Kristi Yamaguchi

Kristi Yamaguchi was born on July 12, 1971, in Hayward, California. Her parents are Jim Yamaguchi, a dentist, and Carole Yamaguchi, a medical secretary. She is a third-generation Japanese American, with her paternal grandparents and maternal great-grandparents having emigrated from Wakayama and Saga Prefectures in Japan. During World War II, her grandparents were interned in a camp where her mother was born. Her maternal grandfather, George A. Doe, served in the U.S. Army in Germany and France while his family was interned at Heart Mountain and Amache camps.

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Research by Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. for the PBS series “Faces of America” in 2010 traced Yamaguchi’s heritage back to these regions in Japan, noting that her paternal grandfather, Tatsuichi Yamaguchi, moved to Hawaii in 1899.

Kristi Yamaguchi, along with her siblings Brett and Lori, was raised in Fremont, California. To accommodate her figure skating training, she was home-schooled during her freshman and sophomore years of high school. She later attended Mission San Jose High School for her junior and senior years, graduating from there.

Kristi Yamaguchi’s age, Height, and weight

Kristi Yamaguchi, a renowned former figure skater, stands at 4 feet 11.5 inches (151 cm) tall and weighs 42 kg. At the age of 53 in 2024, Yamaguchi continues to inspire many with her dedication and achievements in the world of figure skating. Despite her petite stature, she made a significant impact on the ice, showcasing her incredible talent and artistry.

Yamaguchi’s athleticism and perseverance led her to become the 1992 Olympic champion, a two-time World champion, and a U.S. national champion. Her impressive physical stats highlight her agility and strength, crucial attributes that contributed to her success. Even after retiring from competitive skating, she has remained active in the skating community and continues to be a role model for aspiring athletes. Her legacy is a testament to how determination and hard work can lead to remarkable accomplishments, regardless of physical size.

Kristi Yamaguchi’s Career, Records and Medals

Kristine Tsuya Yamaguchi is a former American figure skater, author, and philanthropist. She excelled in women’s singles, winning the 1992 Olympic gold medal, two World Championships (1991 and 1992), and the U.S. Championship in 1992. She made history as the first Asian American to win a Winter Olympic gold medal. In pairs skating with Rudy Galindo, she won the 1988 World Junior Championship and two national championships (1989 and 1990).

After retiring from competition in 1992, Yamaguchi performed in shows and professional competitions, winning the World Professional Figure Skating Championships four times (1992, 1994, 1996, and 1997). She was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2005 and won the sixth season of Dancing with the Stars in 2008.

As an author, Yamaguchi has published five books, including “Dream Big, Little Pig!,” which appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list and earned the Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award.

Kristi Yamaguchi was born with bilateral clubfoot and underwent serial leg casting for most of her first year.
She wore corrective shoes and braces after the casting period.
Yamaguchi began skating as physical therapy at around 4 or 5 years old, inspired by Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill.
Starting in sixth grade, Yamaguchi practiced skating from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. before school, and sometimes after school.
Her mother drove her to the rink every morning at 4 a.m. and waited for her to finish.
Yamaguchi’s mother also accompanied her to competitions several times a month.
In 1986, Kristi Yamaguchi and Rudy Galindo won the junior title at the U.S. Championships.
In 1988, Yamaguchi won the singles title and, with Galindo, the pairs title at the World Junior Championships.
Rudy Galindo had previously won the 1987 World Junior Championship in singles.
In 1989, Yamaguchi and Galindo won the senior pairs title at the U.S. Championships.
They repeated their victory, winning the senior pairs title again in 1990.
Kristi Yamaguchi and Rudy Galindo were unique as a pairs team because both were accomplished singles skaters.
This expertise allowed them to perform challenging elements such as side-by-side triple flip jumps, which are still considered difficult.
They had an unusual dynamic on the ice, with Yamaguchi spinning counter-clockwise and Galindo spinning clockwise.
In 1990, Yamaguchi chose to focus exclusively on her singles career.
Rudy Galindo continued in singles, achieving success by winning the 1996 U.S. Championships and earning the bronze medal at the 1996 World Championships.
Kristi Yamaguchi won her first major international gold medal at the 1990 Goodwill Games.
In 1991, she moved to Edmonton, Alberta, to train with coach Christy Ness and took psychology courses at the University of Alberta.
That year, she earned her third consecutive silver medal at the U.S. Championships, placing second to Tonya Harding.
Yamaguchi won the 1991 World Championships in Munich, Germany.
The 1991 American ladies’ team (Yamaguchi, Harding, and Nancy Kerrigan) became the only team to sweep the world podium until 2021.
In 1992, Yamaguchi won her first U.S. title and secured a spot on the U.S. team for the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, alongside Kerrigan and Harding.
Yamaguchi focused on artistry and triple-triple combinations rather than the triple Axel.
At the Olympics, both Harding and Japan’s Midori Ito fell on their triple Axels, while Yamaguchi made some errors but still won the gold medal.
Yamaguchi successfully defended her World title in 1992.
Kristi Yamaguchi planned to start the 1992-93 competitive season at Prague Skate in Czechoslovakia in November.
U.S. Figure Skating required all its skaters to compete at Skate America, scheduled for October.
Due to her busy post-Olympics schedule with commercial appearances and speaking engagements, Yamaguchi could not be ready for Skate America.
This conflict led her to turn professional after the 1991-92 season.
She began competing on the professional circuit, starting with the World Professional Figure Skating Championships in December 1992, where she won her first professional world gold.
Yamaguchi became a four-time professional world champion, winning titles in 1992, 1994, 1996, and 1997.
She finished second in 1993 and 1995, behind Midori Ito and Yuka Sato, respectively.
Yamaguchi toured extensively with Stars On Ice for over a decade.
The tour expanded from 30 cities to 60 cities due to her popularity.
She worked with various choreographers to create innovative programs each year.

Click here to read about Ilia Malinin’s comments and records.

Kristi Yamaguchi’s sponsorship

Kristine Tsuya Yamaguchi is a former American figure skater, author, and philanthropist. Kristi Yamaguchi have many sponsorships, partnership with major brands.

After winning gold at the 1992 Albertville Olympics, Kristi Yamaguchi appeared on Kellogg’s Special K cereal boxes and Hallmark Christmas ornaments.
She featured in ads for Got Milk? and Hoechst Celanese, and commercials for brands like Mervyn’s, Wendy’s, DuraSoft, and Entenmann’s doughnuts.
Yamaguchi was also in Campbell Soup advertisements, a sponsor of U.S. Figure Skating at the time.
In 2010, she helped P&G launch its “Thanks Mom” program for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
She collaborated with OPI and General Electric in 2011 and appeared in a Kohl’s TV spot in 2012.
In 2018, she worked with the Milk Life Campaign, highlighting the importance of milk in a nutritious diet, and recreated her 1990s “Got Milk?” ad, photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
In April 2024, Mattel released a Barbie doll modeled after Yamaguchi, dressed in a replica of her 1992 Olympic costume.
Kristi Yamaguchi has been represented by IMG since 1992.