Kristi Yamaguchi
Encyclopedia
Kristine Tsuya "Kristi" Yamaguchi-Hedican (born July 12, 1971) is an American
figure skater
. She is the 1992 Olympic Champion
in ladies' singles. Yamaguchi also won two World Figure Skating Championships
in 1991 and 1992 and a U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1992. She won one junior world title in 1988 and two national titles in 1989 and 1990 as a pairs skater with Rudy Galindo
. In December 2005, she was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Yamaguchi was a local commentator on figure skating for San Francisco TV station KNTV
(NBC 11) during the 2006 Winter Olympics
. In 2008, Yamaguchi became the celebrity champion in the sixth season of Dancing with the Stars
.
, to Jim Yamaguchi, a dentist
, and Carole (née Doi), a medical secretary. Yamaguchi is Yonsei
(fourth-generation Nikkei
). Her paternal grandparents and maternal great-grandparents immigrated to the United States from Japan, originating from the Wakayama Prefecture
and the Saga Prefecture
. Yamaguchi's grandparents were sent to an internment camp
during World War II
, where her mother was born.
Yamaguchi and her siblings, Brett and Lori, grew up in Fremont, California
. Yamaguchi attended Mission San Jose High School
her junior and senior year where she graduated. While at Mission, Kristi's excellence in skating prompted a "Kristi Yamaguchi Day" on February 24, 1989. Mission held an assembly honoring her, where she was presented with an honorary varsity jacket.
Yamaguchi began skating, and ballet lessons, as a child, as physical therapy for her club feet.
she won the junior title at the U.S. championships in 1986. Two years later, Yamaguchi won the singles and, with Galindo, the pairs titles at the 1988 World Junior Pair Championships
; Galindo had won the 1987 World Junior Championship in singles. In 1989 Yamaguchi and Galindo won the senior U.S. championships pairs title and won again in 1990.
As a pairs team, Yamaguchi and Galindo were unusual in that they were both accomplished singles skaters, which allowed them to consistently perform difficult elements like side by side Triple Flip jump
s, which are still more difficult than side by side jumps performed by current top international pairs teams. They also jumped and spun in opposite directions, Yamaguchi counter-clockwise, and Galindo clockwise, which gave them an unusual look on the ice. In 1990, Yamaguchi decided to focus solely on singles. Galindo went on to have a successful singles career as well, winning the 1996 U.S. championships and the 1996 World bronze medal.
, Alberta
to train with coach Christy Ness. There, she took psychology courses at the University of Alberta
. The same year Yamaguchi placed second to Tonya Harding
at the U.S. championships, her third consecutive silver medal at Nationals. The following month in Munich
, Germany
, Yamaguchi won the 1991 World Championships
. That year the American ladies team, consisting of Yamaguchi, Harding and Nancy Kerrigan
, became the only national ladies team to have its members place first, second and third at Worlds. In 1992, Yamaguchi won her first U.S. title and gained a spot to the 1992 Winter Olympics
in Albertville
, France
. Joining her on the U.S. team were again Kerrigan and Harding. While competitors Harding and Japan
’s Midori Ito
were consistently landing the difficult triple axel jump in competition, Yamaguchi instead focused on her artistry and her triple-triple combinations in hopes of becoming a more well-rounded skater. Both Harding and Ito fell on their triple axels at the Olympics (though Ito successfully landed the jump later on in her long program after missing it the first time), allowing Yamaguchi to win the gold, despite errors in her free program, including putting a hand to the ice on a triple loop
and a double salchow
instead of a planned triple. Yamaguchi went on to successfully defend her World title that same year.
and also participated in the pro competition circuit.
Since July 8, 2000 she has been married to Bret Hedican
, a retired professional hockey
player she met at the 1992 Winter Olympics. Yamaguchi and Hedican reside in Northern California with their two daughters, Keara Kiyomi, born in 2003 and Emma Yoshiko, born in 2005. Hedican is a TV analyst who covers the San Jose Sharks
ice hockey team.
In 1996, Yamaguchi established the Always Dream Foundation for children.
