Charles Sinek(born December 28, 1968) is an American former competitiveice dancer.With partner and wifeBeata Handra,he is the 1999–2002U.S. nationalpewter medalist and placed as high as fourth at theFour Continents Championships.
| Charles Sinek | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 28, 1968 Wilmington,North Carolina,United States |
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Figure skating career | |
| Country | United States |
| Partner | Beata Handra |
| Skating club | SC of New York |
| Began skating | 1977 |
| Retired | 2002 |
Personal life
editSinek was born on December 28, 1968, inWilmington, North Carolina.[1]His father, Joachim Sinek, representedChileat the Olympic Games in the 1950s in fencing.[2]
Charles Sinek and Beata Handra were married in 1996.[1]Their son, Kai Bela Sinek, was born on May 11, 2017.[3]
Career
editCharles Sinek originally skated with his sister, Anne Sinek,[4]for several years. After his sister retired, he skated withRegina Woodwardat the senior level and then turned professional.
Sinek competed at the 1994Gay Gamesas a last minute replacement partner for Stephane Vachon, a friend whose partner was unable to compete due to illness. Sinek volunteered to skate with Vachon because he already knew the dance.[5]They won the gold medal in the Male/Male Compulsory Dance 4 competition.[6]
Sinek reinstated as an amateur in 1995.[7]He teamed up with 18-year-oldBeata Handra.[4]In 2000, Handra/Sinek were given their firstGrand Prixassignment, Skate America. Three weeks before the event, Sinek developed a staph infection after Handra accidentally cut his right shin in practice.[4]He recovered and they competed at the event, placing sixth.
In the 2001–02 season, Handra/Sinek missed their two Grand Prix assignments due to health issues—in August 2001, Sinek underwent knee surgery which resulted in a blood clot in his calf, and tore his meniscus a second time in September 2001.[7][8]
Handra/Sinek placed fourth at the 2002 U.S. Championships and were sent to the2002 Four Continents Championshipswhere they placed a career-best fourth. They were also granted the United States' second spot to the2002 Winter Olympicsbecause two teams who ranked above them nationally—Tanith Belbin/Benjamin AgostoandMelissa Gregory/Denis Petukhov—were ineligible for the Olympics due to citizenship problems. Handra/Sinek placed 23rd at the Olympics.
Programs
edit(with Handra)
| Season | Original dance | Free dance |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–2002 [1] |
|
|
| 2000–2001 [9] |
|
|
Competitive highlights
editWith Beata Handra
edit| International[1] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 96–97 | 97–98 | 98–99 | 99–00 | 00–01 | 01–02 |
| Winter Olympics | 23rd | |||||
| Four Continents | 5th | 6th | 4th | |||
| GPSkate America | 6th | |||||
| GPSkate Canada | 7th | |||||
| National[1] | ||||||
| U.S. Championships | 10th | 8th | 4th | 4th | 4th | 4th |
| GP = Grand Prix | ||||||
With Regina Woodward
edit| Event | 1989 |
|---|---|
| U.S. Championships | 11th |
References
edit- ^abcde"Beata HANDRA / Charles SINEK: 2001/2002".International Skating Union. Archived fromthe originalon August 10, 2002.
- ^Nii, Jenifer K. (February 15, 2002)."Dancers' path to S.L. winding, icy".Deseret News.Archived fromthe originalon May 22, 2011.
- ^Elfman, Lois (July 20, 2017)."Handra, Sinek reveling in being first-time parents".IceNetwork.com.
- ^abcPowers, John (January 16, 2001)."Dancers have taken the plunge".The Boston Globe.Archivedfrom the original on October 20, 2012.
- ^Miller, Toby (2002).Sportsex.Temple University Press. pp.29.ISBN1-56639-994-7.
- ^"Gay Games IV".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-05-10.Retrieved2008-06-05.
- ^ab"Handra and Sinek Announce Plans".Golden Skate.May 28, 2002.
- ^Powers, John (January 13, 2002)."Dancing to Salt Lake".The Boston Globe.p. 59.RetrievedMay 10,2024– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^"Beata HANDRA / Charles SINEK: 2000/2001".International Skating Union. Archived fromthe originalon July 17, 2001.