Gwendal Peizerat

Gwendal Peizerat
Gwendal Peizerat
	Peizerat in 2005
Personal information
Country represented	France
Born	21 April 1972 (age 49); Bron, France
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Partner	Marina Anissina
Former partner	Marina Morel
Former coach	Muriel Boucher-Zazoui
Skating club	CSG Lyon
Retired	2002
hide Medal record
Figure skating
Ice dancing
Representing France
Olympic Games
World Championships
European Championships
Grand Prix Final

Gwendal Peizerat (born 21 April 1972) is a French former competitive ice dancer. With Marina Anissina, he is the 2002 Olympic champion, the 1998 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2000 World champion, and a six-time French national champion.

Personal life[]

Both of Gwendal Peizerat's parents were involved in figure skating, his father serving as the general secretary of the French federation and his mother in charge of a club in Lyon.^[1] His sister is two years older.

Peizerat holds a management degree from EMLYON Business School, a DEUG in materials science, and a maîtrise in STAPS from Claude Bernard University Lyon 1.^[2] He has two daughters, Shanelle (born in 2012), and Lilas (born 21 December 2013). He released a single "Baby Rock" in 2014.^[3]^[4]

Skating career[]

Early years[]

Peizerat started skating at age four^[1] when he and his sister followed their parents to the ice rink. He went into ice dancing straight away. He was coached by Muriel Boucher-Zazoui since the age of six and throughout his entire career.^[5]^[6]

Boucher-Zazoui paired seven-year-old Peizerat with his first partner, French skater Marina Morel, who was the same age as him; Morel and Peizerat skated together for fourteen years.^[6] They won bronze at the 1989 World Junior Championships and then silver in 1991. Morel retired in 1992.

Partnership with Anissina[]

Following the end of his partnership with Morel, Peizerat responded to a letter he had received a few months earlier from Russian World Junior champion Marina Anissina, who chose him after watching competitions on video.^[6]

Anissina arrived in Lyon in February 1993 and wanted to take him to Russia but his family objected.^[7]^[6] She settled in France, focusing intensely on skating and insisting her partner, who was dividing his time between skating and his education, be equally focused on their career. Their first year together produced many quarrels and they came close to splitting up.^[6] Their coach Muriel Boucher-Zazoui, however, immediately felt it was a promising partnership, saying "They are like fire and ice".^[5]

Anissina and Peizerat were selected for the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer but her French citizenship was granted a few weeks too late.^[7] The Olympics, unlike most skating competitions, require both partners to be citizens of the country they are representing.^{[citation needed]}

Anissina and Peizerat won the 1998 Olympic bronze medal and 1998 and 1999 World silver medals behind Anjelika Krylova and Oleg Ovsyannikov. The Russians retired due to injury and Anissina and Peizerat then developed a rivalry with the Italians Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio. The French won the 2000 European and World Championships.^[8]

In 2001, Anissina and Peizerat won European and World silver behind the Italians but surged past them in 2002 to reclaim their European title and become the Olympic Champions. At the 2002 Olympics, they led after the compulsory dances and the original dance. Their free dance, "Liberty", mixed music with sections from the famed freedom speech by Martin Luther King Jr.; a 5-4 split of the judges' panel had them in first place in this segment ahead of Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh, and they became the first French ice dancers to win the Olympic gold medal.^[9]

After the Olympics, Anissina and Peizerat retired from competition but continued skating together for many years in shows around the world.^[10] During their career, they represented the club Lyon TSC. Their signature move was Anissina lifting Peizerat off the ice, switching the traditional gender roles in lifts.^{[citation needed]}

Peizerat was named a Chevalier of the National Order of Merit (France) in 1998 and a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 2003.^[2] He has done some choreography for other skaters.^[11]

Post-skating career[]

In 2003, Peizerat founded a consulting firm, Soléus.^[2] He has also worked for Eurosport, interviewing athletes.^[2]

In 2010, Peizerat was elected regional councillor on the list of the Socialist Party in the Rhone Alpes region and was subsequently appointed Councillor Delegate in charge of sports in the Regional Executive headed by Jean-Jack Queyranne.

