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Birth of Benjamin Agosto
Agosto was born in Chicago in 1982. He attended grade school at the Chicago Waldorf School, and high school at Glenbrook High School for two years before moving to Michigan in 1998. -
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Agosto moves to Michigan; the beginning of a beautiful partnership
Agosto moved from Chicago to Michigan in 1998 to train under Igor Shpilband, who teamed him with the woman who would become his long-time ice dance partner, Tanith Belbin. -
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A successful first season
The dream team of Agosto and Belbin work beyond well together their first season out; they win the junior national title as well as the bronze medal at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in 2000. -
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Five-time Champs
Agosto and Belbin win their first U.S. Championship in 2004, and follow it up--four more times. -
Tanith Belbin gets her citizenship
By a special act of Congress passed on December 28, 2005, which President Bush signed on New Year's Eve, 2005, Belbin became a naturalized citizen of the USA, making her able to compete for the United States at the 2006 Winter Olympics. -
Silver medals at Turin
Ben Agosto and Tanith Belbin win silver medals in ice dance at the 2006 Winter Olympics. They were the first American ice dance team since 1976, the first year ice dancing was contested at the Olympics, to win an Olympic medal. -
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2007 - 08 Season
Belbin and Agosto began with first place finishes at both Skate America and Cup of China which qualified them for the Grand Prix Final, where they placed second. They won their 5th national title and then placed 4th at the 2008 Worlds after a fall by Belbin in the Compulsory Dance. -
A new coach
After the 2007-2008 season, Belbin and Agosto left Igor Shpilband, who had coached them for their entire partnership, and began working with the married coaching team of Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponossov in Aston, Pennsylvania. -
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2008 - 09 Season
Belbin and Agosto began the 2008-2009 season at the 2008 Skate America and 2008 Cup of China, winning silver at both competitions. -
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Agosto injures his back
During the "original dance," Agosto injures his back at the 2008-2009 ISU Grand Prix Final. He and Belbin withdraw from the competition. -
2009 World Champs, Original Dance
At the World Championships, they won the original dance and placed second in the compulsory and free dances to win the silver medal overall.