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Michael Weiss (figure skater)

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Michael Weiss
Weiss performing at Stars on Ice in 2010
Born (1976-08-02) August 2, 1976 (age 48)
Washington, DC
HometownMcLean, Virginia
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Figure skating career
Country United States
DisciplineMen's singles
Began skating1985
Retired2006
Event Gold medal – first place Silver medal – second place Bronze medal – third place
World Championships 0 0 2
Four Continents Championships 0 0 1
Grand Prix Final 0 0 1
U.S. Championships 3 3 1
World Junior Championships 1 1 0
Medal list
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Helsinki Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Nice Singles
Four Continents Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Salt Lake City Singles
Grand Prix Final
Bronze medal – third place 2003–04 Colorado Springs Singles
U.S. Championships
Gold medal – first place 1999 Salt Lake City Singles
Gold medal – first place 2000 Cleveland Singles
Gold medal – first place 2003 Dallas Singles
Silver medal – second place 1997 Nashville Singles
Silver medal – second place 1998 Philadelphia Singles
Silver medal – second place 2004 Atlanta Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Los Angeles Singles
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 1994 Colorado Springs Singles
Silver medal – second place 1993 Seoul Singles

Michael Weiss (born August 2, 1976) is an American former competitive and currently professional figure skater. He is in the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame and is a three-time national champion (1999, 2000, 2003) a two-time World bronze medalist (1999, 2000), and a two-time Olympic team member.

Personal life

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Michael Weiss was born August 2, 1976, in Washington, DC.[1] His father, Greg, was a gymnast on the 1964 Olympic team, and his mother, Margie, was also a gymnast and national champion.[2] His sister Geremi was a figure skater and junior national silver medalist;[3] his other sister, Genna, was junior world diving champion.[2]

Weiss graduated from Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School in Fairfax, Virginia.[4] He holds an associate degree in business marketing from Prince George's Community College.[citation needed] Weiss was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.[citation needed] In September 1997, he married his jazz dance teacher, Lisa Thornton.[1] Their daughter, Annie-Mae, was born in September 1998 and their son, Christopher Michael, in October 1999.[1][5]

Career

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Weiss began skating in 1986.[1] Audrey Weisiger coached him from the age of nine.[6] Weiss took the silver medal at the 1993 World Junior Championships in Seoul, South Korea and won gold at the 1994 World Junior Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

At the 1997 U.S. Championships, Weiss attempted to become the first American to land the quad toe loop. It was initially believed to have been successful but three hours after the competition, U.S. Figure Skating ruled that the jump had been two-footed and decided not to ratify it.[7][8] He pulled up from fifth after the short program to take the silver medal behind Todd Eldredge and was sent to Lausanne, Switzerland to compete at his first World Championships, where he finished seventh.

In February 1999, Weiss won his first senior national title at the U.S. Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah. The following month, he was awarded the bronze medal at the 1999 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. After recovering from a stress fracture in his left ankle, Weiss defended his national title at the 2000 U.S. Championships in Cleveland, Ohio and won bronze at the 2000 World Championships in Nice, France.[9]

Weiss missed part of the 2000–01 season due to a stress fracture in his foot.[10] At the start of the 2002–03 season, Don Laws filled in for Weisiger at the Campbell's Classic.[11] On October 29, 2002, Weiss decided to leave Weisiger to train full-time with Laws.[9][6]

Weiss competed 19 consecutive years at the U.S. Championships. He was the first American to land a quadruple toe loop in competition. He invented the "Tornado", a backflip with a full twist, and debuted it at the Hallmark Skaters Championship in December 2002.[11] Though not allowed in competition, it is a crowd favorite in exhibitions.

Weiss turned professional in 2006. He toured with Stars On Ice and competed in Ice Wars. Around 2012, he began teaching skating skills to hockey players.[4]

Michael Weiss Foundation

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While still an eligible skater, Weiss started the Michael Weiss Foundation, which gives scholarships to up-and-coming figure skaters. Skaters who have received scholarships include Nathan Chen, Adam Rippon, Ashley Wagner, Mirai Nagasu, Madison and Keiffer Hubbell, Daisuke Murakami, and Christine Zukowski.[12]

Programs

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Season Short program Free skating
2005–2006
[1]
  • Symphony No 6
    by Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Moonlight Sonata
    by Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Symphony No 9, Ode of Joy
    by Ludwig van Beethoven
2004–2005
[9]
2003–2004
[9]
  • Henry V
    by Patrick Doyle
  • Patriotic medley
2002–2003
[13]
  • Selections
    by van Halen and Metallica
2001–2002
[14]
  • Malagueña
    by Ernesto Lecuona
  • Che Gelida Manina
    by Giacomo Puccini
  • La Tregenda
    by Giacomo Puccini
    performed by the Czechoslovak Orchestra
  • Nessun dorma
    by Giacomo Puccini
    performed by the National Opera Orchestra
2000–2001
[10]

Competitive highlights

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Competition placements at senior level [15]
Season 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06
Winter Olympics 7th 7th
World Championships 7th 6th 3rd 3rd 6th 5th 6th
Four Continents Championships 3rd 9th
Grand Prix Final 4th 3rd
U.S. Championships 8th 6th 5th 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 4th 3rd 1st 2nd 5th 4th
GP Bofrost Cup on Ice 10th 5th 8th 4th
GP Cup of Russia 3rd 4th 6th 4th
GP NHK Trophy 4th
GP Skate America 2nd 2nd 4th 4th 5th 1st 3rd
GP Skate Canada 6th
GP Trophée Éric Bompard 3rd 2nd 5th 1st 3rd 6th
Goodwill Games 6th 4th 2nd
Grand Prix St. Gervais 2nd
Nebelhorn Trophy 2nd 1st
Winter Universiade 1st
Competition placements at junior & senior level [15]
Season 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94
World Junior Championships 2nd 1st
U.S. Championships 5th J
U.S. Championships (Figures) 1st S 2nd S

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Michael WEISS: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ a b Mittan, J. Barry (1995). "Strong Family Makes Weiss a Contender". Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  3. ^ Brannen, Sarah S.; Meekins, Drew (September 20, 2011). "The Inside Edge: The new quad king". Icenetwork. Archived from the original on December 25, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  4. ^ a b Meldrum Denholm, Kristine (March 20, 2015). "Pro figure skaters like Olympian Michael Weiss teaching skating for hockey players". USA Today.
  5. ^ "Michael Weiss Juggles Skating and Fatherhood". Celebrity Baby Blog. March 29, 2009. Archived from the original on September 18, 2009. Retrieved March 30, 2009.
  6. ^ a b "Healthy Weiss happy with recent change". ESPN. Associated Press. January 13, 2003.
  7. ^ Penner, Mike (February 16, 1997). "All Quarrel, No Quad in Nashville". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  8. ^ Longman, Jere (February 16, 1997). "Kwan's Slips Open Door For a Younger Champion". The New York Times. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d "Michael Weiss". U.S. Figure Skating. Archived from the original on July 21, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ a b "Michael WEISS: 2000/2001". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on July 15, 2001.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ^ a b "The 2002-03 Season: Michael Weiss". U.S. Figure Skating. 2003. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-22.
  12. ^ "Michael Weiss Foundation Show To Raise Money for Rising Stars". U.S. Figure Skating. September 5, 2006. Archived from the original on December 12, 2007. Retrieved November 20, 2007.
  13. ^ "Michael WEISS: 2002/2003". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on August 4, 2003.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. ^ "Michael WEISS: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 11, 2002.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ^ a b "Michael WEISS". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 23, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
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