Miriam Manzano was six times Australian Senior Ladies Champion, nine times Australian Champion medallist and four times international podium medallist in Ice Skating.
Miriam has excelled in her chosen sport even though she started ‘late’ in figure skating. She devoted herself for 20 years as a competitor locally, nationally and more importantly as an international Australian representative for 15 years.
Miriam’s skating career started at 11 years of age with coach Reg Park (former World Professional Skating Champion). She quickly progressed and won her first Australian Figure Skating Championship title in 1989 in the Intermediate Division and a year later won her second title in the Junior Ladies Division.
The Australian Junior title earned Miriam the right to represent Australia at the Junior World Championships and other international events.
Three years later she won the Senior Ladies Australian Figure Skating title and represented Australia for a total of 15 years until her retirement in 2006. Miriam attained a top 16 world ranking at the 2002 World Championships in Japan and in 2003 achieved top 10 ISU World standings in 2005.
Since her retirement Miriam has devoted her spare time to giving back to the sport through coaching at the Phillip Ice Rink. Miriam had one of her skaters, Justine Thornton, win gold at the Australian National Figure Skating Championships in 2011. Justine is the 2011 Australian Champion in the Intermediate Division and won an ACT Sport Special Achievement Award in December 2011, just as Miriam was an ACT Sports Star monthly winner and an Australian Champion in the Intermediate Division.
Career highlights:
6 x Australian Senior Ladies National Champion
9 x Australian Championship titles and 16 podium finishes at the Australian Championships
9 x World Championships
Gold – Merano Cup, Italy
Gold – Summer Trophy International, Australia
Silver- Karl Schaefer, Austria
Bronze- Finlandia Trophy, Finland
ICE SKATING
Born: 14 February 1975
Inducted: 2013
Full member