# Tuğba Karademir

Tuğba Karademir (born on 17 March 1985) is a Turkish former competitive figure skater. She won silver medals at the 2008 International Challenge Cup and 2008 Ondrej Nepela Memorial. She qualified to the free skate at two Winter Olympics (2006 Turin and 2010 Vancouver), two World Championships (2006 Calgary, 2009 Los Angeles), and seven European Championships (2004–2010). She served as the flag-bearer for Turkey at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

## Personal life

Karademir was born on 17 March 1985 in Ankara, Turkey. In Turkey, her father, Tayfun, was a restaurateur and her mother, Sabite, worked in the aerospace industry. Upon relocating to Barrie, Ontario, Canada, they initially took on extra jobs to pay for their daughter's training. While in Barrie, she was enrolled at a local public school, Allandale Heights. She speaks Turkish and English fluently. Tugba married on 14 August 2021.

## Career

Karademir started skating at the age of 5, with her kindergarten class, right after the first ice rink opened in Turkey in 1990. At eight years old she competed for the first time internationally for Turkey. In 1995, she won a gold medal at a novice competition at the Balkan Games and a silver medal in the Netherlands.
Turkey had only one ice rink then, and no professional skating coaches. In 1996 her parents decided to move the family to Canada, where she could train seriously. She began training with Robert Tebby at the Mariposa School of Skating.
At the 2006 European Championships, Karademir placed 13th. She then went on to become the first figure skater from Turkey to compete in the Olympic Winter games. She was the flag bearer for Turkey during the opening ceremony. She scored a personal best of 44.2 points in the short program. Combined with her 79.44 points in the free program, she placed 21st overall with a total of 123.64 points.
At the 2006 World Championships, Karademir placed 18th with her highest finish to date at that event. In the long program, she finished 16th, giving her the 18th overall finish.
At the 2007 European Championships she achieved a new personal best in her short program and placed 10th overall.
In June 2006, Tuğba Karademir was transferred by the Kocaeli Kağıtspor.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics she received a total score of 129.54, with 50.74 in the short program and 78.80 in the free skate.

## Programs

| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
| 2009–10 | Bazaar Istanbul by A. Kusgoz, H. Turkemenier | Tango de los Exilados by Walter Taieb choreo. by Kurt Browning | Last Dance by Paul Jabara performed by Donna Summer Nihavent Oyun Havası by Hilmi Rit Haydi Efrem Yere Vurda Daglar Segah Roman Havasi by Ismael Bascambaz choreo. by Kurt Browning |
| 2008–09 | Ocean's Thirteen by David Holmes | Ratatouille by Michael Giacchino choreo. by Kurt Browning | |
| 2007–08 | Ocean's Thirteen by David Holmes | Naqoyqatsi by Philip Glass | |
| 2006–07 | Coeurs à Cordes by Pierre Porte choreo. by Jean-Pierre Boulais | Naqoyqatsi by Philip Glass | Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going (from Dreamgirls) by Henry Krieger |
| 2005–06 | Coeurs à Cordes by Pierre Porte choreo. by Jean-Pierre Boulais | Barracuda by Richard Hunt Tierra Querida by Julio de Caro Adagio Tango by Mario LeBlanc Nueve de Julio performed by Quartango choreo. by Steven Cousins | |
| 2004–05 | Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White) by Louiguy Dancin' Fool | Barracuda Tierra Querida Adagio Tango Nueve de Julio | |
| 2003–04 | Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White Dancing Fool choreo. by Steven Cousins | Adiós Nonino by Astor Piazzolla Libertango by Astor Piazzolla choreo. by David Wilson | |
| 2002–03 | Torna a Surriento by Ernesto De Curtis | Adios Nonino by Astor Piazzolla Libertango by Astor Piazzolla | |
| 2001–02 | Torna a Surriento by Ernesto De Curtis | Violin Fantasy on Puccini's Turandot performed by Royal Opera House Orchestra | |

## Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix

### 2001–02 to 2009–10

International :
| Event | 01–02 | 02–03 | 03–04 | 04–05 | 05–06 | 06–07 | 07–08 | 08–09 | 09–10 |
| Olympics | | | | | 21st | | | | 24th |
| Worlds | | 30th | 35th | 27th | 18th | 27th | 27th | 21st | 28th |
| Europeans | 27th | 27th | 23rd | 19th | 13th | 10th | 11th | 10th | 12th |
| GP NHK Trophy | | | | | | 10th | | | |
| GP Skate America | | | | | | | 9th | 11th | 12th |
| GP Skate Canada | | | | | | 11th | | | |
| Challenge Cup | | | | | | | 2nd | | |
| Golden Spin | | 7th | 17th | 9th | | | 5th | | 4th |
| Nebelhorn Trophy | | 11th | | | | | 11th | 14th | |
| Nepela Memorial | | | | | 4th | | | 2nd | |
| Schäfer Memorial | | | 9th | 4th | 9th | 11th | | | |
| Universiade | | | | | | 14th | | 11th | |

### 1994–95 to 2000–01

International :
| Event | 1994–95 | 1995–96 | 1996–97 | 2000–01 |
| Balkan Games | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | |
| National |||||
| Turkish Champ. | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | |
| Canadian Champ. | | | | 5th J |
| J = Junior level |||||