Kiri Baga

Kiri Nicole Baga (born April 15, 1995) is an American former figure skater. She won two gold medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series and placed 7th at the 2010 World Junior Championships. She is the 2010 U.S. junior pewter medalist and 2009 novice national champion.

Kiri Baga
Baga in Dresden, 2009
Personal information
Full nameKiri Nicole Baga
Country representedUnited States
Born (1995-04-15) April 15, 1995
Detroit, Michigan
Home townBloomington, Minnesota
Height1.52 m (5 ft 0 in)
Former partnerTaylor Toth
Former coachLorie Charbonneau (singles), Jeremy Allen (pairs), Sue Lien
Former choreographerSébastien Britten, Kelly Benzinger-Grelle
Skating clubFSC of Bloomington
Former training locationsBloomington, Minnesota
Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Began skating1998
RetiredMay 2014
ISU personal best scores
Combined total146.98
2010 World Junior
Short program58.70
2009 JGP Turkey
Free skate94.70
2010 World Junior

Personal life

Kiri Baga was born as the youngest of five children in Detroit, Michigan. She was a student at Minnesota Connections Academy, an online school,[1] and then studied psychology at Simmons College in Boston. In autumn 2014, she moved to the University of Pennsylvania.[2] She is majoring in the biological basis of behavior.[3]

Career

Baga began skating when she was two and a half. She began group lessons at age four, and private lessons shortly thereafter. Early in her career, she was coached by Sue Lien. She switched to Lorie Charbonneau when she was nine. Early in her career, she represented the Duluth Figure Skating Club. She changed club representation to the FSC of Bloomington in Bloomington, Minnesota following the 2005–2006 season.

In the 2005–2006 season, Baga began competing on the juvenile level. She placed 8th at her regional championship.

In the 2006–2007 season, Baga moved up to the Intermediate level. She won the bronze medal at her regional championship, qualifying her for the 2007 U.S. Junior Championships. At the Junior Championships, she placed 3rd in her qualifying group,[4] 4th in the short program,[5] and 10th in the free skating to place 8th overall.[6]

Baga moved up to the novice level in the 2007–2008 season. She placed fifth at her regional championship and did not advance to her sectional championship[7] She remained on the novice level for the 2008–2009 season. At her regional championship, she won the short program and placed third in the free skating to win the silver medal overall.[8] At her sectional championship, she placed 5th in the short program and won the free skating to win the competition.[9] This win qualifier her for the 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. At the U.S. Championships, she won the short program[10] and placed second in the free skating[11] to win the gold medal overall.[12]

Baga moved up to the Junior level for the 2009–2010 season. She made her international debut in the 2009–2010 ISU Junior Grand Prix. At her first event, in Germany, she won the short program and placed second in the free skating to win the competition overall.[13] Following that win, she was assigned to the event in Turkey as her second event. At that event, she won the short program.[14] Baga was the third qualifier to the 2009–2010 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final.[15]

Baga was named the first alternate to the US ladies team to the 2010 World Junior Championships and was added to the team after Ashley Wagner withdrew.[16] She debuted a new long program to Maksim Mrivca's "Hana's Eyes" and Piano Concerto in A minor by Edvard Grieg.[17]

Baga made her comeback to competition by winning the 2011 Upper Great Lakes Regional Championships.

On March 23, 2012, it was announced that Baga had teamed up with Taylor Toth to compete in senior pair skating, while continuing her singles career.[18] In May 2014, she said she would no longer train for elite competition, deciding to focus on her education.[2]

Programs
Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2013–2014
[19]
  • Dark Eyes
    by Florian Hermann
  • Samson and Delilah
    by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
2012–2013
  • Bacchanala
    (from Samson and Delilah)
    by C. Saint-Saëns
2011–2012
2010–2011
[19]
2009–2010
[19]
2008–2009
[19]

Competitive highlights

Single skating
International[20]
Event 05–06 06–07 07–08 08–09 09–10 10–11 11–12 12–13 13–14
Cup of Nice2nd
International: Junior
Junior Worlds7th
JGP Final7thWD
JGP Czech Rep.5th
JGP Germany1st
JGP Japan2nd
JGP Turkey1st
JGP USA5th
National[19]
U.S. Champ.1st N.4th J.WD10th13th14th
U.S. Jr Champ.8th I.
Midwest. Sect.1st N.
UGL Regionals8th Jv.3rd I.5th N.2nd N.
Levels: Jv. = Juvenile; I. = Intermediate; N. = Novice; J. = Junior
JGP = Junior Grand Prix; WD = Withdrew

Pair skating with Toth
International[21]
Event 2012–13
International Challenge Cup6th
National[22]
U.S. Championships8th
Midwestern Sectionals3rd

References
  1. Insley, Kim. "Cool in School: Online learning offers smoother ice for local athletes". KARE 11 (NBC).
  2. Baga, Kiri (May 31, 2014). "Post Skating Plans". Official website of Kiri Baga. Archived from the original on March 30, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  3. Zandi, Lily (November 19, 2015). "How one student chose Penn over the Olympics". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015.
  4. "2007 U.S. Junior Championships Intermediate Ladies – Group A (QR) Result". U.S. Figure Skating. Archived from the original on 2011-06-13.
  5. "2007 U.S. Junior Championships Intermediate Ladies Short Program Result". U.S. Figure Skating. Archived from the original on 2011-06-13.
  6. "2007 U.S. Junior Championships Intermediate Ladies Result". U.S. Figure Skating. Archived from the original on 2011-06-13.
  7. "2008 Upper Great Lakes Regional Figure Skate Championships" (PDF). U.S. Figure Skating.
  8. "2009 Upper Great Lakes Regional Championships" (PDF). U.S. Figure Skating.
  9. "2009 Midwestern Sectional Championships" (PDF). U.S. Figure Skating.
  10. "2009 U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS Novice Ladies Short Program". U.S. Figure Skating.
  11. "2009 U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS Novice Ladies Free Skating". U.S. Figure Skating.
  12. "2009 U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS Novice Ladies Final Results". U.S. Figure Skating.
  13. "ISU JGP Pokal d. Blauen Schwerter – Junior Ladies Result". International Skating Union.
  14. "ISU JGP Bosphorus 2009 – Junior Ladies". International Skating Union.
  15. "ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2009/2010 Junior Ladies FINAL RESULTS".
  16. "LYSACEK, BELBIN AND AGOSTO TO SKIP 2010 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, Ashley Wagner withdraws from World Junior Championships".
  17. "Kiri Baga Definitely Ready to Fight Interview".
  18. Rutherford, Lynn (March 23, 2012). "Toth 'super excited' about teaming up with Baga". Ice Network.
  19. "Kiri Baga". IceNetwork. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  20. "Competition Results: Kiri BAGA". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014.
  21. "Competition Results: Kiri BAGA / Taylor TOTH". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 5, 2014.
  22. "Kiri Baga / Taylor Toth". IceNetwork. Retrieved June 5, 2014.

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