![]() |
|
Dan Zhang and Hao ZhangZhang and Zhang Do the TwistApril 9, 2004
The Zhangs won the Chinese pairs title last season and have finished second twice and third three times. They have also won the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final in 2002 and made their first senior Grand Prix Final this season after taking the gold at Trophee Lalique and bronze at Skate America and the Cup of Russia. They were sixth at the Grand Prix Final. The couple has also won two bronze medals and one silver medal at the Four Continents Championships. They finished 11th at the 2002 Olympics and fifth at the 2004 World Championships. The Zhangs intend to skate "as long as our bodies allow us," Hao Zhang said, "at least two Olympics. This season, we wanted to improve our position at Worlds and wanted to get at least the silver at Four Continents." They accomplished both goals. He began skating at four. "My father was a basketball player and he wanted me to do some sports. I started skating and swimming. After a while I decided I liked ice more than water." He landed his first triple toe lop when he was ten and progressed as high as seventh in junior men in his province, then switched to pairs when he was 14. "Singles don't do lifts and there's no interaction between partners," he said.
The Zhangs, who are not related, began skating together in 1998. "Dan has a very good body shape for pairs," he said. "We know each other very well, on and off the ice, so we have good cooperation." Hao is my only partner. He is a very good partner and knows how to take care of girls. He knows what they like." They train in Harbin with Bin Yao and Xiao Fei Chen. Usually the skate for about two and a half hours a day, six days a week and do an hour of off ice training five days a week. This includes off ice lifts as well as muscle building classes for him and abdominal work for her. Before a competition, they also do a lot of work in front of a mirror with their choreographer. Bin Yao and Liu Wei choreograph the couple's programs. Yao selects the music. "He knows music very well and knows which is special," Hao said. "He finds the music that can express our moves." This season, they used All Alone by Joe Satriani for the short and Czardas Furstin by Emmerich Kalman for the long. "I like to skate to very soft music," he said, "but modern music." Off ice, he likes to listen to all kinds of music. She likes popular music.
Both of the skaters have finished high school. They have been accepted at the university, but have not yet begun classes. "I am not sure of what program we will study or what we will do afterwards," he said. "We are still young, but I like to study Chinese languages and culture." "I'd like to have an English major," she said. "I like to learn languages." |