"I believe that young men and women who possess the drive and the ability to learn figure skating are realistic. What they want in an instructor is knowledge, trust, confidence and companionship. They want somebody who will laugh with them when they fail, inspire and give them strength in their search for excellence, and sympathize and understand in defeat. If the pupil sees in his teacher something he intuitively seeks to find, the door of adjustment and response is wide open." - Roger Turner, "Skating" magazine, 1969
The son of Jacob and Mary (Corliss) Turner, Roger Felix Turner was born March 3, 1901 in the affluent Boston, Massachusetts suburb of Milton. Roger and his younger brother Jacob Jr. both knew the word 'ice' by the time they were toddlers. Their father made his living as a successful ice dealer, employing dozens of migrant workers from Canada to cut thousands of tons of ice from local ponds during the winter, haul it away with horses, pack it in white pine sawdust and deliver their chilly haul to businesses and individuals for the purpose of refrigeration. Roger's mother Mary turned the family home into a boarding house. The family's four servants provided room, board and hot meals to the hard-working men who lived with them... Jacob Turner's employees.
Roger Turner. Right photo courtesy "Skating Through The Years".
Roger took up figure skating seriously at the unusually late age of twenty on one the few frozen ponds in Milton that his father's men didn't chop up for ice blocks. He soon joined the Skating Club Of Boston. However, much of his time was devoted to burying his nose in dusty books. After attending public schools in Milton, he attended Peekskill Military Academy in New York and Suffolk Law School. After graduating, he was admitted to the bar in 1926, the same year he won his first major competition, the U.S. junior men's title. The fact that Roger was even to find time to advance so quickly as a skater during this period was quite remarkable, for he was busy practicing law as well as running the family ice business for a time after his father's death. In what little free time he had, he served as a lay reader at the local Episcopal church and flew small planes.
Top: The 1928 U.S. Olympic team: Roger Turner, Maribel Vinson, Beatrix Loughran, Sherwin Badger, Theresa Weld Blanchard and Nathaniel Niles. Bottom: Roger Turner.
In 1927, Roger claimed the silver medal behind Nathaniel Niles in the senior men's event at the U.S. Championships in New York City and earned a coveted spot on the 1928 U.S. Olympic team. Though relatively inexperienced, he placed a credible tenth at those Games in St. Moritz, the highest ranked of the three American men who participated. At the World Championships that followed in Berlin, he placed an even more impressive fifth. He then went on to win his first of an incredible six U.S. senior men's titles in New Haven.
Roger's 'secret weapon', as it were, was an (ir)regular diet. In 1937 Maribel Vinson Owen wrote, "Roger... is addicted to prunes as his staple training food. He insists on them throughout the winter, and during two European campaigns, even though the rest of us 'rode' him unmercifully, he somehow managed to procure them with unfailing regularity."
Photo courtesy Walpole Historical Society
Jimmie Madden, Frederick Goodridge and Roger Turner at the 1929 U.S. Championships. Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine.
In 1929, Roger claimed the silver medal behind Canada's Bud Wilson at the North American Championships in Boston and in 1930 and 1931 was runner-up at the World Championships behind Austria's Karl Schäfer. Though he wasn't even close to the Viennese master on any judge's scorecard in the free skating, his figures were exemplary and he was overjoyed with his international showing. Skating historian Gunnar Bang recalled, "The question is whether any happier silver medallist every existed". Interestingly, during this period Roger was also the USFSA's Vice-President.
Photos courtesy "Skating" magazine
Though happy with his results, Roger was none to thrilled about the direction figure skating was taking during the era he competed. To be specific, he wasn't pleased with all of the jumping. Quoted from a review of the 1931 World Championships in Mary Louise Adams' wonderful book "Artistic Impressions", he remarked, "It would be unfortunate if the exponents of the Art should require an indelible image on their minds of acrobatics - stunts performed by a disharmonic nature - rather than a free an harmonious expression... There is danger... if perverted minds predominate, of losing much of the glory and fineness of the present style, and figure skating, like the Russian ballet, which has given way to a coarser school, would decline."
Photos courtesy "Skating" magazine
Although that pair of silver medals would be Roger's last at the World Championships, his skating successes didn't end there. In 1932, he became only the third skater in America to pass the Gold (Eighth) test; the first two being Theresa Weld Blanchard and Nathaniel Niles. He placed an impressive sixth at the 1932 Lake Placid Olympics and won the silver medal at the 1937 North American Championships. He tried his hand at both pairs skating and ice dancing, winning the 1934 U.S. junior pairs title with Polly Blodgett and competing in the Waltz and Fourteenstep competitions at the U.S. Championships with both Polly and Clara Rotch Frothingham. After winning the 1938 Eastern men's title, Roger finally decided to put an end to his competitive career at the age of thirty-six. It's worth noting that although he and Polly placed second at the 1936 U.S. Championships, the USFSA didn't include them in that year's Olympic team. Instead, Grace and James Lester Madden - who were out due to injury - were named in one of the USFSA's first examples of 'body of work' style Olympic team selections.
1933 sketch of Roger Turner skating. Courtesy "Skating" magazine.
After his competitive career ended, Roger still found time while practicing law to remain incredibly involved in figure skating. Prior to the second World War, he served as chairman of the USFSA's Standards and Tests Committee. His signature could be found on all of the blue test papers issued in the thirties.
James Lester Madden, Grace Madden and Roger Turner
During the War, Roger served as an air raid warden and taught American Red Cross first aid and water safety to both civilians and military personnel. He also found time to serve as chairman of the failed Moving Pictures Committee, which aimed to take videos of each school figure that could be used as educational guides for skaters. It was a fitting project for Roger, as he was a keen photographer.
Both Roger and his wife Louise (Lambert) were long-time members of both the Skating Club Of Boston and Skridsko Club of Massachusetts and Roger served as national level judge. In 1957, he was one of the founders of the Cape Cod Skating Club in Hyannis, Massachusetts. He was also a father of two and a would-be politician, losing a bid for Republican Senator in the Second Norfolk District in the primaries to Robert Bowie in 1948. In 1982, he was honoured by the USFSA as an Honorary National Judge, the first person to receive this distinction. Two years prior to the honour, he had penned an instructional book for coaches called "Edges". He later penned two more books - "Polished Steel" and "Ringo Flamingo".
Turner's Pond. Photo courtesy Dan Haacker, Milton Historical Society
Roger resided in the small Norfolk County town of Walpole for the rest of his life, volunteering with the Old Colony Council of Boy Scouts and Appalachian Mountain Club. He devoted considerable time to an effort to develop the Boy Scouts Of America's Explorer Winter Olympic Games, which included a figure skating competition in 1971 and the Country Skating Club, which held one of the first skater development clinics using monies from the USFSA's Memorial Fund. On his Elm Street property was Turner's Pond, once the source of ice for the family business and later, a popular skating spot for locals.
Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine
After living his entire life surrounded by ice, Roger passed away on October 29, 1993 at his home in Walpole of heart failure at the age of ninety-two. The following year, he was inducted posthumously into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall Of Fame, alongside the late Maribel Vinson Owen (whose funeral he served as an usher at) and Geddy Hill, Janet Lynn, Carlo Fassi and JoJo Starbuck and Kenneth Shelley. Figure skating today may be the absolute antithesis of the sport that he dreamed of back in 1931 when he won his second World medal, but the skating world wouldn't have been the same without his involvement.
Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating and archives hundreds of compelling features and interviews in a searchable format for readers worldwide. Though there never has been nor will there be a charge for access to these resources, you taking the time to 'like' on the blog's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/SkateGuard would be so very much appreciated. Already 'liking'? Consider sharing this feature for others via social media. It would make all the difference in the blog reaching a wider audience. Have a question or comment regarding anything you have read here or have a suggestion for a topic related to figure skating history you would like to see covered? I'd love to hear from you! Learn the many ways you can reach out at http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/p/contact.html.
Food rationing had begun in England and in Nazi Germany, Luftwaffe Colonel Hermann Göring had taken control of most of the War industries. Submarines were sunk; airplanes grounded. Behind drawn curtains, they tapped their toes to gramophone records of Dolly Dawn's "At Sundown", dreaming of a time when the sky wasn't so grey and gloomy.
The year was 1940 and the Canadian skating community was really only just starting to feel the effects of World War II. Though some patriotic skaters were already engaged in War work or in military training, many skating clubs were actually seeing significant increases in membership due to the Canadian government's 'Sports-As-Usual' campaign, which encouraged people to get involved in sports and recreation "in times of strain such as these" to get 'fighting fit'.
The 1940 Canadian Figure Skating Championships, held at the Minto Skating Club in Ottawa on January 19 and 20 of that year, were the last Canadians to be held under the auspices of the Amateur Skating Association Of Canada. That autumn, the organization would become the CFSA. There was a marked reduction in entries from the West in 1939, with all of the skaters (save one) coming from the Toronto Skating Club, Granite Club, Minto Skating and Montreal Winter Club. Four out of the six judges at the event were former Canadian Champions - Douglas Henry Nelles, John Z. Machado, Norman V.S. Gregory and Melville Rogers.
How did things play out that January in Ottawa? Let's take a trip back in time and look at the stories and skaters that shaped the first Canadian Championships to be held during World War II. THE JUNIOR COMPETITIONS
In a three-two split of the judging panel, Shirley Halsted and Michael Kirby took top spot in the junior pairs event over their training mates Margaret Wilson and Peter Killam. Montreal's Helen Malcolm and Peter Stranger took the bronze.
Sixteen year old Denis Ross of the Minto Skating Club capitalized on a decisive lead in the figures to win the junior men's crown over Toronto's Michael Kirby and John Milsom, with first place ordinals from four out of five judges. Minto Club member Joan Parkins praised Ross for his "spins and jumps together with his excellent foot-work... [and] plenty of dash" but noted that Michael's "free skating is if anything more exciting to watch than Ross's as his jumps are high and very spectacular."
Montreal's Audrey Joyce was the winner of the junior women's figures, but she couldn't fend off a prodigious eleven year old from Ottawa named Barbara Ann Scott in the free skating and had to settle for second. Barbara Ann's performance included three Axels in a row and a double Salchow.
Yousuf Karsh photograph of Barbara Ann Scott taken three days after she won the Canadian junior women's title. Photo courtesy Library And Archives Canada.
Barbara Ann had been only fifth the year prior in her first bid for the title and had been heartbroken when one of the judges actually laughed at her during the school figures. In her book "Skate With Me" she recalled, "[It] broke my heart, but I went back on the ice for the three-minute free skating determined to give him nothing to laugh at but my size, which I couldn't help... It seems strange to me now that I couldn't understand that being so young and small did make a difference in people's attitude toward me. Then I couldn't see how I was different from the others. We all did the same work at practice sessions; we all kept strict training; we all gave up the usual companionships and other interests that keep children and young people occupied so that we might advance in skill and make good showings in competition." THE PAIRS, DANCE AND FOURS COMPETITIONS
There was only one entry in the fours event and the Toronto four of Ruth Hall, Elizabeth Chambers, William Calder and John Milsom took the title by default. It was the third year in a row that the Toronto four had placed first, but Ruth was the only returning member from the winning 1939 team.
There were two dance events in 1940 - the Waltz and the Tenstep. A field of seven was whittled down to four teams with an elimination round and both events were won by Minto couples - Aidrie and Donald B. Cruikshank repeated as Waltz winners, with Mrs. Elmore Davis and Melville Rogers taking the Tenstep. Melville, a former Canadian Champion in singles, pairs and fours, had the distinction of being the only skater to be both a judge and competitor in 1940.
Norah McCarthy and Ralph McCreath. Photo courtesy "Skating Through The Years".
Toronto's Ralph McCreath had won the Canadian pairs title the past four years in a row - the first three years with Veronica Clarke and the latter time with Norah McCarthy. In 1940, Ralph and Norah easily bested Christine Newson and Sandy McKechnie and Eleanor O'Meara and Donald Gilchrist with unanimous first place marks... but their performance was not without incident. Ralph slashed Norah's leg during the performance but they continued on despite her injury. THE MEN'S COMPETITION
After winning a record nine Canadian men's title, Montgomery 'Bud' Wilson had turned professional and the men's event in 1940 marked the changing of the guard. As Ralph McCreath had been runner-up to Bud in 1938 and 1939, no one was really surprised when he took the lead in the figures in Ottawa, but how much of a lead it was certainly turned heads. Seventy two points was nothing to scoff at!
Ralph could easily have played it safe in the free skating and still won, but he went out and gave one of his finest performances ever, dazzling the audience with his speed, high-flying jumps and confidence. Joan Parkins remarked, "With all the ease in the world his Axel, double loop and Salchow jumps took him off the ice at breath-taking height and in these he alighted on the ice as light as a feather." He earned top marks for his performance and Donald Gilchrist and Wingate Snaith had to settle for second and third. THE WOMEN'S COMPETITOR
Norah McCarthy
Seventeen year old Mary Rose Thacker of Winnipeg was the defending Canadian and North American Champion and the only skater west of Ontario to compete in Ottawa in 1940. She took a decisive lead of over twenty points in the figures.
In the free skating, Mary Rose looked like she was on her way to defending her Canadian title until she fell on one of her jumps. Norah McCarthy came out and landed her Axels and 1936 and 1938 Canadian Champion Eleanor O'Meara, only fourth in figures, gave one of her finest performances to win the free skate. Reporter Walter Gilhooly recalled, "Eleanor O'Meara... gave, perhaps, the most appealing of all the ladies' singles performances. A knockout in dark red velvet, Eleanor skated with the utmost grace and free skating was really a revelation."
