Tuğba Karademir (born on 17 March 1985) is a Turkish former competitive figure skater. She won silver medals at the 2008 International Challenge Cup and 2008 Ondrej Nepela Memorial. She qualified to the free skate at two Winter Olympics (2006 Turin and 2010 Vancouver), two World Championships (2006 Calgary, 2009 Los Angeles), and seven European Championships (2004–2010). She served as the flag-bearer for Turkey at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Tuğba Karademir
Karademir at the 2008 Skate America.
Born (1985-03-17) 17 March 1985 (age 39)
Ankara, Turkey
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Figure skating career
Country Turkey
CoachRobert Tebby, Doug Leigh
Skating clubKocaeli Kağıtspor
Began skating1990
RetiredJuly 2010

Personal life

edit

Karademir was born on 17 March 1985 in Ankara, Turkey.[1] In Turkey, her father, Tayfun, was a restaurateur and her mother, Sabite, worked in the aerospace industry. Upon relocating to Barrie, Ontario, Canada, they initially took on extra jobs to pay for their daughter's training.[2] While in Barrie, she was enrolled at a local public school, Allandale Heights. She speaks Turkish and English fluently. Tugba married on 14 August 2021.

Career

edit

Karademir started skating at the age of 5, with her kindergarten class, right after the first ice rink opened in Turkey in 1990. At eight years old she competed for the first time internationally for Turkey. In 1995, she won a gold medal at a novice competition at the Balkan Games and a silver medal in the Netherlands.

Turkey had only one ice rink then, and no professional skating coaches. In 1996 her parents decided to move the family to Canada, where she could train seriously. She began training with Robert Tebby at the Mariposa School of Skating.

At the 2006 European Championships, Karademir placed 13th. She then went on to become the first figure skater from Turkey to compete in the Olympic Winter games. She was the flag bearer for Turkey during the opening ceremony. She scored a personal best of 44.2 points in the short program. Combined with her 79.44 points in the free program, she placed 21st overall with a total of 123.64 points.

At the 2006 World Championships, Karademir placed 18th with her highest finish to date at that event. In the long program, she finished 16th, giving her the 18th overall finish.

At the 2007 European Championships she achieved a new personal best in her short program and placed 10th overall.

In June 2006, Tuğba Karademir was transferred by the Kocaeli Kağıtspor.[3]

At the 2010 Winter Olympics she received a total score of 129.54, with 50.74 in the short program and 78.80 in the free skate.

Programs

edit
Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2009–10
[1]
  • Bazaar Istanbul
    by A. Kusgoz, H. Turkemenier

  • Nihavent Oyun Havası
    by Hilmi Rit
  • Haydi Efrem Yere Vurda Daglar
  • Segah Roman Havasi
    by Ismael Bascambaz
    choreo. by Kurt Browning
2008–09
[4]
2007–08
[5]
2006–07
[6]
  • Coeurs à Cordes
    by Pierre Porte
    choreo. by Jean-Pierre Boulais

2005–06
[7]
2004–05
[8]
  • Barracuda
  • Tierra Querida
  • Adagio Tango
  • Nueve de Julio
2003–04
[9]
  • Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White
  • Dancing Fool
    choreo. by Steven Cousins
2002–03
[10]
2001–02
[11]
  • Violin Fantasy on Puccini's Turandot
    performed by Royal Opera House Orchestra

Competitive highlights

edit

GP: Grand Prix

2001–02 to 2009–10

edit
International[12]
Event 01–02 02–03 03–04 04–05 05–06 06–07 07–08 08–09 09–10
Olympics 21st 24th
Worlds 30th 35th 27th 18th 27th 27th 21st 28th
Europeans 27th 27th 23rd 19th 13th 10th 11th 10th 12th
GP NHK Trophy 10th
GP Skate America 9th 11th 12th
GP Skate Canada 11th
Challenge Cup 2nd
Golden Spin 7th 17th 9th 5th 4th
Nebelhorn Trophy 11th 11th 14th
Nepela Memorial 4th 2nd
Schäfer Memorial 9th 4th 9th 11th
Universiade 14th 11th

1994–95 to 2000–01

edit
International[12]
Event 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 2000–01
Balkan Games 1st 2nd 2nd
National[12]
Turkish Champ. 1st 2nd 2nd
Canadian Champ. 5th J
J = Junior level

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Tugba KARADEMIR: 2009/2010". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 2, 2010.
  2. ^ Mickleburgh, Rod (December 17, 2009). "Parents will get to see skater compete after all". The Globe and Mail. CTV Olympics. Archived from the original on January 12, 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "Buz Pateni... - Milli Patenci Tuğba Karademir Kocaeli Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kağıtspor Kulübü'yle Bir Yıllık Anlaşma İmzaladı". Haberler (in Turkish). 2006-06-02.
  4. ^ "Tugba KARADEMIR: 2008/2009". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 19, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ "Tugba KARADEMIR: 2007/2008". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 26, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "Tugba KARADEMIR: 2006/2007". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on August 12, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ "Tugba KARADEMIR: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 27, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ "Tugba KARADEMIR: 2004/2005". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 23, 2005.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ^ "Tugba KARADEMIR: 2003/2004". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 8, 2004.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ "Tugba KARADEMIR: 2002/2003". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 5, 2003.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ^ "Tugba KARADEMIR: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 28, 2002.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ^ a b c "Competition Results: Tugba KARADEMIR". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
edit
Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for   Turkey
Turin 2006
Succeeded by