Ryan O'Meara (born January 5, 1984, Houston, Texas) is an American ice dancer. With partner Jamie Silverstein, he is a 2006 Olympian. Following his retirement from competitive skating, he began working full-time as a coach and an interior designer.
| Ryan O'Meara | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 5, 1984 |
| Height | 175 cm (5.74 ft) |
| Figure skating career | |
| Country |  United States |
| Skating club | Coyotes Skating Club [citation needed] |
| Retired | 2006 |
Medal record | |
Career
editO'Meara competed on the novice and junior levels with Melissa Ralph and Lia Nitake, having some success with them both. He won four straight medals at the U.S. Championships on the novice and junior levels between 1999 and 2002, two with Ralph and two with Nitake. He competed with Lydia Manon from 2003 to 2005. With Manon, he won the bronze medal at the 2005 U.S. Championships and at the 2005 Four Continents, following which Manon decided to end the partnership.[1]
He began training with Jamie Silverstein, a former World Junior Champion with Justin Pekarek, in April 2005.[2] They were coached by Igor Shpilband and Marina Zueva in Canton, Michigan.[3] Silverstein and O'Meara had sudden success. They were sent as a host entry to the 2005 Skate America, their first international competition together as a team, and placed 5th.
They won the bronze medal at the 2006 U.S. Championships, which qualified them for the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2006 Four Continents Championships. They competed at the Four Continents and placed 6th.
At the Olympics, they placed 18th in the compulsory dance, 16th in the original dance, and 18th in the free dance, placing 16th overall out of 23 teams. They chose not to compete at the 2006 World Championships. U.S. pewter medalists Morgan Matthews and Maxim Zavozin were sent in their place.
In the spring of 2006, Silverstein and O'Meara announced they would be taking time off from competitive skating. Their partnership ended soon after and O'Meara retired from competitive skating.
Personal life
editO'Meara works as a coach. He owns an interior design business called "Palavela Home", which is named after the Palavela, the venue for the figure skating competition at the Olympics.[4]
Competitive highlights
editWith Silverstein
edit| Event | 2005–06 |
|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games | 16th |
| Four Continents Championships | 6th |
| U.S. Championships | 3rd |
| Skate America | 5th |
| Pacific Coast Sectionals | 1st |
With Manon
edit| Event | 2003–04 | 2004–05 |
|---|---|---|
| Four Continents Championships | 3rd | |
| U.S. Championships | 6th | 3rd |
| Nebelhorn Trophy | 6th | 1st |
| Pacific Coast Sectionals | 1st | |
| Midwestern Sectionals | 1st |
With Ralph
edit| Event | 2000–01 | 2001–02 |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Championships | 4th J. | 2nd J. |
| Helmut Seibt Memorial | 1st J. | |
| J. = Junior level | ||
With Nitake
edit| Event | 1998–99 | 1999–00 |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Championships | 3rd N. | 4th J. |
| N. = Novice level; J. = Junior level | ||
Programs
edit(with Silverstein)
| Season | Original dance | Free dance |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–2006[6] |
|
Nu Tango |
(with Manon)
| Season | Original dance | Free dance |
|---|---|---|
| 2004–2005[7] |
|
Black Cat, White Cat (soundtrack) by Goran Bregovic |
References
edit- ^ "Two U.S. ice dancing teams announce end of partnerships". U.S. Figure Skating. March 1, 2005. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
- ^ Mittan, Barry (October 10, 2005). "Painful Breakups Lead to New Beginnings for Silverstein and O'Meara". SkateToday.
- ^ "Jamie Silverstein & Ryan O'Meara". U.S. Figure Skating. Archived from the original on May 24, 2006.
- ^ Harvey, Christine (25 March 2011). "Palavela Home opening interior design showroom, events venue". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ^ Zeigler, Jr, Cyd (17 July 2008). "Olympic figure skater comes out". OutSports.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ "Jamie SILVERSTEIN / Ryan O'MEARA: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on November 2, 2009.
- ^ "Lydia MANON / Ryan O'MEARA: 2004/2005". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on December 1, 2009.