Zoltán Kelemen (figure skater)

Zoltán Kelemen
Kelemen in 2010.
Born (1986-07-31) 31 July 1986 (age 38)
Miercurea Ciuc, Romania
Height1.64 m (5 ft 4+1⁄2 in)
Figure skating career
CountryRomania
CoachGheorghe Chiper, Linda van Troyen
Skating clubSC Miercurea Ciuc
Began skating1991

Zoltán Kelemen (born 31 July 1986) is a Romanian former competitive figure skater. He is an eight-time Romanian national champion. He qualified for the free skate at the 2014 Winter Olympics, the 2014 World Championships, five European Championships, and two World Junior Championships.

Personal life

Kelemen was born on 31 July 1986 in Miercurea Ciuc, Romania.[1] He is of Hungarian descent.[2] He lost the sight in his right eye at age seven,[3] following an accident involving an exploding aerosol can.[4]

Career

Due to his vision impairment, Kelemen failed the yearly physical Romania requires of its athletes to get permission to compete.[4] He was required to sign an annual waiver declaring that he was competing "on his own responsibility."[3]

In the 2004–05 and 2005–06 season, Kelemen competed on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series and at the World Junior Championships. In 2007, he won his first senior national title and was given his debut at the European Championships and senior World Championships.

At the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy, Kelemen earned a spot for Romania in the Olympic men's event. He began training in California and qualified for the free skate for the first time in his career at the 2010 European Championships.[5] He then competed at the 2010 Olympics, placing 29th.[6]

Kelemen placed a career-best 14th at the 2012 European Championships. In August 2012, he decided to train in Switzerland with Gheorghe Chiper;[7] he also works in Switzerland as he receives little support from the Romanian skating association.[8] Kelemen earned another Olympic berth for Romania at the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy. At the 2014 Winter Olympics, he qualified for the free skate and finished 23rd.

Programs

Season Short program Free skating
2013–14
[1]
  • Rich Man's Frug
    (from Sweet Charity)
  • Breathe and Life
    by Audio Machine
  • Akkadian Empire
    by Audio Machine
  • Guardians at the Gate
    by Audio Machine
2012–13
[9]
  • Italian medley
2011–12
[10]
2010–11
[11]
  • Mumbai Theme
2008–10
[12][13]
2006–08
[14][15]
  • Played-A-Life
    by Safri Duo
  • The Man in the Iron Mask
    by Nick Glennie Smith
2004–06
[16][17]
  • Sequences
    from Holiday on Ice Show

Results

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

2004–05 to 2013–14

International[18]
Event 04–05 05–06 06–07 07–08 08–09 09–10 10–11 11–12 12–13 13–14
Olympics 29th 23rd
Worlds 41st 33rd 32nd 32nd 32nd 29th 21st
Europeans 32nd 35th 34th 19th 21st 14th 18th 21st
GP Bompard 9th
Bavarian Open 12th
Crystal Skate 4th 9th 6th 2nd 3rd 2nd 1st
Cup of Nice 12th 12th 10th
Golden Spin 15th 22nd 16th 16th WD
Merano Cup 9th 2nd
Nebelhorn 14th 13th 20th 6th
Nepela Trophy 7th
NRW Trophy 15th
Printemps 2nd 3rd
Schäfer Memorial 10th
Slovenia Open 3rd
International: Junior[18]
Junior Worlds 19th 17th
JGP Bulgaria 18th
JGP Croatia 19th
JGP Hungary 18th
Montfort Cup 3rd
National[18]
Romanian Champ. 2nd 3rd 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st
WD: Withdrew

1998–99 to 2003–04

International[18]
Event 98–99 99–00 00–01 01–02 02–03 03–04
Crystal Skate of Romania 2nd J. 6th 7th
National[18]
Romanian Champ. 5th 5th 4th 3rd 3rd 3rd
J. = Junior level

References

  1. ^ a b "Zoltan KELEMEN: 2013/2014". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014.
  2. ^ "Szocsi 2014: japán arany a férfi műkorcsolyázóknál" [Sochi 2014: Japanese gold in men's figure skating]. Új Magyar Szó (in Hungarian). 14 February 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Zoltan Kelemen". Sochi2014.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014.
  4. ^ a b Păuna, Eveline (7 February 2017). "ZOLTAN KELEMEN - PE GHEAȚĂ, PENTRU UN VIS" [On Ice for a Dream]. evelinepauna.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  5. ^ Bőd, Titanilla (2010). "Zoltán Kelemen: "I'm not on holiday in the US"". AbsoluteSkating.com. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  6. ^ "Zoltán Kelemen Biography and Olympic Results". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  7. ^ Bőd, Titanilla (14 January 2013). "Zoltán Kelemen: "Skating comes first for me now"". Absolute Skating.
  8. ^ Tone, Florentina (1 March 2014). "Zoltan Kelemen: "The life of a Romanian skater is not simple – and it will never be simple"". InsideSkating.net.
  9. ^ "Zoltan KELEMEN: 2012/2013". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 30 August 2013.
  10. ^ "Zoltan KELEMEN: 2011/2012". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012.
  11. ^ "Zoltan KELEMEN: 2010/2011". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 13 September 2011.
  12. ^ "Zoltan KELEMEN: 2009/2010". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 25 September 2009.
  13. ^ "Zoltan KELEMEN: 2008/2009". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 May 2009.
  14. ^ "Zoltan KELEMEN: 2007/2008". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 7 June 2008.
  15. ^ "Zoltan KELEMEN: 2006/2007". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 26 April 2007.
  16. ^ "Zoltan KELEMEN: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 22 May 2006.
  17. ^ "Zoltan KELEMEN: 2004/2005". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 9 February 2005.
  18. ^ a b c d e "Competition Results: Zoltan KELEMEN". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.

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