Yamaguchi is the author of Always Dream, Pure Gold, and Figure Skating for Dummies. In 2011, she published a children's book, Dream Big, Little Pig, which was #2 on the New York Times bestseller list; a portion of the proceeds went to the Always Dream Foundation to support early childhood literacy programs.
Yamaguchi made a fitness video with the California Raisins
in 1993 called, "Hip to be Fit: The California Raisins and Kristi Yamaguchi". As an actress, she appeared in the PBS series, Freedom: A History of Us portraying Haruko Obata, one of the first teachers of ikebana
in the San Francisco Bay Area. As herself, she appeared on Everybody Loves Raymond
, D2: The Mighty Ducks
, Frosted Pink, and the Disney Channel original movie Go Figure
. Yamaguchi has also appeared in numerous television skating specials including the Disney special Aladdin on Ice, portraying Princess Jasmine
.
In 2006 Yamaguchi was the host of WE tv
Series. Skating's Next Star
created and produced by Major League Figure Skating.
Kristi Yamaguchi received the Inspiration Award at the 2008 Asian Excellence Awards
. Two days after her Dancing with the Stars champion crowning, she received the 2008 Sonja Henie Award from the Professional Skaters Association. Among her other awards are the Thurman Munson Award, Women's Sports Foundation
Flo Hyman Award
, and the Great Sports Legends Award. She is also a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee Olympic Hall of Fame, World Skating Hall of Fame, and the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame.
In 2010 Yamaguchi worked as a daily NBC Olympics
skating broadcast analyst on NBC's Universal Sports Network.
According to research done by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., of Harvard University, in 2010 for the PBS series Faces of America, her heritage can be traced back to Wakayama
and Saga
prefectures in Japan, and her paternal grandfather, Tatsuichi Yamaguchi, immigrated to Hawaii in 1899.
's reality program Dancing with the Stars 6th season paired with Mark Ballas
, defeating finalist couple Jason Taylor and Edyta Śliwińska.
In season 11, week 8 "Instant Choreography" was the theme in which the couples practice their routines for a week and will receive the music for one of their performances only 20 minutes before their live routines. Fan favorites from previous seasons also came back to judge the couples, who re-created their most memorable routines on the 200th episode; these guest judges were Hélio Castroneves
, Kelly Osbourne
, Emmitt Smith
, Drew Lachey
, Gilles Marini
, and Mel B
. Kristi Yamaguchi and Apolo Ohno also served as team captains for the team dances. Yamaguchi's team consisted of Rick & Cheryl, Kyle & Lacey and Bristol & Mark, while Brandy & Maksim, Jennifer & Derek and Kurt & Anna were on Ohno's team.
)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
figure skater
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
. She is the 1992 Olympic Champion
Figure skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Referee:* Benjamin T. WrightAssistant Referee:* Monique GeorgelinJudges: Reinhard Mirmseker Mary Pearson Yang Jiasheng Monique Petis Mieko Fujimori Ingelise Blangsted Igor Prokop Vanessa Riley* Marina Sanaya Maragaret Ann Wier...
in ladies' singles. Yamaguchi also won two World Figure Skating Championships
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
in 1991 and 1992 and a U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1992. She won one junior world title in 1988 and two national titles in 1989 and 1990 as a pairs skater with Rudy Galindo
Rudy Galindo
Val Joe "Rudy" Galindo is an American figure skater who competed in both single skating and pair skating. As a single skater, he is the 1996 U.S. national champion and 1987 World Junior Champion. As a pairs skater, he competed with Kristi Yamaguchi and was the 1988 World Junior Champion and the...
. In December 2005, she was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Yamaguchi was a local commentator on figure skating for San Francisco TV station KNTV
KNTV
KNTV, channel 11, is the NBC owned-and-operated television station in the Bay Area market. It is licensed to San Jose, with its transmitter located on San Bruno Mountain, just south of San Francisco. It shares facilities in San Jose with NBC Universal sister station KSTS and CNBC's Silicon...
(NBC 11) during the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
. In 2008, Yamaguchi became the celebrity champion in the sixth season of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
.
