Tara Prasad | |
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Born | Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States | 24 February 2000
Hometown | Chennai, India Colorado Springs, United States |
Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
Figure skating career | |
Country | India (2020–) United States (until 2016) |
Coach | Stephanie Kuban Tom Zakrajsek Ryan Jahnke Rebecca Bradley |
Skating club | Winter Games Association of Tamil Nadu |
Began skating | 2007 |
Tara Prasad (born 24 February 2000) is an Indian-American figure skater who represents India in women's singles skating. She is the 2024 Reykjavik International silver medalist, and a two-time Indian national champion (2022, 2023). She has competed in the final segments of the 2022 and 2023 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.[1]
Prasad was born on 24 February 2000 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Indian immigrants from Tamil Nadu. Her mother, Kavita Ramaswamy, was a national champion in hurdling for India in her teens. Except for her father Sai Prasad, who lives with her in the United States, Prasad's family lives in Chennai, India.[2] Prasad splits her time between the two countries and has held Indian citizenship since 2019.[3][4][5][6]
Prasad's figure skating inspirations include 2010 Olympic champion Kim Yu-na, 2018 Olympic champion Aljona Savchenko, 2015 World champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, and fellow Indian-American skater Ami Parekh.[5][7]
She enjoys hiking, rock climbing, art and choreography.[4]
Prasad began learning how to skate at age seven in Cedar Rapids. She competed domestically for the United States as a child at the juvenile through the novice levels until 2016.[8][9] She made her senior international debut for India in 2020 at the Mentor Toruń Cup.[10][11]
She competed at both the 2022 and 2023 Four Continents Championships, finishing twentieth and fourteenth, respectively.[2][12][13]
In January 2024, Prasad placed first in the short program and third in the free skate segments of the 2024 Reykjavik International Games and received the silver medal, thereby becoming India's first medalist in a senior international figure skating competition.[14]
Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
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2023–2024 [15] |
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2022–2023 [12] |
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2021–2022 [16] |
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International[17] | ||||
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Event | 19–20 | 21–22 | 22–23 | 23–24 |
Four Continents | 20th | 14th | ||
CS Cup of Austria | 29th | |||
CS Finlandia | 22nd | |||
CS Nebelhorn | 30th | |||
CS Warsaw Cup | WD | |||
Bavarian Open | 6th | |||
Bellu Memorial | WD | |||
Cranberry Cup | 18th | 9th | 12th | |
Dragon Trophy | 5th | |||
Mentor Toruń Cup | WD | |||
Merano Cup | 4th | |||
Philadelphia | 7th | |||
Reykjavík Int. Games | 2nd | |||
Tallinn Trophy | 7th | |||
U.S. Classic | 8th | |||
National[17] | ||||
Indian Champs. | 1st | 1st |