Kristi Yamaguchi

Kristine Tsuya Yamaguchi (born July 1971) is a retired American figure skater. She was the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating. Her skills have inspired many people.

Kristi Yamaguchi
Kristi Yamaguchi in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Kristine Tsuya Yamaguchi
Country represented	United States
Born	(1971-07-12) July 12, 1971 Hayward, California, U.S.
Height	4 ft 11.5 in
Former partner	Rudy Galindo
Former coach	Christy Ness
Former choreographer	Sandra Bezic
Skating club	St. Moritz ISC
Retired	1992
Medal record Representing the United States Ladies' figure skating Olympic Games 1992 Albertville Ladies' singles World Championships 1991 Munich Ladies' singles 1992 Oakland Ladies' singles World Junior Championships 1988 Brisbane Ladies' singles Pairs' figure skating World Junior Championships 1988 Brisbane Pairs 1987 Kitchener Pairs

Childhood

Yamaguchi was born in July 12 1971 in Hayward, California. As a child, she had a bad foot condition. She had to wear casts on her legs when she was young. Her mother said this could be why she is such a hardworking person. She was inspired by Olympic gold medalist, Dorothy Hamill and other famous figure skaters. She started figure skating at a young age and worked very hard through her teenage years.

Awards

When she was 20, Yamaguchi won an Olympic gold medal for figure skating in the 1992 Winter Olympics. She also won many other awards. She is also a member of the United States figure skating Hall of Fame.

Accomplishments

After she retired from skating, she continued to inspire and prove herself to the world. She wrote many books, Including Figure skating for Dummies, Always Dream, and Dream Big, Little Pig. These books are about figure skating and dreaming big. Yamaguchi started the “Always Dream Foundation” to help kids pursue their dreams. She is also a mother of 2 kids and continues to figure skate for fun.