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Benjamin Steffan

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Benjamin Steffan
Janse van Rensburg/Steffan during their rhythm dance at the 2024 World Championships
Born (1996-01-12) 12 January 1996 (age 28)
Chemnitz, Germany
HometownCallenberg
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Figure skating career
Country Germany
PartnerJennifer Janse van Rensburg (since 2016)
Sandrine Hofstetter (2015–2016)
Leah Steffan (2012–2015)
CoachRostislav Sinicyn
Natalia Karamysheva
Martin Skotnický
Skating clubChemnitzer EC
Began skating2006

Benjamin Steffan (born 12 January 1996) is a German ice dancer. With his skating partner, Jennifer Janse van Rensburg, he is the 2020 Santa Claus Cup champion, the 2021 Egna Dance Trophy silver medalist, a three-time Bavarian Open champion (2022–24), and three time German national champions (2022–2024).

Personal life

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Steffan was born on January 12, 1996 in Chemnitz, Germany. His younger sister, Leah, is also a former competitive ice dancer.[1]

Career

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Early career

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Originally a hockey player, Steffan decided to switch to ice dancing in 2006 at the age of ten.[2] His first ice dance coach was Annerose Wetzel and he was briefly partnered with Camilla Barth for a short period. Steffan would eventually decide to team up with his sister, Leah, in 2012, and the siblings were coached by Susan Fichtelmann in Chemnitz.[1][3][1] Together, the siblings would win bronze at the 2014 and 2015 German Junior Championships.[4] Their partnership would dissolve, however, following the 2014–15 figure skating season, with Leah electing to retire from competing.[5]

Steffan would eventually team up with Sandrine Hofstetter during the 2015–16 figure skating season. The team were coached by Alexander Gazsi in Duebendorf, Switzerland. Together, they would win bronze at the 2016 German Junior Championships before parting ways after the season ended.[6]

Partnership with Janse van Rensburg

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Early years in partnership

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Prior to the 2016–17 figure skating season, it was announced that Steffan had teamed with fellow German ice dancer, Jennifer Janse van Rensburg and that the duo would train in Oberstdorf under coaches, Rostislav Sinicyn and Natalia Karamysheva.[7][8] For the first few seasons of their career, Janse van Rensburg/Steffan competed at various ISU Challenger Series events. They won their first national medal together, a bronze, at the 2019 German Championships and won their first international medal together, a silver, at the 2019 Bavarian Open. The following year, they would win silver at the 2020 German Championships.[7]

2020–21 season

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Janse van Rensburg/Steffan only competed at two events that season, medalling at both. They would win gold at the 2020 Santa Claus Cup and silver at the 2021 Egna Dance Trophy.[7]

2021–22 season

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Janse van Rensburg/Steffan started the season by competing at the 2021 Lake Placid Ice Dance International. Going on to compete on the 2021–22 ISU Challenger Series, the duo finished seventh at the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy, tenth at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy, and seventh at the 2021 CS Cup of Austria.[7]

Assigned to an event on the 2021–22 Grand Prix circuit for the first time, Janse van Rensburg/Steffan finished tenth at the 2021 Internationaux de France.[7]

In December, they won their first national title at the 2022 German Championships. They would then close the season by winning gold at the 2022 Bavarian Open and the 2022 Egna Dance Trophy.[7]

2022–23 season

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Janse van Rensburg/Steffan in the kiss and cry area at 2023 Skate Canada International

Assigned to compete at 2022 Skate America, Janse van Rensburg/Steffan started the season by finishing ninth at the event. They would then compete on the 2022–23 ISU Challenger Series, finishing winning silver at the 2022 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge and the 2022 CS Warsaw Cup as well as sixth at the 2022 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb.[7]

At the 2023 German Championships in January, Janse van Rensburg/Steffan won their second national title. For the first time, they were selected to represent Germany as a team at the European and World Championships. Going on to compete at the 2023 European Championships in Espoo, Finland, Janse van Rensburg/Steffan finished in ninth place. One week following the event, they won gold at the 2023 Bavarian Open for a second consecutive time.[7]

In March, Janse van Rensburg/Steffan competed at the 2023 World Championships in Saitama, Japan. They would finish the event in fifteenth place.[7]

2023–24 season

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Janse van Rensburg/Steffan began the season by competing on the 2023–24 ISU Challenger Series, finishing fourth at the 2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy and fourth at the 2023 CS Budapest Trophy. Assigned to two Grand Prix events for the first time, they would finish eighth at 2023 Skate Canada International and ninth at the 2023 Grand Prix of Espoo. Between these events, they would also take silver at the 2023 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge.[7]

After winning their third national title at the 2024 German Championships, Janse van Rensburg/Steffan were selected to compete at the 2024 European Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania, where they finished eleventh.[7]

