Tara Lipinski

Tara Lipinski Kristen ( born June 10, 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a former American figure skater who started in a single run. She is the 1998 Olympic champion and world champion in 1997.

Lipinski is the only child of Jack Richard Lipinski, a lawyer and managing director of an oil refinery, and Patricia Brozyniak, a secretary. She started at the age of three years with the roller skating and at the age of six years with the figure skating. By 1991 the family lived in New Jersey, then moved for professional reasons of the father to Sugar Land, Texas where there were no training facilities though. So Lipinski moved with her mother to Delaware, where they had been previously trained.

In 1995, Lipinski participated in their first World Junior Championship and finished fourth. In 1996, she was there not improve and finished fifth. Then she changed her coach Jeff Di Gregorio, in which they had trained in Delaware and went to Detroit to Richard Callaghan. For the first time she went to the national championships seniors at the start. It benefited from the cancellation of Nicole Bobek and was third behind Michelle Kwan and Tonia Kwiatkowski. Thus, they qualified for their first World Cup, which was held in Edmonton, Canada. They finished in 15th place. This year, the International Skating Union decided to raise to 15 years the minimum age for participation in international competitions. Athletes who had but already at a younger age participated in a competition, could continue to participate. So the 13 -year-old Lipinski could also participate in the next competitions yet.

1997 Lipinski was in Nashville surprising U.S. Champion and World Champion in Lausanne, both times before Michelle Kwan. At 14, she was thus both the youngest U.S. champion and also the youngest world champion in history. With a smaller tournament, they showed the first woman to triple Rittberger triple Rittberger combination. Lipinski also won the Grand Prix Final this year and defended that title a year later.

At the national championships in 1998 Lipinski fell into her short program at the triple flip, while Michelle Kwan was without error. So Lipinski went as runner-up to the Olympics in Nagano. Both were there as favorites, Michelle Kwan after their performance at the national championships, however, even more. Both Lipinski and Kwan showed strong performances there. Lipinski was after the short program just behind Kwan, but was the last to starting a technically more demanding freestyle. As Kwan she was seven triple jumps, however, including a triple Rittberger triple Rittberger combination and a triple toe loop - Half - Rittberger triple Salchow combination. So Lipinski became the youngest figure skating Olympic champion in history.

Because of a serious infection had Lipinski cancel the World Cup and ended her competitive career. They took advantage of their great popularity and appeared in numerous ice revues such as the Champions on Ice and Stars on Ice, as well as in television programs and promotional activities. She also became world champion in the pros in 1999. In 2000, she underwent a hip operation. Dissatisfied and disappointed with the Eisrevuelaufen, she concentrated from 2002 to the acting. She had guest appearances in a heavenly family, Malcolm in the Middle and Still Standing. It also is involved in numerous foundations, such as for children suffering from leukemia and against drug use.

Results

• N = Novices, J = Junior

Works

• Emily Costello, Tara Lipinski: Triumph on Ice. Bantam Books, New York 1997, ISBN 0-553-09775- X.
• Tara Lipinski, Mark Zeigler: Totally Tara - An Olympic Journey. Universe, 1998, ISBN 0-7893-0142-3.