Mary Rose Thacker and her mother being greeted at the train station upon her return to Manitoba
Norah McCarthy and Mary Rose Thacker each had two first place ordinals and two seconds, but Douglas Henry Nelles had Eleanor O'Meara first overall over Norah and Mary Rose... and it was that one third place that put Norah over Mary Rose. Eleanor settled for the bronze, ahead of Norah's sister Tasie and the Wilson sisters (Virginia and Eleanor) from Toronto. Tommy Shields recalled, "Judge Nelles' marks throughout the competition differed sharply from the other four. Experts could guess fairly confidentially what the average of the four would be, but never could forecast his. When he did award a five, which was not often, it was the signal for cheers from skaters and spectators. No doubt he called them as he saw them, but there was rarely any similarity to the marks of his colleagues... When the results were announced, there was a gasp of surprise and an appreciable moment of silence before Toronto supporters found their voices to cheer... Mary Rose took her defeat like a champion. There was no sign in her demeanor which would show how she must have felt her disappointment." Mary Rose told "Winnipeg Tribune" reporter Tony Allan, "If you fall in the free skating, you can't expect to win. Miss McCarthy skated very well, and I'm afraid I gave one of my bad performances."
Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating and archives hundreds of compelling features and interviews in a searchable format for readers worldwide. Though there never has been nor will there be a charge for access to these resources, you taking the time to 'like' the blog's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/SkateGuard would be so very much appreciated. Already 'liking'? Consider sharing this feature for others via social media. It would make all the difference in the blog reaching a wider audience. Have a question or comment regarding anything you have read here? Have a suggestion for a topic related to figure skating history you would like to see covered? I'd love to hear from you! Learn the many ways you can reach out at http://skateguard1.blogspot.ca/p/contact.html.
America has the unique distinction of being perhaps the only country to award the fourth-place finishers in major competitions a pewter medal. The quaint tradition started in the mid-eighties and to date hasn't caught on elsewhere in the world. In today's blog, we'll take a look at who the pewter medallists would have been had the tradition been taken up at the Canadian, European and World Championships and Olympics. You'll see some familiar names - and some not so familiar ones too!
FOURTH-PLACE FINISHERS AT THE CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Year
Men
Women
Pairs
Ice Dance
1947
(none)
Gloria Lillico
(none)
Diane Jones and Trevor Owen
1948
(none)
Vevi Smith
(none)
(none)
1949
Norris Bowden
Marlene Smith
(none)
(none)
1950
(none)
Maureen Senior
(none)
Geraldine Fenton and Dick McLaughlin
1951
Donald Tobin
Barbara Gratton
(none)
Doreen Leech and Norman Walker
1952
(none)
Barbara Gratton
(none)
Mary Diane Trimble and David Ross
1953
Alan Anderson
Vevi Smith
(none)
(none)
1954
(none)
Dawn Steckley
(none)
(none)
1955
(none)
Sonja Currie
(none)
Heather West and Bill McLachlan
1956
Dick Rimmer
Karen Dixon
(none)
(none)
1957
Dick Rimmer
Pamela Willman
(none)
(none)
1958
(none)
Sandra Tewkesbury
(none)
(none)
1959
(none)
Margaret MacDougall
(none)
Vivian Tutton and Gilles Vanasse
1960
(none)
Dianne Frith-Smith
(none)
Marijane Lenny and Karl Benzing
1961
(none)
Frances Gold
(none)
Carole Holliday and Brian Baillie
1962
Bill Neale
Patricia Cook
Elinor Flack and Phillip McCordic
Marilyn Crawford and Blair Armitage
1963
Gregory Folk
Valerie Jones
Alexis and Chris Shields
Marilyn Crawford and Blair Armitage
1964
Bill Neale
Valerie Jones
Susan and Paul Huehnergard
Lynn Matthews and Byron Topping
1965
Toller Cranston
Roberta Laurent
(none)
Joni Graham and Don Phillips
1966
Toller Cranston
Karen Magnussen
(none)
Joni Graham and Don Phillips
1967
David McGillvray
Linda Carbonetto
(none)
Dale Newmarch and Bryce Swetnam
1968
Toller Cranston
Cathy Lee Irwin
Mary Jane Oke and Victor Irving
Sandi Kattler and Bryce Swetnam
1969
Patrick McKilligan
Alana Wilson
Nancy and Steven Dover
Patricia and Derry Allen
1970
Paul Bonenfant
Mary McCaffrey
(none)
Brenda Sandys and James Holden
1971
Ron Shaver
Mary McCaffrey
Linda Tasker and Allen Carson
Linda Roe and Kevin Cottam
1972
Patrick McKilligan
Daria Prychun
Linda Tasker and Allen Carson
Judy Currah and Keith Caughell
1973
Patrick McKilligan
Julie Black
Lindy Watts and Don Fraser
Shelley MacLeod and Bob Knapp
1974
Stan Bohonek
Heather Moore
Candy Jones and Don Fraser
Debbie and John Dowding
1975
Ted Barton
Susan MacDonald
(none)
Lorna Wighton and John Dowding
1976
Kenneth Polk
Barbara Terpenning
Janet and Mark Hominuke
Debbie and Randy Burke
1977
Jimmy Szabo
Susan MacDonald
(none)
Debbie and Randy Burke
1978
Kevin Hicks
Janet Morrissey
Sharon Hallett and Craig Pearce
Debbie and Randy Burke
1979
Gary Beacom
Peggy McLean
Andrea Derby and Jim Sorochan
Joanne French and John Thomas
1980
Brian Orser
Deborah Albright
Mary Jo Fedy and Tim Mills
Kelly Johnson and Kris Barber
1981
Gary Beacom
Charlene Wong
Katherina Matousek and Eric Thomsen
Gina Aucoin and Hans Peter Ponikau
1982
Gary Beacom
Tracey Wainman
Melinda Kunhegyi and Lyndon Johnston
Karyn and Rod Garossino
1983
Kevin Parker
Liz Manley
Melinda Kunhegyi and Lyndon Johnston
Karen Taylor and Robert Burk
1984
Dennis Coi
Charlene Wong
Lynda and John Ivanich
Isabelle and Paul Duchesnay
1985
André
Bourgeois
Tracey Wainman
Penny Schultz and Scott Grover
Kim Campbell and Michael Farrington
1986
Kevin Parker
Charlene Wong
Christine Hough and Doug Ladret
Michelle McDonald and Michael Farrington
1987
Neil Paterson
Dianne Takeuchi
Laureen Collin and John Penticost
Penny Mann and Richard Perkins
1988
Michael Slipchuk
Patricia Schmidt
Laureen Collin and John Penticost
Jo-Anne Borlase and Martin Smith
1989
Norm Proft
Dianne Takeuchi
Michelle Menzies and Kevin Wheeler
Penny Mann and Richard Perkins
1990
Norm Proft
Karen Preston
Michelle Menzies and Kevin Wheeler
Penny Mann and Richard Perkins
1991
Brent Frank
Karen Preston
Michelle Menzies and Kevin Wheeler
Dara Bailey and Rock LeMay
