Benjamin Agosto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Benjamin Agosto
Portrait of Benjamin Agosto 2023
Personal information
Full name	Benjamin Alexandro Agosto
Country represented	United States
Born	(1982-01-15) January 15, 1982 (age 43) Chicago, Illinois
Residence	Colorado Springs, Colorado
Height	1.78 m
Partner	Tanith Belbin
Former partner	Katie Hill
Former coach	Natalia Linichuk Gennadi Karponosov Igor Shpilband Marina Zueva Elizabeth Coates
Former choreographer	Natalia Linichuk Igor Shpilband J. T. Hornstein
Skating club	Arctic FSC
Retired	June 2010
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	221.26 2005 Worlds
Comp. dance	44.00 2005 4CC
Original dance	67.54 2005 Worlds
Free dance	111.54 2005 Worlds

Benjamin Alexandro Agosto (born January 15, 1982) is a famous American ice dancer. He is best known for skating with his partner, Tanith Belbin. Together, they won a silver medal at the 2006 Olympic Games. They were also four-time medalists at the World Championships and five-time U.S. champions.

Personal Life

Benjamin Agosto was born in Chicago, Illinois. His father is from Puerto Rico and his mother is Jewish, with family roots in Romania and Russia. He attended the Chicago Waldorf School and later graduated with honors from Groves High School in 2000. As a student, he also played in a jazz band.

Over the years, Agosto has lived in several states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Arizona, often moving for his skating career and training.

Skating Career

How It All Started

Agosto began skating when he was six years old after getting ice skates for his birthday. He switched to ice dancing when he was about 12. From 1995 to 1998, he skated with a partner named Katie Hill. After that partnership ended, he moved to Michigan to train with a top coach, Igor Shpilband.

A Winning Partnership with Tanith Belbin

In 1998, Agosto's coach paired him with Tanith Belbin, a skater from Canada. They quickly became a strong team. In their first season together, they won medals at junior-level competitions and a bronze medal at the 2000 World Junior Championships. The next year, they won gold at every junior event they entered.

They moved up to the senior level and won the silver medal at the 2001 U.S. Championships. This earned them a spot at their first senior World Championships.

Road to the Olympics

In 2002, Belbin and Agosto won the World Junior Championships. However, they couldn't compete in the 2002 Winter Olympics because Belbin was not yet a U.S. citizen.

From 2004 to 2008, Belbin and Agosto were unbeatable at the U.S. Championships, winning the national title five years in a row. At the 2005 competition, they earned perfect scores of 6.0 for their free dance performance, a rare and amazing achievement.

The team also used their fame to help others. In 2005, they organized a skating show called Skate Aid for Tsunami Relief, which raised over $37,000 for the Red Cross.

Olympic and World Success

Belbin and Agosto won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships. Their success helped the U.S. earn three spots for ice dancing at the next Olympics.

For Belbin to compete at the Olympics, she needed to become a U.S. citizen. A special law was passed by the U.S. Congress, and President George W. Bush signed it on New Year's Eve in 2005. This allowed Belbin to represent the United States.

At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Belbin and Agosto won the silver medal. They were the first American ice dancers to win an Olympic medal in 30 years.

Later Years and Retirement

After the Olympics, the team continued to compete at a high level. They won more medals at the World Championships and other major events. In 2008, they changed coaches and began working with Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov in Pennsylvania.

They competed in the 2010 Winter Olympics, where they finished in 4th place. On June 10, 2010, Belbin and Agosto announced their retirement from competitive skating.

In 2016, their incredible career was honored when they were inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

Life After Competition

After retiring, Agosto became a coach and a choreographer, creating routines for other skaters. He has choreographed for three Disney on Ice shows. He also became the director of ice dance at a skating rink in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Agosto has also done some voice acting for a video game and appeared on television as a spokesperson for the United States Census.

Competitive Highlights

With Belbin

With Hill

See also

• List of Puerto Ricans - Sports
• List of select Jewish figure skaters
• List of Jewish Olympic medalists