Philippe Candeloro French figure skater Date of Birth: 17.02.1972 Country: France

1. Biography of Philippe Candeloro
2. Early Life and Training
3. Olympic Career
4. Signature Style
5. Personal Life

Biography of Philippe Candeloro

Philippe Candeloro is a French figure skater who competed in the men's singles category. He was a multiple-time champion of France in figure skating and represented his country at the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics, winning bronze medals on both occasions.

Early Life and Training

Candeloro was born as the youngest child in his family. His father, Luigi, built a house in the suburb of Colombes near Paris, where some competitions of the 1924 Paris Olympics took place and where many sports facilities were preserved in the 1970s. Initially, Candeloro preferred swimming and ski jumping. At the age of seven in 1979, he enrolled in weekly figure skating classes. During one of his early lessons, he was noticed by coach Andre Brunet, who recognized his great potential and offered to help him develop his skills. Initially, Candeloro trained with a local hockey team but quickly transitioned to figure skating. He was immediately noticed by the national federation. At the age of 10, he was invited to train at the prestigious national ice rink in Paris, INSEP, but Candeloro declined, choosing to stay with Brunet. At the age of 16, he dropped out of school to dedicate himself to figure skating. In 1988, he participated in the closing ceremony of the Calgary Olympics.

Olympic Career

Candeloro was preparing for the 1992 Olympics but broke his leg in October 1991 and had to leave the national team. In 1994, he received a second chance and was invited to the French Olympic team. Candeloro won a bronze medal, instantly becoming one of the leaders in the world of figure skating. Additionally, he captivated the audience with his exhibition performances and became a favorite among spectators in ice shows such as Champions on Ice. He consistently placed in the top ranks at world and European championships but never managed to win a gold medal in these competitions. Despite his artistic and unconventional programs, his technical level of jumps, spins, and steps was lower than his competitors, such as Ilya Kulik. After the 1998 Winter Olympics, Candeloro turned professional, creating his own ice show called Candel Euro Tour. He also began a career as a sports journalist. In 2008, he bid farewell to his fans in a final tour across France.

Signature Style

Throughout his career, Candeloro was easily recognizable due to his distinctive programs. He preferred to portray characters from various artistic works on the ice, using hand gestures, facial expressions, and more. His costumes, music, and choreography served this purpose and compensated for his lack of strong edges, spins on the blade's teeth rather than on the flat part, which created friction during his performances, and numerous issues with maintaining balance during jumps, among other technical limitations. Some of his most famous portrayals include Conan, "The Godfather," Lucky Luke (1996), Napoleon (1997), and D'Artagnan. As a professional skater, Candeloro showcased programs based on movies such as "Braveheart," "George of the Jungle," and "The Matrix."

Personal Life

Candeloro is married to dancer Olivia Darmon, and they have three daughters together. They were introduced by Natalia Volkova-Debadi, the choreographer of Candeloro's 1994 Olympic program. The athlete is multilingual, speaking several languages, including French, English, and Italian.