Kristi Yamaguchi

Kristi Yamaguchi
Kristi Yamaguchi at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Personal information
Country represented	United States
Born	(1971-07-12) July 12, 1971 (age 45) Hayward, California
Height	4 ft 11 1⁄2 in (151 cm)
Former partner	Rudi Galindo
Former coach	Christy Ness
Former choreographer	Sandra Bezic
Skating club	St. Moritz ISC
Medal record Representing the  United States Ladies' Figure skating Olympic Games 1992 Albertville Ladies' singles World Championships 1991 Munich Ladies' singles 1992 Oakland Ladies' singles World Junior Championships 1988 Brisbane Ladies' singles Pairs' Figure skating World Junior Championships 1988 Brisbane Pairs 1987 Kitchener Pairs

Kristine Tsuya Yamaguchi (born July 12, 1971) is an American former figure skater. In ladies' singles, Yamaguchi is the 1992 Olympic champion, a two-time World champion (1991 and 1992), and the 1992 U.S. champion. As a pairs skater with Rudy Galindo, she is the 1988 World Junior champion and a two-time national champion (1989 and 1990). In December 2005, she was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. In 2008, Yamaguchi became the celebrity champion in the sixth season of Dancing with the Stars.

Research done in 2010 by Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. for the PBS series Faces of America showed that Yamaguchi's heritage can be traced back to Wakayama and Saga prefectures in Japan and that her paternal grandfather, Tatsuichi Yamaguchi, emigrated to Hawaii in 1899.

Kristi Yamaguchi was born on July 12, 1971 in Hayward, California, to Jim Yamaguchi, a dentist, and Carole (née Doi), a medical secretary. Yamaguchi is Yonsei (a fourth-generation descendant of Japanese emigrants). Her paternal grandparents and maternal great-grandparents emigrated to the United States from Japan, originating from Wakayama Prefecture and Saga Prefecture. Yamaguchi's grandparents were sent to an internment camp during World War II, where her mother was born. Her paternal grandfather was in the US army and fought in Germany and France during World War II.