Evan Bates

At 35 years old, Evan Bates has this physical status:

Evan Bates began skating at age four. He trained as a single skater and tested up to the Junior level in the USFSA testing structure, landing jumps through the double axel. He began training with ice dancing coaches Yuri Chesnichenko and Yaroslava Nechaeva after they moved to the United States.

Bates teamed up with Emily Samuelson in May 2000 following the suggestion of one of their coaches, Gary Clark. After competing on the juvenile level for one season, they moved up a level and won the U.S. national intermediate title in the 2001–2002 season.

In 2002–2003, Samuelson/Bates moved up another level and competed internationally for the first time through the North American Challenge Skate program, placing 10th in the novice ranks at the event in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They did not qualify to the 2003 U.S. Championships but did qualify to the 2004 U.S. Championships, where they won the novice bronze medal. The duo then took the novice silver medal at the Estonia International Ice Dancing Championships. They would win the national novice title at the 2005 U.S. Championships.

Samuelson/Bates moved up to the junior level. Their made their debut on the ISU Junior Grand Prix. At the 2005–06 ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Slovakia, they placed sixth in the compulsory dance, tenth in the original dance, and 6th in the free dance to place eighth overall. At the event in Sofia, Bulgaria, they placed fifth in all three segments of the competition and overall. They won their sectional championship to qualify for the 2006 U.S. Championships, where they won the silver medal on the junior level. This medal qualified them for a trip to the 2006 Junior Worlds, where they placed tenth.

Samuelson/Bates remained on the junior level. They competed on the 2006–07 ISU Junior Grand Prix. At their event in Mexico, they won all three segments of the competitions and won the gold medal overall. At their event in Taipei, they placed second in the compulsory dance and won the original and free dances to win the gold medal overall. These medals qualified them for the Junior Grand Prix Final. At the Junior Grand Prix Final, they placed second behind training mates Hubbell/Hubbell. Qualifying for the Junior Grand Prix Final had given them a bye to the 2007 U.S. Championships. Competing again against the Hubbells, Samuelson/Bates won the junior national title. They were placed on the team to the 2007 World Junior Championships. At Junior Worlds, they were in second place going into the free dance. However, they were forced to withdraw from the competition in the middle of their free dance due to injury. Bates stepped on the back of Samuelson's hand after she fell shortly into the free dance, severing a tendon. Their withdrawal, combined with the placement of the other American teams, meant the U.S. would only have two entries to the 2008 Junior Worlds.

Samuelson/Bates remained juniors internationally, but moved up to seniors nationally. They began their season on the 2007–08 ISU Junior Grand Prix. Skating with a minor knee injury at their first Junior Grand Prix event, in Lake Placid, Samuelson/Bates won all three segments of the competition to win the gold medal overall. At their second event, they won both the compulsory and original dances, but placed second in the free dance, to win the gold medal overall. These medals qualified them for the 2007–08 Junior Grand Prix Final and also earned them a bye to the 2008 U.S. Championships. At the Junior Grand Prix Final, they placed third in the compulsory dance and second in the original and free dances to win the silver medal overall.

At the U.S. Championships, Samuelson/Bates made their senior national debut. They placed fourth in the compulsory and original dances. In the free dance, Samuelson/Bates fell during a lift that had been inserted into the program for the senior program due to the different requirements between junior and senior level free dances. They placed 6th in the free dance and won the pewter medal, continuing their medal streak at the U.S. Championships. Their placement at the U.S. Championships earned them a trip to the 2008 World Junior Championships. At Junior Worlds, they won all three segments of the competition and won the title overall.

Making their senior international debut, Samuelson/Bates won gold at the 2008 Nebelhorn Trophy after placing second in the compulsory dance and first in the next two segments. They finished fourth in their senior Grand Prix debut, at the 2008 Skate America. At their next Grand Prix event, the 2008 NHK Trophy, they won the bronze medal after placing third in the compulsory dance, fourth in the original dance, and fourth in the free dance.

At the 2009 U.S. Championships, they placed second in all three segments of the competition, and won the silver medal overall. It was their sixth consecutive medal at the U.S. Championships. Due to their result, they were assigned to the 2009 Four Continents and the 2009 World Championships. At the Four Continents, they placed fourth in the compulsory dance and then third in the original and free dances to win the bronze medal overall. At Worlds, they placed thirteenth in the compulsory dance, eleventh in the original dance, and ninth in the free dance for an eleventh-place overall result.

Samuelson/Bates finished fifth at the 2009 Skate Canada International and fourth at the 2009 Trophee Eric Bompard. After taking the bronze medal at the 2010 U.S. Championships, they were named in the U.S. Olympic team. In February, they placed fourteenth in the compulsory dance, eleventh in the original dance, eleventh in the free dance, and eleventh overall at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

In March, Samuelson/Bates placed tenth in all segments but ninth overall at the 2010 World Championships in Turin, Italy. On April 28, 2010, they announced their decision to leave their long-time coaches, Yuri Chesnichenko and Yaroslava Nechaeva, to train with Igor Shpilband and Marina Zueva in Canton, Michigan.

In September 2010, Bates sustained a complete laceration of his Achilles tendon after Samuelson struck him with her skate blade as she came down from a lift. As a result, they missed the entire 2010–2011 season. In June 2011, it was reported that they had ended their partnership. On June 28, 2011, Samuelson and Bates confirmed their split and said that they were both looking for new partners.

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