Naomi Lang facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Naomi Lang |
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Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev. Nürnberg Gala 2007
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | December 18, 1978 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Partner | Jeffrey Strong | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former partner | John Lee, Peter Tchernyshev | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former coach | Nikolai Morozov, Tatiana Tarasova, Alexander Zhulin, Igor Shpilband, Elizabeth Coates, Natalia Annenko | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skating club | Desert Ice Skating Club of Arizona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | February 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Naomi Lang (born December 18, 1978) is an amazing American ice dancer who used to compete professionally. With her skating partner, Peter Tchernyshev, she won the Four Continents Championship twice (in 2000 and 2002). They also won the U.S. national championship five times in a row, from 1999 to 2003! Naomi even competed at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
Naomi Lang made history as the first Native American female athlete to participate in the Winter Olympics. She is a member of the Karuk Tribe, which is a Native American tribe from California.
Contents
About Naomi Lang's Life
Naomi Lang was born in Arcata, California. Her mother is Leslie Dixon, and her father, Jason Lang, is a member of the Karuk tribe.
Early Life and Ballet
Naomi started dancing when she was just three years old. She loved ballet and continued to train until she was 15. She began her ballet lessons at the Dancer's Studio in Eureka, California.
She also performed with the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Ballet Co. and studied ballet at the Interlochen Arts Academy. When she was 12, she received an award for 'Outstanding Achievement in Ballet'. Naomi graduated from Lake Placid High School in New York in 1997.
Family Life
In 2004, Naomi had a daughter. Later, in August 2008, she married American ice dancer Mark Fitzgerald. They had two children together. Naomi later married Jeffrey Strong, and they also have two children. Her family lives in Gilbert, Arizona.
Naomi Lang's Skating Career
Naomi Lang began skating when she was eight years old. She was inspired after watching a show called "Smurfs On Ice."
Early Ice Dance Career
Naomi started competitive ice dance with her first partner, John Lee. Together, they won the U.S. Novice title in 1995. The next year, in 1996, they earned the U.S. Junior silver medal.
Partnership with Peter Tchernyshev
Peter Tchernyshev noticed Naomi at a U.S. Nationals event in 1996. He wrote her a letter, asking if they could try skating together. They had a successful tryout in Lake Placid, New York.
They trained there for nine months. After that, they moved to Detroit and continued their training with new coaches.
Winning Championships
Naomi and Peter won their first U.S. national title in 1999. The next year, they won a gold medal at the 2000 Four Continents Championships. They also placed 8th at the 2000 World Championships. They even performed in a show called "Champions on Ice."
In 2000, Naomi and Peter moved to Hackensack, New Jersey, to train with Alexander Zhulin. They missed some competitions in 2001 because Peter had a leg injury.
When they returned, they won their fourth national title at the 2002 U.S. Championships. Then, they won their second Four Continents title. They placed eleventh at the 2002 Winter Olympics and ninth at the 2002 World Championships.
Later Career and Retirement
For the 2002–03 season, Naomi and Peter were coached by Nikolai Morozov. They missed some events in 2002 because Naomi was injured.
Despite the injury, they won their fifth national title at the 2003 U.S. Championships. They also earned a bronze medal at the 2003 Four Continents and placed 8th at the 2003 World Championships.
Naomi and Peter did not compete internationally in the 2003–04 season. They planned to compete at the 2004 U.S. Championships. However, they had to withdraw because Naomi re-injured her Achilles tendon.
They announced their retirement from competitive skating in February 2004.
Professional Skating and Current Work
After retiring from competitive skating, Naomi and Peter continued to skate together professionally. They appeared in many ice shows in the U.S., Europe, and Russia. These shows included "Art on Ice" and "Kings on Ice." They even performed at a private Christmas party for actor Jim Carrey in Hollywood!
Today, Naomi Lang works at The Ice Den Chandler/Scottsdale. She is the Manager of Ice Dance there, helping new skaters learn and grow.
See also
