Naomi Lang

Naomi Lang was born in Arcata, California, to Leslie Dixon and Jason Lang, a member of the Karuk tribe. She started to dance at the age of three and continued with ballet dancing to the age of 15, beginning her training at the Dancer's Studio in Eureka, California. She performed with the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Ballet Co. and studied ballet at the Interlochen Arts Academy where at the age of 12 she received an award for 'Outstanding Achievement in Ballet'. She graduated from Lake Placid High School in Lake Placid, New York, in 1997.

In 2004, Lang had a daughter with Ukrainian ice acrobat Vladimir Besedin. She married American ice dancer Mark Fitzgerald in August 2008 in Tarrytown, New York. They had two children before divorcing in 2016.

Lang later married Jeffrey Strong, and they have two children together. The family resides in Gilbert, Arizona.

Lang started skating when she was eight, after seeing Smurfs On Ice. She began competitive ice dance with John Lee, winning the 1995 U.S. Novice title and the 1996 U.S. Junior silver medal.

Having noticed her at U.S. Nationals, Peter Tchernyshev wrote her a letter in mid-1996 asking for a tryout. They had a successful tryout in Lake Placid, New York, and trained there for nine months with Natalia Dubova; then, due to Lang's homesickness, they moved to Detroit and began training with Igor Shpilband and Elizabeth Coates.

Lang/Tchernyshev first won the U.S. national title in 1999. The following season, they took gold at the 2000 Four Continents Championships and placed 8th at the 2000 World Championships. They also performed with Champions on Ice.

In 2000, Lang/Tchernyshev moved to Hackensack, New Jersey, to train with Alexander Zhulin, who coached them until the end of the 2001–02 season. They missed their 2001 Grand Prix events because Tchernyshev had shin splints. Returning to competition, they won their fourth national title at the 2002 U.S. Championships and then won their second Four Continents title. They placed eleventh at the 2002 Winter Olympics and ninth at the 2002 World Championships.

In 2002–03, Lang/Tchernyshev were coached by Nikolai Morozov. After missing their 2002 Grand Prix events due to an injury to Lang, the duo won their fifth national title at the 2003 U.S. Championships, took bronze at the 2003 Four Continents, and placed 8th at the 2003 World Championships.

Lang/Tchernyshev did not appear internationally in the 2003–04 season. They intended to compete at the 2004 U.S. Championships but withdrew after Lang re-injured her Achilles tendon. They announced their competitive retirement in February 2004. The duo continued to skate together professionally and appeared in several U.S. ice shows, including many of the Disson skating shows televised on NBC and the Hallmark Channel. They also toured extensively in Europe and Russia, performing in Art on Ice, Kings on Ice with Evgeni Plushenko and composer and violinist Edvin Marton, and the Katarina Witt Farewell Tour. They performed at Jim Carrey's private Christmas party in Hollywood.

Lang works at The Ice Den Chandler/Scottsdale as the Manager of Ice Dance.

(with Tchernyshev)

(with Tchernyshev)

(with Lee)

• Mabel Fairbanks

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite web |url= http://www.icecalc.de/isu/bios/isufs00002356.htm |title= Naomi LANG / Peter TCHERNYSHEV: 2000/2001 |publisher= International Skating Union |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20010419010205/http://www.icecalc.de/isu/bios/isufs00002356.htm |archive-date= April 19, 2001 |url-status= dead }}

{{cite web |url= http://www.icecalc.de/isu/bios/isufs00002356.htm |title= Naomi LANG / Peter TCHERNYSHEV: 2001/2002 |publisher= International Skating Union |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20020602024822/http://www.icecalc.de/isu/bios/isufs00002356.htm |archive-date= June 2, 2002 |url-status= dead }}

{{cite web |url= http://www.icecalc.de/isu/bios/isufs00002356.htm |title= Naomi LANG / Peter TCHERNYSHEV: 2002/2003 |publisher= International Skating Union |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20030618125434/http://www.icecalc.de/isu/bios/isufs00002356.htm |archive-date= June 18, 2003 |url-status= dead }}

