Caroline Zhang

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Caroline Zhang

Zhang in 2007.
Personal Info
Country:	United States
Date of birth:	May 20, 1993 (1993-05-20) (age 15)
Height:	150 cm (4 ft 11 in)
Coach:	Li Ming Zhu, Sondra Holmes
Choreographer:	Lori Nichol, Tom Dickson, Karen Kwan
Skating Club:	All Year FSC
ISU Personal Best Scores
Short + Free Total:	176.48	2007 Grand Prix Final
Short Program:	62.60	2008 World Juniors
Free Skate:	114.66	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 and 2007 World Junior Champion.

[edit] Personal life

Caroline Zhang is ethnically Chinese. Her Chinese name is Yuan-Yuan (Traditional Chinese: 張圓圓; Simplified Chinese: 张圆圆; pinyin: Zhāng Yuányuán; ), which literally means round-round. She was born in Boston and moved to California at a young age^[1]. 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^[2], 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 Michelle Kwan.

[edit] 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^[3] fifty-three points.^[4] She went on to win her second event by thirty-three points^[5] and then the Junior Grand Prix Final by twenty.^[6] 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,^[7] including international judge Joe Inman.^[8]

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.^[9] 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 on the senior podium at the 2008 Nationals.

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.

[edit] Innovative moves

Zhang popularized the "Pearl" spin position^[10], 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.^[11] 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.^[12] 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.

Zhang performs her signature combination spin: traditional layback (frames 2 and 3), side layback (frame four), pearl (frames five through seven), and Biellmann (frames 9 and 10)

[edit] Programs

[edit] Competitive highlights

• N = Novice level; J = Junior level

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Caroline Zhang

• Caroline Zhang at the International Skating Union biography page
• Caroline Zhang at the United States Figure Skating Association

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