Jayne Torvill

MedalGold
1984 Sarajevo
Ice dancingMedalBronze
1994 Lillehammer
Ice dancingInfobox Figure skater
title= Jayne Torvill


caption=
country= GBR
dateofbirth= birth date and age|1957|10|7
residence=
height=
partner= Christopher Dean
formerpartner= Michael Hutchenson (pairs)
formercoach= Betty Callaway, Janet Sawbridge
choreographer=
formerchoreographer=
skating club=
retired= 1984, 1994

Jayne Torvill, OBE (born October 7, 1957, Nottingham, England) is a British ice dancer who, with her skating partner Christopher Dean, won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics.

Biography

Torvill became hooked on ice skating at the age of 8 following an after-school trip to the local ice rink. In 1971 at age 14, Torvill became the British National Pairs Champion with her then partner, Michael Hutchenson. After parting with Hutchenson, Torvill continued to skate on her own for a while before teaming up with Dean in 1975. After placing 5th in the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, Dean gave up his job as a policeman and Torvill gave up hers as an insurance clerk to skate together full-time.

Torvill and Dean's free program at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics, performed to the music of Maurice Ravel's "Boléro", became world famous. They received nine perfect "6.0" marks for artistic impression, the only time ever that all perfect scores were achieved. This was one of the most popular achievements in the history of British sport, watched by a British television audience of twenty-four million people.

Torvill and Dean turned professional after their 1984 Olympic win, and under then-existing Olympic Committee rules their professional status made them ineligible to compete in the Olympics again. However, in 1993, the International Skating Union relaxed its rules for professional skaters, which allowed the pair to participate in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, where they won a bronze medal.

Torvill was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000. She currently resides in Sussex, England. She married Phil Christensen in 1990 and they have a son, Kieran, and a daughter, Jessica.

Torvill and Dean were admitted to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1989

Jayne Torvill along with her partner Christopher Dean now star in the hit ITV show Dancing on Ice which has just finished its third series, the legendary duo took the show on tour to arenas across the country in 2007 and are now returning with their second tour for April 2008.

Amateur competitive results (with Dean)

Professional competitive results (with Dean)

ee also

* Christopher Dean
* Torvill and Dean
* Ice Dancing
* World Figure Skating Championships

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/14/newsid_4156000/4156053.stm BBC story on Torvill and Dean's Olympic gold]
* [http://www.caretoicedance.com/tordea.html Care to Ice Dance? - Torvill & Dean]
* [http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/heroes/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=77081 olympic.org] Athlete Profile - Torvill

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