Sochi Bound

ELLENTON — Nathan Bartholomay isn’t getting any taller.

At 5 feet, 10 inches, the 24-year-old Bartholomay hit his growth spurt several years ago — much to the delight of his figure skating partner Felicia Zhang.

“I’m actually afraid of heights,” the 5-foot Zhang says.

“Which is why I’m not very tall,” Bartholomay says with a laugh. “She doesn’t let me grow.”

Zhang, 20, may be afraid of heights, but you would never know it by watching the two move hand-in-hand across the ice.

After several loops and spins , Bartholomay reaches toward his partner and lifts her above his head. Zhang reaches back, grabbing hold of her skate and extending her leg into the air.

The two glide across the ice before Bartholomay sets Zhang down on her skates with graceful ease.

“Strangely enough, when we do lifts and stuff, I don’t notice the height and how far off the ice I am,” Zhang says. “I try not to think about it.”

Bartholomay and Zhang never aspired to compete in pairs figure skating, but that all changed for the two in 2004 and 2009, respectively, when they each teamed up with their first pairs partner.

Bartholomay wanted no part of pairs skating at first, but, at the urging of his former coach, he obliged.

“My coach said to me at the time, ‘You know, she’s kind of cute. Maybe hold her hand for awhile and skate around,’” Bartholomay says. “I said, ‘Hey, what’s the worst that can happen?’”

Bartholomay and Zhang, who trained at the University of Delaware at the time, both separated from their former partners in early 2011. The two continued performing pairs elements together, but decided to hold their own separate tryouts for a new partner.

“We didn’t want to do what was most convenient for us,” Zhang says. “We had our own tryouts and then we had our tryout together and everything seemed to click together.”

Zhang and Bartholomay began skating together in May 2011, and as they walked off the ice during one of their final practice sessions before the Sochi Olympics two weeks ago, the two appeared to be at peace with their decision.

“We felt a little something special and decided to pursue it,” Bartholomay says.

Zhang smiles.

“He decided he wanted to hold my hand,” she says.

DREAM COME TRUE
Zhang and Bartholomay spent the past two-and-a-half years training with the Southwest Florida Figure Skating Club at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex.

The pair knew they had a solid chance of making it to the 2014 Olympics, but they also knew the competition would be close.

During their free skate program at the 2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships Jan. 12, in Boston, Bartholomay realized the pair was on course to put together one of their best performances to date.

“For me, personally, I had a thought in my head that we’re skating clean. There’s no question,” Bartholomay says. “I just all of a sudden felt it, and we both just kind of ran with how we were skating.”

Zhang and Bartholomay finished second in the pairs competition; later that evening, the pair learned they would travel to their first Winter Olympics.

“We just didn’t know which way the committee was going to go,” Zhang says. “We had our hopes up. That night waiting before it was announced — it was a roller coaster of emotions.” Following the announcement, the skaters celebrated with their coach Jim Peterson.

“It’s just an incredible honor and it’s kind of just that rush of emotion that’s within us about making the Olympic team,” Bartholomay says.

FLORIDA MAGIC
Zhang and Bartholomay returned to Ellenton following the national championship and immediately began preparing for the Olympics. The pair spent every day doing both on- and off-ice training sessions before leaving Feb. 1 for Sochi, Russia.

“It’s unreal,” Zhang says. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’ve dreamed about this moment all of my life. I never thought that it would happen.

“It’s just such an honor and I’m so excited to be representing Team USA at the Olympics,” Zhang adds. “There’re no words to describe how I’m feeling — just the pure excitement and joy. I just can’t wait.”

Zhang and Bartholomay became the third set of U.S. figure skaters who have trained in Ellenton to make it to the Olympics. Great Britain’s David King and Stacey Kemp and Canada’s Rudi Swiegers and Paige Lawrence also train in Ellenton and will be competing alongside Zhang and Bartholomay in Sochi.

Working alongside former and current Olympians has helped Zhang and Bartholomay prepare for the Olympics and relieve some of the pressure that comes from competing in their first Olympics.

“It’s inspiring to know that (Amanda Evora) was in my position before,” Zhang says. “She worked hard and gave it all she got and was able to go; and just knowing that if you work hard enough or train long enough, (you can make it.)”

“With a tiny bit of Florida magic,” Bartholomay adds with a smile. “It’s the Florida water.”

OLYMPIC EMBRACE
Zhang and Bartholomay will make their Olympic debut in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games Opening Ceremony Feb. 7.

Zhang and Bartholomay will take the ice in the pairs short program Feb. 11, followed by the pairs free skate Feb. 12.

While the two would love to walk off the ice with gold medals draped around their necks, Zhang and Bartholomay simply look forward to showing the world of what they are capable and enjoying their Olympic debut.

“We’re just going to use it and embrace it,” Zhang says. “We haven’t put any pressure on ourselves. We’re just going to go out there and do what we love and just show the whole world all of the hard work we’ve put into it.

“We’re just (planning on) going out there and embracing the Olympic spirit and just enjoying ourselves,” Zhang says. “We’re just going to use it as experience for the future.”

TIMELINE
May 2011 — Zhang and Bartholomay teamed up for the first time.

January 2013 — Zhang and Bartholomay won bronze at the 2013 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

February 2013 — Zhang and Bartholomay finished fourth at the 2013 Four Continents Championships, at which they posted a personal best score in the free skate.

October 2013 — Zhang and Bartholomay posted personal best scores in the short program and overall total to finish seventh at the 2013 Hilton Honors Skate America.

Jan. 12, 2014 — Zhang and Bartholomay won silver at the 2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships and were selected to represent the U.S. at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Feb. 1, 2014 — Zhang and Bartholomay departed for Sochi, Russia.

Feb. 7, 2014 — Zhang and Bartholomay will participate in their first Opening Ceremony.

Feb. 11, 2014 — Zhang and Bartholomay will compete in the pairs short program.

Feb. 12, 2014 — Zhang and Bartholomay will compete in the pairs free skate.

BY THE NUMBERS
5 — The number of pairs figure skating teams out of the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex that have been selected for the Winter Olympics.

2 — The place Zhang and Bartholomay finished at the 2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

168.42 — Zhang and Bartholomay’s personal best combined total score.

1 — The number of Winter Olympic Games Zhang and Bartholomay will have competed in at the conclusion of the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Fiancees pair up for second Olympics
The Winter Olympics will have an entirely different feel for Great Britain’s Stacey Kemp and David King this year than they did four years ago.

The pairs figure skaters, who train at the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex, will no longer be skating with one another just as partners.

Following their Olympic debut at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, King proposed to his skating partner of 10 years during the closing ceremony.

“The best part is knowing that you’re sharing the same dreams together,” Kemp says. “And, on the ice, it makes it a little bit easier knowing we don’t have to pretend. For us, it’s more natural.”

It was a moment that Kemp and King will never forget, but it’s one they look to build upon as they prepare for their second Winter Olympic Games.

After being named to Skate UK’s Hall of Fame in 2012, the eight-time national champions finished second at this year’s British Figure Skating Championships.

“It was like a dream come true again,” Kemp says of returning to the Olympics.

“To get to an Olympics once is an achievement, but to do it twice is special,” King says.

Kemp and King finished 16th in Vancouver and have spent the last four years perfecting their programs and strengthening their elements to achieve their dream of winning an Olympic medal, or at least, placing in the top 10.

“We know what we’re there for and know how to deal with everything the Olympics brings,” King says. “We just want to get on with it and skate great. We want to do ourselves proud.”

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].