and then won the junior silver medal at Nationals. This earned them a trip to the 2004 Junior Worlds, where they placed 13th.

In the 2004–2005 season, Davis and White did very well internationally on the Junior circuit, winning two bronze medals. However, White broke his ankle before Sectionals and so Davis and White were unable to qualify for the 2005 U.S. Championships. Their season ended there.

In the 2005–2006 season, they came back strong. They medaled at both their Junior Grand Prix events and placed second at the Junior Grand Prix Final. They won the Junior National Title at the 2006 U.S. Championships and then won the bronze medal at the 2006 Junior Worlds. Following that season, Davis aged out of Juniors.

Senior career

Davis and White performing their free dance to The Phantom of the Opera at the 2009-2010 Grand Prix Final.

2006–2007 season

In the 2006–2007 season, they made their debut both nationally and internationally as seniors. They placed 4th at both their 2006–2007 ISU Grand Prix assignments. At the 2006 NHK Trophy, they became the first team to earn all level fours on their elements. At the 2007 U.S. Championships, they won the bronze medal at the senior level, qualifying them for the 2007 World Championships. They are the first team since Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto to go directly from winning the Junior national title to making the World team.

At the World Championships, Davis and White placed 7th, the highest debut placement for an American team at Worlds since 1980.^[11]

2007–2008 season

Davis and White placed 4th at the 2007 Skate America and then went on to win their first Grand Prix medal at the 2007 Trophée Eric Bompard.

They completely revamped their Eleanor Rigby's Eleanor's Dream free dance before the 2008 U.S. Championships due to its poor reception. They won the silver medal at the competition, one spot up from the previous season. They also won silver at 2008 Four Continents and were sixth at the 2008 World Championships.

2008–2009 season

In the 2008–2009 season, Davis and White won their first Grand Prix assignment, the 2008 Skate Canada. In their second assignment, the 2008 Cup of Russia, they placed third in the compulsory dance but were eighth in the original dance after White fell twice and stumbled on twizzles.^[10] They recovered in the free dance, placing second in the segment and moving up to win the bronze medal, which together with the gold from Skate Canada was enough to qualify them for their first Grand Prix Final. At the 2008–2009 Grand Prix Final, they won the bronze medal.

At the 2009 National Championships, they won the event after reigning champions Belbin and Agosto withdrew due to injury. They won by a 20 point margin over silver medalists Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates.

In February 2009, they won the ice dance title at the Four Continents Championships, placing second in both the compulsory and original dance behind training mates Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir but winning the free dance.^[12]

At the 2009 World Championships they placed 4th. Though they placed third in both the original and free dance portions, they lost too much ground in the compulsory to overcome training mates Virtue and Moir for the bronze. Only .04 points separated 3rd from 4th.

2009–2010 season

They competed at the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy, finishing first in all the segments of the competition. Overall they won the gold medal with a score of 200.46 points, 30.87 ahead of silver medalists Alexandra Zaretski and Roman Zaretski.

They won the 2009 Rostelecom Cup and the 2009 NHK Trophy, which qualified them for the 2009–2010 Grand Prix Final. At the Grand Prix Final, they won the original dance and placed second in the free dance to win the title overall, becoming the first American ice dancers to do so. At the 2010 National Championships, Davis and White won their second national title.^[8] They beat former training partners Belbin and Agosto, the first time they had ever done so, and led through all portions of the competition.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, they placed second to Canada's Virtue & Moir, winning silver. They skated a personal best in the free skate portion of ice dancing, garnering a score of 107.19 and received a personal best total score of 215.74.

They also won the silver medal at the 2010 World Championships.

2010–2011 season

Davis and White were undefeated in their 2010-2011 season.

For the 2010–2011 ISU Grand Prix season, they were assigned to the 2010 NHK Trophy and to the 2010 Skate America. They won NHK with 66.97 points in the short dance and 98.24 in the free dance, for a total of 165.21 points. Following NHK, they decided to make some adjustments to their free dance.^[13] At Skate America they earned 63.62 in the short dance and 93.06 points in the free dance after both fell, with their nearest rivals also having a fall.^[14] They earned an overall total of 156.68 and the gold medal. Their results qualified them for the 2010–2011 Grand Prix Final where they successfully defended their title, scoring 68.64 in the short and 102.94 in the free for a total of 171.58 points. They won their 3rd consecutive national title at the U.S. Championships held at Greensboro, North Carolina. They earned 76.04 points for their short dance and 109.44 points for their free dance scoring a total of 185.48 points.

