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 41) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Home town	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height	1.88 m
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, born on January 27, 1985, is a talented Canadian pair skater who has now retired from competitive skating. With his former partner Meagan Duhamel, he achieved amazing success. They won two world championships in 2015 and 2016. Eric also earned an Olympic gold medal in the team event at the 2018 Winter Olympics. He won a silver medal in the team event at the 2014 Olympics and a bronze medal in the pairs event in 2018.

Eric and Meagan were also two-time Four Continents champions (2013, 2015) and won the Grand Prix Final in 2014–15. They were Canadian national champions seven times in a row from 2012 to 2018. Eric is known for being a pioneering athlete in sports.

At the 2014 Olympics, Eric and Meagan made history. They were the first pair to successfully land a side-by-side triple Lutz jump in any Winter Olympic competition. In 2018, Eric, at 33, became one of the older Olympic champions in figure skating when he won gold in the team event. Soon after, they also became the first team to complete a quadruple throw jump at the Winter Olympics.

In 2021, Eric returned to skating with a new partner, Vanessa James. They competed for Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics and won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships. After these achievements, Eric decided to retire from competitive skating for a second time.

Early Life and Interests

Eric Radford was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and grew up in Balmertown, Ontario. His father, Rick, worked as a surveyor in a gold mine, and his mother, Valerie, was a schoolteacher. Eric moved several times as a teenager to follow his dream of becoming a top skater. He lived in Kenora at 14, then in Winnipeg and Montreal at 15, and finally in Toronto at 16.

Beyond skating, Eric is also a talented musician. He studied music at York University and has a high-level certificate from The Royal Conservatory of Music. Eric plays the piano and enjoys writing and composing music. In 2014, he became a member of the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada. He even composed the free skate music for fellow Canadian skater and world champion Patrick Chan in 2016–17.

Eric is a role model for many young athletes. He has been an ambassador for the Canadian Olympic Committee's #OneTeam program, which works to make sports welcoming for everyone. In 2019, Eric got married.

Today, Eric also shares his knowledge by coaching and creating music for other skaters' performances. In June 2018, his hometown community of Balmertown, located in Red Lake, Ontario, honored him by naming the street he grew up on "Eric Radford Way."

Eric Radford's Skating Journey

Eric started skating when he was eight years old. He was inspired after watching Nancy Kerrigan at the 1992 Winter Olympics. Early in his career, he competed in both single skating and pair skating. With his first partner, Sarah Burke, he competed in junior events. At the 2005 Canadian Championships, Eric had a funny moment. He got stuck in an elevator right before his competition! Luckily, he got out and was still able to skate.

Later, Eric partnered with Rachel Kirkland in 2005. They trained with famous coaches like Brian Orser. They competed in several Canadian Championships. After a few years, their partnership ended. In 2009, Eric moved to Montreal and teamed up with Anne-Marie Giroux for one season.

Partnering with Meagan Duhamel

A coach suggested Eric try out with Meagan Duhamel, and they decided to become partners. Their first season together was 2010–2011. They quickly found success, winning 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, they had a challenging moment. During their short program, Eric's nose was accidentally broken by Meagan's elbow during a difficult move. Even with blood, Eric bravely decided to keep going, and they finished their performance! This showed their incredible determination.

First National Title

In the 2011–2012 season, Eric and Meagan continued to shine. They won bronze medals at two major Grand Prix events. They then achieved their first Canadian national title. They also placed 5th at the 2012 World Championships, showing great progress.

World Bronze and Four Continents Gold

The 2012–2013 season brought even more success. Eric and Meagan won silver medals at their Grand Prix events. They then secured their second Canadian national title. They also claimed their first Four Continents title. A big moment came at the 2013 World Championships in London, Ontario, where they won their first World bronze medal!

