Eric Radford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eric Radford
Duhamel and Radford in 2015
Personal information
Country represented	Canada
Born	(1985-01-27) January 27, 1985 (age 40) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Home town	Montreal, Quebec
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Partner	Vanessa James (2021–22) Meagan Duhamel (2010–18) Anne-Marie Giroux (2009–10) Rachel Kirkland (2005–09) Sarah Burke (2003–05)
Began skating	1993
Retired	July 11, 2022

Eric Radford is a famous Canadian pair skater who was born on January 27, 1985. With his former partner Meagan Duhamel, he won many big awards. They were two-time world champions in 2015 and 2016. They also won a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in the team event.

Eric and Meagan also won a silver medal at the 2014 Olympics in the team event. They earned a bronze medal in the pairs event at the 2018 Olympics. They were also two-time Four Continents champions (2013, 2015). They won the 2014–15 Grand Prix Final. Plus, they were seven-time Canadian national champions from 2012 to 2018.

During the 2014 Olympics, Duhamel and Radford made history. They were the first pair to land a side-by-side triple Lutz jump in an Olympic competition. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Eric, at 33, won a gold medal with the figure skating team. This made him one of the oldest Olympic champions in figure skating. A few days later, they made history again. Duhamel and Radford were the first team to complete a quadruple throw jump at the Olympics. Meagan landed their throw quadruple Salchow.

In April 2021, Eric announced he would return to skating. His new partner was Vanessa James. They skated for Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics. They also won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships. After this, Eric retired from competitive skating for the second time.

About Eric Radford

Eric Radford was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He grew up in Balmertown, Ontario. His dad, Rick, was a mine inspector. His mom, Valerie, was a retired schoolteacher. Eric moved around to chase his skating dreams. He lived in Kenora, Winnipeg, Montreal, and Toronto.

Eric also loves music. He studied music at York University. He has a Grade 9 certificate from The Royal Conservatory of Music. He plays the piano and writes music. In 2014, he joined the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada. In 2016, Eric wrote music for fellow Canadian skater Patrick Chan.

Eric is an ambassador for the Canadian Olympic Committee's #OneTeam program. This program works to fight against unfair treatment in sports. Eric married Spanish ice dancer Luis Fenero on July 12, 2019. Besides competing, Eric also coaches skaters. He also creates music for their performances.

In June 2018, the town of Red Lake honored Eric. They named the street he grew up on "Eric Radford Way."

Eric's Skating Journey

Starting Out in Skating

Eric started skating when he was eight years old. He was inspired by watching Nancy Kerrigan at the 1992 Winter Olympics. He first competed with Sarah Burke. They skated in the ISU Junior Grand Prix series in 2003 and 2004. He also competed in single skating. At the 2005 Canadian Championships, he had a funny moment. He got stuck in an elevator right before his event. But he got out and still competed!

Eric then teamed up with Rachel Kirkland in 2005. They trained with Brian Orser in Toronto. They finished 5th at the 2007 Canadian Championships. After finishing 7th in 2009, they stopped skating together. Eric moved back to Montreal in 2009. He then partnered with Anne-Marie Giroux. They finished 8th at the 2010 Canadian Championships.

Partnering with Meagan Duhamel

A coach suggested Eric try out with Meagan Duhamel. They decided to skate together. They quickly won a silver medal at the 2011 Canadian Championships. They also earned a silver medal at the 2011 Four Continents Championships.

At the 2011 World Championships, Eric had an accident. Meagan's elbow hit his nose during a triple twist. His nose broke, but he kept skating! They finished their program without stopping.

First National Title with Meagan

In the 2011–2012 season, Duhamel and Radford won bronze medals. These were at their Grand Prix events. They then won their first national title. They finished 5th at the 2012 World Championships.

World Bronze and Four Continents Gold

The next season, they won silver at their Grand Prix events. They then won their second national title. They also won their first Four Continents title. Duhamel and Radford won their first World medal in 2013. They earned a bronze medal at the World Championships in London, Ontario.

