Bridget Namiotka

American figure skater Bridget Namiotka was born on January 3, 1990, in Pennsylvania. She began skating in 1997, competing in juvenile and novice pairs with Daniel Haskins before teaming with Alex Merritt. In 2003, the pair placed fifth in novice pairs at the U.S. Championships.

Namiotka's most notable partnership began with John Coughlin in late 2004. They debuted internationally in September 2005, placing fourth at a Junior Grand Prix event in Montreal. A month later, they won gold in Zagreb, Croatia, qualifying for the JGP Final where they placed fifth. After taking silver at the 2006 U.S. Championships, they finished fourth at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Ljubljana. The next season, they won silver and bronze on the Junior Grand Prix, placed sixth at the JGP Final, and ninth at the 2007 U.S. Championships. They finished fourth at the 2007 World Junior Championships, their final event together, announcing the end of their partnership on July 3, 2007.

In 2019, Namiotka publicly identified herself as a victim of Coughlin, who died by suicide after being suspended. She was the first skater to speak out, saying he had hurt at least ten girls. Namiotka had competed while managing pancreatitis. She passed away on July 25, 2022, at age 32. Her parents attributed her death to long struggles with addiction after the trauma of sexual abuse.