Sochi Olympics and More Medals

For the 2013–2014 season, Eric composed the music for their short program. It was a special tribute to his former coach, Paul Wirtz. At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Eric and Meagan made history again. They were the first pair to successfully land a side-by-side triple Lutz jump in Olympic competition. They finished seventh at the Olympics. Later, at the 2014 World Championships, they earned another bronze medal, achieving their best scores ever.

Becoming World Champions

In the summer of 2014, Eric and Meagan started practicing a very difficult move: the quad throw Salchow. They successfully landed this jump at the 2014 Autumn Classic International, where they won gold. They continued their winning streak by taking first place at the 2014 Skate Canada International and the 2014 NHK Trophy. This led them to win their first Grand Prix Final title.

They also won their fourth Canadian national title and their second Four Continents title. The highlight of their 2014–2015 season was winning the gold medal at the 2015 World Championships in March. It was a perfect season, as they won every international event they entered!

Another World Title

Eric and Meagan started the 2015–2016 season strong, winning the 2015 Skate Canada Autumn Classic. They also won gold medals at the 2015 Skate Canada International and the 2015 NHK Trophy. In December, they earned a silver medal at the Grand Prix Final in Barcelona.

In January 2016, they won their fifth Canadian national title in a row. They had to withdraw from the 2016 Four Continents Championships because Meagan was unwell. However, they bounced back at the 2016 World Championships in Boston in April. They performed wonderfully, winning their second consecutive World gold medal!

Continued Success and Challenges

The 2016–2017 season saw Eric and Meagan win a bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final in December 2016. They then secured their sixth Canadian national title in January 2017. In February, they earned a silver medal at the 2017 Four Continents Championships. At the 2017 World Championships, Eric faced a challenge with a hip muscle spasm. The pair finished 7th in the competition.

Pyeongchang Olympics and First Retirement

Eric and Meagan began their final competitive season in 2017–2018 with a silver medal at the Autumn Classic. They then won gold at the 2017 Skate Canada International and bronze at the 2017 Skate America. These results qualified them for the Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan, where they won a bronze medal.

In January, they made history by winning their seventh consecutive Canadian pairs' title. This was an all-time record! In February, they represented Canada at their second Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. They helped Canada win a team gold medal, with Eric becoming one of the older Olympic champions in figure skating. In the individual pairs event, they earned a bronze medal. They also became the first pair to complete a throw quad jump at any Winter Olympic competition.

On April 25, 2018, Eric and Meagan announced their retirement from competitive skating. Eric mentioned he would consider coaching and choreography.

After Competitive Skating

After his first retirement, Eric participated in "Stars on Ice" tours and the "Thank You Canada" tour. He also competed for two seasons on the CBC series Battle of the Blades. This show paired figure skaters with ice hockey players to create exciting routines. In the fifth season, he skated with former Team USA player Amanda Kessel. In the sixth season, he partnered with former Team Canada player Jennifer Botterill.

Eric also worked as a choreographer for other Canadian skaters, including the pair team Evelyn Walsh and Trennt Michaud. In March 2019, Eric was chosen to be part of the ISU Athletes Commission, helping to represent skaters' interests.

Return to Skating with Vanessa James

In April 2021, there were rumors that Eric was training with Vanessa James, another talented skater. Soon after, Skate Canada officially announced that James and Radford would compete together. Eric explained his return by saying, "for me, it's more of a question of why not?"

Beijing Olympics and World Bronze

James and Radford made their competitive debut at the 2021 Autumn Classic International, winning a silver medal. They continued to compete in Grand Prix events, improving with each performance.

They faced a challenge when both tested positive for COVID-19 before the 2022 Canadian Championships. They decided to withdraw from the event to focus on training for the Olympics. Despite this, they were selected for the Canadian Olympic team.

At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, James and Radford competed in the team event, helping Canada finish fourth. In the individual pairs event, they placed twelfth. Vanessa noted that they were a new team and proud of their efforts.

