Zhang Dan

Zhang Dan
Zhang and Zhang in 2009.
Personal information
Full name	Zhang Dan
Country represented	China
Born	(1985-10-04) October 4, 1985 [1] or (1987-10-04) October 4, 1987 [2] (see also Age controversy below) Harbin
Height	1.695 m (5 ft 7 in)
Former partner	Zhang Hao
Former coach	Yao Bin Chen Xiaofei Huan Bing Sun Lu
Former choreographer	Lori Nichol Marina Zueva Igor Shpilband Renée Roca
Skating club	Harbin Skating Club
Began skating	1992
Retired	May 2012
Season's bests	10 (2011–2012)[3] 6 (2009–2010)[4] 3 (2008–2009)[5]
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	197.82 2008 World Championships
Short program	74.36 2008 World Championships
Free skate	126.58 2010 World Championships
Medal record Competitor for  China Pairs' Figure skating Olympic Games Silver 2006 Turin Pairs World Championships Silver 2009 Los Angeles Pairs Silver 2008 Gothenburg Pairs Silver 2006 Calgary Pairs Bronze 2005 Moscow Pairs Four Continents Championships Gold 2010 Jeonju Pairs Bronze 2009 Vancouver Pairs Silver 2008 Goyang Pairs Gold 2005 Gangneung Pairs Silver 2004 Hamilton Pairs Bronze 2003 Beijing Pairs Bronze 2002 Jeonju Pairs Grand Prix Final Silver 2008–2009 Goyang Pairs Silver 2007–2008 Turin Pairs Bronze 2006–2007 St. Petersburg Pairs Silver 2005–2006 Tokyo Pairs World Junior Championships Gold 2003 Ostrava Pairs Gold 2001 Sofia Pairs Junior Grand Prix Final Gold 2001–2002 Bled Pairs Gold 2000–2001 Ayr Pairs

Olympic medal record
Competitor for  China
Pairs Figure skating
Silver	2006 Turin	Pairs

Zhang Dan (simplified Chinese: 张丹; traditional Chinese: 張丹; pinyin: Zhāng Dān; born October 4, 1985 in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China) is a Chinese pair skater. With Zhang Hao, she is the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time (2005, 2010) Four Continents champion, and a three-time (2006, 2008–2009) World silver medalist. Zhang Dan retired from competition in May 2012.

Career

Zhang and Zhang perform a triple twist

Early career

The unrelated Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao teamed up in 1997. They immediately had a lot of success on the junior circuit. They won two medals on the Junior Grand Prix in their first year on it and then placed 5th at the Junior Grand Prix Final. They also won the bronze medal at the 1999 Chinese national championships and the silver at the 2000 Chinese national championships.

In the 2000-2001 season, they won the Junior Grand Prix Final, placed third at nationals, and then won Junior Worlds.^[6] At the 2000 Junior Worlds, they performed a quadruple twist, the first quad twist ever performed at that event.

They stayed in the junior ranks in the 2001-2002 season, winning the Junior Grand Prix Final yet again. They won the bronze medal at the 2002 Four Continents Championships and then went to the 2002 Olympics, where they placed 11th. After the Olympics, they went to their first Worlds and came in 9th place.

In the 2002-2003 season, they competed at both the Junior and senior Grand Prix, due to ISU rules that pairs can do both in one season. They won the Junior Grand Prix event in China, then performed well at both their Grand Prix events, placing 4th in both of them. They went to Junior Worlds and once again won it before going to the World Figure Skating Championships and placing 6th.

Following that season, Zhang and Zhang became serious contenders, and they consistently medaled at their Grand Prix events. They won the 2005 Four Continents Championships and then won the bronze at the 2005 Worlds.

2005–2006 season: Olympic medalists

Zhang and Zhang went into the 2006 Olympics as medal contenders. They had planned a throw quadruple salchow jump for the free skate, a jump which had not yet been landed in competition. Zhang Dan fell on it during the free skate and suffered an injury, but chose to finish the program. There was a minor controversy about finishing the program because while Zhang Dan had been lying on the ice from the fall, the referee had stopped the music, and the Zhangs took a certain amount of time to restart the program. ISU rules say that the program can be continued if the referee agrees the stoppage was due to a valid reason, such as injuries or equipment failures. Once the referee has approved a continuation, the skaters are given two minutes to continue the program from the point where the music stopped. Zhang regrouped within this period and was able to finish the program. They won the silver medal, placing ahead of defending Olympic medalists Shen Xue and Hongbo Zhao. At the Worlds, they won the silver, behind Pang Qing and Tong Jian.

Later career

In the 2006–2007 season, Zhang and Zhang placed first at Skate Canada, second at the NHK Trophy, and would go on to win the bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final. They placed 5th at the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships later that season. In the 2007–2008 and the 2008–2009 seasons, they won silver medals at both the Grand Prix Final and the World Championships.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Zhangs placed 5th. They also finished fifth at 2010 World Championships.

Before the 2010–2011 season began, Zhang Hao broke his finger, forcing the team to pull out of their two Grand Prix assignments. He also dealt with some shoulder and cervical vertebra problems.^[7] The Zhangs returned to competition during the 2011–2012 season, winning silver medals at the 2011 Skate America and the 2011 Cup of China. They finished 4th at the 2011–12 Grand Prix Final.

Zhang Dan eventually became the tallest competing female pair skater. In 2008, she was 1.63 m and in October 2009, she reached 1.675 m.^[8] In August 2011, she was the tallest female in elite pair skating, being 1.695 m in height.^[7] Zhang Dan's height proved to be a challenge for the pair, and in May 2012, it was announced that their partnership had ended and she was retiring from competition. Zhang Hao formed a new partnership, while Zhang Dan stated that she would focus on her university studies.^[9][10]

Age controversy

Zhang & Zhang on the podium at the 2009 World Championships.

On February 14, 2011, the Zhangs' ages became the subject of controversy. Although her International Skating Union bio lists Zhang Dan as born on October 4, 1985, a Chinese skating association website suggested she was born on that day in 1987.^[2] This would mean that during the 2001-02 season she was 14 and too young to compete in senior events such as the Four Continents where they won bronze, as well as the Olympics and World Championships.^[2] Her partner's age also came under scrutiny. His ISU bio states that he was born on July 6, 1984 but the Chinese website suggested he was born on February 6, 1982, making him too old to compete in junior events during the 2002-03 season, such as the 2003 World Junior Championships where they won gold.^[2] The dates disappeared from the website by February 15.^[11] On February 17, the ISU said there were no discrepancies for the Zhangs in terms of the birthdates listed on their passports, ISU registration forms and the Chinese Olympic Committee's website.^[11]

Programs

Competitive highlights

(with Zhang)

References

External links

• Zhang / Zhang at the International Skating Union
• Official website (Chinese)