Felicia Zhang, Nathan Bartholomay end partnership
By Josh Sanchez
On Wednesday afternoon, United States figure skating pair Felicia Zhang and Nathan Bartholomay have announced that they will be ending their partnership on the ice.
Bartholomay plans to continue skating with a new partner, while Zhang will be focusing on her education at the University of South Florida.
“I want to thank my family, friends and everyone who supported us through our career together,” Zhang said in a statement. “I want to also thank coaches Jim Peterson, Lyndon Johnston and Amanda Evora for the countless hours of work they put in to help us reach our highest potential.
“I am so grateful for the experiences and our accomplishments over the past few years. I will be stepping away from competitive figure skating to attend college full time at USF for now. Thank you to Nate for the three seasons of hard work and determination. I wish him the best of luck in the future.”
Zhang and Bartholomay had some success leading up to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia with a silver medal in the 2014 U.S. World Championships and a bronze in the 2013 U.S. World Championships.
They will now go their separate ways, but Bartholomay has hopes of competing in the 2018 PyeongChang Games.
“The amount of support Felicia and I have received in this past three years has been amazing,” Bartholomay said. “I would like to thank my family, Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex and, of course, our coaching staff for their dedication and belief in us as a team. My dream has always been to become an Olympic athlete, and with Felicia I was able to achieve that dream.
“Although I am saddened by her retirement, I support her decision and wish her all the best in her future. I will never forget our experience in Sochi and the dream that was fulfilled. I’m looking forward to moving on with my career and representing the United States in the next Olympic cycle.”