{"id":40741,"date":"2025-10-03T00:45:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T04:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/?p=40741"},"modified":"2025-10-03T00:45:31","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T04:45:31","slug":"breaking-ground-fatima-gomez-sandoval-becomes-mexicos-first-international-solo-dancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/breaking-ground-fatima-gomez-sandoval-becomes-mexicos-first-international-solo-dancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking Ground: Fatima Gomez Sandoval Becomes Mexico\u2019s First International Solo Dancer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

by Anne Calder | Photos by Robin Ritoss<\/em><\/p>\n

Fatima Gomez Sandoval is the first solo dancer to represent Mexico on the national and international level.<\/p>\n

She is a Junior Solo Combined skater who trains with Kristen Frazier-Lukanin and Igor Lukanin at the Kriger Studio in Montclair, NJ.<\/p>\n

Her story began when she was four years old. She went to a mall in Mexico City with her parents and saw a skating rink for the first time.<\/p>\n

Five months later she made her competitive debut and continued skating singles until she was sixteen.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was better to train in the States,\u201d Gomez Sandoval said. \u201cI\u2019ve been coming to different places in North America since I was four or five. I did Canada, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst I was a singles skater. Then I ran into a [medical] situation where they found four tumors in my left leg. There\u2019s a part of my leg I don\u2019t feel, and It eventually left me out of singles. I had to stop jumping.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was training at the Ice House in Hackensack, NJ back then. I was doing great. I was a Junior skater and went to the JGP in Turkey in 2023. It was awesome. When I came back I wanted to learn to dance. That\u2019s when I found Kristen and Igor.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2024, the International Skating Union (ISU) officially recognized Solo Dance as an International discipline.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore I began representing Mexico in Solo Dance, I met with the Federation,\u201d Gomez Sandoval explained. \u201cThey knew everything about my health, and that my strongest skating had always been performing. Actually, I was never a strong jumper. They said I could start as a Junior.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Coincidentally, during the analysis of her 2023 JGP Free Dance in Turkey, Ted Barton had suggested Gomez Sandoval\u2019s pure enjoyment for performance would make her a potential partner for someone conducting an ice dance search.<\/p>\n

Gomez Sandoval competed at several domestic and international events during the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

She represented the Mexican Federation of Ice Skating and Winter Sports at three 2025 SDS events: Morris Open, Dallas Classic and Lake Placid Championships and two international events: Atlanta, USA and\u00a0 <\/span>Helsinki, FIN. She also skated at the 9th Mexican Open Skating Competition in May.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t actually live in New Jersey full time,\u201d she said. \u201cI come and go. I was there for two months, then I went back home for three months. I\u2019m trying to finish high school, and it\u2019s difficult to get everything done in the U.S. Also, my family is in Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing I do find funny when I return to Mexico City and train solo with all the freestyle skaters is everyone jumping,\u201d she laughed. \u201cI wonder to myself if I am missing something.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy friends back home are so supportive of what I\u2019m doing. They are so happy for me because they always knew I was a big performer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I skated freestyle, I never fell. I was a big popper,\u201d Gomez Sandoval explained. \u201cMy mom was so terrified she couldn\u2019t watch. My first solo competition she watched me live, and I cried. In May I skated back home in Mexico. It was not a competition. I cried because I was so happy that I got to enjoy my moment [in Mexico], and it felt so special. I\u2019m so happy my mom also got to enjoy that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a competition in Finland. My entire family was there, and I fell while doing absolutely nothing,\u201d Gomez Sandoval said. \u201cMy mom was so sad for me. It was on a spread eagle. The ice was slippery and new. I hit the wall. My blade went into my thigh, and I cut myself. I got up and wanted to start again.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother reminded me that it was my first season, and next season I\u2019d be more competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad to be enjoying skating again. I\u2019m excited for next season. It\u2019s going to be a great journey.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Fatima Gomez Sandoval<\/b><\/p>\n

Fatima\u2019s Final Facts\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n