Caroline Zhang
| Caroline Zhang | |
|---|---|
| Height | 146 cm (4 ft 9 in) |
| Figure skating career | |
| Country |  United States |
| Coach | Ming Zhu Li, Sondra Holmes |
| Skating club | All Year FSC |
| Most Recent Results: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Event | Points | Finish | Year |
| National Championships | 151.88 | 2nd | 2007 |
| Junior Grand Prix Final | 162.68 | 1st | 2006 |
| JGP Chinese Taipei | 162.42 | 1st | 2006 |
Caroline Zhao Zhang (Traditional Chinese: ???, Simplified Chinese: ???, pinyin: Zhāng Yuányuán, born May 20, 1993 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American figure skater.
Career
Caroline Zhang first came to national attention when she placed 8th at the junior level at the 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 fifty-three points. She went on to win her second event by thirty-three points and then the Junior Grand Prix Final by twenty. 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.[1] Zhang represents the All Year FSC and trains at the rink owned by the Kwan family. After placing second at the 2007 National Championships behind Mirai Nagasu, Zhang was named to the World Junior team.
Zhang is coached by Mingzhu Li, who once coached 1995 World Champion Lu Chen. Her choreographer is Cindy Stuart.
Zhang is credited as the inventor of the "Pearl" spin position[2], a cross between a 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, while the back and head are bent down towards the knee, making the spin a Biellmann in a position parallel to the ice.. In a short time, this position has become Zhang's signature spin.
Competitive highlights
| Event | 2004-2005 | 2005-2006 | 2006-2007 |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Championships | 4th N. | 8th J. | 2nd J. |
| Junior Grand Prix Final | 1st | ||
| Junior Grand Prix, Mexico | 1st | ||
| Junior Grand Prix, Taipei | 1st | ||
| NACS Kansas | 4th J. | ||
| NACS Waterloo | 1st N. | ||
| Pacific Coast Sectionals | 4th N. | 3rd J. | |
| Southwest Pacific Regionals | 2nd N. | 2nd J. |
- N = Novice level; J = Junior level
References
External links
- Caroline Zhang at the International Skating Union
- Caroline Zhang at U.S. Figure Skating (archived)
- http://www.czforum.yix.org The Caroline Zhang Forum
- http://www.geocities.com/carolinezhangweb Caroline Zhang Web
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