{{cite web |url= http://www.jbmittan.com/articles/a-lang.htm |title= Lang and Tchernyshev Reign as New Dance Champions |first= J. Barry |last= Mittan |orig-year= 1996 |year= 1999 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120514175407/http://www.jbmittan.com/articles/a-lang.htm |archive-date= May 14, 2012 |url-status= dead }}

{{cite news |url= http://www.goldenskate.com/2001/12/lang-and-tchernyshev-look-forward-to-olympic-year/ |title= Lang and Tchernyshev Look Forward to Olympic Year |first= Barry |last= Mittan |date= December 15, 2001 |work= Golden Skate }}

{{cite news |url= http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=23522 |title= Lang and Tchernyshev announce end of partnership |date= February 17, 2004 |work= U.S. Figure Skating |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20040311224947/http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=23522 |archive-date= March 11, 2004 |url-status= dead }}

{{cite web |url= http://naomiandpeter.ice-dance.com/programs_original.htm |title= Naomi Lang & Peter Tchernyshev: Official site. Programs: Original dance. |publisher= ice-dance.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110713001703/http://naomiandpeter.ice-dance.com/programs_original.htm |archive-date= July 13, 2011 |url-status= dead }}

{{cite web |url= http://naomiandpeter.ice-dance.com/programs_free.htm |title= Naomi Lang & Peter Tchernyshev: Official site. Programs: Free dance. |publisher= ice-dance.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110713001756/http://naomiandpeter.ice-dance.com/programs_free.htm |archive-date= July 13, 2011 |url-status= dead }}

{{cite web |url= http://naomiandpeter.ice-dance.com/programs_exhibition.htm |title= Naomi Lang & Peter Tchernyshev: Official site. Programs: Exhibition. |publisher= ice-dance.com |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110713001814/http://naomiandpeter.ice-dance.com/programs_exhibition.htm |archive-date= July 13, 2011 |url-status= dead }}

{{cite news |url= http://ww2.isu.org/news/4cont1.html |title= 2002 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships: Day One |work= International Skating Union |date= January 2002 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120302154723/http://ww2.isu.org/news/4cont1.html |archive-date= 2012-03-02 }}

{{cite news |url= http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080822&content_id=50997&vkey=ice_news |title= It's an August ice dance wedding weekend |first= Lynn |last= Rutherford |work= IceNetwork.com |date= August 22, 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120614165204/http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080822&content_id=50997&vkey=ice_news |archive-date= June 14, 2012 |url-status= dead }}

{{cite news |url= http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101108&content_id=16027408&vkey=ice_news |title= Lang, Tchernyshev enjoy overseas opportunities |first= Lynn |last= Rutherford |work= IceNetwork.com |date= November 8, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140714220940/http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101108&content_id=16027408&vkey=ice_news |archive-date= July 14, 2014 |url-status= dead }}

{{citation |title= Native Athletes in Action |first= Vincent |last= Schilling}}

{{cite news |url= https://www.ice-dance.com/site/skating-moms-series-naomi-lang-strong/ |title= Skating Moms Series: Naomi Lang Strong |website= ice-dance.com |date= August 12, 2019 }}

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{{commons category|Naomi Lang}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070405095615/http://naomiandpeter.ice-dance.com/ Official site]
• {{isu name | id=00002356 | name= Naomi Lang / Peter Tchernyshev}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060826050945/http://www.caretoicedance.com/lantch.html Care to Ice Dance? - Lang & Tchernyshev]

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Category:1978 births

Category:20th-century Native American people

Category:21st-century Native American people

Category:Living people

Category:American female ice dancers

Category:Figure skaters at the 2002 Winter Olympics

Category:Olympic figure skaters for the United States

Category:Native American sportspeople

Category:Four Continents Figure Skating Championships medalists

Category:People from Arcata, California

Category:20th-century Native American women

Category:21st-century Native American women

Category:Karuk people

Category:21st-century American sportswomen