Matthew Blackmer

{{Short description|American pair skater}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox figure skater |name= Matthew Blackmer |image= 2011 Grand Prix Final Juniors Britney Simpson Matthew Blackmer.jpg |caption=Blackmer and Simpson in 2011 |fullname= |altname= |country= United States |birth_date= {{birth date and age|1991|12|12}} |birth_place= Findlay, Ohio, U.S. |hometown= Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |death_date= |death_place= |height= {{cvt|1.82|m|order=flip}} |partner= Alexandra Aldridge |coach= Angelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo, Natalia Denner |skating club= Detroit SC |beganskating =2003 |retired= September 13, 2016 |medaltemplates=  {{MedalSport | Pairs' figure skating}} {{MedalCountry|{{USA}}}} {{MedalCompetition|Junior Grand Prix Final}} {{MedalBronze|2011–2012 Quebec|Pairs}} }}

'''Matthew Blackmer''' (born December 12, 1991, in Findlay, Ohio) is a retired American pair skater turned ice dancer. With former pairs partner Britney Simpson, he is the 2011 Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, the 2012 U.S. Junior silver medalist and the 2013 U.S. Junior Champion. He also skated with ice dancer Alexandra Aldridge.

== Personal life == Blackmer began skating at the age of 12, having switched over from hockey.{{r|bioBSMB}} Blackmer is a graduate of Lake Orion High School in Lake Orion, Michigan.{{r|INbioBSMB}}

== Career == Blackmer started out with Silver Blades, which is a figure skating club in Findlay, Ohio.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Still Rocking at 40 - Silver Blades Figure Skating Club Ice Show Announcement|url = http://thecourier.com/family-news/2015/03/20/still-rocking-at-40/|accessdate = 2015-08-31|archive-date = 2015-08-14|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150814103255/http://thecourier.com/family-news/2015/03/20/still-rocking-at-40/|url-status = dead}}</ref>

=== Partnership with Simpson === Blackmer teamed up with Simpson in February 2011 after his previous partner, Kaitlin Budd, quit.<ref name="tie1102" /> He moved from Michigan to Colorado Springs to train with Simpson under coach Dalilah Sappenfield.<ref name="gs120321" />

In the 2011–2012 season, Simpson and Blackmer won gold at their first Junior Grand Prix event, 2011 JGP Poland,<ref name=poland/> and silver at their second event, 2011 JGP Estonia. They won the bronze medal at the 2011–2012 Junior Grand Prix Final. They competed at the 2012 World Junior Championships and finished 10th.

On December 2, 2013, Simpson and Blackmer announced the end of their two-year partnership; both expressed an interest to compete with new partners.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Britney Simpson and Matthew Blackmer End Partnership|url = http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=49788&type=media|website = www.usfsa.org|accessdate = 2015-08-31}}</ref>

=== Partnership with Aldridge === On July 31, 2015, IceNetwork announced that Blackmer had teamed up with ice dancer Alexandra Aldridge, though they had teamed up two months prior. They began work with coaches Anjelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo, and Natalia Annenko-Deller, him moving to Detroit Skate Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, from Broadmoor Skating Club in Colorado.{{r|IN150731}} He passed sixteen dance tests in one week in order to compete with her.{{r|tweet150723}} <ref name=GS151006/> Their first competition together was the Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships, where they placed third in the senior category, finishing fourth in the short dance{{r|LP2015SD}} and third in the free.{{r|LP2015FD}} They finished ninth at the 2016 United States National Championships.

On September 13, 2016, Blackmer and Aldridge announced the end of their one-year partnership; Aldridge looks to continue competing with a new partner while Blackmer decided to retire from competition.<ref>{{cite web|title=Aldridge, Blackmer Announce End of Partnership|url=http://www.ice-dance.com/site/aldridge-blackmer-announce-end-of-partnership/|publisher=ice-dance.com}}</ref>

== Programs == === With Aldridge === {| class="wikitable" |+ !Season !Short Dance !Free Dance !Exhibition |- !2015–2016 {{r|IN150731}} | * {{Small|Waltz:}} Masquerade Waltz {{small| by Aram Khachaturian }} * {{Small|March:}} Radetzky March {{small|by Johann Strauss I choreo. by Angelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo }} | * Oblivion {{small|by Astor Piazzolla}} * Tango de Amor {{small|(from The Addams Family) by Andrew Lippa choreo. by Angelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo}} | * Thinking Out Loud {{small|by Ed Sheeran}} |}

=== With Simpson === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! Season ! Short program ! Free skating ! Exhibition |- ! 2013–2014 <ref name=bio1213/> | Flamenco by Didulia | Beethoven's Five Secrets by The Piano Guys | |- ! 2012–2013 <ref name=bio1213/> | The Mask of Zorro by James Horner | Henry V by Patrick Doyle | You Should Be Dancing by Bee Gees |- ! 2011–2012 <ref name=bio1112/> | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by Tan Dun | Titanic by James Horner | |}