Days after the Olympics, the International Skating Union banned Russian and Belarusian skaters from the 2022 World Championships. This changed the competition field significantly. At the 2022 World Figure Skating Championships in Montpellier, James and Radford delivered a strong performance in the free skate. They earned a bronze medal, which was Canada's first World medal in pairs in six years! Eric described it as "one of the best years of my life."

On July 11, 2022, Eric and Vanessa announced their retirement from competitive skating. Eric reflected on his nearly 30 years in the sport, expressing gratitude for all the support and inspiration he received.

Programs

Duhamel and Radford in 2011

With James

With Duhamel

With Kirkland

With Burke

Competitive Highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

With James

Pair skating with Meagan Duhamel

With Giroux

With Kirkland

With Burke

Single skating

Detailed Results

Pair skating with Vanessa James

Results in the 2021–22 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Sep 16–18, 2021	2021 CS Autumn Classic International	2	68.29	2	115.72	2	184.01
Oct 7–10, 2021	2021 CS Finlandia Trophy	3	67.55	7	123.03	5	190.58
Oct 29–31, 2021	2021 Skate Canada International	5	65.02	4	122.90	4	187.92
Nov 19–21, 2021	2021 Internationaux de France	3	71.84	4	124.50	4	196.34
Dec 7–11, 2021	2021 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb	9	56.74	1	130.83	4	187.57
Jan 6–12, 2022	2022 Canadian Championships	4	63.33	–	–	–	WD
Feb 4–7, 2022	2022 Winter Olympics (Team event)	–	–	4	130.07	4	–
Feb 18–19, 2022	2022 Winter Olympics	12	63.03	12	117.96	12	180.99
Mar 21–27, 2022	2022 World Championships	5	66.54	2	130.78	3	197.32

Pair skating with Meagan Duhamel

Results in the 2010–11 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Sep 23–26, 2010	2010 Nebelhorn Trophy	3	51.81	3	95.63	3	147.44
Oct 28–31, 2010	2010 Skate Canada International	4	54.80	4	103.73	5	158.53
Jan 17–23, 2011	2011 Canadian Championships	4	57.71	2	113.63	2	171.34
Jan 24–30, 2011	2011 Four Continents Championships	3	59.92	2	121.87	2	181.79
Apr 27 – May 1, 2011	2011 World Championships	7	58.83	7	114.20	7	173.03

Results in the 2011–12 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Oct 27–30, 2011	2011 Skate Canada International	2	62.37	3	112.47	3	174.84
Nov 17–20, 2011	2011 Trophée Éric Bompard	2	61.06	3	115.56	3	176.62
Dec 8–11, 2011	2011–12 Grand Prix Final	5	61.04	5	109.39	5	170.43
Jan 16–22, 2012	2012 Canadian Championships	1	60.92	1	129.19	1	190.11
Feb 7–12, 2012	2012 Four Continents Championships	8	57.53	4	114.23	4	171.76
Mar 26 – Apr 1, 2012	2012 World Championships	5	63.69	5	121.72	5	185.41
Apr 19–22, 2012	2012 World Team Trophy	4	59.27	2	112.64	3	–

Results in the 2012–13 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Oct 26–28, 2012	2012 Skate Canada International	2	64.49	2	126.00	2	190.49
Nov 15–18, 2012	2012 Trophée Éric Bompard	2	62.28	1	124.43	2	186.71
Dec 6–9, 2012	2012–13 Grand Prix Final	4	64.20	4	122.89	4	187.09
Jan 13–20, 2013	2013 Canadian Championships	1	69.08	1	137.55	1	206.63
Feb 6–11, 2013	2013 Four Continents Championships	1	70.44	2	128.74	1	199.18
Mar 13–15, 2013	2013 World Championships	2	73.61	3	130.95	3	204.56
Apr 11–14, 2013	2013 World Team Trophy	2	69.94	2	121.21	2	–

