John Zimmerman

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameJohn Luther•Zimmerman, IV
Used nameJohn•Zimmerman
Born26 November 1973 in Birmingham, Alabama (USA)
Measurements183 cm / 83 kg
AffiliationsBirmingham Figure Skating Club
NOC United States

Biography

John Zimmerman was a professional figure skater who specialized in pairs. He competed at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics with Kyoko Ina, finishing fifth. Zimmerman started in pairs in 1994 with Brie Teaboldt but then skated with Stephanie Stiegler from 1995-98, finishing third at the 1997 US Nationals and the 1997 Skate America.

Stiegler and Zimmermann broke up as a pair and he joined up with Ina in 1998. They were US Champions in 2000, 2001, and 2002, placing third at the 2002 World Championships. Together Ina and Zimmermann had several other podiums at major events, including second place finishes at the 1999 Trophée Lalique and 2000 Skate Canada and Four Continents, and in 2002 they were second at Tropée Lalique, Skate America, and Sparkassen.

In 2003 Ina and Zimmermann joined Stars on Ice and skated in ice shows for several years. He also skated on several television figure skating shows, in 2006 in “Skating with Celebrities” with FOX sportscaster Jillian Barberie, and in 2010 in the ABC show “Thin Ice”, in which he paired with former Canadian Olympic ice dancer Shae-Lynn Bourne.

Zimmerman became a figure skating coach, working in Coral Springs and Wesley Chapel, Florida alongside his wife, Silvia Fontana, a former Italian Olympic figure skater. In 2018 he coached the pair of Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès. In December 2019 Zimmermann, Fontana, and another coach, Vinny Dispenza, were accused of covering up sexual abuse committed by Ciprès. In March 2021 Zimmermann was suspended by US SafeSport for two years and given one year of probation in which he could not coach skaters or attend US skating events.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
2002 Winter Olympics Figure Skating (Skating) USA John Zimmerman
Pairs, Mixed (Olympic) Kyoko Ina 5

Olympic family relations

Special Notes