Early life
Yamaguchi was born in Hayward, CaliforniaHayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...
, to Jim Yamaguchi, a dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
, and Carole (née Doi), a medical secretary. Yamaguchi is Yonsei
Yonsei (fourth-generation Nikkei)
is a Japanese diasporic term used in countries, particularly in North America and in Latin America, to specify the great-grandchildren of Japanese immigrants . The children of Issei are Nisei . Sansei are the third generation, and their offspring are Yonsei...
(fourth-generation Nikkei
Japanese diaspora
The Japanese diaspora, and its individual members known as , are Japanese emigrants from Japan and their descendants that reside in a foreign country...
). Her paternal grandparents and maternal great-grandparents immigrated to the United States from Japan, originating from the Wakayama Prefecture
Wakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
and the Saga Prefecture
Saga Prefecture
is located in the northwest part of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. It touches both the Sea of Japan and the Ariake Sea. The western part of the prefecture is a region famous for producing ceramics and porcelain, particularly the towns of Karatsu, Imari, and Arita...
. Yamaguchi's grandparents were sent to an internment camp
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, where her mother was born.
Yamaguchi and her siblings, Brett and Lori, grew up in Fremont, California
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
. Yamaguchi attended Mission San Jose High School
Mission San Jose High School
Mission San Jose High School , is a public, co-educational, four-year secondary school founded in 1964 and located in the Mission San Jose district of Fremont, California, United States...
her junior and senior year where she graduated. While at Mission, Kristi's excellence in skating prompted a "Kristi Yamaguchi Day" on February 24, 1989. Mission held an assembly honoring her, where she was presented with an honorary varsity jacket.
Yamaguchi began skating, and ballet lessons, as a child, as physical therapy for her club feet.
Pairs career
With Rudy GalindoRudy Galindo
Val Joe "Rudy" Galindo is an American figure skater who competed in both single skating and pair skating. As a single skater, he is the 1996 U.S. national champion and 1987 World Junior Champion. As a pairs skater, he competed with Kristi Yamaguchi and was the 1988 World Junior Champion and the...
she won the junior title at the U.S. championships in 1986. Two years later, Yamaguchi won the singles and, with Galindo, the pairs titles at the 1988 World Junior Pair Championships
World Junior Figure Skating Championships
The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion...
; Galindo had won the 1987 World Junior Championship in singles. In 1989 Yamaguchi and Galindo won the senior U.S. championships pairs title and won again in 1990.
As a pairs team, Yamaguchi and Galindo were unusual in that they were both accomplished singles skaters, which allowed them to consistently perform difficult elements like side by side Triple Flip jump
Flip jump
The flip jump is a figure skating jump which takes off a backward inside edge with a toe pick assist, and lands on the backward outside edge of the opposite foot.-Flip technique:...
s, which are still more difficult than side by side jumps performed by current top international pairs teams. They also jumped and spun in opposite directions, Yamaguchi counter-clockwise, and Galindo clockwise, which gave them an unusual look on the ice. In 1990, Yamaguchi decided to focus solely on singles. Galindo went on to have a successful singles career as well, winning the 1996 U.S. championships and the 1996 World bronze medal.
Singles career
In 1991, Yamaguchi moved to EdmontonEdmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
to train with coach Christy Ness. There, she took psychology courses at the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
. The same year Yamaguchi placed second to Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding
Tonya Maxine Harding is an American figure skating champion. In 1991 she won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed second in the World Championships. She was the second woman, and the first American woman, to complete a triple axel jump in competition...
at the U.S. championships, her third consecutive silver medal at Nationals. The following month in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Yamaguchi won the 1991 World Championships
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
. That year the American ladies team, consisting of Yamaguchi, Harding and Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Ann Kerrigan is a two-time American Olympic figure skating medalist and 1993 U.S. champion.-Early life and skating career:...
