David Pelletier Canadian figure skater Date of Birth: 22.11.1974 Country: Canada

Biography of David Pelletier

David Pelletier is a Canadian figure skater who achieved great success in pair skating. He is best known for his partnership with Jamie Sale, with whom he won the 2002 Olympic Games and the 2001 World Championships. Currently, they perform as professionals in the American ice show Stars on Ice.

Early Career and Partnerships
Pelletier began his career skating with Julie Laporte. Together, they won the Canadian Junior Championships and placed seventh at the Junior World Championships in 1992. He then tried skating with Allison Gaylor and young singles skater Caroline Roy. However, in 1998, coach Richard Gauthier suggested Jamie Sale as a possible partner for Pelletier. It turned out that Sale and Pelletier had great chemistry as a pair.

Success and Controversy
In the same year, Sale and Pelletier competed at Skate Canada, where they placed second in the short program and third overall. This success led to an invitation to the NHK Trophy, where they also won a bronze medal. Although they were favored at the Canadian Championships, technical errors caused them to finish in second place. Despite this setback, they qualified for the Four Continents Championships and the World Championships. However, Pelletier suffered a back injury, forcing them to withdraw from both competitions.

In the 1999-2000 season, Sale and Pelletier performed their famous free program to the music from the movie "Love Story." They achieved their first victory over Russian pair Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze at Skate America. They placed second at Skate Canada but had a disappointing performance at the Grand Prix Final, finishing fifth. However, they redeemed themselves at the Canadian Championships, where they received five perfect scores of 6.0 for artistry. They also won the Four Continents Championships.

Olympic Gold and Controversy
In the following season, Sale and Pelletier won all their competitions, including Skate America, Skate Canada, the Grand Prix Final, and the Canadian Championships. Despite introducing a new free program, they eventually returned to their iconic "Love Story" routine. At the 2002 Olympic Games, they were set to compete against Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze for the gold medal.

After the short program, Sale and Pelletier were in second place, despite a fall at the end of their performance. In the free program, they delivered an almost flawless performance but still finished in second place. This led to one of the most controversial moments in figure skating history. The judges, who were seated far from the jump's execution, didn't catch Sale's downgraded double axel. The monitors displaying the replay were conveniently turned off at that moment.

As a result, the first three judges, who were closest to the jump, noticed the mistake, lowered their scores, and placed Sale and Pelletier in second. However, the remaining judges ranked them first, resulting in a two-vote majority for the Canadian pair. Sale and Pelletier were awarded a second set of gold medals after a controversial decision. This scandal led to significant changes in the judging system of figure skating.

Personal Life
On December 30, 2005, David Pelletier and Jamie Sale got married. They welcomed their son in 2007. However, in 2010, the couple filed for divorce. Despite the end of their partnership on and off the ice, Pelletier and Sale will always be remembered for their Olympic triumph and the impact they had on the sport of figure skating.