Chris Reed (figure skater) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Reed クリス・リード
Reed with Muramoto at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Personal information
Country represented	Japan
Born	(1989-07-07)July 7, 1989 Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
Died	March 14, 2020(2020-03-14) (aged 30) Detroit, Michigan, United States
Home town	Warren Township, New Jersey
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Former partner	Kana Muramoto, Cathy Reed
Coach	Marina Zueva, Oleg Eipstein, Massimo Scali, Johnny Johns
Former coach	Galit Chait Moracci, Alexei Gorshkov, Tyler Myles, John Kerr, Inese Bucevica, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Nikolai Morozov, Mathew Gates, Valter Rizzo, Andrew Stroukoff, Susan Kelley
Choreographer	Marina Zueva, Massimo Scali
Former choreographer	Igor Shpilband, Patti Wilcox, Galit Chait, Inese Bucevica, Nikolai Morozov
Skating club	Arctic Edge FSC Kinoshita Club Tokyo
Former skating club	Kawagoe Figure Skating Club
Training locations	Canton, Michigan
Former training locations	Hackensack, New Jersey
Began skating	1994
Retired	31 December 2019
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	164.38 2018 Worlds
Short dance:	65.65 2018 Worlds
Free dance	98.73 2018 Worlds
Medal record Figure skating: Ice dancing Representing  Japan Four Continents Championships Bronze 2018 Taipei Ice dancing World Team Trophy Gold 2017 Tokyo Team Gold 2012 Tokyo Team Bronze 2015 Tokyo Team Bronze 2013 Tokyo Team Bronze 2009 Tokyo Team Asian Winter Games Silver 2017 Sapporo Ice dancing Silver 2011 Astana-Almaty Ice dancing

Chris Reed (July 7, 1989 – March 14, 2020) was an American-born Japanese ice dancer. He was known for his amazing performances on the ice. Chris competed for Japan in many big events around the world.

He skated with his sister, Cathy Reed, and later with Kana Muramoto. With Cathy, he won the Japanese national title seven times. They also earned a silver medal at the 2011 Asian Winter Games. They even competed in two Winter Olympics!

Later, with Kana Muramoto, Chris won the Japanese national title three more times. They also earned a bronze medal at the 2018 Four Continents Championships. They won another silver medal at the 2017 Asian Winter Games. This partnership also took them to the 2018 Winter Olympics.

About Chris Reed

Early Life and Family

Chris Reed was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in the United States. His mother was Japanese, and his father was American. This meant Chris had dual citizenship from birth. He chose to keep his Japanese citizenship when he turned 21.

Chris had two sisters who also loved to skate. His older sister, Cathy, became his ice dancing partner. His younger sister, Allison Reed, is also an ice dancer. The Reed siblings grew up in Warren Township, New Jersey.

Starting His Skating Journey

Chris and Cathy first started as singles skaters. But when Cathy was 12, they decided to try ice dancing together. They trained in Hackensack, New Jersey.

In 2006, they won the novice ice dancing title at the U.S. Championships. After this, they decided to represent Japan. This allowed them to compete at a higher level internationally.

Chris's Skating Career

Partnership with Cathy Reed

Chris and Cathy quickly moved up to the senior level in ice dancing. They competed in many international events. In 2007, they placed 7th at the Four Continents Championships.

They won their first Japanese national championships title in the 2007–08 season. They continued to win this title for many years. Chris had to take time off once for knee surgery, but he came back strong.

The Reed siblings represented Japan at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. They finished in 17th place. They also won a silver medal at the 2011 Asian Winter Games.

They competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. After the 2014–15 season, Cathy Reed decided to retire from competitive skating.

Partnership with Kana Muramoto

Chris and Cathy Reed at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships

In June 2015, Chris announced he would skate with Kana Muramoto. They trained in Canton, Michigan. Their first international competition was the 2015 NHK Trophy.

They quickly became a strong team, winning the Japanese national title in their first season together. They also earned a silver medal at the Toruń Cup in Poland. In 2016, they placed 15th at the World Championships.

Success in 2016–2017

Muramoto and Reed continued to improve. They won a silver medal at the 2016 CS U.S. Classic. They won their second national title in Japan.

In February 2017, they earned a silver medal at the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo. This was a big achievement for the team.

Road to the Olympics (2017–2018)

The 2017–18 season was very important. Muramoto and Reed won a bronze medal at the 2017 CS U.S. Classic. They then secured a spot for Japan at the Olympics by winning a silver medal at the 2017 Nebelhorn Trophy.

They won their third national title in Japan. In January, they earned a bronze medal at the 2018 Four Continents Championships.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, they finished 15th. They then achieved Japan's best-ever ice dancing result at the World Championships, placing 11th.

Retirement

In August 2018, Chris and Kana decided to end their partnership. Chris announced his retirement from competitive skating on December 31, 2019. He had a long and successful career representing Japan.

Chris Reed's Legacy

Chris Reed passed away on March 14, 2020, in Detroit, Michigan, due to sudden cardiac arrest. The Japan Skating Federation shared their sadness and thanked Chris for his important contributions to Japanese ice dancing. His sister Cathy shared a heartfelt tribute to him. Chris is remembered for his dedication and talent in figure skating.

Competitive Highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series

With Kana Muramoto for Japan

With Cathy Reed for Japan

With Cathy Reed for the United States