Naomi Lang

Not to be confused with Naomi Long.
Naomi Lang

Lang and Tchernyshev at an ice show in 2002
Personal information
Country represented United States
Born (1978-12-18) December 18, 1978
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Partner Peter Tchernyshev
Former partner John Lee
Former coach Nikolai Morozov, Tatiana Tarasova, Alexander Zhulin, Igor Shpilband, Elizabeth Coates, Natalia Annenko
Skating club Copper State Skating Club
Medal record
Figure skating: Ice dancing
Representing the  United States
Four Continents Championships
2003 Beijing Ice dancing
2002 Jeonju Ice dancing
2001 Salt Lake City Ice dancing
2000 Osaka Ice dancing
1999 Halifax Ice dancing

Naomi Lang (born December 18, 1978) is an American ice dancer. With skating partner Peter Tchernyshev, she is a two-time (2000 and 2002) Four Continents champion, a five-time (1999–2003) U.S. national champion, and competed at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Lang is the first Native American female athlete to participate in the Winter Olympics.

Personal life

Naomi Lang was born in Arcata, California to Leslie Dixon and Jason Lang, a member of the Karuk tribe.[1] She started to dance at the age of three and continued with ballet dancing to the age of 15, training at the Dancer's Studio. She performed with the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Ballet Co.[2] and studied ballet at the Interlochen Arts Academy where at the age of 12 she received an award for 'Outstanding Achievement in Ballet'.

In 2004, Lang had a daughter, Lillia Ashlee, with Ukrainian ice acrobat Vladimir Besedin.[3] She married American ice dancer Mark Fitzgerald in August 2008 in Tarrytown, New York.[3][4] She gave birth to a son, Mason Daniel, on November 14, 2009,[4] and a second daughter, Madelyn Christina, on August 15, 2013. The family lives in Arizona.[4]

Skating career

Lang started skating when she was eight, after seeing the Ice Capades.[2][5] She began competitive ice dance with John Lee, winning the 1995 U.S. Novice title and the 1996 U.S. Junior silver medal.

Partnership with Tchernyshev

Having noticed her at U.S. Nationals, Peter Tchernyshev wrote her a letter in mid-1996 asking for a tryout.[2] They had a successful tryout in Lake Placid, New York and trained there for nine months with Natalia Dubova; then, due to Lang's homesickness, they moved to Detroit and began training with Igor Shpilband and Elizabeth Coates.[2]

Lang/Tchernyshev first won the U.S. national title in 1999. The following season, they took gold at the 2000 Four Continents Championships and placed 8th at the 2000 World Championships. They also performed with Champions on Ice.

In 2000, Lang/Tchernyshev moved to Hackensack, New Jersey to train with Alexander Zhulin, who coached them until the end of the 2001–02 season.[2][6][7] They missed their 2001 Grand Prix events because Tchernyshev had shin splits.[8] Returning to competition, they won their fourth national title at the 2002 U.S. Championships and then won their second Four Continents title. They placed eleventh at the 2002 Winter Olympics and ninth at the 2002 World Championships.

In 2002–03, Lang/Tchernyshev were coached by Nikolai Morozov.[9] After missing their 2002 Grand Prix events due to an injury to Lang, the duo won their fifth national title at the 2003 U.S. Championships, took bronze at the 2003 Four Continents, and placed 8th at the 2003 World Championships.[9]

Lang/Tchernyshev did not appear internationally in the 2003–04 season. They intended to compete at the 2004 U.S. Championships but withdrew after Lang re-injured her Achilles tendon.[10] They announced their competitive retirement in February 2004.[10] The duo continued to skate together professionally and appeared in several U.S. ice shows, including many of the Disson skating shows televised on NBC and the Hallmark Channel. They also toured extensively in Europe and Russia,[4] performing in Art on Ice, Kings on Ice with Evgeni Plushenko and composer and violinist Edvin Marton, and the Katarina Witt Farewell Tour. They performed at Jim Carrey's private Christmas party in Hollywood.

Programs

(with Tchernyshev)

Season Original dance[11] Free dance[12] Exhibition[13]
2002–2003
[9]
2001–2002
[7]		 Carmen
by Georges Bizet:
  • March of the Toreadors
  • Habanera
  • March of the Toreadors
2000–2001
[6]
1999–2000
1998–1999
[5]
1997–1998

Results

(with Tchernyshev)

International[6][7][9]
Event 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04
Olympics 11th
Worlds 10th 8th 9th 9th 8th
Four Continents 3rd 1st 2nd 1st 3rd
GP Cup of Russia 5th
GP Lalique 5th
GP Skate America 6th 5th 3rd 5th
GP Skate Canada 9th
Lysiane Lauret 2nd
National
U.S. Champ. 5th 3rd 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st WD
GP = Grand Prix; WD = Withdrew

(with Lee)

Event 1996
U.S. Championships 2nd J.
J. = Junior level

References

  1. ↑ Schilling, Vincent, Native Athletes in Action
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Mittan, Barry (December 15, 2001). "Lang and Tchernyshev Look Forward to Olympic Year". Golden Skate.
  3. 1 2 Rutherford, Lynn (August 22, 2008). "It's an August ice dance wedding weekend". IceNetwork.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Rutherford, Lynn (November 8, 2010). "Lang, Tchernyshev enjoy overseas opportunities". IceNetwork.
  5. 1 2 Mittan, J. Barry (1999) [1996]. "Lang and Tchernyshev Reign as New Dance Champions". Archived from the original on May 12, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 "Naomi LANG / Peter TCHERNYSHEV: 2000/2001". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 19, 2001.
  7. 1 2 3 "Naomi LANG / Peter TCHERNYSHEV: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 2, 2002.
  8. ↑ "2002 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships: Day One". International Skating Union. January 2002.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Naomi LANG / Peter TCHERNYSHEV: 2002/2003". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 18, 2003.
  10. 1 2 "Lang and Tchernyshev announce end of partnership". U.S. Figure Skating. February 17, 2004. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Naomi Lang & Peter Tchernyshev: Official site. Programs: Original dance.". ice-dance.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Naomi Lang & Peter Tchernyshev: Official site. Programs: Free dance.". ice-dance.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Naomi Lang & Peter Tchernyshev: Official site. Programs: Exhibition.". ice-dance.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011.
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