Jayne Torvill, OBE (born 7 October 1957) is a British professional ice dancer and former competitor. With Christopher Dean, she won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics, becoming one of the oldest figure skating Olympic medalists.
| Jayne Torvill OBE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Torvill on the Dancing on Ice tour in Manchester, 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 7 October 1957 Clifton, Nottingham, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 2.5 in (1.59 m)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Figure skating career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Great Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1984, 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
editTorvill was born in Clifton, Nottingham, England, and grew up in Nottingham. She attended Clifton Hall Girls' Grammar School and worked in the city as an insurance clerk at Norwich Union.[2]
Ice dance career
editShe became hooked on ice skating at age 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 Hutchinson.
After parting from Hutchinson, Torvill continued to skate on her own for a while before teaming up with Christopher Dean in 1975. On 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 programme at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics, performed to the music of Maurice Ravel's Boléro, became world-famous. They received twelve perfect 6.0 marks, one of five occasions they were awarded all perfect scores for artistic impression. It was one of the most popular achievements in the history of British sport, watched by a British television audience of 24 million people.[3][4] Since the time limit was four minutes and ten seconds and their music was four minutes 28 seconds, they began on their knees and moved their bodies to the music for 18 seconds before starting to skate.[5][6]
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 the rules for professional skaters, allowing the pair to participate in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer where they won a bronze medal.
Torvill took a seven-year break from skating from 1998 to 2005.
From January 2006 to 2023, she and Dean have participated in the ITV show Dancing on Ice as "judges".[7][8][9] Each season, the show runs from January to March and then goes on tour to arenas across the United Kingdom. In November 2011, Torvill said, "the standard each year has gotten higher and higher, which is exciting for us – to think what we can achieve with people who have never skated or are relatively unknown to skating." Dancing on Ice is scheduled to return in 2024.[7]
Torvill and Dean were ambassadors for the 2012 European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield, England.[10] In February 2014, Torvill and Dean visited Sarajevo for the 30th anniversary of the 1984 Olympics, and recreated their Bolero routine in the same arena where they won the gold.[11]
Competitive results
editPair skating with Hutchinson
edit| International | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 |
| European Championships | 18th | ||
| National | |||
| British Championships | 2nd | 1st | 2nd |
Amateur results with Dean
edit| Event | 75–76 | 76–77 | 77–78 | 78–79 | 79–80 | 80–81 | 81–82 | 82–83 | 83–84 | 93–94 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympics | 5th | 1st | 3rd | |||||||
| Worlds | 11th | 8th | 4th | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | |||
| Europeans | 9th | 6th | 4th | 1st | 1st | WD | 1st | 1st | ||
| British Championships | 4th | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | |
| NHK Trophy | 2nd | |||||||||
| St Ivel International | 1st | 1st | ||||||||
| Oberstdorf | 2nd | 1st | ||||||||
| St Gervais | 1st | |||||||||
| Morzine Trophy | 2nd | |||||||||
| John Davis Trophy | 1st | |||||||||
| Sheffield Trophy | 1st | |||||||||
| Rotary Watches Competition | 2nd | |||||||||
| Northern Championships | 1st | |||||||||
| WD: Withdrew | ||||||||||
Professional results with Dean
edit| Event | 1984 | 1985 | 1990 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Professional Championships | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | |
| Challenge of Champions | 1st | 1st | 1st | |||
| World Team Championship | 3rd | 1st | 1st |
Professional programmes
edit| 1984 | 1985 | 1990 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Professional Championships | Song of India, Encounter | Diablo Tango, Venus | Oscar Tango, Revolution / Imagine | Encounter | Still Crazy After All These Years, Cecilia | Take Five, Hat Trick |
