Alissa Czisny
Figure Skating - Singles
2010 Olympic hopeful
Personal Specs
Height: 5'4"
Coach: Julianne Berlin
Short List Performance
- 2009 U.S. Champion
- 2009 World Championships - 11th
- 2004 and 2008 U.S. Collegiate Champion
- 2007 U.S. Championships bronze medalist
- Ranked No. 22 in the ISU World Standings as of May 2009
Vancouver Watch
At 21 years old (22 when Vancouver rolls around), Czisny is defying the odds. She peaked as a college senior by winning the 2009 U.S. Championship in a sport where teens traditionally triumph. She became the oldest U.S. champion since Nancy Kerrigan (23) in 1993. Czisny is looking forward to what could be her Olympic debut in Vancouver. However, her 11th-place showing at the 2009 World Championships leaves room for improvement and a lack of consistency has plagued Czisny throughout her career. Now that the U.S. women will only have two spots at the Olympic Winter Games for the first time since 1994, it will be even tougher to qualify.
Personal
Czisny began skating at 1 1/2 when her mother started taking skating lessons. Her twin sister, Amber, was also an international figure skater. Czisny is a senior at Bowling Green majoring in international studies, Russian and French. She was considered a contender to make the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team but finished seventh at the 2006 U.S. Championships. Her charitable work includes benefit skates for the Hurricane Katrina relief fund, the Jimmy Fund, the breast cancer foundation and the Mary Louise Wright Foundation. She enjoys rock climbing, reading, biking, learning foreign languages, acting, modeling and traveling. After she finishes skating, Czisny is considering modeling and/or acting careers, getting her Master's degree and traveling the world some more.
Did You Know...?
- Was featured on the 2006 TLC TV series "Ice Diaries"
- Favorite skater is Scott Hamilton, who also hails from Bowling Green
- Mentored by 1988 Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano