Temirlan "Tima" Mukhtarovich Yerzhanov (Kazakh: Темирлан Мухтарұлы Ержанов; born May 28, 1996) is a retired Kazakhstani ice dancer. With his skating partner, Maxine Weatherby, he is the 2020 Kazakhstani national champion and the 2019 Denis Ten Memorial Challenge bronze medalist. They competed in the final segment at the 2020 Four Continents Championships.

Temirlan Yerzhanov
Full nameTemirlan Mukhtarovich Yerzhanov
Native nameТемирлан Мухтарұлы Ержанов
Born (1996-05-28) May 28, 1996 (age 28)
Almaty, Kazakhstan
HometownWest Palm Beach, Florida
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Figure skating career
Country Kazakhstan
PartnerMaxine Weatherby
CoachEvgeni Platov
John Kerr
Skating clubPalm Beach Ice Works
Began skating2004
Retired2022

Personal life

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Yerzhanov was born on May 28, 1996, in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He has a sister. When Yerzhanov was 15 years old, he moved to the United States to train.[1] He works at a skating coach at Palm Beach Ice Works in West Palm Beach, where he also trains.[2]

Yerzhanov enjoys cooking and wants to enter the restaurant business after retiring from skating.[3] He also enjoys reading history books, particularly about Genghis Khan.[3] Yerzhanov plays ice hockey recreationally and was invited to join an amateur league in Florida, but declined due to injury concerns.[3]

Career

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Early career

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Yerzhanov began skating in 2004. As a men's singles skater, he was the 2012 Kazakhstani junior national champion. Yerzhanov began competing in ice dance during the 2014–15 season. Representing Kazakhstan with American Rebecca Dawn Lucas, they competed in one Junior Grand Prix event.[4] Yerzhanov switched partners in 2015–16 and competed with Hannah Grace Cook of the United States for two seasons representing Kazakhstan. Cook/Yerzhanov were the 2016 Kazakhstani national bronze medalists and competed at two World Junior Championships (2016, 2017), placing 27th and 22nd, respectively.[5] During the 2017–18 season, Yerzhanov struggled to find a partner and considered retiring.[6]

Yerzhanov teamed up with Maxine Weatherby, also American, to continue representing his native country in July 2018. They had previously known each other while training in Coral Springs, Florida, and tried out on the suggestion of Weatherby's mother.[6] Weatherby/Yerzhanov train under Evgeni Platov in West Palm Beach and John Kerr in Pembroke Pines.[1]

During their first season together in 2018–19, Weatherby/Yerzhanov won the silver medal at the 2019 Kazakhstani Championships behind Gaukhar Nauryzova / Boyisangur Datiev and finished eighth at the Bavarian Open.

2019–2020 season

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Weatherby/Yerzhanov opened their season at the Lake Placid Ice Dance International, where they placed 12th. They then finished eighth at the 2019 CS U.S. Classic. At the Denis Ten Memorial Challenge in October, Weatherby/Yerzhanov won their first international medal, bronze behind Germans Katharina Müller / Tim Dieck and Adelina Galyavieva / Louis Thauron of France. They also earned the technical minimums to compete at the 2020 Four Continents Championships and 2020 World Championships.[7] After the event, Yerzhanov said he had always "dreamed of skating in Kazakhstan" and competing in front of his family.[1] Weatherby/Yerzhanov won the national title at the 2020 Kazakhstani Championships.[8]

At Four Continents, Weatherby/Yerzhanov were 16th in the rhythm dance and 15th in the free dance to finish 16th overall. The World Championships were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] During the ensuing lockdown, Weatherby/Yerzhanov trained separately for a time due to rinks being closed in Florida, before eventually meeting up to practice lifts off-ice.[1] To earn income, Yerzhanov worked as a personal trainer for a Russian family before it was deemed too high risk and went grocery shopping for the elderly.[3]

2020–2021 season

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There were limited competition opportunities due to the pandemic. Weatherby/Yerzhanov plan to compete at the 2021 World Championships if they are not cancelled,[1] but were missing from the initial entry list.

