Nam Nguyen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nam Nguyen |
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![]() Nguyen at 2019 Skate Canada International
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||
Full name | Nam Phuc Nguyen | |||||||||||||
Country represented | ![]() |
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Born | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
May 20, 1998 |||||||||||||
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 |
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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) |
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ISU personal best scores | ||||||||||||||
Combined total | 262.77 2019 Skate Canada |
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Short program | 87.57 2019 World Team Trophy |
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Free skate | 178.69 2019 Skate Canada |
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Medal record
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Nam Nguyen (born May 20, 1998) is a Canadian figure skater who competed professionally. He won the World Junior title in 2014. He also earned a silver medal at Skate Canada in 2019. Nam was a two-time Canadian national champion, winning in 2015 and 2019. He achieved his highest placement at the World Championships in 2015, finishing fifth. Nam retired from competitive skating on May 20, 2022.
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About Nam Nguyen
Nam Nguyen was born in Ottawa, Canada, on May 20, 1998. His parents are from Vietnam. His father, Sony, moved to Canada in 1988. His mother, Thu, joined him in 1994. Nam's father is an engineer, and his mother works for a medical software company. He has a younger sister named Kim, who also figure skates. The family lived in Richmond, British Columbia, and Burnaby, B.C., until 2012. They then moved to Toronto, Ontario, so Nam and Kim could train with coach Brian Orser.
Nam studied health sciences at York University. In 2025, he and former American skater Gracie Gold shared that they were in a relationship.
Nam's Skating Journey
Nam Nguyen started skating in 2003. When he was growing up, his favorite figure skaters were Evgeni Plushenko, Stephane Lambiel, and Jeffrey Buttle. He also looked up to his former training partners, Yuzuru Hanyu and Javier Fernandez.
Early Achievements
Between 2007 and 2009, Nam won three Canadian national titles. He won at the Juvenile, Pre-Novice, and Novice levels. Each time, he became the youngest skater to win these titles. In 2010, he earned a bronze medal at the junior level at the Canadian Championships. Nam also performed in the exhibition gala at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The next year, at the 2011 Canadian Championships, he became the youngest skater to win the junior men's title.
Junior International Competitions
In the 2011–2012 season, Nam was old enough to compete in international junior events. He placed 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 finished seventh at the senior level at the 2012 Canadian Championships. This led to him being chosen for the 2012 World Junior Championships. Nam successfully landed his first triple axel jump in competition during the preliminary round. He finished thirteenth overall at the event. He was coached by Joanne McLeod at the BC Centre of Excellence until the end of that season.
In the summer of 2012, Nam moved to Toronto to train with Brian Orser. He started the next season at the JGP in France, where he placed ninth. He improved at his second JGP event in Turkey, earning a bronze medal. At the Canadian Championships, he placed sixth in the senior division. He ended the season at the World Junior Championships in Italy, finishing twelfth.
Becoming a World Junior Champion
The next season, Nam placed fourth and sixteenth at his two JGP events. He competed at the senior level, finishing fifth at the Canadian Championships. He then competed in his first senior international event, the Four Continents Championships, where he placed tenth. After that, at the World Junior Championships in Bulgaria, he won the gold medal. He finished first in both parts of the competition. He ended the season at the senior World Championships, placing twelfth.
Senior Career Highlights

Nam started the 2014–2015 season by winning a silver medal at the 2014 Skate Canada Autumn Classic. This was an ISU Challenger Series event. He made his senior Grand Prix debut at 2014 Skate America, where he won a bronze medal. He then placed fourth at his second Grand Prix event, the 2014 Cup of China. In January 2015, he won his first senior national title at the Canadian Nationals. He scored more than 30 points higher than the second-place skater. After placing eleventh at the 2015 Four Continents, he finished fifth at the 2015 World Championships in China. He achieved his personal best scores in both parts of the competition there.
For the 2015–2016 season, Nam began by winning silver at the 2015 Skate Canada Autumn Classic. In the Grand Prix series, he placed fifth at the 2015 Skate Canada International and seventh at 2015 Rostelecom Cup. He finished fourth at the 2016 Canadian Nationals. He was chosen for the 2016 World Championships in Boston. He did not qualify for the free skate. Nam later changed coaches to David Glynn and moved to San Jose.