1992
Patrick Brault
Lisa Sargeant
Michelle Menzies and Kevin Wheeler
Martine Patenaude and Eric Massé
1993
Sébastien Britten
Tanya Bingert
Jamie Salé and Jason Turner
Martine Patenaude and Eric Massé
1994
Marcus Christensen
Tanya Bingert
Marie-Claude Savard-Gagnon and Luc
Bradet
Marie-France Dubreuil and Tomas
Morbacher
1995
David Pelletier
Angela Derochie
Marie-Claude Savard-Gagnon and Luc Bradet
Marie-France Dubreuil and Tomas Morbacher
1996
Jeffrey Langdon
Cathy Belanger
Jodeyne Higgins and Sean Rice
Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe
1997
Ravi Walia
Keyla Ohs
Jodeyne Higgins and Sean Rice
Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon
1998
Jean-François Hébert
Annie Bazinet
Michelle Menzies and Jean-Michel Bombardier
Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon
1999
Jayson Dénommée
Nadine Gosselin
Nadia Micallef and Bruno Marcotte
Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon
2000
Ravi Walia
Nicole Watt
Jacinthe Larivière and Lenny Faustino
Brenda Key and Ryan Smith
2001
Sean Wirtz
Marianne Dubuc
Valérie Marcoux and Bruno Marcotte
Josée Piché and Pascal Denis
2002
Jayson Dénommée
Nicole Watt
Valérie Marcoux and Bruno Marcotte
Josée Piché and Pascal Denis
2003
Ben Ferreira
Michelle Currie
Valérie Marcoux and Craig Buntin
Josée Piché and Pascal Denis
2004
Fedor Andreev
Annie Bellemare
Utako Wakamatsu and Jean-Sébastien Fecteau
Josée Piché and Pascal Denis
2005
Ben Ferreira
Amanda Billings
Elizabeth Putnam and Sean Wirtz
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir
2006
Christopher Mabee
Meagan Duhamel
Anabelle Langlois and Cody Hay
Chantal Lefebvre and Arseni Markov
2007
Shawn Sawyer
Cynthia Phaneuf
Utako Wakamatsu and Jean-Sébastien Fecteau
Lauren Senft and Leif Gislason
2008
Vaughn Chipeur
Lesley Hawker
Kyra and Dylan Moscovitch
Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier
2009
Kevin Reynolds
Diane Szmiett
Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers
Andrea Chong and Guillaume Gfeller
2010
Shawn Sawyer
Diane Szmiett
Mylène Brodeur and John Mattatall
Kharis Ralph and Asher Hill
2011
Kevin Reynolds
Alexandra Najarro
Mylène Brodeur and John Mattatall
Kharis Ralph and Asher Hill
2012
Elladj Baldé
Alexandra Najarro
Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch
Kharis Ralph and Asher Hill
2013
Elladj Baldé
Amélie Lacoste
Brittany Jones and Ian Beharry
Alexandra Paul and Mitch Islam
2014
Elladj Baldé
Véronik Mallet
Natasha Purich and Mervin Tran
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier
2015
Roman Sadovsky
Roxanne Rheault
Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro
Nicole Orford and Thomas Williams
2016
Nam Nguyen
Véronik Mallet
Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro
Alexandra Paul and Mitch Islam
2017
Nicolas Nadeau
Larkyn Austman
Brittany Jones and Joshua Reagan
Carolanne Soucisse and Shane Firus
2018
Elladj Baldé
Alaine Chartrand
Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch
Carolanne Soucisse and Shane Firus
2019
Joseph Phan
Larkyn Austman
Lori-Anne Matte and Thierry Ferland
Haley Sales and Nikolas Wamsteeker
2020
Joseph Phan
Alicia Pineault
Justine Brasseur and Mark Bardei
Haley Sales and Nikolas Wamsteeker
As you'll notice, I started this table in 1947 and not in the Edwardian era when the Canadian Championships were first held. I settled on this year as it was the first year an ice dancing competition was held. I excluded several senior events that are no longer held, such as fours and waltzing competitions.
Many of the fourth-place finishers listed were at one point or another Canadian Champions. For others, a fourth-place finish at Canadians might have been the highlight of their career.
Several skaters finished fourth at Canadians multiple times. Elladj Baldé holds the record for the most fourth-place finishes in the men's event with four (2012, 2013, 2014 and 2018). Toller Cranston, Patrick McKilligan and Gary Beacom finished fourth three times. Charlene Wong holds the record for the most fourth-place finishes in the women's event with three (1981, 1984 and 1986).
Ice dancing teams Debbie and Randy Burke and Penny Mann and Richard Perkins each finished fourth at Canadians three times, but they don't hold the record for the most fourth-place finishes by a pairs skater or ice dancer at Canadians. Neither do Josée Piché and Pascal Denis, who narrowly missed out on a medal four times in a row from 2001-2004.
Michelle Menzies finished fourth at Canadians for an entire Olympic cycle (1989-1992) with her partner Kevin Wheeler and then narrowly lost out on an Olympic spot in 1998, finishing fourth with Jean-Michel Bombardier. Marie-France Dubreuil also finished fourth at Canadians five times, twice with Tomas Morbacher and three times with Patrice Lauzon.
It's an interesting coincidence that Elladj Baldé, Charlene Wong, Michelle Menzies and Marie-France Dubreuil all hailed from Quebec!
FOURTH-PLACE FINISHERS AT THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Year
Men
Women
Pairs
Ice Dance
1891
Josef Nowy
(none)
(none)
(none)
1892
Carl Kaiser
(none)
(none)
(none)
1893
Tibor von Földváry
(none)
(none)
(none)
1894
Georg Zachariades
(none)
(none)
(none)
1895
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
1898
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
1899
Martin Gordan
(none)
(none)
(none)
1900
Johan Peter Lefstad
(none)
(none)
(none)
1901
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
1904
Martin Gordan
(none)
(none)
(none)
1905
Kurt Dannenberg
(none)
(none)
(none)
1906
Bror Meyer
(none)
(none)
(none)
1907
Per Thorén
(none)
(none)
(none)
1908
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
1909
Karl Ollo
(none)
(none)
(none)
1910
John Keiller Greig
(none)
(none)
(none)
1911
Ivan Malinin
(none)
(none)
(none)
1912
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
1913
Harald Rooth
(none)
(none)
(none)
1914
Ernst Oppacher
(none)
(none)
(none)
1922
Werner Rittberger
(none)
(none)
(none)
1923
Kaj af Ekström
(none)
(none)
(none)
1924
Otto Preißecker
(none)
(none)
(none)
1925
Georges Gautschi
(none)
(none)
(none)
1926
John Ferguson Page
(none)
(none)
(none)
1927
Ernst Oppacher
(none)
(none)
(none)
1928
Ludwig Wrede
(none)
(none)
(none)
1929
Herbert Haertel
(none)
(none)
(none)
1930
Herbert Haertel
Lilly Weiler
Olga Philipovits and Resző Dillinger