Programs

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With Weatherby

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Season Rhythm dance Free dance
2020–2021
[10]
2019–2020
[11]
2018–2019

With Cook

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Season Short dance Free dance
2016–2017
[12]
2015–2016
[13]

With Lucas

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Season Short dance Free dance
2014–2015
[14]

Competitive highlights

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CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Ice dance with Weatherby

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International[15]
Event 18–19 19–20 20–21 21-22
Worlds C WD
Four Continents 16th C
CS U.S. Classic 8th
Bavarian Open 8th
Denis Ten MC 3rd WD
Lake Placid IDI 12th
National[15]
Kazakhstani Champ. 2nd 1st
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew; C = Cancelled

Ice dance with Cook

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International: Junior[5]
Event 2015–16 2016–17
Junior Worlds 27th 22nd
JGP Austria 15th
Lake Placid IDI 10th
Santa Claus Cup 6th
National[5]
Kazakhstani Champ. 3rd

Ice dance with Lucas

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International: Junior[4]
Event 2014–15
JGP Czech Republic 8th

Men's singles

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International: Junior[16]
Event 2011–12
Santa Claus Cup 6th
National[16]
Kazakhstani Champ. 1st J
Levels: J = Junior

Detailed results

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ISU Personal Bests highlighted in bold.

With Weatherby
2020–21 season
Date Event RD FD Total
2019–20 season
Date Event RD FD Total
February 4–9, 2020 2020 Four Continents Championships 16
50.33
15
81.94
16
132.27
October 9–12, 2019 2019 Denis Ten Memorial Challenge 3
60.49
3
95.68
3
156.17
September 17–22, 2019 2019 CS U.S. International Classic 9
46.93
8
78.32
8
125.25
Jul. 30 – Aug. 2, 2019 2019 Lake Placid Ice Dance International 13
42.00
12
65.03
12
107.03
2018–19 season
Date Event RD FD Total
February 5–10, 2019 2019 Bavarian Open 10
50.64
8
78.45
8
129.09

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Isger, Sonja (November 25, 2020). "Boca girl, Kazakhstan guy and a Russian coach: These ice dancers, training in West Palm, are eying Beijing Olympics". The Palm Beach Post.
  2. ^ Kelley, Michelle (November 26, 2020). "Ice dance dreams in Florida: How I started figure skating in my fifties". The Palm Beach Post.
  3. ^ a b c d Trofimov, Alexander (April 22, 2020). "Темирлан Ержанов: Олимпиада - моя мечта!" [Temirlan Yerzhanov: The Olympics are my dream!]. Vremya (in Russian).
  4. ^ a b "Competition Results: Rebecca Dawn LUCAS / Temirlan YERZHANOV". International Skating Union.
  5. ^ a b c "Competition Results: Hannah Grace COOK / Temirlan YERZHANOV". International Skating Union.
  6. ^ a b Boyd, Paxton (December 4, 2020). "Local ice skating duo training for 2022 Winter Olympics". CBS 12 News.
  7. ^ Khassenkhanova, Galiya (October 16, 2019). "Kazakh figure skaters win bronze medal, secure spot in World Championship 2020". The Astana Times.
  8. ^ "Our Skating Coaches". Palm Beach Ice Works.
  9. ^ Ewing, Lori (March 11, 2020). "World figure skating championships cancelled in Montreal". CBC Sports.
  10. ^ "Maxine WEATHERBY / Temirlan YERZHANOV: 2020/2021". International Skating Union.
  11. ^ "Maxine WEATHERBY / Temirlan YERZHANOV: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020.
  12. ^ "Hannah Grace COOK / Temirlan YERZHANOV: 2016/2017". International Skating Union.
  13. ^ "Hannah Grace COOK / Temirlan YERZHANOV: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016.
  14. ^ "Rebecca Dawn LUCAS / Temirlan YERZHANOV: 2014/2015". International Skating Union.
  15. ^ a b "Competition Results: Maxine WEATHERBY / Temirlan YERZHANOV". International Skating Union.
  16. ^ a b "Temirlan Yerzhanov". Stats on Ice.
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