Throw Triple Axel:
Rena Inoue and John Baldwin are the first and only figure skating pair team to land a throw triple axel.
Rena Inoue is Originally From Japan:
Inoue has competed in the Olympics three times. She competed for Japan in singles and pairs in her first two Olympics. In her third Olympics, she competed for the United States in pairs and skated with John Baldwin.
About John Baldwin:
John Baldwin started to skate when he was only two years old. Both of his parents were ice skating coaches. His father, also named John Baldwin, was a very accomplished skater in his own right.
Baldwin began competing at figure skating when he was four. He first qualified for the national championships in 1986 and won the U.S. Novice Men's event in 1987. He did fairly well as a singles competitor, but never made it to the top at the senior level.
How Rena and John Teamed Up:
In 1996, Rena Inoue moved to the United States to skate and train.
In December of 1999 she met John Baldwin. John was coming to the end of his singles skating career and considered pair skating. His father set up a try-out with Rena.
Their Birthdays :
John's birthday is October 18, 1973 and Rena's birthday is October 17, 1976. Their birthdays are only one day apart.
Coaches:
Inoue and Baldwin are coached by U.S. pair skating champions Jeni Meno and Todd Sand.
Competition Highlights:
Some of the highlights of Inoue and Baldwin's pair skating career include:
- 2006 Olympic Winter Games - 7th
2006 World Championships - 4th
2006 U.S. Championships - 1st - 2005 World Championships - 11th
2005 U.S. Championships - 2nd
Hobbies:
Some of Rena's hobbies include reading, eating out, jogging, sewing and gardening.
John enjoys sailing, eating out, electronics, and tennis.
Charity Work:
On Saturday, September 2, 2006, in San Francisco, U.S. National Champions and Olympians Rena Inoue and John Baldwin and forty other skaters performed in a benefit performance called SkateOut's Cabaret on Ice. Beneficiaries of the event included Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, and TeamSF Fitness Fund.
