Christopher Dean facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christopher Dean OBE
Dean on the Dancing on Ice tour in Manchester, 2010
Personal information
Country represented	Great Britain
Born	(1958-07-27) 27 July 1958 (age 67) Calverton, Nottinghamshire, England
Height	5 ft 10.5 in (1.79 m)
Former partner	Sandra Elson, Jayne Torvill
Former coach	Betty Callaway, Janet Sawbridge
Retired	1984, 1994
Medal record Figure skating Ice dancing Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Gold 1984 Sarajevo Ice dancing Bronze 1994 Lillehammer Ice dancing World Championships Gold 1981 Hartford Ice dancing Gold 1982 Copenhagen Ice dancing Gold 1983 Helsinki Ice dancing Gold 1984 Ottawa Ice dancing European Championships Gold 1981 Innsbruck Ice dancing Gold 1982 Lyon Ice dancing Gold 1984 Budapest Ice dancing Gold 1994 Copenhagen Ice dancing

Christopher Colin Dean (born 27 July 1958) is a famous British ice dancer. Many people believe he and his skating partner, Jayne Torvill, are among the best ice dancers ever. They won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics. They also won the World and European Championships four times each. Plus, they were British champions seven times!

Early Life and Police Work

Christopher Dean grew up in Calverton, Nottinghamshire, England. He started skating when he was 10 years old. His parents loved ballroom dancing, and he saw ice skating as a sport that was both strong and graceful.

Before becoming a full-time skater, Christopher worked as a police officer. From 1974 to 1980, he was a police constable with the Nottinghamshire Police. It was tough to balance his police training with his skating practice. He and Jayne Torvill often had to train during his time off. This helped them become very disciplined.

Skating Career Highlights

Christopher's first skating partner was Sandra Elson. They became British Junior Dance champions. However, they didn't get along well, so they stopped skating together. Christopher then teamed up with Jayne Torvill, another skater at the Nottingham rink.

Their first coach was Janet Sawbridge. Later, in 1978, Betty Callaway became their coach. By 1980, Torvill and Dean were not only British National Dance Champions but were also winning medals in international events. Christopher decided to leave the police force to focus completely on skating. Jayne also left her job soon after.

Christopher Dean was also the main choreographer for the Torvill and Dean team. This means he created their amazing routines.

The Famous Boléro Performance

Torvill and Dean performing in 2011

Their free program at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo became world-famous. They skated to the music of Maurice Ravel's Boléro. They received nine perfect 6.0 scores for artistic impression. This was the highest possible score and the only time it had ever been achieved. It was a huge moment in British sports history, watched by 24 million people in the UK!

The music for Boléro was 4 minutes and 28 seconds long. However, the time limit for their routine was 4 minutes and 10 seconds. So, they started their performance on their knees. They moved their bodies to the music for 18 seconds before they even began to skate! This made their routine fit the rules perfectly.

After the Olympics

After winning the gold medal in 1984, Torvill and Dean became professional skaters. At that time, professional skaters couldn't compete in the Olympics. But in 1993, the rules changed. This allowed them to return to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, where they won a bronze medal.

In 1989, Torvill and Dean were added to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame. This is a special place for the greatest skaters.

From 2006 to 2023, Christopher and Jayne were part of the ITV show Dancing on Ice. They were "judges" on the show. After the TV show, they would go on tour across the United Kingdom. The show is set to return in 2024.

In 2012, Christopher said he wanted to help British competitive skating. Torvill and Dean were also ambassadors for the 2012 European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield, England. In 2014, they went back to Sarajevo for the 30th anniversary of their 1984 Olympic win. They even performed their Boléro routine again in the same arena!

In 2018, Christopher Dean created the free program for Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot. They won a gold medal in pair skating at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Competitive Results

Amateur Results

Professional Results

Honours and Personal Life

On April 28, 1983, Christopher Dean was given the special title of Honorary Freeman of the City of Nottingham. In 1999, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This is a high honor in the UK.

Christopher Dean has two sons, Jack Robert and Sam Colin. He remains close friends with his skating partner, Jayne Torvill.

In 2021, Christopher took part in a TV show called DNA Journey to learn about his family history. He also appeared on The Masked Dancer as Beagle. He was the fifth celebrity to be unmasked on the show.

See also

In Spanish: Christopher Dean para niños

• Torvill and Dean