Eliot Halverson

Halverson was born in Bogotá, Colombia and was adopted from Colombia by an American couple at age five months.{{cite web|url=http://www.latinoskating.org/Eliot-November2005.htm |title=Latino Skating Interview - November, 2005 |access-date=July 25, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023091105/http://www.latinoskating.org/Eliot-November2005.htm |archive-date=October 23, 2007 }}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press/147037622/|title=Triple threat: Halverson joins strong field (II)|first=Jo-Ann|last=Barnas|work=Detroit Free Press|date=January 13, 2009|access-date=May 10, 2024|page=30|via=Newspapers.com}} She lived and trained in Saint Paul, Minnesota from her move to the United States until 2008, when she began training in Ann Arbor. Halverson's parents are divorced, and she lives with her mother.{{cite news |first= Pat |last=Borzi |title=Skating Home |url=http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Minnesota-Monthly/January-2008/Skating-Home/ |publisher=Minnesota Monthly |date=January 2008 |access-date=December 22, 2007 }} She was homeschooled.{{cite news|url=https://www.twincities.com/2008/01/24/for-hometown-skater-hard-part-already-over/|title=For hometown skater, hard part already over|work=St. Paul Pioneer Press|first=Brian|last=Murphy|date=January 24, 2008|access-date=May 10, 2024}}

In 2019, Halverson came out as non-binary and began using she/her pronouns.{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BzWI8BQHbWZ/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/eliothalverson/2077887586962879897 |archive-date=December 25, 2021 |url-access=registration|title=Eliot Halverson (she/her) on Instagram: ...|date=June 30, 2019|website=Instagram|access-date=May 2, 2021|quote=🏳️‍🌈 This Pride month has inspired me to recall every stage of my journey to love the skin I'm in. I remember fearless six-year-old Eliot, wondering if he was meant to be a girl. I remember scared 15 year old Eliot, trying his best not to offend anyone. I remember love-hungry 21 year old Eliot, altering himself for the approval of men. Today I can proudly declare that I'm gender non binary and love both the man and woman that exist within me. I'm constantly peeling back layers of self-censorship and it feels so good. Happy Pride everyone! 🏳️‍🌈}}{{cbignore}}

Halverson began skating at age six on a frozen pond behind her house.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review/147037960/|title=Halverson in command on way to title|first=Dave|last=Trimmer|work=The Spokesman-Review|date=January 27, 2007|access-date=May 10, 2024|page=71|via=Newspapers.com}} When the World Figure Skating Championships came to Minneapolis in 1998, Halverson skipped school for a week to watch them. This encouraged her to take private lessons and become a more serious skater. She landed her first triple at age 11.{{cite news |first=J. Barry |last=Mittan |title=Colombian Native Wins U. S. Junior Men's Title |url= http://www.skatetoday.com/2007/08/06/colombian-native-wins-u-s-junior-mens-title/ |publisher=SkateToday |date=August 6, 2007 |access-date=December 26, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080117064238/http://www.skatetoday.com/articles07/080607.htm |archive-date = January 17, 2008 | url-status = live }} Although she is coached primarily by Ted Engelking, Halverson has also worked with Alexei Mishin and Kathy Casey.

She competed in the men's singles division. Halverson can perform a Biellmann spin.

Halverson is the 2003 U.S. Juvenile bronze medalist, 2004 Intermediate champion,{{cite news|url=https://www.twincities.com/2007/07/02/st-paul-figure-skater-working-toward-2008-national-championships/|title=St. Paul figure skater working toward 2008 national championships|work=St. Paul Pioneer Press|first=Brian|last=Murphy|date=July 2, 2007|access-date=May 10, 2024}} and 2005 Novice pewter medalist. Her fourth-place finish at the 2005 United States Figure Skating Championships earned her a trip to the 2005 Triglav Trophy at the novice level, which she won. Halverson stayed novice for the 2005–2006 Olympic season and won the novice title at the 2006 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. In her novice free skate, she landed six triple jumps, including two triple-double combinations.{{cite web |url=http://stlouis2006.usfigureskating.org/upload/general/news/novicemen-reports.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=December 26, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717030050/http://stlouis2006.usfigureskating.org/upload/general/news/novicemen-reports.pdf |archive-date=July 17, 2011 }}

