Ice dancerAmericanSouth KoreanOlympian

Alexander Gamelin

Alexander Gamelin is an American-born South Korean ice dancer notable for representing both the United States and South Korea, achieving national titles, and competing at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

1. Early Life and Background

Alexander Gamelin was born on February 22, 1993, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. In 1998, at the age of five, he moved with his family to Merrick, New York, where he attended public elementary and middle schools. He later relocated to Newark, Delaware, in 2010, where he completed his high school education through the American School, an accredited distance learning institution, graduating with high honors in 2013.

Gamelin pursued higher education as a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society college student, majoring in linguistics and foreign languages. In May 2014, he moved to Novi, Michigan, to further his skating career. A significant turning point in his life came in July 2017 when he was granted South Korean citizenship through a special naturalization process, allowing him to represent South Korea internationally. He subsequently moved to Incheon, South Korea.

2. Partnership with Danielle Gamelin (United States)

Alexander Gamelin's initial foray into ice dance began with his twin sister, Danielle Gamelin. Their interest in the sport was sparked at the age of three when they watched the ice dance event at the 1996 World Figure Skating Championships on television. This early fascination blossomed in 2000, when at seven years old, they enrolled in the U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills Program in Merrick, New York.

2.1. Formation and Junior Career

In 2003, the Gamelin twins began taking private ice dance lessons from the coaching duo of Alexander Esman and Marina Koulbitskaya. They started competing as a juvenile dance team in 2005. During the 2006-07 season, they secured a gold medal in juvenile dance at the 2007 North Atlantic Regional Ice Dance Championships and finished 9th at the 2007 U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships. While Esman remained their principal coach, Evgeny Platov also contributed to their coaching and choreographed their programs. The Gamelins continued their success, winning gold in juvenile dance at both the 2008 North Atlantic Regionals and the 2008 U.S. Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships, and earning a bronze medal at the 2008 U.S. Junior Championships.

Advancing to the intermediate level the following season, they claimed a silver medal at the 2009 Eastern Sectionals and a gold medal at the 2009 U.S. Junior Championships. Their achievements were recognized by the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly through a resolution honoring their work ethic and commitment. During this period, the Gamelin twins introduced a unique choreographic element, an inverted eagle, which became known as the "Gamelin Eagle" and served as their signature move.

2.2. Senior Career

The Gamelin twins transitioned to the novice level in the 2009-10 season, earning a silver medal at the 2010 U.S. Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships and placing 5th at the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. During this time, they also performed as apprentices in the New Works and Young Artist Series with the Ice Theatre of New York (ITNY) and participated in the ITNY Outreach Program. U.S. Figure Skating recognized them as 2010 Athlete Ambassadors.

At the beginning of the 2010-11 season, the Gamelins moved to Newark, Delaware, to train at the University of Delaware's High-Performance Figure Skating Center under the guidance of Christie Moxley-Hutson, Karen Ludington, and Alexandr Kirsanov. They competed internationally, finishing 16th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Germany in Dresden. Domestically, they won a bronze medal in junior dance at the 2011 U.S. Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships and placed 7th at the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

In the 2011-12 season, they finished 9th at the 2012 ISU Junior Grand Prix in Latvia, 4th at the 2012 Eastern Sectionals, and 12th at the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. For their first senior season in 2012-13, the Gamelins relocated to Silver Spring, Maryland, to train at the Wheaton Skating Academy with Alexei Kiliakov and Elena Novak. They finished 4th at Eastern Sectionals and 11th at the 2013 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Remaining with Kiliakov for their second senior season, 2013-14, they earned a bronze medal at the 2014 Eastern Sectionals and placed 12th at the 2014 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

In May 2014, the Gamelins made another significant move, relocating to Novi, Michigan, to train with a coaching team led by Igor Shpilband, alongside Fabian Bourzat, Greg Zuerlein, and Adrienne Lenda. Under this team, they achieved a gold medal in senior dance at the 2015 Eastern Sectionals and improved their national ranking to 7th place in Championship Dance at the 2015 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. In April 2015, after a 15-year partnership, Alexander and Danielle Gamelin concluded their competitive on-ice collaboration.

