Figure skater Evan Lysacek skyrocketed to worldwide sports stardom during the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver when he successfully upset defending champion Evgeni Plushenko of Russia to capture Olympic gold for the United States. But just how much do you know about the reigning men’s figure skating world champ?
Born June 4, 1985 in Chicago, Evan Frank Lysacek grew up in Naperville, IL, the second of three children and the only boy sandwiched between sisters Laura and Christina. He began skating at age 8 with hopes of becoming a hockey player, but instead began competing in figure skating events.
In 1996 Lysacek made his first spash in the figure skating pool when at the Juvenile level, he won first place at the Junior Olympics. He continued skating and competing, and captured the 1999 US Figure Skating Championship title at the Novice level. Shortly thereafter while competing at the Junior level, Lysacek won the 1999 Junior Grand Prix in Stockholm as well as the North American Challenge in Toronto.
While gradually edging his way into the Senior circuit, Lysacek finished second at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in 2001, 2003 and 2004, and took the 2003 Grand Prix Final title. The 2004-2005 season marked his first full year competing in Senior level competition, and he did so is style, taking the Four Continents Championship in 2005, and finishing top five in seven other competitions. Somewhere along the way, he also found the time to be an honor roll student at Neuqua Valley High School before graduating in 2003.
2006 was, in many ways, a landmark year for the young skater, who competed in his first Olympic Games and came away just out of the medal picture in fourth place. The experience prepared Lysacek for a future of skating greatness: He went on to claim the US Men’s championship title in 2008, the World Championship in 2009, and finally, Olympic gold in 2010.
Illustrious figure skating career aside, there’s more to Evan Lysacek than a nice pair of skates. According to his official website, the 6-foot-2 brunette values family heavily, and has an interest in acting. He’s currently signed with DNA Models and supports a laundry list of charities, including the Ronald McDonald House and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
In terms of personal life, Lysacek generally keeps mum; he put to rest recent rumors of a relationship with Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Nastia Liukin by telling ET correspondent Nancy Kerrigan that the powerful duo were “close friends” but nothing more. He was previously romantically linked to ice dancer Tanith Belbin, but the pair went their separate ways in 2008.
Lysacek is currently a cast member on the hit reality TV show Dancing with the Stars, which pairs celebrities with professional dancers and then pits them against one another in the quest for first place and the vaunted Mirrorball Trophy. He and partner Anna Trebunskaya are early favorites to win the season 10 title, along with former Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger and ESPN’s Erin Andrews.
For more information on Evan Lysacek, visit his official website, follow him on Twitter, and keep an eye on entertainment and sports headlines: His name is sure to pop up again very soon.