In the 2006–2007 season, Halverson made her junior debut. She won two bronze medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit and was second alternate to the 2006–2007 Junior Grand Prix Final.[http://www.isufs.org/events/jgp2006/jgpsmen.htm Crystal Report Viewer] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001004645/http://www.isufs.org/events/jgp2006/jgpsmen.htm |date=October 1, 2007 }} She went on to the 2007 Nationals and won the junior title.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-tribune/147049056/|title=St. Paul's Halverson wins U.S. skating title|first=Rachel|last=Blount|work=Star Tribune|date=January 27, 2007|access-date=May 10, 2024|page=C4|via=Newspapers.com}} Halverson was the first men's skater since Evan Lysacek to win back-to-back novice and junior national titles{{cite news|first=Laura |last=Fawcett |title=No Nightmare for Halverson in Junior Men's Free Skate |url=http://spokane2007.usfigureskating.org/News/RecapNews/012607HalversonWins.aspx |date=January 26, 2007 |access-date=December 26, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930212122/http://spokane2007.usfigureskating.org/News/RecapNews/012607HalversonWins.aspx |archive-date=September 30, 2007 }}{{cite news|first=Elvin |last=Walker |title=Halverson Looks Toward 2007–08 Season |url=http://www.goldenskate.com/articles/2006/061007.shtml |publisher=GoldenSkate |date=June 10, 2007 |access-date=December 26, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930185518/http://www.goldenskate.com/articles/2006/061007.shtml |archive-date=September 30, 2007 }} and is one of only nine skaters to do it since 1932. Her placement at nationals earned her a trip to the 2007 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, where she placed 10th. Until Junior Worlds, Halverson had never placed off the podium in a major event in her career.{{cite news|title=Strong U.S. Team Ready for World Junior Figure Skating Championships This Week in Oberstdorf, Germany |url=http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_story.asp?id=37789 |publisher=U.S. Figure Skating |date=February 27, 2007 |access-date=December 26, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930203540/http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_story.asp?id=37789 |archive-date=September 30, 2007 }}

Due to her success at the junior level, April 21, 2007, was declared to be "Eliot Halverson Day" in St. Paul, Minnesota.{{cite news|title=City of St. Paul Declares April 21 as Eliot Halverson Day |url=http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_story.asp?id=38458 |publisher=U.S. Figure Skating |date=April 20, 2007 |access-date=December 26, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930211002/http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_story.asp?id=38458 |archive-date=September 30, 2007 }}

Halverson began the 2007–2008 season at the Junior Grand Prix Harghita Cup. After placing 6th in the short program, she attempted her first triple axel jump in competition in the free skate. Although she fell on the landing, she rotated it successfully and was given credit for the jump officially. She placed 5th in the long program, placing 5th overall. At her second event, the Pokal der Blauen Schwerter in Germany, she placed 7th overall, after placing 4th in the long program and being credited with her first triple axel of her career.{{cite web|url=http://www.isufs.org/results/jgpger2007/jgpger07_JuniorMen_FS_Scores.pdf |title=2007 Junior Grand Prix Pokal der Blauen Schwerter Men's Free Skating Protocol |access-date=December 26, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512002044/http://www.isufs.org/results/jgpger2007/jgpger07_JuniorMen_FS_Scores.pdf |archive-date=May 12, 2008 }}

Halverson made her senior debut at the 2008 Midwestern Sectional Championships, where she won the pewter medal. At the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, her second senior-level competition, she was the youngest senior in the men's division to compete. Because these championships were held in her hometown of St. Paul, Halverson became a poster-child for the 2008 Nationals. She placed 13th overall and was named first alternate for the 2008 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Halverson changed coaches from Ted Engelking to Doug Haw following the 2007–2008 season. She also changed her club affiliation from the St. Paul FSC to the Ann Arbor FSC following her move to Ann Arbor, Michigan. This changed the region she competed out of from Upper Great Lakes to Eastern Great Lakes.

She began the 2008–2009 season at the 2008–2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Courchevel, France, where she placed 8th. At the Eastern Great Lakes Regional Championships in October, she won the silver medal behind Parker Pennington and qualified for Sectionals.

Halverson's 2009–2010 season began at the 2009–2010 ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Belarus, Russia, where she placed 5th. She went on to place second at the Eastern Great Lakes Regional Championships in October, qualifying for Midwestern Sectionals, where she placed 5th to finish her season.

Due to ongoing medical issues related to a pinched nerve in her lower back, Halverson did not compete in the 2010–2011 season. However, she had planned to return to competition for the 2011–2012 season, barring any continued medical issues.{{cite web |url=http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100908&content_id=14436644&vkey=ice_news|title=The Inside Edge with Sarah and Drew - Halverson to sit out the season with back injury|date=September 8, 2010 }}

After retiring from competition, Halverson became a coach and choreographer.{{cite news|url=https://dallasvoice.com/ice-skatings-lgbtq-history/|title=Ice skating's LGBTQ history|work=Dallas Voice|first=Coy|last=Covington|date=October 29, 2021|access-date=May 10, 2024}}

Image:Eliot Halverson-Biellmann Spin 2008 Nationals.jpg

Image:Eliot Halverson 2006 JGP The Hague 2.jpg

• Ju = Juvenile level; N = Novice level; J = Junior level

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061017104953/http://www.figureskatersonline.com/eliothalverson/ Official Site]
• {{usfsa name | category=AthleteBio | id=30159 | name=Eliot Halverson}}
• {{isu name | id=00008974 | name=Eliot Halverson}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20061112185844/http://www.latinoskating.org/Eliot.htm Halverson at LatinoSkating]

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Category:American male single skaters

Category:Sportspeople from Bogotá

Category:Living people

Category:1990 births

Category:Colombian emigrants to the United States

Category:Sportspeople from Saint Paul, Minnesota

Category:American adoptees

Category:American sportspeople of Colombian descent

Category:American non-binary sportspeople

Category:Colombian LGBTQ sportspeople

Category:LGBTQ figure skaters

Category:LGBTQ people from Minnesota

Category:21st-century American sportsmen