Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Kristjan Rand

Kristjan Rand
Mallory and Rand at the 2010 European Championships
Born (1987-06-12) 12 June 1987 (age 37)
Tallinn, Estonia
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Figure skating career
CountryEstonia
PartnerCaitlin Mallory, Grethe Grünberg
CoachIgor Shpilband, Marina Zueva, Lea Rand, Sergei Ponomarenko, Marina Klimova
Skating clubJääkild FSC Tallinn
Began skating1992
Retired2010

Kristjan (or Kristian) Rand (born 12 June 1987) is an Estonian former ice dancer. With Grethe Grünberg, he is the 2007 World Junior silver medalist and the 2005–2007 Estonian national champion. With Caitlin Mallory, he competed in the final segment at four ISU Championships.

Personal life

Kristjan Rand was born on 12 June 1987 in Tallinn.[1] He is the elder brother of Estonian ice dancer Taavi Rand. Their mother, Lea Rand, is an Estonian skating coach.

Career

Partnership with Grünberg

Kristjan Rand began skating with Grethe Grünberg at the age of about eight years.[2][3]

Grünberg/Rand debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series in 2002, placing 12th in Germany. In 2004, they made their first appearance at the World Junior Championships, finishing 18th.

At the 2005 Tallinn Cup, Grünberg/Rand became the first Estonian ice dancers to win a JGP medal, bronze. They were 9th at the 2006 World Junior Championships.

In the 2006–07 season, Grünberg/Rand won gold and silver at their two JGP events and qualified for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final where they placed 5th. They won the silver medal at the 2007 World Junior Championships, behind Ekaterina Bobrova / Dmitri Soloviev and ahead of Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje.[4][5][6] It was Estonia's first medal at an ISU Championships. Grünberg/Rand made their senior international debut in the same season, finishing 15th at the 2007 European Championships and 19th at the 2007 World Championships.

After missing the 2007–2008 skating season, Grünberg decided to retire due to injury.[7]

Partnership with Mallory

In 2008, Rand teamed up with American ice dancer Caitlin Mallory to compete for Estonia.[7] They qualified to the free dance at both of their ISU Championships assignments, finishing 14th at the 2009 European Championships in Helsinki, Finland, and 20th at the 2009 World Championships in Los Angeles, California.

Early the following season, Mallory/Rand placed 9th at the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy, giving Estonia a spot in the ice dancing event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. They placed 8th at their sole Grand Prix assignment, the 2009 Skate America. They did not compete in Canada because the Olympics, unlike other competitions, required both partners to be citizens of the country they were representing and Estonia did not allow dual nationality, meaning that Mallory would have to renounce her U.S. citizenship. She said, "we just realized it was too much of a sacrifice for one competition."[8] Estonia's spot at the Olympics was used by Rand's brother and his partner. Mallory/Rand placed 13th at the 2010 European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, and 17th at the 2010 World Championships in Turin, Italy.

The two missed the 2010–2011 season due to Rand's compulsory one-year military service but planned to return to competition.[9] They did not compete again.

Programs

With Mallory

Season Original dance Free dance
2009–2010
[1]
Estonian folk dance:
  • Mulgi Polka
  • Estonian Waltz
  • Mulgi Polka
2008–2009
[10]

With Grünberg

Season Original dance Free dance
2006–2007
[11]
  • Quejas de Bandoneon
2005–2006
[12]
  • Cha cha
  • Rhumba
  • Cha cha
2004–2005
[13]
  • Slow foxtrot
  • Quickstep
2003–2004
[14]
  • French Kiss
  • La Vie en rose
  • French Kiss

Results

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

With Mallory

International[15]
Event 2008–09 2009–10
World Championships 20th 17th
European Championships 14th 13th
GP Skate America 8th
Finlandia Trophy 4th
Nebelhorn Trophy 9th
Schäfer Memorial 6th

With Grünberg

Grünberg and Rand in 2006
International[16]
Event 00–01 01–02 02–03 03–04 04–05 05–06 06–07
World Champ. 19th
European Champ. 15th
International: Junior[16]
World Junior Champ. 18th 15th 9th 2nd
JGP Final 5th
JGP Bulgaria 6th 4th
JGP Czech Republic 6th
JGP Estonia 3rd
JGP France 9th
JGP Germany 12th
JGP Netherlands 2nd
JGP Norway 1st
JGP Serbia 6th
Pavel Roman 5th J 2nd J
EYOF 12th J
National[16]
Estonian Champ. 5th 5th 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 1st
J = Junior level

References

  1. ^ a b "Caitlin MALLORY / Kristjan RAND: 2009/2010". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010.
  2. ^ "Kristjan Rand". ice-dance.com. November 2005. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017.
  3. ^ Mittan, Barry (31 August 2006). "Estonian Dancers Favored for 2007 Junior Worlds". SkateToday. Archived from the original on 10 November 2016.
  4. ^ Kaye, Rosaleen (28 February 2007). "Bobrova and Soloviev take lead in Oberstdorf". GoldenSkate. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  5. ^ Kaye, Rosaleen (2 March 2007). "Bobrova and Soloviev maintain lead at Junior Worlds". GoldenSkate. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  6. ^ Kaye, Rosaleen (3 March 2007). "Bobrova and Soloviev win Junior World title". GoldenSkate. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Caitlin Mallory & Kristjan Rand". ice-dance.com. 1 September 2008.
  8. ^ Clarey, Christopher (27 January 2010). "Now Skating for (Insert Country)". The New York Times.
  9. ^ "Ice Skaters Mallory, Rand Skip Season for Military Service". Eesti Rahvusringhääling. 7 September 2010. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
  10. ^ "Caitlin MALLORY / Kristjan RAND: 2008/2009". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 May 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ^ "Grethe GRÜNBERG / Kristjan RAND: 2006/2007". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 17, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. ^ "Grethe GRÜNBERG / Kristjan RAND: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 25 April 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ^ "Grethe GRÜNBERG / Kristjan RAND: 2004/2005". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 7 April 2005.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. ^ "Grethe GRÜNBERG / Kristjan RAND: 2003/2004". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 7 April 2004.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ^ "Competition Results: Caitlin MALLORY / Kristjan RAND". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  16. ^ a b c "Competition Results: Grethe GRÜNBERG / Kristian RAND". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.

Media related to Kristjan Rand at Wikimedia Commons