Jeffrey Buttle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeffrey Buttle
Buttle on the podium at the 2008 World Championships
Personal information
Country represented	Canada
Born	(1982-09-01) September 1, 1982 (age 42) Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario, Canada
Home town	Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Retired	September 10, 2008

Jeffrey Buttle (born September 1, 1982) is a talented Canadian figure skater and choreographer. He won a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics and became the World champion in 2008. He also won the Four Continents championship twice, in 2002 and 2004. From 2005 to 2007, he was the Canadian champion. On March 22, 2008, Buttle made history as the first Canadian man since Elvis Stojko in 1997 to win a World Title. He stopped competing professionally on September 10, 2008.

About Jeffrey Buttle

Jeffrey Buttle was born in Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario, and grew up in Sudbury. During his time as a skater, he lived in Barrie, Ontario.

He went to a French-language elementary school called École Don Bosco. Even though his family isn't French-Canadian, Jeffrey learned both English and French as a child. He also studied chemical engineering at the University of Toronto for a while before focusing completely on his skating career.

In 2012, Buttle played ice hockey for a team in the Toronto Hockey Association.

His Skating Journey

Jeffrey Buttle started skating when he was just two years old and began competing at age six. He even took competitive ballet classes to help improve his skating skills. He also competed in ice dancing with his older sister, Meghan. Jeffrey trained at the Mariposa School of Skating in Barrie, Ontario.

Early Skating Years

Buttle won a silver medal at the junior level at the Canadian Championships in 1998. The next year, he placed in the top ten at his first senior national competition. He steadily improved, gaining valuable experience.

He made his senior international debut in the 2001–2002 season. He quickly made a name for himself by winning a silver medal at the 2001 NHK Trophy. At the Canadian Championships, Buttle earned his first medal, placing third. This led him to Korea for the Four Continents Championships, where he won his first gold medal.

Even though he won bronze at Nationals, Buttle didn't qualify for the 2002 Canadian Olympic figure skating team. He went to the 2002 Worlds instead. There, he placed high enough to help Canada earn two spots for the next World Championships.

In the 2003–2004 season, Buttle won his first Grand Prix gold medal at the 2003 NHK Trophy. He also won a silver medal at 2003 Skate Canada. He qualified for the Grand Prix Final but had to withdraw. After this, he had a tough time at Nationals and didn't get to go to Worlds. Instead, he went to the Four Continents, which he won for the second time.

Buttle trained in Lake Arrowhead with Rafael Arutyunyan that summer. He had a great 2004–2005 season, winning a silver medal at the Grand Prix Final. He then won his first National title. He finished the year with a silver medal at the 2005 Worlds.

Achieving Senior Success

Buttle and Evan Lysacek perform a throw jump at the 2008 Four Continents exhibition gala.

Buttle performs a lunge at the 2007 Skate Canada International.

In the 2005–2006 season, leading up to the Olympics, Buttle won the 2005 Trophée Eric Bompard and placed second at the 2005 Skate Canada. He qualified for the 2005–2006 Grand Prix Final and won his second silver medal there. He then won his second National title at the 2006 Canadian Championships. He entered the Olympics as the reigning World silver medalist.

At the Olympics, Buttle was in sixth place after his short program. In the free skate, he scored a personal best and placed second in that part of the competition. This earned him a bronze medal overall, making it Canada's first bronze medal in men's figure skating since 1976. Buttle later said that focusing on enjoying his free skate helped him succeed.

After the Olympics, Buttle competed at the 2006 Worlds in Calgary, where he placed sixth.

Buttle had to withdraw from the 2006 Grand Prix series because of a back injury. He started his season at the 2007 Canadian Championships, winning his third national title in a row. He then went to the 2007 Four Continents in Colorado, where he won the silver medal.

At the 2007 Worlds, Buttle was second after the short program with a new personal best score. He finished sixth overall. His performance helped Canada secure two spots for the 2008 World Championships.

For the 2007–2008 season, Buttle started slowly. He decided to use his short program from the previous season again. At the 2008 Canadian Championships, he lost his title to Patrick Chan. At the 2008 Four Continents, Buttle won the silver medal.

Buttle (left) during the awarding of the "ISU small medals" for the men's free skate during the 2008 World Championships closing banquet

At the 2008 Worlds, Buttle placed first in the short program. He then gave a personal best performance to win the gold medal by a large margin. After his World Championship win, Buttle appeared on many TV shows.

Buttle was assigned to the 2008 Skate Canada and 2008 Cup of China for the 2008–2009 season. However, he announced his retirement from competitive skating on September 10, 2008. He said he had achieved his goals and no longer felt the desire to compete. He represented the Sudbury Skating Club throughout his career.

Skate Canada published a Jeffrey Buttle Tribute Book in December 2008. Another book about Buttle, Jeffrey Buttle Artist Book chapter TWO, was published in Japan in 2009. Buttle also served on the Skate Canada Officials Advisory Committee as an athlete representative.

Buttle was the Athlete Ambassador for the 2010 and 2011 Canadian Nationals. On November 15, 2012, Skate Canada announced he would be inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place during the 2016 Canadian Figure Skating Championships, where he performed a special program.

After Competing

Jeffrey Buttle has performed in Canadian Stars on Ice shows since his competitive days. He continues to skate in shows as a professional skater. He has appeared in US "Smuckers Stars on Ice" tours and has skated in shows in China, Japan, Korea, and Europe. He has kept his skating skills sharp by taking part in pro-am competitions in Japan for many years.

Besides skating, Buttle also works as a choreographer, creating skating programs for other skaters. He became interested in choreography after watching David Wilson create programs. Wilson was Buttle's main choreographer since 1999, and Buttle admired his passion for choreography. Buttle currently works as a choreographer at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club. Some of his past and current clients include:

He has also choreographed group performances for shows like Stars on Ice, Holiday Festival on Ice, The ICE, and Fantasy on Ice. He was part of the choreography team for the Canadian TV show Battle of the Blades. In 2017, Buttle became the director of Stars on Ice tours, in addition to his roles as a choreographer and performer.

Images for kids

• Jeffrey Buttle 2008 SOI in Halifax.jpg

  Buttle performs his exhibition Personal Jesus at the 2008 Canadian Stars on Ice in Halifax.