In the 2016–2017 season, Nam placed fifth at the U.S. International Classic. On the Grand Prix series, he was sixth at 2016 Skate America and eighth at the 2016 NHK Trophy. He returned to Ontario in December 2016 and trained with Tracey Wainman and Grzegorz Filipowski. He won a bronze medal at the 2017 Canadian Championships. He then placed eighth at the 2017 Four Continents Championships. Nam later changed coaches again, working with Robert Burke.
For the 2017–2018 season, Nam placed fifth at the 2017 CS Autumn Classic and seventh at the 2017 Rostelecom Cup. He finished tenth at the 2017 NHK Trophy. He won a bronze medal at the 2018 Skate Canada Challenge. Nam placed third at the 2018 Canadian Championships. He was not selected for the 2018 Winter Olympics. He competed at the 2018 World Championships but did not qualify for the free skate.
Nam started the 2018–2019 season by winning his first senior international gold medal. This was at the 2018 U.S. Classic. He placed sixth at 2018 Skate America and fifth at 2018 Skate Canada. In January 2019, Nam won his second national title at the 2019 Canadian Championships. He was then chosen for the Four Continents and World Championships. At the 2019 World Championships, he placed sixteenth. He finished the season at the 2019 World Team Trophy, placing seventh among the men.
For the 2019–2020 season, Nam placed fourth at the 2019 Nebelhorn Trophy. At the 2019 Skate Canada International, he won a silver medal. This was his first Grand Prix medal in five years. He placed fifth at his second Grand Prix event, the 2019 Rostelecom Cup. Nam aimed to defend his national title at the 2020 Canadian Championships. He finished second overall. He placed sixth at the 2020 Four Continents Championships. Nam was chosen to represent Canada at the World Championships, but the event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In the 2020–2021 season, the 2020 Skate Canada International was canceled. Skate Canada held the 2021 Skate Canada Challenge virtually. Nam won the silver medal. He was named an alternate for the 2021 World Championships. He was later assigned as team captain for the 2021 World Team Trophy. Team Canada finished in sixth place.
For the 2021–2022 season, Nam withdrew from the 2021 CS Autumn Classic International. He competed at the 2021 Skate America, placing eighth. He was tenth at the 2021 NHK Trophy. Nam got COVID-19 before the 2022 Canadian Championships. He struggled at the competition, finishing sixth. He was not chosen for the Canadian Olympic team. Nam had thought this would be his last season. On May 20, 2022, he officially announced his retirement from competitive skating.
Life After Competition
In September 2022, Nam Nguyen shared that watching figure skating made him remember how nervous he felt. He was glad he was no longer competing. He decided not to become a figure skating coach. Instead, he chose to coach ice hockey players in power skating. In 2025, he joined the cast of Canadian Stars on Ice.
Competitive Highlights
- GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix
2011–12 to present
International | |||||||||||
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Event | 11–12 | 12–13 | 13–14 | 14–15 | 15–16 | 16–17 | 17–18 | 18–19 | 19–20 | 20–21 | 21–22 |
Worlds | 12th | 5th | 27th | 25th | 16th | C | |||||
Four Continents | 10th | 11th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 6th | |||||
GP Cup of China | 4th | ||||||||||
GP NHK Trophy | 8th | 10th | 10th | ||||||||
GP Rostelecom Cup | 7th | 7th | 5th | ||||||||
GP Skate America | 3rd | 6th | 6th | 8th | |||||||
GP Skate Canada | 5th | 5th | 2nd | C | |||||||
CS Autumn Classic | 2nd | 5th | WD | ||||||||
CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 4th | ||||||||||
CS U.S. Classic | 5th | 1st | |||||||||
Autumn Classic | 2nd | ||||||||||
International: Junior | |||||||||||
Junior Worlds | 13th | 12th | 1st | ||||||||
JGP France | 9th | ||||||||||
JGP Latvia | 12th | ||||||||||
JGP Mexico | 4th | ||||||||||
JGP Poland | 16th | ||||||||||
JGP Romania | 3rd | ||||||||||
JGP Turkey | 3rd | ||||||||||
National | |||||||||||
Canadian Champ. | 7th | 6th | 5th | 1st | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | C | 6th |
Skate Canada Challenge | 1st | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 6th | ||||||
Team events | |||||||||||
World Team Trophy |
4th T 6th P |
5th T 7th P |
6th T 11th P |
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Team Challenge Cup |
1st T 9th P |
2006–07 to 2010–11
National | ||
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Event | 09–10 | 10–11 |
Canadian Champ. | 3rd J | 1st J |
Detailed Results
Small medals for short program and free skating are given only at ISU Championships.
