Profile

Name Jeremy Abbott Birthday June 5, 1985 Hometown Aspen, Colorado Home Club Broadmoor Skating Club Training Town Colorado Springs, Colorado Coaches Tom Zakrajsek, Damon Allen, Becky Calvin, Eddie Shipstad Choreographers Tom Dickson, Kurt Browning, Damon Allen, Jeremy Abbott

Biography

For Jeremy Abbott, the route to becoming one of the top male skaters in the country started at a public session in Aspen, Colo., when he was two. But an inspiring performance by Olympic gold medalist Robin Cousins proved to be the turning point for Jeremy, then age four, as he started competing soon after.

"I started skating at two years old when my mom took me to the rink for public sessions, but I really knew that I wanted to skate when I was four," he said. "My mom took me to a skating show in Aspen, Colo., where I grew up, and I saw Robin Cousins skate.  I turned to my mom and told her that was what I wanted to do."

His first competition, Colorado's "Funtastics" Basic Skills event, was the first of many on-ice successes for Jeremy, who won his first regional medal, a bronze, as a juvenile at the Southwestern Regionals in 1995. He also collected a silver at the event two years later.

While making strides on the juvenile level, Jeremy also competed in ice dancing. He partnered with Amanda Cunningham from 1995-1996 before skating with Katie Hoffmaster from 1997-1998.

In 1999, while still competing as a juvenile, Jeremy moved from Aspen to Colorado Springs to train at the World Arena with Tom Zakrajsek. He is still coached by Zakrajsek today, as well as Damon Allen, Becky Calvin and Eddie Shipstad.

"Tom is a great coach," he said. "He puts so much into his coaching—it's really amazing!  He wants his students to be the best they can be. He doesn't teach like a normal skating coach. He gets a lot of inspiration from (basketball) coach John Wooden and he ties Coach Wooden's methods into figure skating."

Skating under Zakrajsek for the first time, Jeremy made his novice debut in 2000 at the Southwestern Regionals, where he claimed a bronze medal. He also placed eighth at the Midwestern Sectionals.

In the 2001-2002 season, Jeremy earned his first appearance at the U.S. Championships by taking the bronze at Midwesterns after winning the Southwestern Regional. He finished sixth at nationals in novice men's.

After his first trip to nationals, Jeremy decided to focus on his successful singles career. He previously skated pairs with Brittany Vise from 1998-1999 and also partnered with Krystal Sorenson from 2001-2002.

In 2003, after having a pars fracture in his L5 vertebra that kept him off the ice for 15 weeks, Jeremy won the Southwestern Region for the first time as a junior. He followed that performance with a silver medal at Midwesterns and a seventh place finish at the 2004 U.S. Championships.

Jeremy improved on his performances the next season. He won gold medals in junior men's at the regionals and sectionals before taking the title at the 2005 U.S. Championships, which marked his first time on the nationals podium.

Following his win on the junior level, Jeremy moved up to the senior level for the 2005-2006 season. He finished 18th at the Nebelhorn Trophy, his first international competition, and also placed fifth at the Midwestern Sectionals.

But Jeremy bounced back from the season he called a "disaster."

He opened with two solid skates that led to victory at the Finlandia Trophy. "After my long I was on the phone so I was only half watching the last boy," he said. "I heard his score and that he was in second, but being the master of deduction that I am I didn't realize that I was in first. I had to ask both my coaches and the rest of my team to confirm that I had won."

Jeremy followed that performance with another victory at the Midwestern Sectional, which qualified him for his first senior national championship. He finished ninth in his short program but a third place free skate helped him secure a pewter medal.

He made his presence known at the 2007 Four Continents Championships, his first International Skating Union event, by taking second place in the short program, in front of the hometown crowd at the World Arena.

"This is my first major international so I don't know where I stand," Jeremy said. "I just really wanted to come in and make a good mark on the international scene."

Jeremy went on to win the bronze medal—his fourth medal of the season—by seven points.

Now established as one of the premier men's skaters in the world, Jeremy is looking forward to accomplish his other goals in the sport.

"I am working for the 2010 Olympics, but I have daily, monthly, and yearly goals as well," he said. "I suppose that the Olympics is my generic long term goal. I have to achieve all my other goals first in order to eventually reach that."

Jeremy is inspired to reach those goals by people around him.

"My family and coaches are my biggest inspirations because of all of their support and hard work that they put in for my skating," Jeremy said. "Not to mention that they have to deal with me daily."

His hobbies include drawing, writing, anything involving music, snowboarding and reading.

Jeremy also maintains the Jeremy Abbott Training Fund. Started in 2005, the fund provides financial assistance to boys skating competitively for the Aspen Figure Skating Club, which was his first club.

"Growing up in Aspen and being one of the few guys figure skating in a hockey town wasn't easy—or cheap," he said. "The cost of skating, even from the beginning, can keep families from participating in the sport. I wanted a way to help get—and keep—younger boys in figure skating and this was a small way to start."

Some additional information provided by Unseen Skaters and U.S. Figure Skating