David Pelletier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids David Pelletier |
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Pelletier in 2015 coaching with the Edmonton Oilers
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| Personal information | |
| Country represented |  Canada |
| Born | November 22, 1974 Sayabec, Quebec, Canada |
| Residence | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Height | 1.78 m |
| Partner | Jamie Salé |
| Former partner | Caroline Roy, Julie Laporte, Allison Gaylor |
| Former coach | Jan Ullmark Richard Gauthier |
| Former choreographer | Lori Nichol |
| Skating club | CPA Pierrefonds |
| Retired | 2002 |
David Jacques Pelletier (born November 22, 1974) is a Canadian pairs figure skater. He is famous for winning a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics with his skating partner, Jamie Salé. They shared the gold medal with a Russian team after a judging issue at the Games.
Contents
Early Life and Skating Start
David Pelletier was born in Sayabec, Quebec, Canada. He grew up close to a hockey rink. His mother told him that if he wanted to play hockey, he also had to take figure skating lessons.
David found early success in pairs skating with Julie Laporte. They won national titles in Canada. They also placed 7th at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in 1992. David then decided to try a new partner, Allison Gaylor. With Allison, he won a silver medal at the 1995 Canadian championships. They also competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in England.
After a few years, David and Allison stopped skating together. David then teamed up with Caroline Roy. Sadly, just before the 1998 Canadian championships, David's former partner, Julie Laporte, passed away in a car accident. David and Caroline skated well but later decided to split up.
Partnering with Jamie Salé
David asked his coach, Richard Gauthier, to help him find a new partner. The coach suggested Jamie Salé. In February 1998, David and Jamie tried skating together in Edmonton. David said, "The first time we grabbed hands, it was just great." Jamie moved to Montreal to train with him the next month.
Their new partnership started very well. They competed at Skate Canada International and won a bronze medal. This success led them to another competition, the NHK Trophy in Japan, where they won another bronze.
These early wins made them favorites for the Canadian title. However, they had some technical problems and finished second. David also had back pain, which made them miss some big competitions. They took two months off the ice to recover.
Building Success: 1999-2000 Season
In the summer of 1999, David and Jamie started working with choreographer Lori Nichol. She created a tango program for them. For their long program, they used music from the movie Love Story.
Their new programs were a hit. At Skate America in 1999, they won both parts of the competition. They even beat the world champions at the time. They finished second at their next event. However, at the Grand Prix Final, they made some mistakes and finished fifth.
They competed at the 2000 Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Calgary, Jamie's hometown. They skated a strong short program and a nearly perfect long program. They earned very high scores, including five perfect 6.0 marks for their performance. This was a first for a pairs team at the championships.
David and Jamie also won a gold medal at the Four Continents Championships in Japan. At the 2000 World Figure Skating Championships in France, they were third after the short program. They finished fourth overall after the long program.
Winning World Titles: 2000-2001 Season
For the 2000-2001 season, Salé and Pelletier worked with Lori Nichol again. She created a jazzy short program and a dramatic long program to music by Richard Wagner. They won both Skate America and Skate Canada that fall.
They were very popular at the 2001 Canadian Championships in Winnipeg. They won again at the Four Continents competition in Salt Lake City, which was important because it was the site for the 2002 Olympics. They also won the Grand Prix Final.
The 2001 World Championships were held in Vancouver. Salé and Pelletier were expected to win. They were third after the short program due to a mistake on their jumps. However, they were placed first in the long program, even with a small error. They became the first Canadian pair to win the World Championships since 1993. They also won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's best athletes in 2001.
The 2002 Winter Olympics
Salé and Pelletier continued their success in the 2001-2002 season. They won Skate America and Skate Canada with their new long program. They also showed great consistency in their skating.
The Grand Prix Final, held in Kitchener, Ontario, was a key event. It was their last chance to compete against top teams before the Olympics. They won the final, which gave them confidence. They then won the 2002 Canadian Championships.
The pressure for the Olympics was very high. Canada had not won a figure skating gold medal in many years. Everyone hoped Salé and Pelletier would win and end the long streak of Russian pairs winning.
They skated their short program well. They had a small fall at the very end of their program, but it did not count as a deduction. They placed second, just behind the Russian team. In the long program, Salé and Pelletier skated without any obvious mistakes. The Russian team had a small error on a jump. Many people thought the Canadians had won the gold.
However, when the scores came out, Salé and Pelletier were placed second in the long program. This caused a big reaction, especially from North American media. There was a lot of talk about the judging. After the competition, a French judge said she had been pressured to vote for the Russian team. This led to a judging controversy.
Because of this, the judge's vote was removed. Salé and Pelletier were then awarded gold medals in a special ceremony later that week. They shared the gold medal with the Russian team.
The controversy led to big changes in how figure skating was judged. A new system was put in place to make judging fairer and more transparent.
Life After the Olympics
After the Olympics, David and Jamie became professional skaters. They toured North America with a popular show called Stars on Ice.
David and Jamie were honored for their achievements. They were inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in 2008. They also joined the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2012, they were inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
Battle of the Blades
In 2011, David Pelletier took part in a TV show called Battle of the Blades. This show paired figure skaters with hockey players. David was partnered with hockey player Tessa Bonhomme. On November 14, 2011, they won the competition. They won $100,000 for their chosen charities.
Hockey Coaching Career
After he stopped competing, David Pelletier became a coach for ice hockey players. He taught them how to skate better. He worked with professional players and high-level amateur players.
In September 2014, David was hired as a skating coach for the Edmonton Oilers, a team in the National Hockey League. He held this role until the 2024-25 season. As of July 2025, David Pelletier is an assistant coach for the Dallas Stars.
Personal Life
David Pelletier was married to ice dancer Marie-Josee Fortin for a year. He later proposed to Jamie Salé on Christmas Day in 2004. They got married on December 30, 2005, in Alberta.
In 2006, they worked as commentators for a TV show about the 2006 Winter Olympics. Their son was born on September 30, 2007.
In June 2010, David and Jamie announced they were getting divorced. They continued to share custody of their son. They also continued to skate together professionally until 2012. David Pelletier married Russian figure skater Ekaterina Gordeeva on July 25, 2020. They live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Images for kids
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Pelletier in 2015 coaching with the Edmonton Oilers
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Salé and Pelletier compete at the 2002 Grand Prix Final
