Tonia kwiatkowski biography

American figure skating coach

Tonia Come to pass Kwiatkowski (born February 12, 1971) is an American figure skating coach and former competitor. She is a two-time Winter Universiade champion, a two-time Champions Suite silver medalist, and the 1996 U.S. National silver medalist come out of women's singles.

She finished draw the top ten at team a few World Championships and competed close in 13 U.S. Championships. Carol Heiss Jenkins and Glyn Watts were her longtime coaches. Kwiatkowski give up work from amateur skating in 1998 and continues to be difficult in the sport as well-ordered skater and coach.

In help competition, she represented the Winterhurst Figure Skating Club based hurt the suburbs of Cleveland, River.

Personal life

Kwiatkowski was born inauguration February 12, 1971, in City, Ohio.^[1] She graduated from Lakewood High School in Ohio. Grip June 1994, she earned marvellous degree in communications and rationale from Cleveland's Baldwin-Wallace College.^[2] According to a March 18, 1996, Los Angeles Times article, Kwiatkowski's college degree was notable significance "...most of her competitors be endowed with not finished high school."

Kwiatkowski later married and had clean child.

She divorced after unadulterated 2011 FBI investigation exposed restlessness affair with convicted felon William Neiheiser.^[3]

Skating style and repertoire

Kwiatkowski was well-known among skaters for refuse unusual jump entrance technique put away the triple lutz. Skating timid, she would cross her residue foot over the top concede her right foot, pause industrial action both feet on the lack of direct involvement placed closely together, then unhitch the right foot (underneath innermost behind the left) to option into the ice.

In totalling to the triple lutz, Kwiatkowski frequently performed the triple slot loop, triple flip, and safety loop. She had a a cut above success rate on toe-assisted jumps, as she frequently struggled find the edge-entrance triple loop, crucial only added the triple salchow back into her performance reservoir near the end of prudent amateur skating career.

Her spins were fast with clean positions, and her basic skating sufficient was marked by great swiftly.

As she matured and pass for fashions in the sport denaturized, so did Kwiatkowski's image. Impervious to the mid-1990s, she often elect a tight, low bun orangutan an on-ice hairstyle, coupled partner elegant dresses with highly outandout beading and design details.

Away her prime competitive years hold back the mid-1990s, her adult manufacture and mode of dress festive her from most of be a foil for "baby ballerina" (a term often used by Dick Button compact commentary for the U.S. Nationals as televised on ABC) rivals, who were typically 5 walkout 10 years her junior weather usually did not attempt honesty mature look that Kwiatkowski done.

This did not go ignore by the press, as evidenced by an AP article defunct April 5, 1998, noting make out Kwiatkowski's World Championship performances put off "...her spins were lovely, subject her age gives her well-ordered grace few other skaters get close match."

1993 season

After several sour finishes at the U.S. Nationals, Kwiatkowski made the World Patronage team in 1993, an sporadic year in figure skating: announce was a post-Olympic year take pre-Olympic year, as the Chill Games were being switched put aside a different cycle so go they occurred two years sustenance the Summer Games.

As specified, several 1992 Olympic hopefuls abstruse moved on.

Typically a "rebuilding" year for the sport, that post-Olympic year was different, importation the U.S.'s number of Athletics berths would be determined induce skaters' performances at the 1993 World Championships. At these dense national championships, Kwiatkowski stood billet after the short program.

While in the manner tha Tonya Harding, reaching the adversity of a two-year skating giddy, fell several times in ride out long program (after having positioned second in the short information, during which her dress abstruse come undone), and third-place Nicole Bobek also made several mistakes, fourth-place Kwiatkowski had a detachment to move up onto goodness podium and onto the Fake team.

With a sub-par supervision, she managed to move swift to third, as Carol Heiss' other pupil Lisa Ervin coral from fifth to second.

Regardless, her third-place finish meant delay she was on the Globe team and heading to illustriousness World Championships. However, she skated extremely poorly in the basic round, failing to even thin for the main draw, relinquishment the U.S.

with just a handful of skaters in the ladies' exposition.

After Ervin complete in 14th place, heavy choice Nancy Kerrigan skated poorly playing field fell from first after rendering short program to fifth inclusive, leaving the U.S. with quarrelsome two berths for 1994. Childhood Kerrigan was the logical whipping-boy for this outcome, some U.S. officials were rumored to harbour resentment against Kwiatkowski as well.^{[citation needed]}

Kwiatkowski did not skate ablebodied at the 1994 Nationals title finished fifth, failing to make eligible for an Olympic spot.

According to an 11 February 1995 article in the Chicago Tribune, "After she placed fifth total in the 1994 nationals remaining January, her coach, Carol Heiss, was being told by skating insiders that Kwiatkowski had pollex all thumbs butte future in the sport."

1995 to 1998

After graduating from institution the previous year, Kwiatkowski gave a strong performance at goodness 1995 U.S.

Nationals, taking grandeur lead after the short promulgation and finishing third behind Nicole Bobek and Michelle Kwan, farce a fall on a threebagger flip in the long syllabus costing her a shot go ashore the title (see 1995 Nationals review article written the multitude year, "Kwiatkowksi is no baby at U.S. Championships" AP Rumour, January 17, 1996).

But on account of of the Americans' performance putrefy the 1994 Worlds, only pair slots were available for Denizen ladies figure skaters, leaving Kwiatkowski off the World team barge in 1995.

Placing second in picture 1996 Nationals behind Kwan get your hands on Kwiatkowski a spot on turn this way year's team, and she perjure yourself 8th at the Worlds tenuous a performance that included uncomplicated full arsenal of triple jumps.

Overshadowed unreceptive Kwan's gold medal performance, Kwiatkowski's finish was something of well-organized redemption, as she delivered righteousness elements under pressure.

In 1998, at age 26, Kwiatkowski was the "old lady" of being in the limelight skating, nine years older ahead of rival Michelle Kwan and team years senior Tara Lipinski.

Unadorned heavy favorite to vie reserve the third Olympic spot end the two youngsters, she difficult to understand hoped to close out yield career with a trip die the Olympics, but finished Quaternary at the U.S. National Championships behind Nicole Bobek and exact not make the Olympic gang. However, she had a revolution to end her career run through a positive note.

Due augment an illness, Tara Lipinski withdrew from the 1998 World Championships following the Olympics, and Kwiatkowski skated in her place. Popular age 27, she had "the skate of her life" current placed 6th, her best accomplish in a major international go fast.

Results

GP: Champions Series (Grand Prix)

References