, became the only national ladies team to have its members place first, second and third at Worlds. In 1992, Yamaguchi won her first U.S. title and gained a spot to the 1992 Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
in Albertville
Albertville
Albertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Joining her on the U.S. team were again Kerrigan and Harding. While competitors Harding and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
’s Midori Ito
Midori Ito
is a former Japanese figure skater. She is the 1989 World Champion and the 1992 Olympic silver medalist. She is the first woman to land a triple/triple jump combination and a triple axel in competition. She is also the first woman to land seven triple jumps in a free program, which she did at the...
were consistently landing the difficult triple axel jump in competition, Yamaguchi instead focused on her artistry and her triple-triple combinations in hopes of becoming a more well-rounded skater. Both Harding and Ito fell on their triple axels at the Olympics (though Ito successfully landed the jump later on in her long program after missing it the first time), allowing Yamaguchi to win the gold, despite errors in her free program, including putting a hand to the ice on a triple loop
Loop jump
The Loop jump is a figure skating jump that takes off from a back outside edge and lands on the same backwards outside edge. For a jump with counterclockwise rotation, this is the right back outside edge. It is named from its similarity to the loop compulsory figure. The invention is widely...
and a double salchow
Salchow jump
The Salchow is a figure skating jump with a takeoff from a back inside edge of one foot. The rotation in the air is made in the direction of the curve of the take-off edge. The landing is made on the back outside edge of the foot opposite the one used for take-off. One or more rotations may be...
instead of a planned triple. Yamaguchi went on to successfully defend her World title that same year.
Professional and personal life
Kristi Yamaguchi turned professional after the 1992 competitive season. She toured for many years with Stars on IceStars on Ice
Stars on Ice is a touring figure skating show produced by IMG. It was originally conceived in 1986 as a vehicle for IMG client Scott Hamilton, who had been released from his contract with Ice Capades, after being told that male skaters do not sell tickets...
and also participated in the pro competition circuit.
Since July 8, 2000 she has been married to Bret Hedican
Bret Hedican
Bret Michael Hedican is a retired American professional ice hockey player and a two-time US Olympian.-Playing career:Hedican was drafted 198th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. A product of St. Cloud State University, Hedican made his NHL debut in the 1991–92 season with...
, a retired professional hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player she met at the 1992 Winter Olympics. Yamaguchi and Hedican reside in Northern California with their two daughters, Keara Kiyomi, born in 2003 and Emma Yoshiko, born in 2005. Hedican is a TV analyst who covers the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
ice hockey team.
In 1996, Yamaguchi established the Always Dream Foundation for children.
Yamaguchi is the author of Always Dream, Pure Gold, and Figure Skating for Dummies. In 2011, she published a children's book, Dream Big, Little Pig, which was #2 on the New York Times bestseller list; a portion of the proceeds went to the Always Dream Foundation to support early childhood literacy programs.
Yamaguchi made a fitness video with the California Raisins
The California Raisins
The California Raisins were a fictional rhythm and blues musical group as well as advertising and merchandising characters composed of anthropomorphized raisins based on black caricatures. Lead vocals were sung by musician Buddy Miles...
in 1993 called, "Hip to be Fit: The California Raisins and Kristi Yamaguchi". As an actress, she appeared in the PBS series, Freedom: A History of Us portraying Haruko Obata, one of the first teachers of ikebana
Ikebana
is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, also known as .-Etymology:"Ikebana" is from the Japanese and . Possible translations include "giving life to flowers" and "arranging flowers".- Approach :...
in the San Francisco Bay Area. As herself, she appeared on Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
, D2: The Mighty Ducks
D2: The Mighty Ducks
D2: The Mighty Ducks is the second film in The Mighty Ducks trilogy and the first theatrical sequel to The Mighty Ducks. It was produced by Avnet–Kerner Productions and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, and it was originally released on March 25, 1994...
, Frosted Pink, and the Disney Channel original movie Go Figure
Go Figure (film)
Go Figure is a 2005 Disney Channel Original Movie. Walt Disney Records released the Go Figure soundtrack on June 7, featuring the title track by Everlife along with a music video.- Plot :...
. Yamaguchi has also appeared in numerous television skating specials including the Disney special Aladdin on Ice, portraying Princess Jasmine
Princess Jasmine
Princess Jasmine is a fictional character and one of the main characters of the 1992 film Aladdin and its sequels, The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves . She is voiced by Linda Larkin, with her singing voice performed by Lea Salonga in the first film and Disney Princess...
