Tomáš Verner

Verner at the 2008-2009 Grand Prix Final.
Personal information
Full name:	Tomáš Verner
Country represented:	Czech Republic
Date of birth:	3 June 1986 (1986-06-03) (age 23)
Place of birth:	Pisek, Czeckoslovakia
Home town:	Borovany
Residence:	Prague, Czech Republic Oberstdorf, Germany
Height:	180 cm (5.9 ft)
Coach:	Vlasta Koprivova, Michael Huth
Former coach:	Iveta Bidarova
Choreographer:	Rostislav Sinitsyn, Lori Nichol
Skating club:	BK Ceske Budejovice
ISU personal best scores
Combined total:	232.67 2008 Europeans
Short program:	81.45 2009 Europeans
Free skate:	155.80 2007 Worlds

Tomáš Verner (Czech pronunciation: [ˈtomaːʃ ˈvɛrnɛr]  ( listen)) (born 3 June 1986 in Písek) is a Czech figure skater. He is a six-time (2002-2004, 2006-2008) Czech national champion and 2008 European Champion. As of December 2009^[update], he is ranked 1st in the world.^[1]

[edit] Career

Verner started skating at the age of five and moved from his hometown to Prague for further training at the age of twelve.^[2] He won his first national title in the 2001-02 season, and later that year represented the Czech Republic at the European Championships, where he finished 14th, and at the World Championships, where he failed to qualify for the free skate. Over the next four years, Verner finished as high as 10th place at Europeans and 13th at Worlds.

In 2007, Verner improved dramatically upon his previous results. At the European Championships in Warsaw, he led after the short program before finishing 2nd behind Brian Joubert, making him the first Czech male to medal at the European Championships since 1992. At the 2007 World Championships in Japan, he placed fourth overall.

In 2008, Verner became the first Czech male to win Europeans since Petr Barna's victory for Czechoslovakia in 1992. He was fourth after the short program at the 2008 World Championships but finished 15th after popping several jumps in his long program.^[3]

Verner's 2008-9 Grand Prix assignments were the Cup of China and the Cup of Russia. He finished third and second, respectively, qualifying for the Grand Prix Final where he finished 4th. At the 2009 Europeans, Verner scored a personal best in the short program and was in second place, but made several mistakes in his LP which dropped him to 6th place overall.

[edit] Personal life

Verner splits his time between Oberstdorf and Prague, where he is a third year student in physical education and sports at Charles University. He is fluent in Czech, German and English, and speaks some Russian.

Verner has an older brother, Miroslav, who used to compete internationally in junior pairs, and a younger sister, Kateřina.

[edit] Programs

[edit] Competitive highlights

Verner (center) with fellow medalists Stephane Lambiel and Brian Joubert at the 2008 European Championships.

[edit] Post-2004

• QR = Qualifying Round

[edit] Pre-2004

• WD = Withdrew

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tomas Verner

• Official Site
• Tomas Verner at the International Skating Union