Tanith Belbin White

Tanith Belbin White
Belbin in a press conference
Full name	Tanith Jessica Louise Belbin
Born	Tanith Jessica Louise Belbin (1984-07-11) July 11, 1984 (age 40) Kingston, Ontario
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Figure skating career
Country	United States
Partner	Benjamin Agosto
Skating club	IceWorks
Began skating	1986
Retired	June 13, 2010
Event Olympic Games 0 1 0 World Championships 0 2 2 Four Continents Championships 3 3 0 Grand Prix Final 0 2 1 U.S. Championships 5 4 0 World Team Trophy 1 0 0 World Junior Championships 1 1 1 Junior Grand Prix Final 1 0 0 Medal list Olympic Games 2006 Turin Ice dance World Championships 2005 Moscow Ice dance 2009 Los Angeles Ice dance 2006 Calgary Ice dance 2007 Tokyo Ice dance Four Continents Championships 2004 Hamilton Ice dance 2005 Gangneung Ice dance 2006 Colorado Springs Ice dance 2002 Jeonju Ice dance 2003 Beijing Ice dance 2007 Colorado Springs Ice dance Grand Prix Final 2004–05 Beijing Ice dance 2007–08 Turin Ice dance 2003–04 Colorado Springs Ice dance U.S. Championships 2004 Atlanta Ice dance 2005 Portland Ice dance 2006 St. Louis Ice dance 2007 Spokane Ice dance 2008 St. Paul Ice dance 2001 Boston Ice dance 2002 Los Angeles Ice dance 2003 Dallas Ice dance 2010 Spokane Ice dance World Team Trophy 2009 Tokyo Team World Junior Championships 2002 Hamar Ice dance 2001 Sofia Ice dance 2000 Oberstdorf Ice dance Junior Grand Prix Final 2000–01 Ayr Ice dance

Tanith Jessica Louise Belbin White (born July 11, 1984) is a Canadian American ice dancer and Olympic program host for NBC Sports. Though born in Canada, she holds dual citizenship and has competed for the United States since she began skating with Benjamin Agosto in 1998. With Agosto, Belbin is the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, four-time World medalist, three-time Four Continents champion (2004–2006), and five-time U.S. champion (2004–2008).

Tanith Belbin was born in Kingston, Ontario, and raised in Kirkland, Quebec. In 1998, she moved to the Detroit area in the United States and received an immigrant worker visa in 2000.^[1] Due to immigration rules at the time, she did not receive a green card until July 2002 and would not have been granted U.S. citizenship until 2007.^[1] An amendment was passed which allowed Belbin to be sworn in as an American citizen on December 31, 2005.^[1] The amendment was authored by Senator Carl Levin who stated, "This amendment corrects an anomaly in the law that unfairly disadvantaged some people who had begun their naturalization process before 2002. Tanith Belbin began her naturalization process in 2000, but due to changes that were made to the law in 2002, the process has taken significantly longer than it would have if she had filed her paperwork 2 years later."^[2]

Belbin lived and trained in Canton, Michigan, for many years, before moving to Aston, Pennsylvania. After 2010, Belbin decided to move back to Michigan to attend Eastern Michigan University^[3] and be closer to friends and family, including then-boyfriend Charlie White.^[4][5] Belbin and White became engaged in June 2014 and were married on April 25, 2015.^[6][7] In 2017, their son was born.^[8]

Her father, Charles Belbin, is a public relations manager, while her mother, Michelle (née McKinlay) Belbin, is a former figure skater (who trained in St. John's, Newfoundland under Rolf Adomeit), coach, and costume designer.^[9] Michelle made some of Tanith's costumes.

Tanith Belbin began skating when she was almost three and started ice dancing at about eight or nine.^[10] She competed both as a pair skater and ice dancer in Canada before deciding to concentrate completely on ice dancing. She was introduced to ice dancing by Paul Wirtz and competed with partner Liam Dougherty. Her pairs partner was Ben Barruco, with whom she placed 2nd at the novice level at the 1997 Canadian Championships. She did not compete with either partner internationally.

After a year without a partner in Canada,^[10] Belbin moved to Detroit in 1998, where she was partnered with Benjamin Agosto by their coach Igor Shpilband. In the 1999–2000 season, they won a pair of medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series and finished 4th at the JGP Final. They went on to win the U.S. junior national title and then took the bronze medal at the 2000 World Junior Championships.^[11] In 2000–2001, Belbin / Agosto competed again on the JGP series, taking gold in all three of their events including the Final.^[12] They appeared on the senior level at the 2001 U.S. Championships and won the silver medal, qualifying them for their first senior World Championships, where they finished 17th.