At the end of January, Rensburg/Steffan took gold at the 2024 Bavarian Open. Two months later, they competed at the 2024 World Championships in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where they would finish in twenty-second place.[7]

2024–25 season

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Beginning their season on the 2024–25 Grand Prix circuit, Janse van Rensburg/Steffan finished seventh at the 2024 NHK Trophy.[7]

Programs

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With Janse van Rensburg

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Season Rhythm dance Free dance Exhibition
2024–2025
[9]
2023–2024
[10][11]
2022–2023
[12]
  • Prelude (Age of Heroes)
    by Balázs Havasi
    choreo. by Mariia Tumanovska-Chaiika
2021–2022
[13]
2020–2021
[14]
2019–2020
[15]
2018–2019
[16]
Short dance
2017–2018
[8]
  • Rhumba: Mil Pasos
    performed by Soha
  • Samba: Travels
    performed by Samba Carnja
    choreo. by Maria Tumanovskaia-Chaika

With Hofstetter

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Season Short dance Free dance
2015–2016
[17]

With Steffan

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Season Short dance Free dance
2014–2015
[18]
2013–2014
[1]

Competitive highlights

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Ice dance with Jennifer Janse van Rensburg

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Competition placements at senior level [7]
Season 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
World Championships 15th 22nd
European Championships 9th 11th
German Championships 4th 4th 3rd 2nd 1st 1st 1st
GP Finland 9th
GP France 10th
GP NHK Trophy 7th
GP Skate America 9th
GP Skate Canada 8th
CS Alpen Trophy 8th
CS Asian Open Trophy 4th
CS Budapest Trophy 4th
CS Denis Ten Memorial 2nd 2nd
CS Finlandia Trophy 13th 10th
CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 10th 5th 6th TBD
CS Ice Challenge 4th 7th
CS Ice Star 9th 10th
CS Lombardia Trophy 7th
CS Nebelhorn Trophy 6th 8th 7th
CS Tallinn Trophy 6th 6th
CS Warsaw Cup 2nd TBD
Bavarian Open 10th 4th 2nd 1st 1st 1st
Egna Dance Trophy 6th 2nd 1st
Halloween Cup 5th
Lake Placid Ice Dance 8th
Open d'Andorra 5th
Open Ice Mall Cup 6th
Santa Claus Cup 7th 1st
Winter Universiade 9th

With Hofstetter

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International: Junior[6]
Event 2015–16
JGP Croatia 15th
JGP Poland 11th
Santa Claus Cup 10th
Tallinn Trophy WD
National[6]
German Junior 3rd

With Steffan

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International: Junior[4]
Event 12–13 13–14 14–15
JGP Belarus 11th
JGP Germany 12th
JGP Slovakia 13th
Bavarian Open 19th
Grand Prize SNP 4th
Leo Scheu 11th
NRW Trophy 23rd 5th 12th
Pavel Roman 4th
Santa Claus Cup 5th
National[4]
German Champ. 3rd J
German Junior 7th 3rd

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Leah STEFFAN / Benjamin STEFFAN: 2013/2014". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 30 June 2014.
  2. ^ "Janse Van Rensburg & Steffan embrace new opportunities". Ice Dance. Ice Dance. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Profile – Leah Steffan & Benjamin Steffan". Ice Dance. Ice Dance. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Competition Results: Leah STEFFAN / Benjamin STEFFAN". International Skating Union.
  5. ^ "Leah-Magdalena Steffan". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Competition Results: Sandrine HOFSTETTER / Benjamin STEFFAN". International Skating Union.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "GER–Jennifer Janse van Rensburg/Benjamin Steffan". SkatingScores.com.
  8. ^ a b "Jennifer URBAN / Benjamin STEFFAN: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 25 July 2018.
  9. ^ "Jennifer JANSE VAN RENSBURG / Benjamin STEFFAN: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Jennifer JANSE VAN RENSBURG / Benjamin STEFFAN: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023.
  11. ^ "2023/24 Rhythm Dance". Twitter. Twitter. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  12. ^ "Jennifer JANSE VAN RENSBURG / Benjamin STEFFAN: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Jennifer JANSE VAN RENSBURG / Benjamin STEFFAN: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Jennifer JANSE VAN RENSBURG / Benjamin STEFFAN: 2020/2021". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021.
  15. ^ "Jennifer JANSE VAN RENSBURG / Benjamin STEFFAN: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020.
  16. ^ "Jennifer URBAN / Benjamin STEFFAN: 2018/2019". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019.
  17. ^ "Sandrine HOFSTETTER / Benjamin STEFFAN: 2015/2016". International Skating Union.
  18. ^ "Leah STEFFAN / Benjamin STEFFAN: 2014/2015". International Skating Union.
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