Benjamin Okolski

Benjamin Okolski
Castile and Okolski in 2008.
Personal information
Full name Benjamin Okolski
Country represented United States
Born (1984-11-12) November 12, 1984
Tucson, Arizona
Residence Grosse Pointe, Michigan
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Former partner Brooke Castile
Colleen Okolski
Former coach Johnny Johns
Joseph Mero
Former choreographer Marina Zueva
Skating club Arctic FSC
Began skating 1993
Retired 2010
ISU personal best scores
Combined total 160.04
2007 Four Continents
Short program 56.44
2008 Four Continents
Free skate 104.92
2007 Four Continents

Benjamin Okolski (born on November 12, 1984) is an American former pair skater. With Brooke Castile, he is the 2008 Four Continents bronze medalist, 2007 Nebelhorn Trophy champion, and 2007 U.S. national champion.

Personal life

Benjamin Okolski was born in Tucson, Arizona.[1] He initially studied engineering at Washtenaw Community College.[2] After obtaining a master's degree in accounting from the University of Michigan, he became an auditor at Deloitte.[3]

Career

Okolski began skating at age eight and began pairs at twelve with his sister, Colleen.[4] He teamed up with Brooke Castile after the 2002 U.S. Championships.[5][4] They won two bronze medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series. They placed 7th at their first Four Continents in 2005. Following the 2006 U.S. Championships, Castile and Okolski changed coaches to Johnny Johns and Marina Zueva at the Arctic Figure Skating Club in Canton, Michigan.[4] They won the 2007 U.S. Championships,[6] earning them the right to compete at 2007 Four Continents, where they were 5th, and then to make their World debut, where they finished 12th.

In the 2007–08 season, Castile and Okolski were assigned to 2007 Nebelhorn Trophy, 2007 Skate America, and 2007 Trophée Eric Bompard, but withdrew from all three due to injury.[4][7] They won bronze at the 2008 U.S. Championships and went on to win a bronze medal in their third Four Continents appearance. They finished 11th at their second World Championships.

In 2008–09, they also withdrew from their Grand Prix assignments, 2008 Cup of China and 2008 Cup of Russia, due to injury.[7][8] They finished 5th at the 2009 U.S. Championships.

In the 2009–10 season, Castile and Okolski were 6th at 2009 Skate America. Their 4th-place finish at the 2010 U.S. Championships meant they did not make the U.S. team to the 2010 Winter Olympics. They announced their retirement from competitive skating in May 2010.[9]

Programs

(with Castile)

Season Short program Free skating
2009–10
[1][2]
2008–09
[2]
  • Memoirs of a Geisha
    by John Williams
  • Clair de Lune
    by Claude Debussy
2007–08
[10][4]
2006–07
[11]
2004–06
[12][2]
  • Anticipation
    by Luciani
  • Romeo and Juliet
    (soundtrack)
2003–04
[13]
  • Ave Maria
  • Romeo and Juliet

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

With Colleen Okolski

National
Event 2001 2002
U.S. Championships4th N5th N
N = Novice level

With Brooke Castile

International[14]
Event 02–03 03–04 04–05 05–06 06–07 07–08 08–09 09–10
Worlds12th11th
Four Continents7th5th3rd
GP Bompard6thWD
GP Cup of ChinaWD
GP Cup of Russia8thWD
GP Skate AmericaWD6th
Nebelhorn Trophy1stWD4th
International: Junior[14]
Junior Worlds9th
JGP Bulgaria4th
JGP China5th
JGP France3rd
JGP Japan3rd
JGP United States6th
National[2]
U.S. Champ.6th J2nd J7th8th1st3rd5th4th
J = Junior level; WD = Withdrew

References

  1. 1 2 "Brooke CASTILE / Benjamin OKOLSKI: 2009/2010". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Brooke Castile / Benjamin Okolski". IceNetwork.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011.
    • "Earlier versions". Archived from the original on April 13, 2008.
  3. ↑ Elfman, Lois (January 12, 2017). "Okolski hungers for success in business world". IceNetwork.com.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Walker, Elvin (October 1, 2007). "Organization Works for US Pairs Champs". Golden Skate.
  5. ↑ Mittan, Barry (December 12, 2005). "Castile and Okolski Show Promise". SkateToday.
  6. ↑ "Kids' Questions". U.S. Figure Skating. May 2007.
  7. 1 2 "Daisuke Takahashi Pulls Out of Cup of China; Brooke Castile and Ben Okolski Also Withdraw". IFS Magazine. November 5, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Castile and Okolski pull out of Cup of Russia because of injury". Associated Press. ESPN. November 18, 2008. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Castile and Okolski Announce Retirement from Competitive Figure Skating". U.S. Figure Skating. May 13, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Brooke CASTILE / Benjamin OKOLSKI: 2007/2008". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 26, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Brooke CASTILE / Benjamin OKOLSKI: 2006/2007". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on July 6, 2007.
  12. ↑ "Brooke CASTILE / Benjamin OKOLSKI: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 17, 2006.
  13. ↑ "Brooke CASTILE / Benjamin OKOLSKI: 2003/2004". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 17, 2004.
  14. 1 2 "Competition Results: Brooke CASTILE / Benjamin OKOLSKI". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 21, 2014.
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