In 2001–2002, Belbin / Agosto made their senior Grand Prix debut and won another silver medal at the U.S. Championships, which would have qualified them for the 2002 Winter Olympics if Belbin had been an American citizen. Instead, Belbin and Agosto were sent to all the other ISU Championships for which they were eligible: Four Continents, Junior Worlds, and Worlds. They won the 2002 World Junior Championships,^[11][13] completing their set of medals from that event. Following that season, Agosto aged out of juniors.

Belbin / Agosto won the 2004 U.S. national title and would go on to repeat four times.^[13] At Nationals in 2005, the last year of the 6.0 system, Belbin / Agosto received straight perfect sixes for presentation in their free dance. Of the 30 6.0s given out in ice dance at U.S. Nationals, Belbin / Agosto have 14 of them. Their total 6.0 count at the U.S. Championships is second only to Michelle Kwan (38).

Belbin / Agosto won the silver medal at the 2005 World Championships.

Fans of Belbin / Agosto wrote letters and signed petitions asking for a special act of Congress to allow Belbin to become a citizen in time for her to compete at the 2006 Winter Olympics, where many believed they could win a medal. In addition, it was Belbin / Agosto who earned a third spot for the U.S. in the Olympic ice dancing event, by winning a medal at the 2005 World Championships, without which the U.S. would have had only two spots. However, the mother of fellow American ice dancer David Mitchell sent a letter to Senator Hillary Clinton, asking her to vote against it.^[14][15] She believed that it was unfair to bend the requirements for U.S. citizenship for Belbin, when other "aliens of extraordinary ability" were denied expedited citizenship.^{[citation needed]} Ultimately, by a special act of Congress sponsored by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) that passed on December 28, 2005, which President George W. Bush signed on December 31, 2005, Belbin became a naturalized citizen, allowing her to compete for the United States at the 2006 Winter Olympics.^[1][2]

In January 2006, Belbin / Agosto won their third consecutive national title and qualified for the Olympics. At the Turin Olympics, Belbin and Agosto won the silver medal in ice dancing,^[13] the first American ice dancers to win an Olympic medal in 30 years. They went on to win the bronze at Worlds.

Belbin / Agosto began the 2006–2007 season with a free dance called That's Entertainment but arrived at Nationals with a new program to the music of Amelie. They won gold at Nationals, the silver medal at Four Continents, and the bronze at Worlds.

In 2007–2008, they won gold medals at both Skate America and Cup of China which qualified them for the Grand Prix Final, where they took the silver medal. They won their 5th national title and then placed 4th at the 2008 Worlds after a fall by Belbin in the compulsory dance. Belbin / Agosto were regular cast members of the Champions on Ice tour from 2004 until COI went out of business following the 2007 season.^{[citation needed]} They were guest stars on part of the 2008 Stars on Ice tour.^{[citation needed]}

In April 2008,^[16] Belbin / Agosto left Igor Shpilband, who had coached them for their entire partnership, and began working with the married coaching team of Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov at the IceWorks Skating Complex in Aston, Pennsylvania.^[17] In addition to teaching different technique,^[16] Linichuk advised Belbin to gain 10 pounds and develop some muscles in order to skate faster and more fluidly.^[17] This also gave Belbin more core strength to hold her positions better, thus making lifts easier for Agosto.^[17]

Belbin / Agosto began the 2008–2009 season at the 2008 Skate America and 2008 Cup of China, winning silver at both competitions. They withdrew from the 2008–2009 ISU Grand Prix Final after the original dance due to a back injury to Agosto. They withdrew from the 2009 U.S. Championships before the event began due to Agosto's injury.^[18] They were named to the team to the 2009 World Championships. At Worlds, they won the original dance and placed second in the compulsory and free dances to win the silver medal overall.

Belbin / Agosto won both their Grand Prix events in the 2009–10 season: the 2009 Cup of China and the 2009 Skate America. They withdrew from the Grand Prix Final for medical reasons.^[19] At the 2010 U.S. Championships, they were unable to reclaim their national title, finishing second behind Meryl Davis and Charlie White. Belbin and Agosto were nominated to represent the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics.^[20] They finished 4th in the Olympic ice dancing event.^[13] They did not compete at the 2010 World Championships.

