Meryl Davis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Meryl Davis
Meryl Davis and Charlie White at the 2013 World Championships
Personal information
Country represented	United States
Born	(1987-01-01) January 1, 1987 (age 38) Royal Oak, Michigan, United States
Home town	Plymouth, Michigan
Height	1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Began skating	1992
Retired	February 23, 2017

Meryl Davis (born January 1, 1987) is a famous American former ice dancer. She skated with her partner Charlie White. Together, they achieved many amazing things in figure skating.

Meryl and Charlie won the gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. They also won a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics. They were two-time World champions in 2011 and 2013. They also won the Grand Prix Final five times and the Four Continents Championship three times. They were also six-time U.S. national champions. At the 2014 Winter Olympics, they won a bronze medal in the team event too.

Meryl and Charlie started skating together in 1997. They became the longest-lasting ice dance team in the United States. They were also the first American ice dancers to win both a World title and an Olympic title.

In 2014, Meryl Davis won the 18th season of the TV show Dancing with the Stars. She danced with professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

About Meryl Davis

Meryl Davis was born in Royal Oak, Michigan. She grew up in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan. Her parents are Cheryl and Paul D. Davis. She has a younger brother named Clayton. Meryl has some difficulty seeing clearly out of her right eye. This means she doesn't have perfect depth perception.

When she was in third grade, Meryl was diagnosed with dyslexia. This made reading a challenge for her until she was in 11th grade. She graduated from Wylie E. Groves High School in June 2005.

Meryl studied at the University of Michigan. She focused on cultural anthropology and also learned Italian. She was part of the sorority Delta Delta Delta. Meryl also plays the flute. In March 2016, she became an ambassador for UNICEF Kid Power. Meryl earned a Master's degree in literature and creative writing from Harvard Extension School, Harvard University in 2025.

On July 13, 2017, Meryl got engaged to former figure skater Fedor Andreev. They had been dating for over six years. They got married in Provence, France, in June 2019.

Skating Journey

Starting Out

Meryl started skating when she was five years old. She would skate on a local lake in the winter. Because of her vision problems, she often stayed close to the edge of the rink when she first began. She first trained as a single skater. But at age eight, she started focusing on ice dance. She stopped singles skating to concentrate fully on ice dancing.

Her coach, Seth Chafetz, paired her with Charlie White in 1997. Meryl once said that she and Charlie grew up very close to each other. Their parents were also good friends. She mentioned that they grew up together and knew each other very well.

In their first season, Meryl and Charlie won a silver medal at the Junior Olympics. This was in the Juvenile division. The next year, they won gold at the Junior Olympics in the intermediate level. In the 2000–01 season, they competed at the 2001 U.S. Championships. They placed 6th as Novices. In 2001–02, they won a silver medal as novices. After that, they moved up to the junior level.

Junior Competitions

In the 2003–2004 season, Meryl and Charlie won their sectional championship. Then, they won the junior silver medal at the U.S. Nationals. This allowed them to go to the 2004 Junior Worlds. There, they finished in 13th place.

During the 2004–2005 season, they won two bronze medals in the ISU Junior Grand Prix series. However, Charlie broke his ankle before Sectionals. This meant they could not compete at the 2005 U.S. Championships. Their season ended early.

In the 2005–2006 season, Meryl and Charlie won medals at both their Junior Grand Prix events. They placed second at the Junior Grand Prix Final. They won the junior national title at the 2006 U.S. Championships. Then, they earned a bronze medal at the 2006 Junior Worlds. After this season, Meryl was too old to compete as a junior. They had some time off training when Charlie broke his ankle again in 2006.

Senior Career Highlights

Meryl Davis and Charlie White became one of the top ice dance teams in the world. They won many major competitions.

• 2009: They won their first Four Continents title and their first U.S. national title.
• 2010: They won their first Grand Prix Final. They also won a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. They earned a silver medal at the World Championships.
• 2011: They won their first World Championship title. They also won their second Four Continents and Grand Prix Final titles.
• 2012: They won their third U.S. national title and third Grand Prix Final title. They also won a silver medal at the World Championships.
• 2013: They won their second World Championship title. They also won their third Four Continents title and fourth Grand Prix Final title.
• 2014: This was a huge year for them. They won their sixth U.S. national title and fifth Grand Prix Final title. Most importantly, they won the gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. They also won a bronze medal in the team event at the same Olympics.

After Competing

Meryl Davis and Charlie White still perform together in ice shows. On February 23, 2017, they announced that they would not return to competitive skating. They continue to share their amazing talent with fans around the world.

Dancing with the Stars

On March 4, 2014, Meryl Davis was announced as a contestant on the 18th season of Dancing with the Stars. She was paired with professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Her skating partner, Charlie White, also competed on the same season. On May 20, 2014, Meryl and Maksim were named the champions of the season.

See also

In Spanish: Meryl Davis para niños