Jamie Salé facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jamie Salé
Salé and Pelletier compete at the 2002 Grand Prix Final
Personal information
Country represented	Canada
Born	(1977-04-21) April 21, 1977 (age 48) Calgary, Alberta
Residence	Edmonton, Alberta
Height	1.55 m
Partner	David Pelletier
Former partner	Jason Turner
Former coach	Jan Ullmark Richard Gauthier
Former choreographer	Lori Nichol
Skating club	CPA St-Leonard
Retired	2002

Jamie Rae Salé (born April 21, 1977) is a Canadian former competitive pair skater. She is famous for winning the Olympic gold medal in 2002 with her skating partner, David Pelletier. They also won the World Championship in 2001. Their Olympic gold medals were shared with a Russian team after a judging issue at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

About Jamie Salé's Early Life

Jamie Salé was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She grew up in Red Deer. Her parents divorced when she was young.

Jamie Salé's Skating Journey

Starting as a Singles Skater

Jamie Salé first competed as a singles skater. She won a bronze medal at the Canadian Championships as a novice skater. In 1994, she won a bronze medal in pairs with her partner, Jason Turner. They even went to the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, finishing 12th. After the 1994 World Championships, their partnership ended.

Salé then went back to singles skating. She placed fifth at the 1995 Canadian Championships. However, injuries caused her to miss the 1997 Championships. She returned in 1998, placing sixth.

Finding a New Partner: David Pelletier

In 1996, Salé tried out with David Pelletier, but they didn't become partners then. After her singles career, she decided to try pairs skating one last time. Her coach, Richard Gaulthier, suggested she try again with Pelletier. They met in February 1998 in Edmonton. Pelletier said, "The first time we grabbed hands, it was just great." Soon after, Salé moved to Montréal to skate with him.

Their new partnership quickly found success. They placed third at Skate Canada and then won another bronze medal at the NHK Trophy in Japan. These early wins made them favorites for the Canadian title. However, they finished second at the Canadian Championships due to some technical errors. Pelletier's back pain then forced them to miss the Four Continents and World Championships.

The 1999–2000 Season: A Breakthrough

In 1999, choreographer Lori Nichol helped them create new programs. Their short program was a fun tango. Their long program was set to music from the movie Love Story.

They started winning many competitions. At the 1999 Skate America, they beat the world champions, Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze. They also won a silver medal at Nations Cup. Despite high hopes, they finished fifth at the Grand Prix Final.

At the 2000 Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Calgary, they skated a nearly perfect long program. They earned five perfect 6.0 scores for presentation, which was amazing for a pairs team. They also won a gold medal at the Four Continents Championships in Osaka, Japan.

At the 2000 World Championships in France, Salé made some errors. They finished third in the short program and fourth overall.

The 2000–2001 Season: World Champions

Salé and Pelletier worked with Lori Nichol again for the 2000–01 season. They had a jazzy short program and a dramatic long program. They won Skate America and Skate Canada.

They continued their success at the 2001 Canadian Championships in Winnipeg. They also won the Four Continents Championships in Salt Lake City, which would be the site of the 2002 Olympics. They even used their popular "Love Story" program again to win the Grand Prix Final.

The 2001 World Championships were held in Vancouver. Salé and Pelletier were expected to win. Even with some mistakes, they placed first in the long program and won the gold medal. They were the first Canadian pair to win Worlds since 1993. They also won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's best athletes in 2001.

The 2002 Winter Olympics: Gold Medalists

Salé and Pelletier started the 2001–02 season strong, winning Skate America and Skate Canada. Their new long program was called "Orchid."

The Grand Prix Final in Kitchener, Ontario, was important. It was their last chance to compete against top rivals before the Olympics. They won the event, skating a clean "Love Story" program. This win gave them confidence for the 2002 Canadian Championships in Hamilton, Ontario. They won the Canadian title again, even with some errors. Many people thought they would use "Love Story" at the Olympics.

The pressure at the Olympics was huge. Canada had not won a figure skating gold medal since 1960. Everyone hoped Salé and Pelletier would win and end Russia's long dominance in pairs skating.

They skated their short program well, but fell on their final pose. Since it wasn't a required element, they didn't lose points. They placed second behind Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze. In the long program, Salé and Pelletier skated without any obvious mistakes. The Russian team had a minor error on a jump. Many thought the Canadians had won.

However, the judges' scores showed Salé and Pelletier in second place. Four judges placed them first, but five chose the Russian team. This caused a big reaction, especially in North America. The next day, a French judge admitted she was pressured to vote for the Russians. This led to a major judging controversy.

Because of the scandal, the French judge's vote was removed, and the long program was declared a tie. Salé and Pelletier were then awarded gold medals in a special ceremony later that week.

The controversy led to big changes in how figure skating is judged. First, judges' names were kept secret to reduce outside pressure. Later, a new scoring system called the Code of Points was created to make judging fairer.

After the Olympics

Stars on Ice in Halifax 2010

After winning Olympic gold, Salé and Pelletier became professional skaters. They toured North America with Stars on Ice, a popular figure skating show.

In 2006, they worked as commentators for Olympic Ice during the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Salé and Pelletier 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 2009, Jamie Salé competed on the first season of Battle of the Blades, a TV show where figure skaters partner with hockey players. She teamed up with Craig Simpson, a former hockey player, and they won the competition.

She returned to Battle of the Blades in 2010 with Theoren Fleury. In 2013, she came back as a judge on the show.

Jamie Salé's Personal Life

Jamie Salé and David Pelletier became engaged in 2004 and married in 2005. Their son was born in 2007. In 2010, they announced their divorce but continued to skate together professionally until 2012.

In 2012, Salé married Craig Simpson, her partner from Battle of the Blades. They have one daughter, born in 2013. Through this marriage, Salé also became a stepmother to Simpson's three children.

In 2019, Salé shared that the end of her marriage to Pelletier and her skating career made her feel sad. She found support from friends and family and became a motivational speaker and life coach.

Salé and Simpson separated in 2021, and she filed for divorce in 2022.

Competitive Results

Pairs

Amateur

(with David Pelletier)

(with Jason Turner)

• J = Junior level

Professional

(with Pelletier)

2003:

• World Team Challenge: 1st place (Team)
• Ice Wars: 2nd place (Team)

2002:

• Hallmark Skaters' Championship: 1st place
• Sears Canadian Open: 1st place

Singles

• J = Junior level; WD = Withdrew

Awards and Honors

• 2001 – Winner of Lou Marsh Trophy as Canadian athlete of the year (with David Pelletier)