Results in the 2013–14 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Oct 24–27, 2013	2013 Skate Canada International	1	69.57	3	121.05	3	190.62
Nov 15–17, 2013	2013 Trophée Éric Bompard	2	66.07	2	124.82	2	190.89
Dec 5–8, 2013	2013–14 Grand Prix Final	4	73.07	6	120.31	5	193.38
Jan 9–15, 2014	2014 Canadian Championships	1	75.80	1	137.82	1	213.62
Feb 6–22, 2014	2014 Winter Olympics (Team event)	2	73.10	–	–	2	–
Feb 6–22, 2014	2014 Winter Olympics	5	72.21	7	127.32	7	199.53
Mar 24–30, 2014	2014 World Championships	2	77.01	4	133.83	3	210.84

Results in the 2014–15 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Oct 15–16, 2014	2014 CS Autumn Classic International	1	68.92	1	134.24	1	203.16
Oct 31 – Nov 2, 2014	2014 Skate Canada International	1	72.70	1	138.04	1	210.74
Nov 28–30, 2014	2014 NHK Trophy	1	72.70	1	127.08	1	199.78
Dec 11–14, 2014	2014–15 Grand Prix Final	1	74.50	1	146.22	1	220.72
Jan 19–25, 2015	2015 Canadian Championships	1	79.50	1	150.69	1	230.19
Feb 9–15, 2015	2015 Four Continents Championships	1	75.67	1	143.81	1	219.48
Mar 23–29, 2015	2015 World Championships	1	76.98	1	144.55	1	221.53
Apr 16–19, 2015	2015 World Team Trophy	2	68.68	1	140.70	4	–

Results in the 2015–16 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Oct 12–15, 2015	2015 Autumn Classic International	1	68.97	1	133.64	1	202.61
Oct 30 – Nov 1, 2015	2015 Skate Canada International	1	72.46	1	143.70	1	216.16
Nov 27–29, 2015	2015 NHK Trophy	1	71.04	1	131.68	1	202.72
Dec 10–13, 2015	2015–16 Grand Prix Final	3	72.74	2	143.93	2	216.67
Jan 18–24, 2016	2016 Canadian Championships	1	73.03	1	148.72	1	221.75
Feb 16–21, 2016	2016 Four Continents Championships	2	71.90	–	–	–	WD
Mar 28 – Apr 3, 2016	2016 World Championships	2	78.18	1	153.81	1	231.99
Apr 22–24, 2016	2016 Team Challenge Cup	–	–	1	147.48	1	–

Results in the 2016–17 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Oct 6–10, 2016	2016 CS Finlandia Trophy	1	66.49	1	131.29	1	197.78
Oct 28–30, 2016	2016 Skate Canada International	1	78.39	1	139.91	1	218.30
Nov 25–27, 2016	2016 NHK Trophy	2	72.95	1	131.61	1	204.56
Dec 8–11, 2016	2016–17 Grand Prix Final	3	71.44	2	134.55	3	205.99
Jan 16–22, 2017	2017 Canadian Championships	1	80.72	1	146.51	1	227.23
Feb 15–19, 2017	2017 Four Continents Championships	3	74.31	2	137.92	2	212.23
Mar 29 – Apr 2, 2017	2017 World Championships	7	72.67	7	133.39	7	206.06

Results in the 2017–18 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Sep 20–23, 2017	2017 CS Autumn Classic International	1	77.14	3	125.84	2	202.98
Oct 27–29, 2017	2017 Skate Canada International	2	73.53	1	148.69	1	222.22
Nov 24–26, 2017	2017 Skate America	1	75.37	3	140.31	3	215.68
Dec 7–10, 2017	2017–18 Grand Prix Final	5	72.18	3	138.65	3	210.83
Jan 8–14, 2018	2018 Canadian Championships	1	81.78	1	152.77	1	234.55
Feb 9–12, 2018	2018 Winter Olympics (Team event)	2	76.57	1	148.51	1	–
Feb 14–15, 2018	2018 Winter Olympics	3	76.82	2	153.33	3	230.15

See also

In Spanish: Eric Radford para niños