== Competitive highlights ==

=== With Simpson === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! colspan=3 align=center | '''Results'''<ref name=isucrBSMB/> |- ! style="background-color: #ffdead; " colspan=3 align=center | '''International''' |- ! Event ! 2011–2012 ! 2012–2013 |- | align=left | Junior Worlds || 10th || 10th |- | align=left | JGP Final || bgcolor=cc9966 | 3rd || |- | align=left | JGP Austria || || 5th |- | align=left | JGP Estonia || bgcolor=silver | 2nd || |- | align=left | JGP Poland || bgcolor=gold | 1st || |- | align=left | JGP Germany || || 5th |- ! style="background-color: #ffdead; " colspan=3 align=center | '''National''' |- | align=left | U.S. Championships || bgcolor=silver | 2nd J. || bgcolor=gold | 1st J. |- | colspan=3 align=center | J. = Junior level; JGP = Junior Grand Prix |}

== References == {{Reflist|refs=

<ref name=isucrBSMB>{{cite web | url = http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs_cr_00013494.htm | title = Competition Results: Britney SIMPSON / Matthew BLACKMER | work = International Skating Union }}</ref>

<ref name=GS151006>{{cite news |url= http://www.goldenskate.com/2015/10/alexandra-aldridge-matthew-blackmer/ |title= Aldridge and Blackmer 'cutting edges' |first= Paula |last= Slater | work= Golden Skate |date= 6 October 2015}}</ref>

<ref name=bio1112>{{cite web|title=Britney SIMPSON / Matthew BLACKMER: 2011/2012 |work=International Skating Union |url=http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00013494.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917005803/http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00013494.htm |archivedate=September 17, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name=bio1213>{{cite web|title=Britney SIMPSON / Matthew BLACKMER: 2012/2013 |work=International Skating Union |url=http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00013494.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917005803/http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00013494.htm |archivedate=September 17, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name=bioBSMB>{{cite web |title = Britney Simpson & Matthew Blackmer {{!}} Official Web Site |url = http://figureskatersonline.com/simpson-blackmer/matthew.html |work = figureskatersonline.com |accessdate = August 31, 2015 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

<ref name=INbioBSMB>{{cite web |title = Britney Simpson & Matthew Blackmer |url= http://web.icenetwork.com/skaters/detail.jsp?id=39961&mode=P |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203153224/http://web.icenetwork.com/skaters/detail.jsp?id=39961&mode=P |archivedate=February 3, 2012 }}</ref>

<ref name=poland>{{cite news | url = http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110917&content_id=24822420&vkey=ice_news | title = Team USA brings home two golds from Poland | first1 = Renee | last1 = Felton | first2 = Kristin | last2 = Zinsmeister | work = IceNetwork | date = September 17, 2011 | access-date = September 19, 2011 | archive-date = March 13, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160313124632/http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?content_id=24822420&vkey=ice_news&ymd=20110917 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

<ref name=tie1102>{{cite news | url = http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111102&content_id=25868248&vkey=ice_news | title = The Inside Edge: JGP Final qualifiers | first1 = Sarah S. | last1 = Brannen | first2 = Drew | last2 = Meekins | work = IceNetwork | date = November 2, 2011 }}</ref>

<ref name=gs120321>{{cite news | url = http://www.goldenskate.com/2012/03/simpson-and-blackmer-encouraged-by-early-success/ | title = Simpson and Blackmer encouraged by early success | first = Elvin | last = Walker | work = Golden Skate | date = March 21, 2012 }}</ref>

<ref name=IN150731>{{cite news |title= From throws to twizzles: Blackmer takes up dance |url= http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2015/07/31/140100624/from-throws-to-twizzles-blackmer-takes-up-dance |first= Sarah S. |last= Brannen |work= IceNetwork |date= July 31, 2015}}</ref>

<ref name=tweet150723>{{cite tweet |author= Rutherford, Lynn |user= LynnRutherford |title=.@MattBmer now dancing w/@Aaldi7, passed 16 tests in 1 week |number= 624354375301996544 |date= July 23, 2015}}</ref>

<ref name=LP2015SD>{{cite web |url= http://www.lakeplacidskating.com/events/IDC/Results/Thursday/Sr%20SD.html |title= 2015 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships - Senior Short Dance Results |date =July 30, 2015 |work= Lake Placid Skating |publisher= Olympic Regional Development Authority }}</ref>

<ref name=LP2015FD>{{Cite web |url= http://www.lakeplacidskating.com/events/IDC/Results/Friday/Sr%20FD.html |title= 2015 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships - Senior Free Dance Results |date =July 31, 2015 |work= Lake Placid Skating |publisher= Olympic Regional Development Authority }}</ref>

}}

== External links == {{commons category}} * {{ISU figure skater|00013494|Britney Simpson / Matthew Blackmer}} * [http://web.icenetwork.com/skaters/team/simpson_blackmer Britney Simpson / Matthew Blackmer] at Icenetwork

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackmer, Matthew}} Category:American male pair skaters Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Findlay, Ohio Category:21st-century American sportsmen