.
In 2006 Yamaguchi was the host of WE tv
WE TV
We TV is the third TV channel from Malayalam Communications Ltd, in Kerala and based at Trivandrum. The other two channels of this company are Kairali TV and People TV. WE TV is mainly aimed at the youth and was officially launched on April 14, 2007. Mr...
Series. Skating's Next Star
Skating's Next Star
Skating's Next Star is a reality television show that began airing on the WE tv on April 26, 2006. The show also aired in Toronto in early 2007....
created and produced by Major League Figure Skating.
Kristi Yamaguchi received the Inspiration Award at the 2008 Asian Excellence Awards
Asian Excellence Awards
The Asian Excellence Awards is an annual celebration of the outstanding achievements of Asians and Asian Americans in film, television, music, and the performing arts. The Asian Excellence Awards is the only nationally televised event celebrating significant Asian and Asian American achievements in...
. Two days after her Dancing with the Stars champion crowning, she received the 2008 Sonja Henie Award from the Professional Skaters Association. Among her other awards are the Thurman Munson Award, Women's Sports Foundation
Women's Sports Foundation
The Women's Sports Foundation "is an educational nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by tennis legend Billie Jean King." Its stated mission statement is "To advance the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity."...
Flo Hyman Award
Flo Hyman Award
The Flo Hyman Memorial Award was conferred annually between 1987 and 2004 by the Women's Sports Foundation in Washington, D.C., United States, on the organization's National Girls and Women in Sports Day to the female sportsperson, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to have...
, and the Great Sports Legends Award. She is also a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee Olympic Hall of Fame, World Skating Hall of Fame, and the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame.
In 2010 Yamaguchi worked as a daily NBC Olympics
Olympics on NBC
NBC Sports' coverage of the Olympic Games consists of broadcasts on the various networks of NBC Universal in the United States, including the NBC broadcast network, Spanish language network Telemundo, and many of the company's cable networks....
skating broadcast analyst on NBC's Universal Sports Network.
According to research done by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., of Harvard University, in 2010 for the PBS series Faces of America, her heritage can be traced back to Wakayama
Wakayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
and Saga
Saga Prefecture
is located in the northwest part of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. It touches both the Sea of Japan and the Ariake Sea. The western part of the prefecture is a region famous for producing ceramics and porcelain, particularly the towns of Karatsu, Imari, and Arita...
prefectures in Japan, and her paternal grandfather, Tatsuichi Yamaguchi, immigrated to Hawaii in 1899.
Dancing With the Stars
On May 20, 2008, Yamaguchi became the celebrity champion on ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's reality program Dancing with the Stars 6th season paired with Mark Ballas
Mark Ballas
Mark Alexander Ballas Jr. is an American dancer.Ballas is a professional ballroom dancer on the ABC program Dancing with the Stars. He began competing on the show in the fall of 2007. He was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography in 2011...
, defeating finalist couple Jason Taylor and Edyta Śliwińska.
In season 11, week 8 "Instant Choreography" was the theme in which the couples practice their routines for a week and will receive the music for one of their performances only 20 minutes before their live routines. Fan favorites from previous seasons also came back to judge the couples, who re-created their most memorable routines on the 200th episode; these guest judges were Hélio Castroneves
Hélio Castroneves
Hélio Castroneves is a Brazilian auto racing driver currently competing in the North American IndyCar Series. In IndyCar competition, Castroneves has 14 wins and 28 poles, and has never placed lower than sixth in the standings in a complete season of racing...
, Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Michelle Lee Osbourne is an English media personality, television personality, host, judge, fashion designer, singer, and actress, best known for being the daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne...
, Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
, Drew Lachey
Drew Lachey
Andrew John "Drew" Lachey is an American singer and actor, known as a member of 98 Degrees, the winner of the second season of Dancing with the Stars, and the younger brother of Nick Lachey.-Early years:...
, Gilles Marini
Gilles Marini
Gilles Marini is a French actor. He is known for having appeared in Sex and the City: The Movie and in the American TV show Brothers & Sisters as Luc Laurent.-Life and career:...