Senior Level Results
2021–22 season | ||||
Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
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January 6–12, 2022 | 2022 Canadian Championships | 7 71.27 |
8 130.77 |
6 202.04 |
November 12–14, 2021 | 2021 NHK Trophy | 10 64.28 |
10 144.11 |
10 208.39 |
October 22–24, 2021 | 2021 Skate America | 7 74.32 |
9 145.28 |
8 219.60 |
2020–21 season | ||||
Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
April 15–18, 2021 | 2021 World Team Trophy | 11 66.89 |
11 133.04 |
6T/11P 199.93 |
January 8–17, 2021 | 2021 Skate Canada Challenge | 2 89.34 |
2 167.09 |
2 256.43 |
2019–20 season | ||||
Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
February 4–9, 2020 | 2020 Four Continents Championships | 9 85.24 |
6 166.36 |
6 251.60 |
January 13–19, 2020 | 2020 Canadian Championships | 2 88.04 |
2 155.47 |
2 243.51 |
November 15–17, 2019 | 2019 Rostelecom Cup | 6 87.01 |
6 159.19 |
5 246.20 |
October 25–26, 2019 | 2019 Skate Canada International | 3 84.08 |
2 178.69 |
2 262.77 |
September 25–28, 2019 | 2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 9 60.52 |
2 149.32 |
4 209.84 |
2018–19 season | ||||
Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
April 11–14, 2019 | 2019 World Team Trophy | 7 87.57 |
7 164.40 |
5T/7P 251.97 |
March 18–24, 2019 | 2019 World Championships | 13 82.51 |
16 154.76 |
16 237.27 |
February 7–10, 2019 | 2019 Four Continents Championships | 8 79.55 |
10 136.94 |
10 216.49 |
January 14–20, 2019 | 2019 Canadian Championships | 3 85.73 |
1 172.28 |
1 258.01 |
October 26–28, 2018 | 2018 Skate Canada International | 7 82.22 |
5 158.72 |
5 240.94 |
October 19–21, 2018 | 2018 Skate America | 9 69.86 |
6 143.13 |
6 212.99 |
September 12–16, 2018 | 2018 CS U.S. International Classic | 1 80.28 |
2 133.24 |
1 213.52 |
2017–18 season | ||||
Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
March 19–25, 2018 | 2018 World Championships | 25 67.79 |
FNR | – |
January 22–28, 2018 | 2018 Four Continents Championships | 7 84.09 |
10 153.43 |
9 237.52 |
January 8–14, 2018 | 2018 Canadian Championships | 5 83.39 |
2 174.77 |
3 258.16 |
November 10–12, 2017 | 2017 NHK Trophy | 11 65.82 |
8 148.69 |
10 214.51 |
October 20–22, 2017 | 2017 Rostelecom Cup | 7 80.74 |
6 157.71 |
7 238.45 |
September 20–23, 2017 | 2017 CS Autumn Classic International | 3 88.40 |
4 156.81 |
5 245.21 |
2016–17 season | ||||
Date | Competition | SP | FS | Total |
February 14–19, 2017 | 2017 Four Continents Championships | 13 72.99 |
7 164.09 |
8 237.08 |
January 16–22, 2017 | 2017 Canadian Championships | 4 76.08 |
4 164.52 |
3 240.60 |
November 25–27, 2016 | 2016 NHK Trophy | 6 75.33 |
8 137.10 |
8 212.43 |
October 21–23, 2016 | 2016 Skate America | 4 79.62 |
7 159.64 |
6 239.26 |
September 14–18, 2016 | 2016 CS U.S. International Classic | 5 74.08 |
5 146.47 |
5 220.55 |
2015–16 season | ||||
Date | Competition | SP | FS | Total |
April 22–24, 2016 | 2016 Team Challenge Cup | 7 64.91 |
9 127.10 |
– |
March 28 – April 3, 2016 | 2016 World Championships | 27 61.61 |
FNR | – |
January 18–24, 2016 | 2016 Canadian Championships | 5 76.04 |
4 151.65 |
4 227.69 |
November 20–22, 2015 | 2015 Rostelecom Cup | 7 70.78 |
6 160.89 |
7 231.67 |
Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2015 | 2015 Skate Canada International | 4 76.10 |
4 162.72 |
5 238.82 |
October 12–15, 2015 | 2015 Skate Canada Autumn Classic | 2 86.53 |
