Caitlin Yankowskas (born May 6, 1990) is an American retired pair skater. She competed for the United States with John Coughlin from 2007 to 2011. They are the 2010 Cup of China bronze medalists and 2011 U.S. national champions. With partner Hamish Gaman, Yankowskas skated for the United Kingdom. They are the 2015 Challenge Cup silver medalists and 2015 British national champions.

Caitlin Yankowskas
Yankowskas in 2010 with former partner John Coughlin
Born (1990-05-06) May 6, 1990 (age 34)
Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S.
HometownPelham, New Hampshire, U.S.
Height1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Figure skating career
CountryUnited Kingdom
PartnerHamish Gaman
Skating clubGuildford IFSC Surrey
Began skating1994
RetiredSeptember 10, 2015

Personal life

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Yankowskas was born May 6, 1990, in Nashua, New Hampshire.[1] Raised in Pelham, New Hampshire, she was homeschooled and took ballet lessons in addition to skating.[2] She was a member of the Methuen Ballet Ensemble in Salem, New Hampshire, for five years before moving to Colorado Springs.[3] Her father has a dental practice in Massachusetts. She has an older sister, Erica.[2]

Career

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Early years

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Yankowskas began skating at the age of six. She skated with Daniyel Cohen in pairs at the novice level while competing as a single skater at the same time and at the same level. She and Cohen were the 2007 U.S. novice silver medalists.[4] She did not make it out of sectionals as a single skater. Yankowskas and Cohen were coached by Alexander Vlassov and Laura Amelina.[5]

Partnership with Coughlin

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In June 2007, Yankowskas had a tryout with new coach Dalilah Sappenfield in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Sappenfield suggested John Coughlin as a potential partner and they had a tryout in early August 2007.[6] They placed 6th at the 2008 U.S. Championships and made their Grand Prix debut at the 2008 Skate America.

During the 2010–11 season, their Ave Maria long program was a tribute to Coughlin's mother who died in February 2010.[7] They finished 4th at 2010 NHK Trophy and won the first Grand Prix medal, bronze, at Cup of China. At the 2011 U.S. Nationals, they placed first in the short program[8] and then won the free program to earn their first national title.[9]

Yankowskas and Coughlin went on to a sixth-place finish in their debut at the World Championships in April 2011; it was the best result by an American pair since 2006.[10] After the event, Coughlin told Yankowskas that he wanted to split up.[11] On May 4, the pair announced the end of their partnership.[10][12][13]

Later partnerships

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After leaving Sappenfield and Colorado Springs, Yankowskas moved in July 2011 to Canton, Michigan, to train with Johnny Johns and Adrienne Lenda at the Arctic Edge Ice Arena.[14] She skated for seven weeks with Italian skater Matteo Guarise but the pairing did not go further because they were unable to agree on which country to represent.[11] In December 2011, Yankowskas said that she still wanted to continue her pairs career.[11]

On March 22, 2012, it was announced that Yankowskas had teamed up with Joshua Reagan.[15] They were coached by Johnny Johns, David Kirby, and Marina Zueva in Canton, Michigan.[15][16] Yankowskas and Reagan were assigned to the 2012 Cup of China and the 2012 NHK Trophy but withdrew from both events after Reagan sustained a rib injury in practice.[17][18] They parted ways at the end of the season.

In May 2013, Yankowskas formed a partnership with Hamish Gaman, coached by Johnny Johns and Marina Zueva in Canton, Michigan.[19] Competing for Great Britain, the pair placed fifth in their debut at the 2013 Ice Challenge. They went on to take the bronze medal at the 2014 British Championships. In mid-February 2014, they moved to Boston and began training under Bobby Martin and Carrie Wall at the Skating Club of Boston.[20][19] After spending part of June 2014 in Montreal, coached by Bruno Marcotte and Richard Gauthier, the pair decided to move there in July.[21] At the 2015 European Championships in Stockholm, Yankowskas/Gaman placed seventh in the short program, 14th in the free skate, and ninth overall.

