LOCAL FIGURE SKATERS WILL GATHER TO WATCH OLYMPICS ON TV

Louisville Native Ernie Stevens is Current Junior Pairs Champ and Olympic Hopeful

LOUISVILLE, KY (February 12, 2010) -- Louisville native Ernie Stevens and his Russian figure skating partner Christina Zaitsev, reigning junior national champions, will have an unusual seat to watch the Vancouver Olympics. The Stevens Family is having an “Olympic Party” in their Louisville home with attendees ranging from Olympic hopefuls to first time skaters from Louisville and Indianapolis. “We wanted to do something special for the figure skaters in this area and those who train in Indianapolis that have impacted Ernie’s life,” said Susan Stevens, Ernie’s mother. “Many of these young people have Olympic aspirations and this weekend has special meaning for them.” The Vancouver Olympics opening ceremonies take place Friday, February 12th with the Olympic events taking place in the following days. The Pairs Ice skating competition will take place this weekend. Ernie, Olympic hopeful and Trinity High School sophomore, has skated for close to ten years, originally learning how to skate to become a hockey player. He is currently at the men’s intermediate level for singles, and juvenile level for pair’s figure skating. In the course of his skating career, he has medaled more than 30 times at various events and competitions. Ernie’s former Louisville coach, Denise Wilson, recognized Ernie’s talent and interest in pairs and made the connection to the Indiana World Skating Academy where she sent Ernie to be reviewed and supplement his training with two Russian coaches, Serguei Zaitsev and his wife, Elena. When Ernie expressed his interest to skate pairs and was looking for a partner, Serguei paired him with his daughter Christina, age 11. Since that time, Ernie now trains at the Indiana World Skating Academy traveling after school and on the weekends to Indianapolis, where he lives during summer training camp. He trains on the ice for singles and pairs and his off-ice training includes ballet, weight lifting and stretch class. He continues to skate one day a week in Louisville with his Moves in the Field coach of nine years, Susan Caudill.