On June 10, 2010, Belbin / Agosto announced their retirement from eligible skating.^[21] They have continued to skate together in ice shows.^[4]

On December 15, 2015, U.S. Figure Skating announced Belbin and Agosto would be members of the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame Class of 2016.^[22] The induction ceremony was held on January 22, 2016 at the 2016 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.^[23]

Belbin has worked as a commentator for ice dance competitions on Universal Sports Network, the ABC show Skating with the Stars,^[24] and for icenetwork.com.^[25] She has also worked as a commentator for four seasons of Curling Night in America, a NBCSN program that broadcasts a made-for-television curling competition.^[26]

In October 2011 Belbin competed as a pro on season 3 of Battle of the Blades paired with Boyd Devereaux; the pair placed 3rd in the competition.

Belbin also works as a choreographer.^[27]

In 2022, Belbin opened the Michigan Ice Dance Academy with Charlie White and Greg Zuerlein.^[28] Their current teams include:

• Emily Bratti / Ian Somerville
• Molly Cesanek / Yehor Yehorov
• Caroline Green / Michael Parsons

Their former teams include:

• Katarina Wolfkostin / Jeffrey Chen

(with Agosto)

Season	Original dance	Free dance	Exhibition
2009–2010 [29][30]	Moldavian folk dance: Moldovaneska	Ave Maria by Vladimir Vavilov performed by Sumi Jo Amen from Stabat Mater by Gioachino Rossini	If It Kills Me performed by Jason Mraz
2008–2009 [30][31]	Stepping Out by John Kander, Fred Ebb	Tosca by Giacomo Puccini	Falling Slowly Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis
2007–2008 [30][32]	Cotton Eyed Joe Country Waltz Appalachian Hoedown by Bluegrass	Selections by Frédéric Chopin arranged by Joseph Le Duca	Let's Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez SexyBack My Love by Justin Timberlake
2006–2007 [30][33][34]	Concierto Para Quinteto by Ástor Piazzolla Oblivion by Ástor Piazzolla	Amélie by Yann Tiersen Overture from That's Entertainment!	Let's Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez
2005–2006 [30][35]	Salsa Con Coco by Pochy y Su Cocoband Let's Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez	Bulenas Jaleo by Luis Winsberg Duende by Esteban	Green Acres American Woman La Rosa Let's Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez
2004–2005 [30][36]	Charleston: Cabaret Slow Foxtrot: New York, New York Quickstep: Cabaret	Russian gypsy dance: Shadritsa	Green Acres
2003–2004 [30][37]	Jitterbug: 5 months, 2 weeks, 2 days by Louis Prima Blues: Give me Some Money Too by Leni Hester Swing: Hey Pachuco by Royal Crown Revue	West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein	Elvis Presley medley Green Acres
2002–2003 [30][38]	Waltz: Libiamo ne' lieti calici (from La traviata) by Giuseppe Verdi Polka: Jolly Robbers by Franz von Suppé	Heartbreak Hotel Hound Dog Jailhouse Rock Teddy Bear by Elvis Presley	Elvis Presley medley (modified FD)
2001–2002 [39]	Flamenco (from The Mask of Zorro) by James Horner A Los Amigos	Sarajevo by Goran Bregovic	Oscar Tango
2000–2001 [9]	Foxtrot: More by Nat King Cole Quickstep: Girls, Girls, Girls	Alexandros by Staminis Spanudikis	Une Vie d'Amour
1999–2000		The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi

(ice dancing with Agosto)

Results[40]
International
Event	1999–00	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08	2008–09	2009–10
Olympics							2nd				4th
Worlds		17th	13th	7th	5th	2nd	3rd	3rd	4th	2nd
Four Continents			2nd	2nd	1st	1st	1st	2nd
Grand Prix Final					3rd	2nd		WD	2nd	WD	WD
GP Cup of China						1st		2nd	1st	2nd	1st
GP Cup of Russia					2nd			1st
GP Lalique			6th	3rd	4th
GP Skate America			5th	3rd	1st	1st	1st		1st	2nd	1st
Goodwill Games			5th
Nebelhorn							1st
International: Junior
Junior Worlds	3rd	2nd	1st
JGP Final	4th	1st
JGP Canada	1st
JGP Germany		1st
JGP Japan	2nd
JGP Mexico		1st
National
U.S. Champ.	1st J.	2nd	2nd	2nd	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	WD	2nd
Team events
World Team										1T / 1P
GP = Grand Prix; JGP = Junior Grand Prix; J. = Junior level; WD = Withdrew; T = Team result; P = Personal result; Medals awarded for team result only.

• Tanith Belbin / Benjamin Agosto at the International Skating Union
• Tanith Belbin / Benjamin Agosto at U.S. Figure Skating (archived)
• Tanith Belbin at Team USA (archive July 11, 2022)
• Tanith Belbin at Olympics.com
• Tanith Belbin at Olympedia (archive)
• Tanith Belbin at IMDb