(none)
1931
Marcell Vadas
Vivi-Anne Hultén
(none)
(none)
1932
Hugo Distler
Hilde Holovsky
Margaret and Kenneth Ord Mackenzie
(none)
1933
Jean Henrion
Hilde Holovsky
Violet Supple and Leslie Cliff
(none)
1934
Leopold Linhart
Megan Taylor
Lucy Gallo and Resző Dillinger
(none)
1935
Jackie Dunn
Maxi Herber
Ilse and Erich Pausin
(none)
1936
Felix Kaspar
Liselotte Landbeck
Eva Prawitz and Otto Weiß
(none)
1937
Freddie Tomlins
Hedy Stenuf
Violet and Leslie Cliff
(none)
1938
Horst Faber
Maxi Herber
Piroska and Attila Szekrényessy
(none)
1939
Edi Rada
Hanne Niernberger
Erika Bass and Béla Barcza
(none)
1947
Arthur Apfel
Jeannette Altwegg
Denise Fayolle and Guy Pigier
(none)
1948
Ede Király
Jiřína Nekolová
Jennifer and John Nicks
(none)
1949
Carlo Fassi
Jiřína Nekolová
Bela Zachová and Jaroslav Zach
(none)
1950
Zdeněk Fikar
Jacqueline du Bief
Bela Zachová and Jaroslav Zach
(none)
1951
Michael Carrington
Valda Osborn
Silvia and Michel Grandjean
(none)
1952
Alain Giletti
Erika Kraft
Silvia and Michel Grandjean
(none)
1953
Michael Booker
Helga Dudzinski
Jean Higson and Robert S. Hudson
(none)
1954
Michael Booker
Annelies Schilhan
Vera and Horst Kuhrüber
Bona Giammona and Giancarlo Sioli
1955
Norbert Felsinger
Rosi Pettinger
Liesl Ellend and Konrad Lienert
Fanny Besson and Jean Paul Guhel
1956
Alain Calmat
Rosi Pettinger
Joyce Coates and Anthony Holles
Fanny Besson and Jean Paul Guhel
1957
Alain Calmat
Dianne C. Peach
Liesl Ellend and Konrad Lienert
Bona Giammona and Giancarlo Sioli
1958
Michael Booker
Dianne C. Peach
Marianna and László Nagy
Christiane and Jean Paul Guhel
1959
Alain Calmat
Ina Bauer
Margret Göbl and Franz Ningel
Rita Paucka and Peter Kwiet
1960
Alain Calmat
Karin Frohner
Ludmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov
Rita Paucka and Peter Kwiet
1961
Peter Jonas
Karin Frohner
Rita Blumenberg and Werner Mensching
Mary Parry and Roy Mason
1962
Peter Jonas
Helli Sengstschmid
Gerda and Rüdi Johner
Mary Parry and Roy Mason
1963
Peter Jonas
Jana Mrázková
Margit Senf and Peter Göbel
Györgyi Korda and Pál Vásárhelyi
1964
Emmerich Danzer
Sally-Anne Stapleford
Sonja Pfersdorf and Günther Matzdorf
Györgyi Korda and Pál Vásárhelyi
1965
Sepp Schönmetzler
Helli Sengstschmid
Sonja Pfersdorf and Günther Matzdorf
Diane Towler and Bernard Ford
1966
Patrick Péra
Hana Mašková
Tatiana Tarasova and Georgi Proskurin
Brigitte Martin and Francis Gamichon
1967
Patrick Péra
Sally-Anne Stapleford
Gudrun Hauss and Walter Häfner
Janet Sawbridge and Jon Lane
1968
Patrick Péra
Zsuzsa Almássy
Margot Glockshuber and Wolfgang Danne
Irina Grishkova and Viktor Ryzhkin
1969
Günter Zöller
Zsuzsa Almássy
Heidemarie Steiner and Heinz-Ulrich Walther
Angelika and Erich Buck
1970
Sergei Chetverukhin
Rita Trapanese
Galina Karelina and Georgi Proskurin
Annerose Baier and Eberhard Rüger
1971
Jan Hoffmann
Sonja Morgenstern
Manuela Groß and Uwe Kagelmann
Tatiana Voitiuk and Viacheslav Zhigalin
1972
Haig Oundjian
Zsuzsa Almássy
Almut Lehmann and Herbert Wiesinger
Hilary Green and Glyn Watts
1973
John Curry
Liana Drahová
Manuela Groß and Uwe Kagelmann
Janet Sawbridge and Peter Dalby
1974
Vladimir Kovalev
Gerti Schanderl
Manuela Groß and Uwe Kagelmann
Janet Sawbridge and Peter Dalby
1975
Sergei Volkov
Liana Drahová
Marina Leonidova and Vladimir Bogolyubov
Irina Moiseeva and Andrei Minenkov
1976
Yuri Ovchinnikov
Isabel de Navarre
Manuela Groß and Uwe Kagelmann
Krisztina Regőczy and András Sallay
1977
Yuri Ovchinnikov
Marion Weber
Manuela Mager and Uwe Bewersdorf
Janet Thompson and Warren Maxwell
1978
Igor Bobrin
Denise Biellmann
Sabine Baeß and Tassilo Thierbach
Janet Thompson and Warren Maxwell
1979
Jean-Christophe Simond
Kristiina Wegelius
Marina Pestova and Stanislav Leonovich
Liliana Řeháková and Stanislav Drastich
1980
Igor Bobrin
Kristiina Wegelius
Sabine Baeß and Tassilo Thierbach
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean
1981
Hermann Schulz
Kristiina Wegelius
Birgit Lorenz and Knut Schubert
Natalia Bestemianova and Andrei Bukin
1982
Rudi Cerne
Debbie Cottrill
Veronika Pershina and Marat Akbarov
Olga Volozhinskaya and Alexander Svinin
1983
Heiko Fischer
Manuela Ruben
Veronika Pershina and Marat Akbarov
Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko
1984
Jozef Sabovčík
Kira Ivanova
Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov
Karen Barber and Nicky Slater
1985
Heiko Fischer
Simone Koch
Birgit Lorenz and Knut Schubert
Karen Barber and Nicky Slater
1986
Viktor Petrenko
Natalia Lebedeva
Katrin Kanitz and Tobias Schröter
Kathrin and Christoff Beck
1987
Grzegorz Filipowski
Claudia Leistner
Lenka Knapová and René Novotný
Kathrin and Christoff Beck
1988
Grzegorz Filipowski
Claudia Leistner
Natalia Mishkutenok and Artur Dmitriev
Maya Usova and Alexandr Zhulin
1989
Dmitri Gromov
Simone Lang
Elena Kvitchenko and Rashid Kadyrkaev
Klára Engi and Attila Tóth
1990
Grzegorz Filipowski
Surya Bonaly
Peggy Schwarz and Alexander König
Klára Engi and Attila Tóth
1991
Éric Millot
Joanne Conway
Radka Kovaříková and René Novotný
Klára Engi and Attila Tóth
1992
Viacheslav Zagorodniuk
Simone Lang
Radka Kovaříková and René Novotný
Stefania Calegari and Pasquale Camerlengo
1993
Konstantin Kostin
Tanja Szewczenko
Radka Kovaříková and René Novotný
Angelika Krylova and Vladimir Fedorov
1994
Éric Millot
Maria Butyrskaya
Radka Kovaříková and René Novotný
Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko
1995
Philippe Candeloro
Tanja Szewczenko
Marina Eltsova and Andrei Bushkov
Tatiana Navka and Samuel Gezalian
1996
Steven Cousins
Elena Liashenko
Marina Eltsova and Andrei Bushkov
Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat
1997
Ilia Kulik
Maria Butyrskaya
Sarah Abitbol and Stéphane Bernadis
Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat
1998
Andrejs Vlascenko
Elena Liashenko
Dorota Zagórska and Mariusz Siudek
Irina Lobacheva and Ilya Averbukh
1999
Andrejs Vlascenko
Diána Póth
Peggy Schwarz and Mirko Müller
Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio
2000
Alexandr Abt
Vanessa Gusmeroli
Peggy Schwarz and Mirko Müller
Irina Lobacheva and Ilya Averbukh
2001
Alexandr Abt
Elena Liashenko
Marina Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov
Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas
2002
Stéphane Lambiel
Galina Maniachenko
Dorota Zagórska and Mariusz Siudek
Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas
2003
Ilia Klimkin
Carolina Kostner
Dorota Zagórska and Mariusz Siudek
Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov
2004
Frédéric Dambier
Viktória Pavuk
Julia Obertas and Sergei Slavnov
Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder
2005
Stéphane Lambiel
Júlia Sebestyén
Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy
Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski
2006
Frédéric Dambier
Sarah Meier
Julia Obertas and Sergei Slavnov
Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder
2007
Sergei Davydov
Susanna Pöykiö
Julia Obertas and Sergei Slavnov
Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski
2008
Sergei Voronov
Júlia Sebestyén
Tatiana Volosozhar and Stanislav Morozov
Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali
2009
Yannick Ponsero
Alena Leonova
Tatiana Volosozhar and Stanislav Morozov
Nathalie Péchalat and Fabian Bourzat
2010
Michal Březina
Kiira Korpi
Tatiana Volosozhar and Stanislav Morozov
Nathalie Péchalat and Fabian Bourzat
2011
Kevin van der Perren
Ksenia Makarova
Katarina Gerboldt and Alexander Enbert
Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov
2012
Michal Březina
Polina Korobeynikova
Stefania Berton and Ondřej Hotárek
Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte
2013
Brian Joubert
Valentina Marchei
Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès
Ekaterina Riazanova and Ilia Tkachenko
2014
Michal Březina
Alena Leonova
Stefania Berton and Ondřej Hotárek
Victoria Sinitsina and Ruslan Zhiganshin
2015
Alexei Bychenko
Joshi Helgesson
Valentina Marchei and Ondřej Hotárek
Elena Ilinykh and Ruslan Zhiganshin
2016
Florent Amodio
Angelīna Kučvaļska
Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès
Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov
2017
Jorik Hendrickx
Maria Sotskova
Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov
Isabella Tobias and Ilia Tkachenko
2018
Deniss Vasiljevs
Maria Sotskova
Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès
Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte
2019
Kévin Aymoz
Stanislava Konstantinova
Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise
Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov
2020
Daniel Grassl
Alexia Paganini
Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise
Charlène Guignard and Marco Fabbri
A fourth-place finish at the European Championships was almost like a good luck charm for many skaters. Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, John Curry, Aliona Savchenko, Ludmila and Oleg Protopopov and Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko are just a sampling of the skaters who finished fourth at the Europeans and went on to win an Olympic gold medal. Speaking of Olympic medals, all but one of the fourth-place finishers at the 1984 European Championships won medals at that year's Olympics in Sarajevo.
The most fourth-place finishes by an ice dancer at the European Championships is three. Jean-Paul Guhel, Janet Sawbridge and Victoria Sinitsina all earned a total of three fourth's with two partners, while Hungarians Klára Engi and Attila Tóth finished fourth three times in a row from 1989 to 1991. The record for the most fourth-place finishes in the women's event is also three. The three women who achieved it were Zsuzsa Almássy, Kristiina Wegelius and Elena Liashenko. Wegelius' fourth place finishes were consecutive, from 1979 to 1981.
Radka Kovaříková and René Novotný
The record for the most fourth-place finishes in the men's event at the Europeans belongs to France's Alain Calmat. He placed fourth four times - in 1956, 1957, 1959 and 1960. Two pairs teams finished fourth at the Europeans four times: Manuela Groß and Uwe Kagelmann and Radka Kovaříková and René Novotný. As of 2021, Novotný holds the record for the most fourth-place finishes at the Europeans with five, having just missed a medal at the 1987 Europeans with his partner Lenka Knapová.
FOURTH-PLACE FINISHERS AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Year
Men
Women
Pairs
Ice Dance
1896
Nikolai Poduskov
(none)
(none)
(none)
1897
Thidolf Borgh
(none)
(none)
(none)
1898
H.C. Holt
(none)
(none)
(none)
1899
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
1900
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
1901
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
1902
Horatio Tertuliano Torromé
(none)
(none)
(none)
1903
Ernst Lassahn
(none)
(none)
(none)
1904
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
1905
Richard Johansson
(none)
(none)
(none)
1906
Karl Zenger
Elsa Rendschmidt
(none)
(none)
1907
Per Thorén
Elsa Rendschmidt
(none)
(none)
1908
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
1909
Richard Johansson
(none)
Mimi Grømer and Karl Erikson
(none)
1910
Per Thorén
(none)
(none)
(none)
1911
Andor Szende
(none)
(none)
(none)
1912
Harald Rooth
Gwendolyn Lycett
Hedwig and Hugo Winzer
(none)
1913
Ivan Malinin
Grete Strasilla
Alexia and Yngvar Bryn
(none)
1914
Ernst Oppacher
Thea Frenssen
Thea Frenssen and Julius Vogel
(none)
1922
Martin Stixrud
(none)
Grete Weise and Georg Velisch
(none)
1923
Ernst Oppacher
Ethel Muckelt
Margit and Bjarne Engebretsen
(none)
1924
Jack Ferguson Page
Gisela Reichmann
(none)
(none)
1925
Ernst Oppacher
Kathleen Shaw
Gisela Hochhaltinger and Georg Pamperl
(none)
1926
Werner Rittberger
Elisabeth Böckel
Gisela Hochhaltinger and Georg Pamperl
(none)
1927
Georges Gautschi
Ellen Brockhöft
Hansi Eissert and Georg Pamperl
(none)
1928
Jack Ferguson Page
Constance Wilson
Ethel Muckelt and Jack Ferguson Page
(none)
1929
Jack Ferguson Page
Ilse Hornung
Gisela Hochhaltinger and Otto Preißecker
(none)
1930
Montgomery Wilson
Constance Wilson
Constance and Montgomery Wilson
(none)
1931
Hugo Distler
Maribel Vinson
Lilly (Scholz) Gaillard and Willy Petter
(none)
1932
Marcus Nikkanen
Maribel Vinson
Olga Orgonista and Sándor Szalay
(none)
1933
Erich Erdös
Megan Taylor
Anna-Lisa Rydqvist and Einar Törsleff
(none)
1934
Marcus Nikkanen
Vivi-Anne Hultén
Zofia Bilorówna and Tadeusz Kowalski
(none)
1935
Henry Graham Sharp
Hedy Stenuf
Piroska and Attila Szekrényessy
(none)
1936
Jackie Dunn
Emmy Putzinger
Louise Bertram and Stewart Reburn
(none)
1937
Herbert Alward
Hedy Stenuf
Piroska and Attila Szekrényessy
(none)
1938
Horst Faber
Gladys Jagger
Violet and Leslie Cliff