Sochi Olympics and More Medals

For the 2014 Olympics, Eric composed music for their short program. It was a tribute to his late coach Paul Wirtz. At the 2014 Olympics, they made history. They were the first pair to land a side-by-side triple Lutz jump. They finished seventh at the Olympics. But they came back strong at the 2014 World Championships. They won another bronze medal.

First World Title with Meagan

In 2014, Duhamel and Radford practiced a quad throw Salchow. They successfully landed it at the 2014 Autumn Classic International. They won that event. They also won their two Grand Prix events. Then, they won their first Grand Prix Final title. They set new personal best scores there.

They continued their winning streak. They won their fourth Canadian title. They also won their second Four Continents title. In March 2015, they won gold at the 2015 World Championships. It was a perfect season for them. They won gold at every international event they entered.

Second World Title with Meagan

Duhamel and Radford started the 2015–2016 season by winning the 2015 Skate Canada Autumn Classic. They won gold medals at two Grand Prix events. In December, they won silver at the Grand Prix Final.

In January 2016, they won their fifth Canadian title in a row. They had to withdraw from the 2016 Four Continents Championships. This was because Meagan was sick. In April, they competed at the 2016 World Championships. They won the gold medal there.

Pyeongchang Olympics and Retirement

Duhamel and Radford won a bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final in December 2016. They then won their sixth Canadian title in January 2017. They took the silver medal at the 2017 Four Continents Championships. At the 2017 World Championships, Eric had a hip muscle spasm. They finished 7th.

They started their final season with a silver medal. They then won gold at the 2017 Skate Canada International. They earned a bronze medal at the 2017 Skate America. These scores qualified them for the Grand Prix Final. They won a bronze medal there.

In January 2018, they won their seventh Canadian pairs' title. This was a new record! In February, they skated at their second Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. They helped Canada win a team gold medal. Eric, at 32, was one of the oldest Olympic champions in figure skating. In the individual pairs event, they won the bronze medal. They were the first pair to land a throw quad at the Olympics.

On April 25, 2018, they announced their retirement. Eric said he would think about coaching and choreography.

After Retirement: Coaching and TV Shows

Eric joined Stars on Ice tours. He also competed on the TV show Battle of the Blades. This show pairs figure skaters with hockey players. In one season, he skated with Amanda Kessel. In another, he skated with Jennifer Botterill.

Eric also worked as a choreographer. He created programs for other Canadian skaters. In March 2019, Eric was chosen for the ISU Athletes Commission. He became the vice chair.

Return to Skating with Vanessa James

In April 2021, rumors started that Eric was training with Vanessa James. She was also a Battle of the Blades contestant. On April 21, Skate Canada announced they would compete together. They would be coached by Julie Marcotte and Ian Connolly. Eric said he returned because he wanted to.

James and Radford first competed at the 2021 CS Autumn Classic International. They won the silver medal. At the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy, they finished fifth. Eric said it was "a disappointment."

They competed at the 2021 Skate Canada International. They placed fourth. Vanessa said they were "getting stronger." At their second Grand Prix event, they skated a clean short program. They landed all their jumps and throws in the free skate. They finished fourth. Vanessa said they felt "most confident."

Eric and Vanessa both got COVID-19. They had to quarantine before the 2022 Canadian Championships. They started competing but then withdrew. They wanted to prepare for the Olympics. They were still chosen for the Canadian Olympic team. This decision was debated by some.

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, they skated in the team event. They placed fourth. The Canadian team finished fourth overall. In the individual pairs event, they finished twelfth. Vanessa fell on a throw triple flip. She said it was a "huge accomplishment" to skate their best.

After the Olympics, many Russian and Belarusian skaters were banned. This changed the field for the 2022 World Championships. James and Radford placed fifth in the short program. In the free skate, they had a strong performance. They rose to win the bronze medal. This was Canada's first World medal in pairs since 2016. Eric called it "one of the best years of my life."

On July 11, 2022, James and Radford announced their retirement. Eric said skating had shaped his life. He was grateful for all the support he received.

Programs

Duhamel and Radford in 2011

With Vanessa James

With Meagan Duhamel

Competitive Highlights

With Vanessa James

With Meagan Duhamel

See also

In Spanish: Eric Radford para niños