Evan Lysacek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Evan Lysacek
Lysacek at the 2009 World Championships
Personal information
Full name	Evan Frank Lysacek
Country represented	United States
Born	(1985-06-04) June 4, 1985 (age 40) Chicago, Illinois
Home town	Los Angeles, California
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Began skating	1994

Evan Frank Lysacek (born June 4, 1985) is a retired American figure skater. He is famous for winning the gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics. He also won the World Championship in 2009.

Evan was a two-time champion at the Four Continents Championship (2005, 2007). He also won the Grand Prix Final in 2009. He was a two-time U.S. national champion in 2007 and 2008. In 2016, he was added to the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

About Evan Lysacek

Evan Lysacek was born in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in Naperville. His mother was a teacher, and his father was a building contractor. He has two sisters, Laura and Christina.

Evan went to Neuqua Valley High School. He was a good student and earned many awards. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles, California. He trained at the Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, California.

Evan is partly of Czech and Italian background. He is a Greek Orthodox Christian. He once said his Orthodox cross was one of his most special belongings. In 2019, Evan married Duangpatra Bodiratnangkura in Bangkok, Thailand.

Evan's Skating Journey

Evan started skating when he was eight years old. His grandmother bought him skates for Christmas. He first wanted to play ice hockey. But his mother signed him and his sister up for figure skating lessons.

Starting Out (Early Career)

In 1996, Evan won his first big title. He won the U.S. national title at the Juvenile level. This is the lowest level in U.S. figure skating. In 1999, at age thirteen, he won the U.S. Novice title.

Junior Skating Years

Evan started competing internationally as a junior in 1999. He won one of his first international events. In 2000, at fourteen, he won the U.S. Junior title. He was the first male skater in a long time to win both Novice and Junior titles in a row.

In the 2000–2001 season, Evan won two silver medals in junior international events. He made his senior national debut in 2001, placing 12th. He then won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships. This was a big achievement for him.

The next year, Evan had some injuries. He also missed training after the September 11, 2001 attacks. He placed 12th again at the U.S. Championships. But he won a gold medal at the 2002 Triglav Trophy.

In 2003, Evan improved his training. He won two more silver medals in junior events. He placed 7th at the U.S. Championships. He also competed in his first senior international event, the 2003 Four Continents Championships. He placed 10th there. At the 2003 Junior Worlds, he landed his first clean triple Axel jump.

Lysacek at the 2004 Four Continents

After high school in 2003, Evan started working with new coaches, Ken Congemi and Frank Carroll. With them, he won two more junior international events. He also won the 2003–2004 Junior Grand Prix Final. In 2004, he won a bronze medal at the Four Continents, his first senior international medal. He also won another silver medal at the World Junior Championships.

Senior Skating Years

Evan started competing full-time at the senior level in the 2004–2005 season. Even with a hip injury, he placed well in his first Grand Prix events. At the 2005 U.S. Championships, he won a bronze medal. He then won his first senior international title at the 2005 Four Continents. He surprised many by winning a bronze medal at his first senior World Championships in Moscow.

In the 2005–2006 season, Evan continued to do well. He won silver medals at Skate America and NHK Trophy. He had to withdraw from the Grand Prix Final due to a hip injury. At the 2006 U.S. Championships, he finished second. This earned him a spot on the 2006 Winter Olympic team.

At the Olympics, Evan got sick but still skated his best. He finished fourth overall, just missing a medal. He then won another bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships. He was sick again but still performed strongly.

In the 2006–2007 season, Evan won a gold medal at the 2006 Cup of China. He also won his first national title at the 2007 U.S. Championships. He landed his first clean quadruple jump in competition there. A week later, he won his second Four Continents title. He finished fifth at the 2007 World Championships.

The 2007–2008 season saw Evan win silver medals at Skate America and Cup of China. He won a bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final. He also won his second national title at the 2008 U.S. Championships. He tied with another skater but won on a tiebreaker. He won a bronze medal at the 2008 Four Continents. He had to withdraw from the World Championships due to an injury.

In the 2008–2009 season, Evan won two bronze medals at Grand Prix events. At the 2009 U.S. Championships, he won a bronze medal. He then won a silver medal at the 2009 Four Continents.

At the 2009 World Championships, Evan made history. He won the gold medal, becoming the first American man to win the World title since 1996. He competed with a stress fracture in his foot. This win helped the United States get three spots for the men's event at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Lysacek at the 2010 Winter Olympics

The 2009–2010 season was very successful for Evan. He won a silver medal at the 2009 Cup of China. He then won a gold medal at the 2009 Skate America. He won the Grand Prix Final, becoming the second American to do so. At the 2010 U.S. Championships, he won a silver medal. This secured his spot on the Olympic team.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Evan Lysacek won the gold medal. He became the first American man to win an Olympic title since 1988. He also became the first reigning world champion to win since 1984. He later withdrew from the 2010 World Championships.

In 2010, Evan received the James E. Sullivan Award. This award is given to America's best amateur athlete. He was only the fourth figure skater to win it.

After the Olympics

Evan did not compete much after 2010 due to injuries. He hoped to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics. However, he had to withdraw from competitions due to a hip injury. In 2014, he announced that his competitive skating career was ending. In 2016, he was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

Coaches and Mentors

Lysacek with Frank Carroll, his coach since June 2003, at the 2007 Grand Prix Final where he won the bronze medal

Evan Lysacek had several coaches throughout his career. He worked with Candice Brown, Deborah Stoery, and Maria Jeżak-Athey. He also trained with Viktor Kudriavtsev.

In June 2003, Evan began working with Frank Carroll and Ken Congemi. Carroll became his main coach. Evan trained at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo. He also worked with famous choreographers like Oleg Epstein, Kurt Browning, Lori Nichol, and Tatiana Tarasova.

Public Life and Activities

Evan Lysacek has supported many charities. He helped the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. He also supported the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute. He is a board member for Figure Skating in Harlem.

After winning the 2009 World Championships, Evan gained many sponsors. These included Coca-Cola, AT&T, and Ralph Lauren. He also worked as a spokesperson for Total Gym.

Costumes

Evan Lysacek wore costumes designed by famous fashion houses. These included Christian Dior and Alexander McQueen. He also worked with Vera Wang. Wang designed the mock tuxedo he wore when he won the 2009 World Championships. They also worked together on his costumes for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Dancing with the Stars

Evan Lysacek was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in 2010. He was paired with professional dancer Anna Trebunskaya. They finished in second place.

Competitive Highlights

From left to right: the 2008 Skate America podium, the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships podium, and the 2009–10 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final podium

Images for kids

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  Lysacek performs his exhibition at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

See also

In Spanish: Evan Lysacek para niños