2 154.57 |
2 241.10 |
2014–15 season | ||||
Date | Competition | SP | FS | Total |
April 16–19, 2015 | 2015 World Team Trophy | 6 77.42 |
7 158.63 |
4T/6P 236.05 |
March 23–29, 2015 | 2015 World Championships | 9 77.73 |
4 164.86 |
5 242.59 |
February 9–15, 2015 | 2015 Four Continents Championships | 14 63.78 |
8 145.55 |
11 209.33 |
January 19–25, 2015 | 2015 Canadian Championships | 1 81.78 |
1 175.10 |
1 256.88 |
November 7–8, 2014 | 2014 Cup of China | 6 72.85 |
5 149.00 |
4 221.85 |
October 24–25, 2014 | 2014 Skate America | 7 73.71 |
2 158.53 |
3 232.24 |
October 15–16, 2014 | 2014 Skate Canada Autumn Classic | 5 66.08 |
1 159.55 |
2 225.63 |
Junior Level Results
2013–14 season | |||||||
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Date | Competition | Level | PR | SP | FS | Total | Ref |
26–28 March 2014 | 2014 World Championships | Senior | – | 16 66.75 |
9 147.31 |
12 214.06 |
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13–15 March 2014 | 2014 World Junior Championships | Junior | – | 1 72.87 |
1 144.19 |
1 217.06 |
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22–24 January 2014 | 2014 Four Continents Championships | Senior | – | 10 68.17 |
10 136.52 |
10 204.69 |
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9–15 January 2014 | 2014 Canadian Championships | Senior | – | 7 70.97 |
4 147.46 |
5 218.43 |
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19–21 September 2013 | 2013 JGP Baltic Cup (Poland) | Junior | – | 23 40.18 |
12 98.69 |
16 138.87 |
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5–6 September 2013 | 2013 JGP Mexico Cup | Junior | – | 4 64.38 |
4 116.66 |
4 181.04 |
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2012–13 season | |||||||
Date | Competition | Level | PR | SP | FS | Total | Ref |
28 February – 2 March 2013 | 2013 World Junior Championships | Junior | – | 16 53.43 |
9 119.15 |
12 172.58 |
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18–19 January 2013 | 2013 Canadian Championships | Senior | – | 6 67.90 |
6 132.79 |
6 200.69 |
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20–22 September 2012 | 2012 JGP Bosphorus (Turkey) | Junior | – | 3 59.09 |
3 112.47 |
3 171.56 |
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23–25 August 2012 | 2012 JGP Courchevel (France) | Junior | – | 11 46.06 |
8 102.39 |
9 148.45 |
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2011–12 season | |||||||
Date | Competition | Level | PR | SP | FS | Total | Ref |
27 February – 3 March 2012 | 2012 World Junior Championships | Junior | 1 116.33 |
18 51.13 |
11 117.07 |
13 168.20 |
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21–22 January 2012 | 2012 Canadian Championships | Senior | – | 8 57.32 |
6 121.96 |
7 179.28 |
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22–24 September 2011 | 2011 JGP Brasov Cup (Romania) | Junior | – | 5 54.82 |
2 114.73 |
3 169.55 |
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1–3 September 2011 | 2011 JGP Volvo Cup (Latvia) | Junior | – | 12 47.08 |
9 101.87 |
12 148.95 |
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Early career | |||||||
Date | Competition | Level | PR | SP | FS | Total | Ref |
17–20 January 2011 | 2011 Canadian Championships | Junior | – | 2 55.22 |
1 114.67 |
1 169.89 |
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11–14 January 2010 | 2010 Canadian Championships | Junior | – | 4 52.30 |
3 96.51 |
3 148.81 |