At the 2011 Four Continents Championships, they placed second to Virtue and Moir in the short dance. The Canadians later withdrew from the free dance. Davis and White went on to win the free dance and the title.

At the 2011 World Championships, Davis and White placed second in the short dance by 0.53 points, with a score of 73.76 points. In the free dance, they placed first with a score of 111.51 points, the highest free dance score that season. Overall, they won the gold medal by 3.48 points over reigning Olympic and World champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. This was the United States' first ice dancing World title.

2011–2012 season

For the 2011–2012 season, Davis and White are assigned to two Grand Prix events, 2011 Skate America and 2011 Cup of Russia, having declined a newly introduced option to compete in a third.^[15] They announced their music selections in August, including La Strada for their free dance,^[15] but in October announced a change to Die Fledermaus.^[16] Davis and White won gold at Skate America, with 70.33 points in the short dance and 107.74 points in the free dance. They were 21.78 points ahead of 2nd place team Nathalie Péchalat and Fabian Bourzat.

Programs

Davis & White perform their Beyond the Sea exhibition at the 2006 Skate Canada International.

Season	Short dance	Free dance	Exhibition
2011–2012	Batucadas by Mitoka Samba Life is a Carnival by various artists On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez	Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II	Someone Like You by Adele
2010–2011	Waltz: Brindisi from La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi Waltz: Musetta's Waltz from La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini	Il Postino (soundtrack) by Luis Bacalov Payadora (Forever Tango) by Lisandro Adrover Recuerdo (Forever Tango) by Lisandro Adrover	The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson Rhythm of Love by Plain White T's
	Original dance
2009–2010	Kajra Re from Bunty Aur Babli soundtrack by Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa Silsila Ye Chahat Ka & Dola Re Dola from Devdas soundtrack by Sameer and Nusret Badr	Overture & Music of the Night & Point of No Return from The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber	Billie Jean by Michael Jackson performed by David Cook
2008–2009	Happy Feet by Jack Yellen and Milton Ager 20's Piano Original Composition by Joe Laduke	Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns S'Apre Per Te Il Mio Cuore by Filippa Giordano	Don't Stop Me Now by Queen
2007–2008	Kalinka by Ivan Larionov	Eleanor's Dream Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles	Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin performed by Kevin Spacey
2006–2007	A Los Amigos by Ástor Piazzolla	Prince Igor from Polovtsian Dances by Alexander Borodin	Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin performed by Kevin Spacey
2005–2006	Ran Kan Kan – En Los Pasos de mi Padre by Tito Puente Bésame Mucho from Un Bolero Por Favor by Consuelo Velázquez performed by Nana Mouskouri	Sarabande by Handel
2004–2005	Bésame Mucho from Un Bolero Por Favor by Consuelo Velázquez performed by Nana Mouskouri	Sarabande by Handel
2003–2004	Pennsylvania 6-5000 That's All Right This Cat's on a Hot Tin Roof	Hasta Que te Conoci De Mis Manos Voy a Conquistarte Que Viva la Alegria by Raúl di Blasio
2002–2003	Die Fledermaus by Johan Strauss	Chocolat by Rachel Portman

Competitive highlights

(with White)

Senior results

Event	2006–07	2007–08	2008–09	2009–10	2010–11	2011–12
Winter Olympic Games				2nd
World Championships	7th	6th	4th	2nd	1st
Four Continents Championships	4th	2nd	1st		1st
U.S. Championships	3rd	2nd	1st	1st	1st
Grand Prix Final			3rd	1st	1st
Cup of Russia			3rd	1st		TBD
NHK Trophy	4th			1st	1st
Skate America		4th			1st	1st
Skate Canada	4th		1st
Trophée Eric Bompard		3rd
Nebelhorn Trophy				1st

Pre-2006 results

Event	1997–98	1998–99	1999–00	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06
World Junior Championships							13th		3rd
U.S. Championships			6th N.	6th N.	2nd N.	7th J.	2nd J.		1st J.
U.S. Junior Championships	2nd Ju.	1st I.
Junior Grand Prix Final									2nd
Junior Grand Prix, Andorra									2nd
Junior Grand Prix, Bulgaria									1st
Junior Grand Prix, Romania								3rd
Junior Grand Prix, Serbia						6th		3rd
Junior Grand Prix, Japan							4th
Junior Grand Prix, Czech Republic							4th
Junior Grand Prix, Germany						8th
Hellmut Cup Memorial					1st N.
Midwestern Sectionals		1st I.	3rd N.	2nd N.	1st N.		1st J.
Eastern Great Lakes Regional	1st Ju.	1st I.	3rd N.