, and Mel B
Melanie Brown
Melanie Janine "Scary Spice" Brown , often better known as Mel B, is an English pop singer-songwriter, actress, author and television presenter...
. Kristi Yamaguchi and Apolo Ohno also served as team captains for the team dances. Yamaguchi's team consisted of Rick & Cheryl, Kyle & Lacey and Bristol & Mark, while Brandy & Maksim, Jennifer & Derek and Kurt & Anna were on Ohno's team.
Singles
| Event | 1987–88 | 1988–89 | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1991–92 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating... |
1st | ||||
| World Championships World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion... |
6th | 4th | 1st | 1st | |
| World Junior Championships World Junior Figure Skating Championships The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion... |
1st | ||||
| U.S. Championships United States Figure Skating Championships The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters... |
10th | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 1st |
| Skate Canada Skate Canada International The Skate Canada International is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition organized by Skate Canada. It is the second competition of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: Ladies' singles, Men's... |
1st | ||||
| Skate America Skate America Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is organized by the United States Figure Skating Association. The location changes yearly... |
3rd | 1st | 2nd | ||
| Nations Cup Bofrost Cup on Ice The Bofrost Cup on Ice was a figure skating competition held in Germany between 1986 and 2004. It was part of the Grand Prix series until 2003, when it was replaced by Cup of China. Following being booted out of the Grand Prix series, a new form of competition was introduced to the Bofrost Cup... |
1st | ||||
| Trophée Lalique | 2nd | ||||
| NHK Trophy NHK Trophy The NHK Trophy is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
2nd | 2nd | |||
| Goodwill Games Goodwill Games The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s... |
1st |
Pairs
(with Rudy GalindoRudy Galindo
Val Joe "Rudy" Galindo is an American figure skater who competed in both single skating and pair skating. As a single skater, he is the 1996 U.S. national champion and 1987 World Junior Champion. As a pairs skater, he competed with Kristi Yamaguchi and was the 1988 World Junior Champion and the...
)
| Event | 1984–85 | 1985–86 | 1986–87 | 1987–88 | 1988–89 | 1989–90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championships World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion... |
5th | 5th | ||||
| World Junior Championships World Junior Figure Skating Championships The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion... |
5th | 3rd | 1st | |||
| U.S. Championships | 5th J. | 1st J. | 5th | 5th | 1st | 1st |
| Skate America Skate America Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is organized by the United States Figure Skating Association. The location changes yearly... |
5th | 2nd | ||||
| NHK Trophy NHK Trophy The NHK Trophy is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
3rd | 4th | ||||
| Skate Electric | 1st |
- J = Junior level
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 1994 in film 1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time... |
D2: The Mighty Ducks D2: The Mighty Ducks D2: The Mighty Ducks is the second film in The Mighty Ducks trilogy and the first theatrical sequel to The Mighty Ducks. It was produced by Avnet–Kerner Productions and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, and it was originally released on March 25, 1994... |
Herself (Cameo Cameo appearance A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television... ) |
| 2005 2005 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005... |
Go Figure Go Figure (film) Go Figure is a 2005 Disney Channel Original Movie. Walt Disney Records released the Go Figure soundtrack on June 7, featuring the title track by Everlife along with a music video.- Plot :... |
Herself (Cameo Cameo appearance A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television... ) |
Selected books
- Yamaguchi, Kristi. Figure skating for dummies, Foster City, CA : IDG Books, 1997. ISBN 0764550845
- Yamaguchi, Kristi. Pure Gold, Harcourt School, 1997. ISBN 9780153075513
- Yamaguchi, Kristi. Always dream, Dallas : Taylor Pub. Co., 1998. ISBN 0878339965
Further reading
- Schwindt, Troy, "Yamaguchi Honored in Thursday Night's U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Ceremony", US Figure Skating Association, December 8, 2005
External links
- Yamaguchi's official website
- AlwaysDream.org: Yamaguchi's Always Dream Foundation
- olympic.org Athlete Profile – Yamaguchi