Background
Naomi Language was born in Arcata, California to Leslie Dixon and Jason Language, a member of the Karuk tribe.
Naomi Language was born in Arcata, California to Leslie Dixon and Jason Language, a member of the Karuk tribe.
Training with, Igor Shpilband & Liz Coates, Detroit, 1997—2000. Training with, Alexander Zhulin, New Jersey, 2000—2002. Training with, Tatiana Tarasova, Connecticut, 2002.
Training with, Nikoli Morozov, Connecticut, since 2002.
Language is the first Native American female athlete to participate in the Winter Olympics. Language started skating when she was eight, after seeing the Ice Capades. She began competitive ice dance with John Lee, winning the 1995 United States. Novice title and the 1996 United States. Junior silver medal.
Partnership with Tchernyshev
Having noticed her at United States. Nationals, Peter Tchernyshev wrote her a letter in mid-1996 asking for a tryout.
They had a successful tryout in Lake Placid, New York and trained there for nine months with Natalia Dubova. Then, due to Language"s homesickness, they moved to Detroit and began training with Igor Shpilband and Elizabeth Coates.
The following season, they took gold at the 2000 Four Continents Championships and placed 8th at the 2000 World Championships. They also performed with Champions on Ice.
In 2000, Language/Tchernyshev moved to Hackensack, New Jersey to train with Alexander Zhulin, who coached them until the end of the 2001-2002 season.
They missed their 2001 Grand Prix events because Tchernyshev had shin splits. They placed eleventh at the 2002 Winter Olympics and ninth at the 2002 World Championships. In 2002-2003, Language/Tchernyshev were coached by Nikolai Morozov.
Language/Tchernyshev did not appear internationally in the 2003-2004 season.
They intended to compete at the 2004 United States. Championships but withdrew after Language re-injured her Achilles tendon. They announced their competitive retirement in February 2004.
The duo continued to skate together professionally and appeared in several United States. ice shows, including many of the Disson skating shows televised on National Broadcasting Company and the Hallmark Channel. They also toured extensively in Europe and Russia, performing in Art on Ice, Kings on Ice with Evgeni Plushenko and composer and violinist Edvin Marton, and the Katarina Witt Farewell Tour.
They performed at Jim Carrey"s private Christmas party in Hollywood.
(with Tchernyshev)
(with Tchernyshev)
(with Lee).