Nam Nguyen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nam Nguyen
Nguyen at the 2015 Four Continents
Personal information
Full name	Nam Phuc Nguyen
Country represented	Canada
Born	(1998-05-20) May 20, 1998 (age 27) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Home town	Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Coach	Robert Burke, Danielle Rose
Former coach	Tracey Wainman, Gregor Filipowski, David Glynn, Brian Orser, Ernest Pryhitka, Tracy Wilson, Joanne McLeod, Kevin Bursey
Choreographer	Mary A. Larmer, Danielle Rose, Kurt Browning
Former choreographer	Tracey Robertson-Hanford, David Wilson, Jeffrey Buttle, Lori Nichol, Joanne McLeod, Aaron Lowe
Skating club	Richmond Hill Training Centre
Former skating club	York Region Skating Academy, Toronto Cricket Club, BC Centre of Excellence
Training locations	Richmond Hill, Ontario
Former training locations	San Jose, California; Toronto, Ontario; Burnaby, British Columbia
Began skating	2003
Retired	May 20, 2022
World standing	24 (2018–19) 25 (2017–18) 23 (2016–17) 14 (2015–16) 19 (2014–15) 40 (2013–14) 64 (2012–13) 98 (2011–12)
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	262.77 2019 Skate Canada
Short program	87.57 2019 World Team Trophy
Free skate	178.69 2019 Skate Canada
Medal record Representing  Canada Figure skating: Men's singles World Junior Championships Gold 2014 Sofia Men's singles

Nam Nguyen at the 2017 Autumn Classic competition.

Nam Nguyen (born May 20, 1998) is a Canadian figure skater who used to compete professionally. He was the world champion for junior skaters in 2014. He also won a silver medal at Skate Canada in 2019 and was the Canadian national champion twice, in 2015 and 2019. His best finish at the World Championships was fifth place in 2015.

About Nam Nguyen

Nam Nguyen was born on May 20, 1998, in Ottawa, Canada. His parents are from Vietnam. His father, Sony, moved to Canada in 1988, and his mother, Thu, joined him in 1994. His father is an engineer, and his mother works for a company that makes medical software. Nam has a younger sister, Kim, who is also a figure skater.

The family lived in Richmond, British Columbia, and Burnaby, B.C., until 2012. Then, they moved to Toronto, Ontario. This move allowed Nam and his sister to train with famous coach Brian Orser. Nam later studied health sciences at York University.

Skating Journey

Nam Nguyen started skating in 2003. When he was growing up, he looked up to famous figure skaters like Evgeni Plushenko, Stephane Lambiel, and Jeffrey Buttle. He also found inspiration from his training partners, Yuzuru Hanyu and Javier Fernandez.

Early Achievements

From 2007 to 2009, Nam won three Canadian national titles. He won at the Juvenile, Pre-Novice, and Novice levels. Each time, he was the youngest skater ever to win these titles. In 2010, he earned a bronze medal at the Canadian Junior Championships. He even performed in a special show at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The next year, in 2011, he became the youngest skater to win the junior men's title at the Canadian Championships.

Junior International Competitions

In the 2011–2012 season, Nam was old enough to compete in international junior events. He finished twelfth at his first Junior Grand Prix (JGP) event in Latvia. He then won a bronze medal at his second JGP event in Romania. He placed seventh at the senior Canadian Championships in 2012. He was then chosen to compete at the World Junior Championships. Nam landed his first triple axel jump in a competition during this event. He finished thirteenth overall.

In the summer of 2012, Nam moved to Toronto to train with Brian Orser. He competed in two more JGP events, earning another bronze medal in Turkey. He finished twelfth at the World Junior Championships in Italy.

Becoming a Junior World Champion

The 2013–2014 season was a big one for Nam. He placed tenth at his first senior international competition, the Four Continents Championships. After that, he went to the World Junior Championships in Bulgaria. He performed amazingly, placing first in both parts of the competition. This earned him the gold medal and the title of Junior World Champion! He then competed at the senior World Championships and finished twelfth.

Senior Career Highlights

Nam started the 2014–2015 season by winning a silver medal at the Skate Canada Autumn Classic. He then made his debut in the senior Grand Prix series. He won a bronze medal at Skate America and placed fourth at the Cup of China. In January, he won his first senior national title at the Canadian Championships. He scored more than 30 points higher than the second-place skater! He finished fifth at the 2015 World Championships in China, setting new personal best scores.

In the 2015–2016 season, Nam won another silver medal at the Skate Canada Autumn Classic. He competed in more Grand Prix events. He finished fourth at the 2016 Canadian Nationals. After this season, he changed coaches and moved to San Jose, California, for training.

Later Seasons and Retirement

Nam continued to compete in the following seasons, facing some challenges and changing coaches again. In the 2018–2019 season, he won his first international gold medal at the senior level at the U.S. International Classic. He then won his second Canadian national title in January 2019. He was chosen to represent Canada at the World Championships, where he placed sixteenth.

In the 2019–2020 season, Nam earned a silver medal at the 2019 Skate Canada International. This was his first Grand Prix medal in five years! He placed second at the 2020 Canadian Championships. He then finished sixth at the 2020 Four Continents Championships, which was the best result among the Canadian men. He was set to compete at the World Championships, but they were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2020–2021 season was also affected by the pandemic. Nam won a silver medal at the 2021 Skate Canada Challenge, which was held virtually. He was named team captain for the 2021 World Team Trophy, where Team Canada finished in sixth place.

In his final season, 2021–2022, Nam competed at Skate America and NHK Trophy. He unfortunately got COVID-19 before the 2022 Canadian Championships. He finished sixth and was not chosen for the Olympic team. Nam had thought about retiring earlier in the season, and on May 20, 2022, he officially announced his retirement from competitive skating.

Life After Competing

After retiring, Nam Nguyen decided not to become a figure skating coach. Instead, he chose to coach ice hockey players. He helps them improve their power skating skills. He said he was glad to no longer feel the nervousness of competitive skating.

Skating Programs

Nam Nguyen performed many different programs during his career. Here are some of the music choices he used for his short programs, free skating, and exhibition performances:

Competitive Highlights

• GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Nam Nguyen on the podium at the 2018 Canadian Championships.

Early Career Highlights (2006–2011)

Images for kids

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  Nguyen at the 2015 Four Continents