Alex Shibutani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alex Shibutani |
|
|---|---|
The Shibutanis in 2018
|
|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Alex Hideo Shibutani |
| Country represented |  United States |
| Born | April 25, 1991 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Home town | Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. |
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) |
| Began skating | 1998 |
Alex Hideo Shibutani, born on April 25, 1991, is an American ice dancer. He skates with his sister, Maia Shibutani. Together, they have won two bronze medals at the 2018 Olympics. They also earned three medals at the World Championships (silver in 2016, bronze in 2011 and 2017). In 2016, they became champions at the Four Continents competition, and they won the U.S. national championship twice (in 2016 and 2017).
The Shibutanis have also won six titles in the Grand Prix series. When they were juniors, they won a silver medal at the 2009 World Junior Championships and a bronze medal at the 2009–10 Junior Grand Prix Final. They competed for the U.S. Olympic team twice, first at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and then at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. In 2018, they made history as the first ice dancers of Asian descent to win an Olympic medal. They were also the second brother-sister duo to share an Olympic ice dancing medal, and the first from the United States.
Contents
About Alex Shibutani
Early Life and Family
Alex Hideo Shibutani was born on April 25, 1991, in Boston. His parents, Chris and Naomi Shibutani, are both of Japanese descent. They met while studying music at Harvard University. Alex has a younger sister, Maia Shibutani, who is his ice dancing partner.
Alex attended the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut, in the late 1990s. Later, his family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where they lived from 2005 to 2007. In 2007, they moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Education
While living in Colorado Springs, Alex Shibutani went to Cheyenne Mountain High School for his freshman and sophomore years. He finished his junior and senior years of high school at Huron High School in Ann Arbor. In the fall of 2009, he started attending the University of Michigan.
Alex's Skating Journey
How Alex Started Skating
Alex Shibutani began skating when he was seven years old. At first, he trained as a single skater and competed in singles up to the juvenile level. In March 2003, he and his family went to the World Championships in Washington D.C.
Alex shared that they had seats very close to the ice. When the ice dancers came out to warm up, they could feel the wind as the skaters zoomed by. He said they were very impressed by how artistic, skilled, and fast the top teams were. This experience made them decide to try ice dancing themselves.
Awards and Special Recognitions
- The Shibutani siblings have won the Edi Award twice from the Professional Skaters Association. This award is for outstanding ice dance performances at the U.S. National Championships.
- They have also won the U.S. Olympic Committee "Team of the Month" award several times. This includes awards in October and December 2017 for their achievements representing Team USA in international competitions.
- Maia and Alex were chosen as finalists for the 2018 James E. Sullivan Award. This award has been given annually since 1930 by the AAU to honor the best amateur athlete in America across all sports.
Partnerships and Sponsors
Alex and Maia Shibutani have worked with several well-known brands:
- Tumi Inc. - They are brand ambassadors for this company.
- Ralph Lauren Corporation - They are official sponsored athletes, along with other Olympians like Gus Kenworthy, Aja Evans, Jamie Anderson, and Paralympian Rico Roman.
- Intel - They were part of the Global Team Intel Athletes for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
- Coca-Cola Corporation's Minute Maid brand
- The Hershey Company's Ice Breakers brand
- Smucker's Milk-Bone brand
See also
In Spanish: Alex Shibutani para niños