2.3. Programs with Danielle Gamelin

2.4. Competitive Highlights (with Danielle Gamelin)

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

SeasonShort danceFree dance
2011-12
  • {{lang|es|Corazon Espinado}} by Santana
  • {{lang|es|La vida es un carnaval}} by Casa Musica

>

  • CsárdásHungarian by Vittorio Monti

|-

2010-11
  • Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne

>

  • Smooth by Santana

|-

2009-10
  • Lacrymosa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, performed by Evanescence and the National Chamber Opera of Australia

>-

2008-09
  • King Arthur

>}

International
Event2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-15
JGP Germany16th
JGP Latvia9th
National
U.S. Champ.7th J12th J11th12th7th

3. Partnership with Yura Min (South Korea)

Following the conclusion of his partnership with his sister, Alexander Gamelin formed a new ice dance team with Yura Min in June 2015, with the intention of representing South Korea.

3.1. Partnership Formation and Citizenship

Min and Gamelin became friends while training under Igor Shpilband in Novi, Michigan. They continued to train there with Shpilband and his coaching team, which included Fabian Bourzat, Greg Zuerlein, and Adrienne Lenda. Yura Min, born in the United States, holds dual citizenship from both the United States and the Republic of Korea. For the partnership to represent South Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics, Alexander Gamelin needed to acquire South Korean citizenship. This was successfully granted in July 2017 through a special naturalization process, a crucial step that allowed them to compete for South Korea on the Olympic stage.

3.2. International Competition Career

Min and Gamelin made their international debut in the fall of 2015, participating in several events. They placed 5th at the 2015 CS Ice Challenge, 4th at the 2015 NRW Trophy, and 7th at the 2015 CS Warsaw Cup. Domestically, they earned a silver medal behind Rebeka Kim and Kirill Minov at the 2016 South Korean Figure Skating Championships. They achieved their season's and personal best scores at the 2016 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Taipei, where they finished 8th out of 16 teams, emerging as the top Korean ice dance pair at the event.

In their second competitive season together (2016-17), Min and Gamelin started by winning the bronze medal at the 2016 Lake Placid Ice Dance International, placing third in the short dance and second in the free dance. They consistently performed well in the ISU Challenger Series, finishing in the top six at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, the Nebelhorn Trophy, and the CS Tallinn Trophy. They made their ISU Grand Prix debut at Skate America, finishing 10th. They advanced to the free dance and placed 20th at the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki. On the domestic front, they secured gold medals in senior dance at both the 2017 KSU President Cup Ranking Competition and the 2017 South Korean Figure Skating Championships.

For the 2017-18 season, Min and Gamelin chose to skate to the traditional Korean folk song "Arirang" for their free dance. In September, they competed at the 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, which served as the final qualifying event for the 2018 Winter Olympics. By finishing fourth, they successfully secured an Olympic spot for South Korea in the ice dance event. Their partnership concluded in June 2018, with Gamelin announcing the end of the collaboration on July 18, 2018.

3.3. 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics

Min and Gamelin represented South Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. In the team event, they participated in the short dance, contributing to South Korea's 9th-place finish overall. During their short dance performance in the team event, a notable incident occurred when the hook on Min's costume came undone, causing a minor wardrobe malfunction.

For the individual ice dance competition, they performed their short dance with a modified costume, where new fabric was sewn in to prevent a recurrence of the previous issue. They successfully advanced to the free dance, a significant achievement for the team, and were visibly emotional at the Kiss and Cry area. Their free dance program, set to the folk song "Arirang," garnered attention for its cultural significance. However, the Japanese source noted that the lyrics of their "Arirang" program contained the name "Dokdo" (독도Korean), which is the Korean name for Liancourt Rocks, also claimed by Japan as Takeshima (竹島Japanese). Due to the potential for political controversy surrounding this territorial dispute, a portion of the lyrics was reportedly changed for their performance. Min and Gamelin ultimately finished 18th overall in the individual ice dance event. They later competed at the 2018 World Figure Skating Championships, where they finished 21st, narrowly missing the free dance.