• Ju = Juvenile level; I = Intermediate level; N = Novice level; J = Junior level

References

1. ^ "ISU World Standings for Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance : Ice Dance". International Skating Union. June 17, 2011. http://www.isuresults.com/ws/ws/wsdance.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2011. 
2. ^ "ISU Judging System - Season Bests Total Scores 2010/2011 : Ice Dance". International Skating Union. April 30, 2011. http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/sb2010-11/sbtsdto.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2011. 
3. ^ "ISU Judging System - Season Bests Total Scores 2009/2010 : Ice Dance". International Skating Union. March 26, 2010. http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/sb2009-10/sbtsdto.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2011. 
4. ^ "ISU Judging System - Season Bests Total Scores 2008/2009 : Ice Dance". International Skating Union. April 18, 2009. http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/sb2008-09/sbtsdto.htm. Retrieved June 20, 2011. 
5. ^ Zanca, Sal (January 9, 2007). "NHK milestone gives confidence to Davis and White". U.S. Figure Skating. http://www.usfsa.org/event_story.asp?id=37130. Retrieved August 31, 2011. 
6. ^ "U.S. Figure Skating Announces Ladies, Ice Dancing Teams Nominated to 2010 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team". U.S. Figure Skating. January 23, 2010. http://www.usfigureskating.org/Story.asp?id=44108&type=media. Retrieved January 23, 2010. 
7. ^ Armour, Nancy (January 5, 2010). "Davis-White's Bollywood-style OD a hit in India". Associated Press (The Seattle Times). http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2010700174_apolyfigbollywoodhit.html. Retrieved January 28, 2011. 
8. ^ ^{a b c} Mittan, Barry (February 4, 2010). "Davis and White Win Second U. S. Ice Dancing Crown". Skate Today. http://www.skatetoday.com/2010/02/04/davis-and-white-win-second-u-s-ice-dancing-crown/. Retrieved August 30, 2011. 
9. ^ ^{a b c d} Mittan, Barry (July 15, 2004). "Meryl Davis and Charlie White: Davis and White in Long Term Partnership". GoldenSkate.com. http://www.goldenskate.com/articles/2004/071504.shtml. Retrieved December 23, 2010. 
10. ^ ^{a b} Golinsky, Reut (2009). "Meryl Davis and Charlie White: "We'd like to mix up the order in the US team!"". AbsoluteSkating.com. http://absoluteskating.com/interviews/2009daviswhite.html. Retrieved December 23, 2010. 
11. ^ Fawcett, Laura (March 23, 2007). "Belbin and Agosto Capture Ice Dancing Bronze Medal". U.S. Figure Skating. http://www.usfigureskating.org/Story.asp?id=38053. Retrieved February 19, 2011. 
12. ^ Helene Elliott (2009-02-06). "Meryl Davis, Charlie White skate to an upset victory". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2009/02/stop-the-presse.html. Retrieved 2009-02-06. 
13. ^ Binder, Doug (November 13, 2010). "Skate America: Ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White relish rise and U.S. performance". The Oregonian. http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/11/skate_america_ice_dancers_mery.html. Retrieved December 23, 2010. 
14. ^ "Kanako Murakami wins 1st senior title". Associated Press (ESPN). November 14, 2010. http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/figureskating/news/story?id=5805718. Retrieved December 23, 2010. 
15. ^ ^{a b} Kany, Klaus-Reinhold; Rutherford, Lynn (August 8, 2011). "There's no time to waste in Canton". Icenetwork. http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110808&content_id=22925906&vkey=ice_news. Retrieved August 8, 2011. 
16. ^ Rutherford, Lynn (October 20, 2011). "Davis, White go in different direction". Icenetwork. http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111017&content_id=25693400&vkey=ice_news. Retrieved October 20, 2011. 

External links

• Official website
• Meryl Davis at the United States Olympic Committee
• Davis & White at the United States Figure Skating Association
• Davis & White at the International Skating Union

Persondata
Name	Davis, Meryl
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	January 1, 1987
Place of birth	Royal Oak, Michigan
Date of death
Place of death