Derek Trent

Derek Trent
Vise & Trent in 2006.
Born (1980-03-21) March 21, 1980 (age 44)
Knoxville, Tennessee
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Figure skating career
CountryUnited States
Skating clubBroadmoor SC
RetiredApril 30, 2009

Derek Trent (born March 21, 1980) is an American former competitive pair skater. He competed for most of his career with Tiffany Vise. On November 17, 2007, Vise and Trent landed the first clean throw quadruple salchow jump in international competition.[1] They officially became the first team to perform that element in international competition.[2][3]

Because Vise spun and jumped in the clockwise direction and Trent in the counter-clockwise direction. They were a mirror pair.

Personal life

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Derek Trent was born in Knoxville, Tennessee.[4] He has two sisters, Kelli and Laura.[5] In 2002, he graduated from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs with a degree in business and a minor in Spanish.[4] In May 2008, he completed his MBA at the same university.[5]

Skating career

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Early years

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Trent began skating in 1987.[4] At age ten, he moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado in order to train. Competing in ice dancing with Eve Chalom, he won the intermediate-level bronze medal at the U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships in 1993. He and his sister, Kelli Trent, also competed together in ice dancing at the U.S. Junior Championships.

As a single skater, Trent placed 11th in the novice ranks at the 1996 U.S. Championships.

Trent began pair skating as a teenager, coached by Irina Vorobieva. He and Katie Gadkowski won the novice pewter medal at the 1998 U.S. Championships and the junior pewter medal at the 1999 U.S. Championships. With his next skating partner, Brandilyn Sandoval, he won the junior bronze medal at the 2001 U.S. Championships. When that partnership ended, he teamed up with Stacey Pensgen, who was switching from singles. They placed 14th at the 2003 U.S. Championships and parted ways shortly thereafter.

Partnership with Vise

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Trent teamed up with Tiffany Vise in July 2003.[4][6] They had skated for years at the same rink and her partnership had ended at the same time. Because they were both partnerless, they tried out together, despite the fact that they rotate in opposite directions. Very few teams at the highest level rotate in opposite directions because it makes elements like pair spins and twists much more difficult, due to the fact that one partner will have to "force" themself to rotate in the "wrong" direction in order to complete the element (Vise spun his way on twist lifts). They represented the Broadmoor Skating Club.

Vise/Trent won the bronze medal at their first major event together, the 2003 Golden Spin of Zagreb. Beginning in the 2006–2007 season, Vise/Trent began attempting a throw quadruple salchow jump in competition. At the 2006 Skate Canada International, they were credited with fully rotating the element but not with landing it successfully.[7]

Vise/Trent began the 2007–2008 season at the 2007 Skate Canada, where they placed 5th. During the free skate at the 2007 Trophée Eric Bompard, they became the first-ever pair to successfully execute a throw quad salchow in an international competition.[3][2] They won the pewter medal at the 2008 U.S. Championships and were sent to the 2008 Four Continents, where they placed 8th.

In the 2008–2009 season, Vise/Trent placed 5th at the 2008 Skate Canada International and the 2008 Trophée Eric Bompard. They placed 8th at the 2009 U.S. Championships. The pair was coached by Doug Ladret and Jill Watson in Scottsdale, Arizona.[4]

On April 30, 2009, Trent announced his retirement from competitive figure skating.[8]

Post-competitive

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Trent works as a coach. He is certified as a judge on the national level.

Programs

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(with Vise)

Season Short program Free skating
2008–2009
[4]
  • Heroes
    by William Joseph
  • Return with Honor
    by William Joseph
2007–2008
[9][10]
2006–2007
[11][10]
  • Les Misérables
    choreo. by Doug Ladret
2005–2006
[5][10]
  • Shall We Dance?
  • Dance with Me
    choreo. by Catarina Lindgren
2004–2005
[5][10]
  • Quidam
    (from Cirque du Soleil)
    choreo. by Catarina Lindgren
2003–2004
[5][10]
  • The Italian Job
    choreo. by Catarina Lindgren
  • Nights in White Satin
    by Moody Blues
    choreo. by Catarina Lindgren

Competitive highlights

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GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

With Vise

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International[12]
Event 03–04 04–05 05–06 06–07 07–08 08–09
Four Continents 8th
GP Bompard 4th 5th
GP Skate America 6th
GP Skate Canada 5th 5th 5th
Golden Spin 3rd
Nebelhorn Trophy 5th
Schäfer Memorial 3rd
National[5]
U.S. Champ. 13th 9th 6th 5th 4th 8th
Midwestern Sect. 2nd 1st 1st

With Pensgen

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Event 2002–2003
U.S. Championships 14th

With Sandoval

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International
Event 2000–2001
JGP China 5th
National
U.S. Championships 3rd J
J = Junior level

With Gadkowski

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International
Event 1997–1998 1998–1999
JGP Hungary 10th
National
U.S. Championships 4th N 4th J
Levels: N = Novice; J = Junior

Singles career

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Event 1995–1996
U.S. Championships 11th N
N = Novice level

References

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  1. ^ "2007 Trophee Eric Bompard Pairs Free Skating Protocol" (PDF). International Skating Union. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 7, 2012. (72.4 KB)
  2. ^ a b "Trophee Bompard, Day 2". International Skating Union. 18 November 2007. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008.
  3. ^ a b "Media Advisory". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Tiffany VISE / Derek TRENT: 2008/2009". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Tiffany Vise & Derek Trent". IceNetwork.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ Mittan, Barry (December 12, 2005). "Vise and Trent Start Strong in 2006". SkateToday. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014.
  7. ^ "2006 Skate Canada Protocol" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 5, 2012. (77.0 KB)
  8. ^ "Vise, Trent End Competitive Partnership". IceNetwork.com. April 30, 2009.
  9. ^ "Tiffany VISE / Derek TRENT: 2007/2008". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 4, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. ^ a b c d e "Skating". figureskatersonline.com/vise-trent/. Archived from the original on January 18, 2008.
  11. ^ "Tiffany VISE / Derek TRENT: 2006/2007". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 29, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ^ "Competition Results: Tiffany VISE / Derek TRENT". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 21, 2014.
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