Lloyd Eisler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lloyd Eisler
Personal information
Country represented	Canada
Born	(1963-04-28) April 28, 1963 (age 62) Seaforth, Ontario
Residence	Santa Clarita, California
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Partner	Isabelle Brasseur
Former partner	Karen Westby Katherina Matousek Lorri Baier
Coach	Josée Picard
Retired	1994
Medal record Pairs' figure skating Representing  Canada Olympic Games Bronze 1992 Albertville Pairs Bronze 1994 Lillehammer Pairs World Championships Gold 1993 Prague Pairs Silver 1990 Halifax Pairs Silver 1991 Munich Pairs Silver 1994 Chiba Pairs Bronze 1985 Tokyo Pairs Bronze 1992 Oakland Pairs

Lloyd Edgar Eisler (born April 28, 1963) is a former Canadian pairs skater. He is famous for his partnership with Isabelle Brasseur. Together, they won two Olympic bronze medals in 1992 and 1994. They also became World Champions in 1993.

Early Skating Days

Lloyd Eisler started his skating career with Lori Baier. They won silver medals at the Canadian Championships three times. This was from 1980 to 1982. They also competed at the 1982 World Figure Skating Championships. There, they finished in ninth place.

Later, Lloyd teamed up with Katherina Matousek. They competed at the 1984 Winter Olympics. They placed eighth in that competition. This pair also competed in three World Championships. They won the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in both 1984 and 1985. Their biggest achievement was a bronze medal at the 1985 World Championships. After this, Matousek decided to retire from skating.

Teaming Up with Brasseur

In 1986, Lloyd Eisler skated with Karen Westby. They earned a bronze medal at the Canadian Championships. However, they just missed making the World team. Many people thought Lloyd might stop skating after this.

But in 1987, he found a new partner, Isabelle Brasseur. They quickly became a strong team. They qualified for both the Olympics and Worlds in 1988. In 1989, they became Canadian champions. They hoped to win a medal at the World Championships in Paris. But they had some mistakes and finished in seventh place.

A Big Breakthrough in 1990

The year 1990 started tough for Eisler and Brasseur. They barely held onto third place at the Canadian Championships. They qualified for the 1990 World Championships by a very small margin. They later said they might have retired if they hadn't made the team.

With low expectations, they performed very well at the 1990 World Championships in Halifax. Their short program put them in fourth place. Their long program was even better. Some even thought it deserved the gold medal. They surprisingly won a silver medal. They finished just behind the Russian skaters Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov.

Olympic Medals and More Success

Brasseur and Eisler won the Canadian title again in 1991. They were favorites for the 1991 World Championships. They won the short program easily. But a small mistake by Eisler in the free program cost them. They earned another silver medal.

In 1992, they had a fantastic long program at the Canadian Championships. Then, they went to the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. They faced strong competition. Despite a fall by Brasseur in the short program, they still placed third. This put them in a good position for a medal. In the long program, they made several errors. Even with these mistakes, they were awarded a bronze medal.

At the 1992 World Championships in Oakland, California, they had a clean short program. They placed second. But their long program had two falls. They ended up with a bronze medal. Brasseur thought about retiring, but they decided to keep going.

Becoming World Champions

After an up-and-down season, Brasseur and Eisler were favorites for the 1993 World Championships. This was held in Prague, Czech Republic. They won the short program by a close score. Other top teams made big mistakes.

Brasseur and Eisler then performed a spectacular long program. Their rivals, Shishkova and Naumov, made a mistake. This secured the long-awaited World Championship victory for Brasseur and Eisler. All nine judges voted for them. They were praised for their artistic improvements and strong technical skills.

Their Final Amateur Year: 1994

Even as world champions, Brasseur and Eisler faced tough competition in 1994. Former Olympic champions returned to the sport. At the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, they skated two clean programs. They aimed for gold. They managed to win another bronze medal. They just beat a young Russian team by a narrow margin.

Brasseur and Eisler competed with injuries at the 1994 World Championships in Chiba, Japan. They still earned a silver medal. This was their last competition as amateur skaters.

Throughout their amateur career, Brasseur and Eisler were known for their amazing lifts. They had some of the strongest double and triple twists in the world. They were especially famous for a unique lift. Eisler would lift Brasseur with only one arm. Other pairs used both hands and then let go of one. But Eisler started and finished the lift using only one hand.

Life After Competing

After retiring from amateur skating, Brasseur and Eisler had a successful professional career. They won many events. They were very popular with fans. They performed in many ice shows, like Canadian Stars on Ice.

In 2004, Eisler helped start a skating program in Kingston, Ontario. He later resigned from that role in 2006. In October 2006, he was suspended from coaching in Canada for one year. However, he was coaching in California at the time. The Canadian ban did not apply there. Today, Eisler works as the director of skating operations at an ice center in Los Angeles.

Personal Life

Lloyd Eisler was born in Seaforth, Ontario, Canada. He has two sons, Ethan (born 2004) and Seth (born 2005). He is married to actress Kristy Swanson. They met during a TV show called Skating with Celebrities in 2006. Their son, Magnus Hart Swanson Eisler, was born in 2007. Lloyd and Kristy married on February 7, 2009, in San Luis Obispo, California.