| Challenge of Champions | Echoes of Ireland | Still Crazy After All These Years, Cecilia | Take Five, Hat Trick | |||
| World Team Championships | Let's Face the Music, Encounter | Bridge Over Troubled Water, Cecilia | Sarabande, Hat Trick |
Amateur programmes
edit| OSP/ORD | Free Dance | Exhibitions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | The Great Waldo Pepper | ||
| 1979 | Masquerade | Slaughter on Tenth Avenue[12] | Evergreen[13] |
| 1980 | A Little Street in Singapore | Sing Sing Sing etc.[14] | Puttin' On the Ritz |
| 1981 | Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White) | Fame etc.[15] | History of Love (version 1)[16] |
| 1982 | Summertime[17] | Mack and Mabel[18] | The Hop, Kiss Me Kate, Fast Tap |
| 1983 | Rock n Roll | Barnum[19] | Putting on the Ritz |
| 1984 | Paso Doble | Boléro[20] | I Won't Send Roses[21] |
| 1994 | History of Love (version 2)[22] | Let's Face the Music[23] | Boléro[20] |
Personal life
editTorvill currently resides in Heathfield, East Sussex, England,[24] with her husband Phil Christensen and their adopted children Kieran and Jessica.[25]
In 2021 Torvill took part in an episode of DNA Journey where she found out she was related to footballer Charlie Bicknell, a cousin on her mother's side.[26]
In popular culture
editTorvill was portrayed by Poppy Lee Friar in the 2018 biopic Torvill & Dean.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Jayne Torvill]". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 23 May 2015.
- ^ Piers Morgan's Life Stories, 8 March 2013
- ^ "1984: British ice couple score Olympic gold". BBC News. 14 February 1984.
- ^ "100 Greatest Sporting Moments – Results". Channel 4.
- ^ "Athlete Profile – Torvill". olympic.org. Archived from the original on 30 December 2005.
- ^ "Christopher Dean and Jayne Torvill: how we made Boléro". the Guardian. 22 April 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Holly Willoughby to return to Dancing on Ice alongside Stephen Mulhern". BBC News. 28 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ "Holly Willoughby Returns To ITV".
- ^ "Strictly's Oti Mabuse to join Dancing on Ice as judge". Digital Spy. 22 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ Williams, Ollie (3 January 2012). "Torvill and Dean could return to help British ice skaters". Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ^ Sito-Sucic, Daria (14 February 2014). "Torvill & Dean relive Bolero 30 years on". Reuters. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.
- ^ "Torvill & Dean (GBR) – 1979 World Figure Skating Championships, Ice Dancing, Free Dance". YouTube. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ "Torvill & Dean Evergreen". YouTube. 5 January 2010. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ "Torvill & Dean (GBR) – 1980 Winter Games, Ice Dancing, Free Dance". YouTube. 20 December 2009. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ "Torvill & Dean (GBR) – 1981 World Figure Skating Championships, Free Dance". YouTube. 24 April 2010. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ "1981 History Of Love Torvill and Dean". YouTube. 21 June 2009. Archived from the original on 10 January 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ "Torvill & Dean – 1982". Torvillanddean.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ "Torvill & Dean – 1983 Part 1". Torvillanddean.com. Retrieved 17 October 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Torvill & Dean – 1983 Part 2". Torvillanddean.com. Archived from the original on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Torvill & Dean – 1984 Part 2". Torvillanddean.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ "Torvill & Dean (GBR) – 1984 Sarajevo, Figure Skating, Exhibition (Encore)". YouTube. 4 January 2010. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ "Torvill & Dean – 1994 Part 1". Torvillanddean.com. Archived from the original on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ "Torvill & Dean – 1994 Part 2". Torvillanddean.com. Archived from the original on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ Heathfield: The East Sussex market town home to Dancing on Ice star Jayne Torvill Retrieved 28/4/21.
- ^ "What is the real-life story behind ITV's Torvill and Dean biopic?". Radio Times. 25 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ^ Jefferies, Mark (22 April 2022). "Dancing On Ice's Jayne Torvill lost for words as she makes family discovery". mirror.
External links
edit Media related to Jayne Torvill at Wikimedia Commons