On September 10, 2015, Yankowskas and Gaman announced their retirements from competitive figure skating due to lack of funding.[22]

Programs

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Season Short program Free skating
2015–2016
[23]
  • Cinderella
    choreo. by Julie Marcotte
2014–2015
[1]

With Reagan

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Season Short program Free skating
2012–2013
[16][24]

With Coughlin

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Season Short program Free skating
2010–2011
[3]
2009–2010
[25]
2008–2009
[26][27]
2007–2008
[26]
  • Bram Stoker's Dracula
    by Wojciech Kilar

With Cohen

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Season Short program Free skating
2006–2007
[5]
2005–2006
[28]

Competitive highlights

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GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series (began in the 2014–15 season)

With Gaman for the United Kingdom

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International[29]
Event 2013–14 2014–15
Europeans 9th
CS Autumn Classic 8th
Challenge Cup 2nd
Ice Challenge 5th
National
British Champ. 3rd 1st
WD = Withdrew

With Coughlin for the United States

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International[30]
Event 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11
Worlds 6th
Four Continents 4th 4th
GP Cup of China 3rd
GP NHK Trophy 4th
GP Skate America 6th
GP Skate Canada 7th
Ice Challenge 1st
Nebelhorn Trophy 6th
National[26]
U.S. Championships 6th 7th 6th 1st

References

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  1. ^ a b "Caitlin YANKOWSKAS / Hamish GAMAN: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on November 27, 2014.
  2. ^ a b Pollock, Chelsey (February 5, 2011). "NH native skates her way to glory". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Caitlin YANKOWSKAS / John COUGHLIN: 2010/2011". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011.
  4. ^ "2007 U.S. Novice Results". U.S. Figure Skating. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  5. ^ a b "2007 Nationals bio". U.S. Figure Skating. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011.
  6. ^ Walker, Elvin (March 13, 2011). "Yankowskas and Coughlin rising to the top". GoldenSkate.com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
  7. ^ Ainsworth, Alexa (January 19, 2011). "Yankowskas, Coughlin have sights set on gold". UniversalSports. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
  8. ^ Walker, Elvin (January 28, 2011). "A new look and a first place finish". GoldenSkate.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  9. ^ Walker, Elvin (January 29, 2011). "Yankowskas and Coughlin win gold with stirring tribute". GoldenSkate.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  10. ^ a b "After finishing 6th at worlds, US champs split". usatoday.com. Associated Press. May 4, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
  11. ^ a b c Barnas, Jo-Ann (December 11, 2011). "Jo-Ann Barnas: Caitlin Yankowskas is prepared but unpaired". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014.
  12. ^ Ainsworth, Alexa (May 4, 2011). "A blow for U.S. pairs skating". UniversalSports. Retrieved May 4, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "2011 U.S. Pairs Champions Yankowskas and Coughlin Announce End of Partnership". U.S. Figure Skating. May 4, 2011. Archived from the original on May 6, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
  14. ^ Brannen, Sarah S.; Meekins, Drew (July 26, 2011). "The Inside Edge: Yankowskas changes coaches". icenetwork. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  15. ^ a b Rutherford, Lynn (March 22, 2012). "Yankowskas finds her prince after lengthy search". Ice Network. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  16. ^ a b "Caitlin Yankowskas / Joshua Reagan". Ice Network. Archived from the original on April 20, 2013.
  17. ^ "Yankowskas and Reagan Withdraw from Cup of China". U.S. Figure Skating. October 25, 2012.
  18. ^ "Scimeca and Knierim Invited to 2012 NHK Trophy". U.S. Figure Skating. November 9, 2012. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  19. ^ a b Brannen, Sarah S.; Meekins, Drew (April 1, 2014). "The Inside Edge: Yankowskas gets back in the game". IceNetwork. Archived from the original on April 4, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  20. ^ "Caitlin Yankowskas". National Ice Skating Association. Archived from the original on 2014-03-04. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
  21. ^ Thayer, Jacquelyn (November 25, 2014). "Yankowskas and Gaman Take an International Path". Two For the Ice.
  22. ^ Yankowskas, Caitlin; Gaman, Hamish (10 September 2015). "The End of a Journey..." Official site of Yankowskas/Gaman.[permanent dead link]
  23. ^ Yankowskas, Caitlin; Gaman, Hamish (August 26, 2015). "End of Summer Update". Official site of Yankowskas/Gaman. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  24. ^ "Caitlin YANKOWSKAS / Joshua REAGAN: 2012/2013". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013.
  25. ^ "Caitlin YANKOWSKAS / John COUGHLIN: 2009/2010". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 26, 2010.
  26. ^ a b c "Caitlin Yankowskas / John Coughlin". Ice Network. Archived from the original on December 26, 2011.
  27. ^ "Caitlin YANKOWSKAS / John COUGHLIN: 2008/2009". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 25, 2009.
  28. ^ "2006 Nationals bio" (PDF). U.S. Figure Skating. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2011.
  29. ^ "Competition Results: Caitlin YANKOWSKAS / Hamish GAMAN". International Skating Union.
  30. ^ "Competition Results: Caitlin YANKOWSKAS / John COUGHLIN". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on August 24, 2013.
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