VGThuy
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I thought this deserved its own thread.
Thank you to @Rukia for pointing this out in the Shibutani thread.
www.usfigureskating.org
Brief Snip of the Shibs' write-up:
Paul E. George's Write-up excerpt:
Thank you to @Rukia for pointing this out in the Shibutani thread.
Shibutanis Lead U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame Class of 2023 | U.S. Figure Skating
www.usfigureskating.org
Ice dancers Maia and Alex Shibutani lead the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame Class of 2023 after having been elected in their first year of eligibility. The Shibutanis are joined by Paul E. George, the president and trustee of the U.S. Figure Skating Foundation and longtime contributor to the sport.
“I am honored to officially announce the U.S. Hall of Fame Class of 2023,” said Richard Dalley, Chair of the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. “Maia and Alex have left an indelible mark through their many achievements, while Paul George’s leadership has helped support U.S. Figure Skating through the solid work of the Foundation.”
Brief Snip of the Shibs' write-up:
The two-time Olympians and three-time World medalists (2011 bronze, 2016 silver and 2017 bronze) set a level of excellence throughout their entire 14-season career, earning medals at each of their 14 U.S. Championships at every level in which they competed. The Shibutanis won eight U.S. senior medals and are two-time U.S. senior champions (2016-17).
At the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, the Shibutanis earned two bronze medals, first as Team USA’s sole ice dance entry in the team event and then in the individual event. The medals are historic in that the Shibutanis are the first athletes of Asian descent and only non-white team to earn an Olympic ice dance medal.
In total, the Shibutanis earned 15 medals in the ISU Grand Prix Series working with coach Marina Zoueva and others throughout their career.
<snip> They were a lot of firsts <snip>
Off the ice, the siblings are involved in charity work and have been prominent faces in addressing hate crimes against Asians and Pacific Islanders. They have received the 2020 Asia Society Game Changer Award, been honored on the Gold House A100 List and were the 2022 Parade Marshals of the Nisei Week Grand Parade in Los Angeles.
In 2016, the Shibutanis were named Sports Envoys with the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and led outreach activities in South Korea (2017), Japan (2018, ’19) and Singapore (2018). The Shibutanis continue to actively support many organizations, including Right To Play, charity: water, When We all Vote, Figure Skating in Harlem, the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation and Kristi Yamaguchi’s Always Dream Foundation, among others.
Paul E. George's Write-up excerpt:
Among George’s most notable contributions has been through his long-term leadership as president and trustee of the U.S. Figure Skating Foundation from 2003-22. Under his leadership, the Foundation has grown several times from its modest beginnings. Since 2008, the Foundation has contributed more than $45 million to athletes and vital U.S. Figure Skating programs.
<snip>
A 60-year member of The Skating Club of Boston, in 2022 George received the inaugural Mary Louise and Benjamin T. Wright Award for his service to the Club, U.S. Figure Skating and the U.S. Olympic Movement. A competitive skater in his youth, he competed in three U.S. Championships and was the 1962 U.S. junior pairs champion and Eastern Senior pairs champion with his sister, Elizabeth. They were coached by two-time U.S. Hall-of-Fame member Maribel Vinson Owen.
. To be fair, ice dance fandom can be like war.
