Angela Nikodinov

American figure skater

Angela Nikodinov (born May 9, 1980 in Spartanburg, South Carolina), is an American figure skater. She is the 2000 Four Continents Champion.

Nikodinov completes her short program at the 2004 Four Continents Championships in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Biography change

Nikodinov is the daughter of Bulgarian immigrants. She speaks Bulgarian fluently.[1][2] She was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Her family moved to southern California when she was very young.[2] She was raised in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California.

Nikodinov trained at Lake Arrowhead, California. She also trained in Detroit for one season (1999-2000) but moved back to California in fall 2000.[1] Her coaches included John Nicks, Peter Oppegard, Frank Carroll, Elena Tcherkasskaia, Richard Callaghan, Igor Pashkevich. Her coach Tcherkasskaia, with whom she was very close, died of cancer in November 2001.[3]

Nikodinov missed the 2002-2003 season. She injured her shoulder in February 2002 and again in September. She also had a virus.[3] She had shoulder surgery in February 2003 and was off the ice for seven months.[1] After missing two seasons, Nikodinov returned to win the 2004 Skate America.[4]

While in Portland, Oregon, for the 2005 U.S. National Championships, she and her family were in a car accident that killed her mother.[2][5] Nikodinov did not return to competition after the accident.

Nikodinov coached Bulgarian figure skater Ivan Dinev in the 2005-2006 season. They are now coaching together in the Los Angeles area. Nikodinov and Dinev were married in July 2008.[6] Along with her coaching duties, she skates in shows and was a guest skater on the Stars on Ice tour. The pairs team of Bianca Butler & Joseph Jacobsen and Tenile Victorsen are among her and Dinev's former students that have qualified for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at the Senior level.

References change

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Angela Nikodinov at the International Skating Union".
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Elliott, Helene (January 13, 2005). "Nikodinov's Mother Is Killed in Auto Accident". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Skater's mother killed in car accident". usatoday. Associated Press. January 13, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
  4. Klimovich Harrop, JoAnne (October 24, 2004). "Skater injured at Skate America". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved November 27, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  5. "Angela Nikodinov's Mother Dies in Car Accident". U.S. Figure Skating. January 12, 2005. Archived from the original on November 9, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
  6. Skating April 2010, page 8

Other websites change