icenetwork.com: Skaters

Skaters

Samuelson and Bates are the 2009 U.S. silver medalists, 2010 U.S. bronze medalists and 2008 World Junior champions ... Won the silver medal at the 2007 and 2008 Junior Grand Prix finals ... Captured U.S. titles at the intermediate (2002), novice (2005) and junior (2007) levels ... Placed 11th at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games ... Samuelson fell at the 2007 World Junior Championships and was stepped on by Bates, severing the tendon in her middle finger and forcing the team to withdraw from the competition ... Switched coaches in April 2010, going from Yuri Chesnichenko and Yaroslava Nechaeva in Canton, Mich., to Igor Shpilband and Marina Zoueva in Ann Arbor, Mich ... In September 2010, Bates injured his Achilles tendon, an injury that will sideline the team indefinitely.

Samuelson began skating at age 5 because she saw a girl skating while she was on vacation in Switzerland and wanted to try it, too ... Participated in the U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills Program ... Previously coached by Gary Clark (1998-2001) ... Received numerous academic honors in high school, including Honor Roll (2004-08), Presidential Award for Educational Excellence (2006-08), Phi Beta Kappa (2008) and summa cum laude (2008) ... State finalist for Miss Teen Michigan ... Is in her junior year at the University of Michigan ... Supports the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life and breast cancer research by skating in "Skate for Hope" ... Has volunteered at her church (Faith Community Presbyterian) ... Biggest influence in her life is her mother ... Hobbies include reading, golfing, skiing, swimming and hanging out with friends ... Has a passion for volunteering ... Biggest life-defining moment is coming back from hand surgery to win the 2008 World Junior title ... Fell at the 2003 Midwestern Sectional and broke her two front teeth ... Some things people would be surprised to learn about her are she loves thunderstorms and puddle-jumping in the rain (as long as it's warm enough outside not to catch a cold!), and she's afraid of heights ... Would love to meet Oprah Winfrey ... If she weren't a skater, she would be a ballroom dancer...and a normal college student ... Would like to travel and volunteer more after her skating career ... Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/Emily_Samuelson.

EMILY'S FAVORITES
Favorite sports figure: Lance Armstrong
Favorite sports team: Detroit Red Wings
Favorite city: Rome
Favorite season: Spring
Favorite author: Jane Austen
Favorite books: Pride and Prejudice, The Alchemist, Redeeming Love
Favorite magazine: Nutrition Action
Favorite gadget: Laptop
Favorite TV characters: Shawn and Gus from "Psych"
Favorite TV shows: Gilmore Girls, Friends, Psych
Favorite reality show: Survivor
Favorite movie: Pride and Prejudice
Favorite concert she's attended: The Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
Favorite websites: icenetwork.com, ice-dance.com, ISU.org
Favorite foods: Mom's homemade apple pie, salad with Grandpa's homemade dressing, Atlantic lobster (eaten at my family's New Hampshire cottage)
Favorite drink: Sparkling water with lemon, hot chocolate, a cold glass of milk
Favorite vacation spot: My family's cottage in New Hampshire
Favorite place to which she's traveled for skating: Italy
Favorite quote: "Dance like no one is watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like no one is listening, and live like it's heaven on earth." - William Purkey

Bates began skating at the age of 4 because his mom "lost him" every time she brought him to watch his sister skate, so she put him out on the ice where she could see him ... Has an older brother, Andrew, and an older sister, Alexis ... Alexis is a former skater who now runs marathons ... Father is a cardiologist and mother is an artist/interior designer ... Participated in the U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills Program ... Previously skated with Arielle Chudnofsky ... Attends University of Michigan majoring in business ... Achieved a 3.85 GPA in high school ... Has volunteered on church mission trips to Chicago ... Supports the Alzheimer's Foundation of America because his grandfather suffers from the disease ... Hobbies are playing the guitar, golfing and playing basketball ... Favorite place to which he's traveled for skating is Tokyo because "I really enjoyed the complimentary sushi" ... Has a passion for hip hop and rap music ... If he could be on any reality show, it would be "Ninja Warrior" ... His father was the captain of Princeton's cross country team ... Grandfather played basketball for Michigan State and won two gold medals at the Senior Olympics ... Would like to meet Dave Chappelle, "the funniest man alive" ... Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Evan_Bates.

EVAN'S FAVORITES
Favorite sports figure: Tiger Woods
Favorite sports team: Detroit Red Wings
Favorite city: Tokyo
Favorite season: Spring
Favorite author: Kurt Vonnegut
Favorite gadget: Laptop
Favorite vacation I've taken: Brother's wedding in Key West, Fla.
Favorite drink: Gatorade
Favorite quote: "Amazing awaits"

2011 Season Notes
SD Music: TBD
FD Music: Music from An American In Paris by George Gershwin, performed by Gene Kelly

Goals are to qualify for the Grand Prix Final, finish in the top two at the U.S. Championships and place in the top seven at the World Championships
2010 Season Notes
OD Music: Dixie Chicks medley
FD Music: Francesco Sartori's "Canto Della Terra" performed by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli

Costumes designed by Nancy Bates

Won the bronze medal at the 2010 U.S. Championships ... Placed 11th in their Olympic debut ... Came in a career-best ninth at the World Championships.
2009 Season Notes
OD Music: "Let Yourself Go" by Irving Berlin
FD Music: Tonci Huljic's "Amazonic" performed by Maksim Mrvica

Costumes designed by Nancy Bates and REST

Won the gold at the Nebelhorn Trophy ... Earned their first medal in the Grand Prix Series, a bronze at the NHK Trophy ... Placed second at the U.S. Championships and took the bronze at the Four Continents Championships.
2008 Season Notes
OD Music: "Kalinka" and "Russikie Napievi" by Balalaika
FD Music: "Luna" by Alessandro Safina

Won both of their Junior Grand Prix assignments (Lake Placid, Austria) and earned the silver medal at the JGP Final ... Placed fourth at the U.S. Championships in their first year as seniors ... Were crowned World Junior champions.
2007 Season Notes
OD Music: "Quejas de Bandoneom" (Tango)
FD Music: Latin medley - "Thalia's Hits Remixed"

Won both of their Junior Grand Prix events (Mexixo, Chinese Taipei) and came in second at the Junior Grand Prix Final ... Took the U.S. junior title ... Withdrew from the World Junior Championships after Samuelson fell in the free dance and Samuelson skated over her finger.
2006 Season Notes
OD Music: "Besame Mucho" (Cha-Cha) and "Perfidia" (Rhumba)
FD Music: Music from the Kill Bill movie soundtrack

Finished second as juniors at the U.S. Championships.
2005 Season Notes
FD Music: Latin medley, including "Amor" and "Maria" by Ricky Martin

Won the U.S. novice championship.
2004 Season Notes
FD Music: "Canned Heat" by Jamiroquai

Won the novice bronze medal at the U.S. Championships.
2003 Season Notes
FD Music: Russian medley
2002 Season Notes
FD Music: "Let's Face the Music and Dance"

Won the U.S. intermediate title.

Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates' Four Continents compulsory dance 400K | 700K
Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates' compulsory dance from the 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships 400K | 700K
icenetwork.com interview with Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates 400K
Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates' JGP Lake Placid free dance 400K | 700K