3.4. Programs with Yura Min

SeasonShort danceFree danceExhibition
2017-18
  • Samba: Despacito by Luis Fonsi, Erika Ender, Daddy Yankee, performed by Luis Fonsi
  • Rhumba: My All by Mariah Carey
  • Samba: Mujer Latina by Thalía

>

  • Arirang by 한돌HandolKorean, performed by Sohyang

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  • Super Mario (OST)
  • Arirang by 한돌HandolKorean, performed by Sohyang
  • Lollipop by Big Bang & 2NE1

|-

2016-17
  • Blues: Your Heart Is As Black As Night by Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa
  • Hip hop: I Am the Best X Bang Bang Bang by 2NE1 and Big Bang

>Cinema Paradiso by Ennio Morricone

  • Cinema in Fiamme
  • Runaway, Search and Run
  • Love Theme for Nata

|

  • That ManKorean by Baek Ji-young

|-

2015-16
  • {{lang|fr|Waltz: Carrousel}} by Benoît Jutras
  • {{lang|fr|Polka: Balade au boit d'une echelle}}
  • {{lang|fr|Waltz: Carrousel}} by Benoît Jutras

>The Beatles

  • Because
  • Get Back
  • Here Comes the Sun
  • The End

|

3.5. Competitive Highlights (with Yura Min)

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series

International
Event2015-162016-172017-182018-19
Olympics18th
Worlds20th21st
Four Continents8th8th7th
GP Skate America10thWD
CS Ice Challenge5th
CS Ice Star5th
CS Nebelhorn Trophy6th4th
CS Ondrej Nepela4th
CS Tallinn Trophy5th
CS U.S. Classic6th
CS Warsaw Cup7th
NRW Trophy4th
Lake Placid IDI3rd
National
South Korean Champ.2nd1st1st
Team events
Olympics9th T

4. Personal Life

Beyond his competitive skating career, Alexander Gamelin has maintained a strong focus on his academic pursuits. He is a college student and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, with a major in linguistics and foreign languages. His educational background reflects his intellectual curiosity and commitment to learning.

His decision to acquire South Korean citizenship in 2017, while retaining his American heritage, highlights a significant personal and professional commitment. This naturalization process allowed him to represent South Korea at the highest level of international competition, including the Olympic Games, and led to his relocation to Incheon, South Korea, where he resides. His experiences as an athlete with dual citizenship navigating different cultural contexts have been a defining aspect of his later career.

5. Impact and Evaluation

Alexander Gamelin's career, particularly his partnership with Yura Min and their representation of South Korea, has had a notable impact on the development and visibility of ice dance in the country. As a foreign-born athlete who underwent naturalization to compete for South Korea, he symbolized the nation's efforts to strengthen its presence in winter sports, especially in the lead-up to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

His performances, particularly the "Arirang" free dance at the Pyeongchang Olympics, resonated deeply within South Korea. The choice of "Arirang," a beloved traditional Korean folk song, was a powerful cultural statement, connecting their performance to national identity and heritage. While the inclusion of "Dokdo" in the program's lyrics briefly raised discussions about potential political implications due to its association with a territorial dispute, the team's ability to navigate such sensitivities while delivering a culturally significant performance underscored their role as cultural ambassadors.

Overall, Gamelin's career demonstrates a blend of athletic excellence and a willingness to embrace new cultural identities. His contributions, from his early success with his sister Danielle in the United States to his pivotal role in elevating South Korean ice dance on the international stage, mark him as a significant figure in the sport. His journey highlights the global nature of figure skating and the personal sacrifices and cultural adaptations athletes undertake to pursue their Olympic dreams.