(none)
1939
Edi Rada
Lydia Veicht
Piroska and Attila Szekrényessy
(none)
1947
Ladislav Čáp
Eileen Seigh
Winnie and Dennis Silverthorne
(none)
1948
Johnny Lettengarver
Jeannette Altwegg
Karol and Peter Kennedy
(none)
1949
Jimmy Grogan
Jiřína Nekolová
Marianna and László Nagy
(none)
1950
Hellmut Seibt
Suzanne Morrow
Elyane Steineman and André Calamé
(none)
1951
Hayes Alan Jenkins
Suzanne Morrow
Elyane Steineman and André Calamé
(none)
1952
Hellmut Seibt
Suzanne Morrow
Frances Dafoe and Norris Bowden
Carmel and Ed Bodel
1953
Ronnie Robertson
Carol Heiss
Silvia and Michel Grandjean
Nesta Davies and Paul Thomas
1954
David Jenkins
Barbara Gratton
Carole Ann Ormaca and Robin Greiner
Barbara Radford and Raymond Lockwood
1955
Alain Giletti
Ingrid Wendl
Carole Ann Ormaca and Robin Greiner
Carmel and Ed Bodel
1956
Charles Snelling
Yvonne Sugden
Carole Ann Ormaca and Robin Greiner
Joan Zamboni and Roland Junso
1957
Alain Giletti
Carole Ann Pachl
Nancy Rouillard and Ron Ludington
Joan Zamboni and Roland Junso
1958
Donald Jackson
Ina Bauer
Joyce Coates and Anthony Holles
Kay Morris and Michael Robinson
1959
Alain Giletti
Ina Bauer
Maria and Otto Jelinek
Margie Ackles and Chuck Phillips
1960
Norbert Felsinger
Regine Heitzer
Margret Göbl and Franz Ningel
Margie Ackles and Chuck Phillips
1962
Donald McPherson
Petra Burka
Debbi Wilkes and Guy Revell
Linda Shearman and Michael Phillips
1963
Karol Divín
Wendy Griner
Gertrude Desjardins and Maurice Lafrance
Janet Sawbridge and David Hickinbottom
1964
Scott Ethan Allen
Nicole Hassler
Vivian and Ronald Joseph
Yvonne Suddick and Roger Kennerson
1965
Nobuo Sato
Christine Haigler
Gerda and Rüdi Johner
Diane Towler and Bernard Ford
1966
Scott Ethan Allen
Valerie Jones
Margot Glockshuber and Wolfgang Danne
Yvonne Suddick and Roger Kennerson
1967
Donald Knight
Valerie Jones
Gudrun Hauss and Walter Häfner
Janet Sawbridge and Jon Lane
1968
Scott Ethan Allen
Trixi Schuba
Tamara Moskvina and Alexei Mishin
Judy Schwomeyer and Jim Sladky
1969
Gary Visconti
Julie Lynn Holmes
Cynthia and Ron Kauffman
Janet Sawbridge and Jon Lane
1970
Patrick Péra
Karen Magnussen
Galina Karelina and Georgi Proskurin
Tatiana Voituk and Viacheslav Zhigalin
1971
Jan Hoffmann
Janet Lynn
Manuela Groß and Uwe Kagelmann
Susan Getty and Roy Bradshaw
1972
John 'Misha' Petkevich
Zsuzsa Almássy
Manuela Groß and Uwe Kagelmann
Janet Sawbridge and Peter Dalby
1973
John Curry
Dorothy Hamill
Almut Lehmann and Herbert Wiesinger
Janet Sawbridge and Peter Dalby
1974
Vladimir Kovalev
Gerti Schanderl
Manuela Groß and Uwe Kagelmann
Irina Moiseeva and Andrei Minenkov
1975
Toller Cranston
Wendy Burge
Irina Vorobieva and Alexander Vlasov
Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov
1976
Toller Cranston
Anett Pötzsch
Manuela Groß and Uwe Kagelmann
Krisztina Regőczy and András Sallay
1977
David Santee
Barbie Smith
Marina Cherkasova and Sergei Shakrai
Krisztina Regőczy and András Sallay
1978
Vladimir Kovalev
Dagmar Lurz
Marina Cheraksova and Sergei Shakrai
Janet Thompson and Warren Maxwell
1979
Charlie Tickner
Dagmar Lurz
Irina Vorobieva and Igor Livoski
Liliana Řeháková and Stanislav Drastich
1980
David Santee
Emi Watanabe
Sabine Baeß and Tassilo Thierbach
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean
1981
Fumio Igarashi
Debbie Cottrill
Marina Cheraksova and Sergei Shakrai
Judy Blumberg and Michael Seibert
1982
Brian Orser
Claudia Leistner
Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini
Judy Blumberg and Michael Seibert
1983
Alexandr Fadeev
Katarina Witt
Kitty and Peter Carruthers
Olga Volozhinskaya and Alexandr Svinin
1984
Jozef Sabovčík
Kira Ivanova
Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov
Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko
1985
Jozef Sabovčík
Anna Kondrashova
Jill Watson and Peter Oppegard
Tracy Wilson and Rob McCall
1986
Vladimir Kotin
Kira Ivanova
Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov
Natalia Annenko and Genrikh Sretenski
1987
Vladimir Kotin
Liz Manley
Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov
Natalia Annenko and Genrikh Sretenski
1988
Grzegorz Filipowski
Claudia Leistner
Gillian Wachsman and Todd Waggoner
Natalia Annenko and Genrikh Sretenski
1989
Alexandr Fadeev
Patricia Neske
Peggy Schwarz and Alexander König
Klára Engi and Attila Tóth
1990
Grzegorz Filipowski
Kristi Yamaguchi
Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov
Susie Wynne and Joseph Druar
1991
Petr Barna
Midori Ito
Elena Bechke and Denis Petrov
Oksana Grishuk and Evgeni Platov
1992
Christopher Bowman
Laetitia Hubert
Elena Bechke and Denis Petrov
Stefania Calegari and Pasquale Camerlengo
1993
Mark Mitchell
Yuka Sato
Radka Kovaříková and René Novotný
Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko
1994
Alexei Urmanov
Marina Kielmann
Mandy Wötzel and Ingo Steuer
Irina Romanova and Igor Yaroshenko
1995
Alexei Urmanov
Michelle Kwan
Marina Eltsova and Andrei Bushkov
Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz
1996
Elvis Stojko
Maria Butyrskaya
Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov
Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat
1997
Viacheslav Zagorodniuk
Irina Slutskaya
Kyoko Ina and Jason Dungjen
Sophie Moniotte and Pascal Lavanchy
1998
Viacheslav Zagorodniuk
Laetitia Hubert
Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao
Irina Lobacheva and Ilya Averbukh
1999
Elvis Stojko
Tatiana Malinina
Marina Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov
Irina Lobacheva and Ilya Averbukh
2000
Evgeni Plushenko
Vanessa Gusmeroli
Jamie Salé and David Pelletier
Irina Lobacheva and Ilya Averbukh
2001
Timothy Goebel
Maria Butyrskaya
Marina Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov
Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz
2002
Alexandr Abt
Sasha Cohen
Marina Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov
Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas
2003
Chengjiang Li
Sasha Cohen
Qing Pang and Jian Tong
Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov
2004
Stéphane Lambiel
Miki Ando
Marina Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov
Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov
2005
Johnny Weir
Michelle Kwan
Qing Pang and Jian Tong
Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder
2006
Nobunari Oda
Elena Sokolova
Rena Inoue and John Baldwin Jr.
Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas
2007
Tomáš Verner
Kimmie Meissner
Tatiana Volosozhar and Stanislav Morozov
Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder
2008
Daisuke Takahashi
Yukari Nakano
Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov
Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto
2009
Tomáš Verner
Mao Asada
Qing Pang and Jian Tong
Meryl Davis and Charlie White
2010
Michal Březina
Miki Ando
Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov
Nathalie Péchalat and Fabian Bourzat
2011
Michal Březina
Alena Leonova
Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov
Nathalie Péchalat and Fabian Bourzat
2012
Brian Joubert
Ashley Wagner
Qing Pang and Jian Tong
Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje
2013
Yuzuru Hanyu
Kanako Murakami
Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch
Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte
2014
Maxim Kovtun
Anna Pogorilaya
Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch
Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov
2015
Jason Brown
Gracie Gold
Cheng Peng and Hao Zhang
Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte
2016
Mikhail Kolyada
Gracie Gold
Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov
Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte
2017
Javier Fernández
Karen Chen
Xiaoyu Yu and Hao Zhang
Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje
2018
Alexei Bychenko
Carolina Kostner
Natalia Zabiiako and Alexander Enbert
Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte
2019
Shoma Uno
Rika Kihira
Cheng Peng and Yang Jin
Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin
2021
Shoma Uno
Karen Chen
Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov
Madison Chock and Evan Bates
I have not included results from the
1882 Great International Skating Tournament in Vienna, nor the
women's and pairs events held in conjunction with the early World
Championships which haven't been recognized for whatever reason by
the ISU. I have also excluded the fourth-place finishers from the
first two ice dancing events held at the World Championships in 1950
and 1951. For more information on these, visit Skate Guard's Results
page.
At the 1930 World Championships in New York City, Canadian siblings Constance and Montgomery 'Bud' Wilson finished fourth in both of the singles disciplines and teamed up to finish fourth in pairs. It is the only time in history that a pair of siblings placed fourth in every discipline at an ISU Championship, a feat unlikely to ever be matched.
Scott Ethan Allen
The most times a skater finished fourth in either of the singles disciplines at the World Championships was three. Suzanne Morrow was fourth at Worlds from 1950-1952. The four men that finished fourth at Worlds three times are Alain Giletti, Scott Ethan Allen, Ernst Oppacher and Jack Ferguson Page. Page was also fourth in pairs with his partner Ethel Muckelt.
Manuela Groß and Uwe Kagelmann
Four pairs have finished fourth at the World Championships four time: Manuela Groß and Uwe Kagelmann, Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov, Marina Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov and Qing Pang and Jian Tong. Three out of the four pairs were also Olympic Medallists.
Italy's Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte hold the record for the most fourth place finishes at the World Championships by a duo with four (2013, 2015, 2016, 2018) but the ice dancer who finished fourth at the World Championships the most times was Janet Sawbridge. With three different partners, she finished fourth at the Worlds a record five times.
FOURTH-PLACE FINISHERS AT THE OLYMPICS
Year
Men
Women
Pairs
Ice Dance
1908
John Keiller Greig
Elna Montgomery
(none)
(none)
1920
Ulrich Salchow
Phyllis (Squire) Johnson
Theresa Weld and Nathaniel Niles
(none)
1924
Josef Slíva
Theresa Weld Blanchard
Ethel Muckelt and Jack Ferguson Page
(none)
1928
Karl Schäfer
Maribel Vinson
Beatrix Loughran and Sherwin Badger
(none)
1932
Marcus Nikkanen
Constance Wilson Samuel
Olga Orgonista and Sándor Szalay
(none)
1936
Montgomery Wilson
Liselotte Landbeck
Piroska and Attila Szekrényessy
(none)
1948
Johnny Lettengarver
Jirína Nekolová
Yvonne Sherman and Robert Swenning
(none)
1952
Hayes Alan Jenkins
Sonya Klopfer
Jennifer and John Nicks
(none)
1956
Alain Giletti
Yvonne Sugden
Marika Kilius and Franz Ningel
(none)
1960
Alain Giletti
Jana Mrázková
Maria and Otto Jelinek
(none)
1964
Karol Divín
Nicole Hassler
Vivian and Ronald Joseph*
(none)
1968
Emmerich Danzer
Tina Noyes
Heidemarie Steiner and Heinz-Ulrich Walther
(none)
1972
Ken Shelley
Julie Lynn Holmes
JoJo Starbuck and Ken Shelley
(none)
1976
Jan Hoffmann
Anett Pötzsch
Irina Vorobieva and Alexander Vlasov
Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov
1980
David Santee
Denise Biellmann
Marina Pestova and Stanislav Leonovich
Liliana Řeháková and Stanislav Drastich
1984
Rudi Cerne
Tiffany Chin
Sabine Baeß and Tassilo Thierbach
Judy Blumberg and Michael Seibert
1988
Alexandr Fadeev
Jill Trenary
Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov
Natalia Annenko and Genrikh Sretenski
1992
Christopher Bowman
Tonya Harding
Radka Kovaříková and René Novotný
Oksana Grishuk and Evgeni Platov
1994
Viktor Petrenko
Surya Bonaly
Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov
Susanna Rahkamo and Petri Kokko
1998
Todd Eldredge
Maria Butyrskaya
Kyoko Ina and Jason Dungjen
Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz
2002
Takeshi Honda
Sasha Cohen
Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin
Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz
2006
Evan Lysacek
Fumie Suguri
Qing Pang and Jian Tong
Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder
2010
Stéphane Lambiel
Mirai Nagasu
Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov
Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto
2014
Javier Fernández
Gracie Gold
Qing Pang and Jian Tong
Nathalie Péchalat and Fabian Bourzat
2018
Boyang Jin
Satoko Miyahara
Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov
Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue
No revelation... but Vivian and Ronald Joseph finished fourth at the 1964 Winter Olympic Games and were later awarded a bronze medal when silver medallists Marika Kilius and Hans-Jürgen Bäumler were stripped of their silver medals over concerns regarding their amateur status. Bronze medallists Debbi Wilkes and Guy Revell were given a silver. Kilius and Bäumler's silver medals were later reinstated by the IOC.
Qing Pang and Jian Tong
The only singles skater to finish fourth at the Olympics more than once was France's Alain Giletti. He narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in both 1956 and 1960. The only ice dancers to finish fourth at the Olympics twice were Canada's Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz, in 1998 and 2002. The only pair to finish fourth at the Olympics twice were China's Qing Pang and Jian Tong, in 2006 and 2014.
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