Programs[]

With Anissina[]

Anissina and Peizerat at the 2001–02 GP Final

Season	Original dance	Free dance	Exhibition
1993–1994 ^[12]	Quizás, Quizás, Quizás (Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps) by Osvaldo Farrés	Borrasca by Ottmar Liebert	J'en ai Marre by Hugues Le Bars Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
1994–1995 ^[12]	Sing, Sing, Sing by Louis Prima	Tango by Astor Piazolla	Still Loving You by Scorpions J'en ai Marre by Hugues Le Bars
1995–1996 ^[12]	Ay Mi Sombrero by Genaro Monreal	Latin mix by Xavier Cugat	Kozachok
1996–1997 ^[12]	Docteur Petiot (1990 film) by Michel Portal	Ahla Leila by Muhammad Sultan	Kozachok I'm Sorry performed by Brenda Lee
1997–1998 ^[12]	Snatch and Grab It performed by Dana Gillespie	Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev: The Montagues and the Capulets Death of Juliet	Time To Say Goodbye performed by Sarah Brightman, Andrea Bocelli
1998–1999 ^[12]	Waltz from Masquerade by Aram Khachaturian Waltz from My Sweet and Tender Beast by Eugen Doga	The Man in the Iron Mask by Nick Glennie-Smith: Heart of a King Surrounded	Time To Say Goodbye performed by Sarah Brightman, Andrea Bocelli
1999–2000 ^[12]	Black Machine by Jazz Machine Feeling the Passion by Latin Drums Tres Deseos by Gloria Estefan Black Machine by Jazz Machine Nostalgia de Palmeras by Celia Cruz Tres Deseos by Gloria Estefan	Carmina Burana by Carl Orff: O Fortuna imperatrix munda Fortune plango vulnera	Danse mon Esmeralda (from Notre-Dame de Paris (musical)) performed by Garou
2000–2001 ^[13]^[12]	Foxtrot: More by Nat King Cole Quickstep: Dancing Fool Quickstep: Mr Pinstripe Suit by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Foxtrot: More by Nat King Cole Quickstep	Beethoven's Last Night by Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Overture Ode to Joy Dreams of Candlelight Beethoven	Susanna by VOF de Kunst
2001–2002 ^[14]^[12]	Flamenco: Malagua Tango de Guell Flamenco: Malagua	Non Merci (from Cyrano de Bergerac (1990 film)) by Jean-Claude Petit Canone Inverso by Ennio Morricone Non Merci	Susanna by VOF de Kunst

With Morel[]

Season	Original dance	Free dance	Exhibition
1992–1993	The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II	Libre parcours by René Aubry	French song

Competitive highlights[]

With Anissina[]

Results^[14]^[13]
International
Event	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–00	2000–01	2001–02
Winter Olympics					3rd				1st
World Champ.	10th	6th	4th	5th	2nd	2nd	1st	2nd
European Champ.	12th	5th	4th	4th	3rd	2nd	1st	2nd	1st
GP (CS) Final				3rd	3rd	2nd	1st		2nd
GP International de Paris / Trophée de France/Lalique	3rd	1st	2nd	1st	2nd	1st	1st	1st	1st
GP Nations Cup		1st			2nd
GP NHK Trophy	5th	3rd	1st	2nd		1st	1st	1st	1st
GP Skate Canada			2nd	2nd				1st
GP Skate America		2nd				1st
Ondrej Nepela	1st
Piruetten	5th
National
French Champ.	2nd	2nd	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st
GP = Became part of Champions Series in 1995–96, Grand Prix from 1998 to 1999

With Morel[]

International
Event	1988–89	1989–90	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93
European Champ.				12th
International de Paris				7th	6th
Piruetten					3rd
International: Junior
World Junior Champ.	3rd	4th	2nd
National
French Champ.				3rd	2nd

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Mittan, J. Barry (1996). "Fire on the Ice - Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat". Archived from the original on 13 May 2012.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d "La biographie de Gwendal Peizerat" [Gwendal Peizerat biography] (in French). premiere.fr. 21 November 2013.
^ Ohnona, Joachim (31 March 2014). "Gwendal Peizerat : Le patineur surprend en papa rockeur, avec Baby Rock" [Gwendal Peizerat: The skater surprises as rocker dad with Baby Rock]. Pure People (in French).
^ Peizerat, Gwendal (22 December 2013). "...she was impatient, so yesterday she was born...and her name is Lilas! ;-)". Twitter.com.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Lecaudey, Martine (2 April 2000). "Marina a choisi Gwendal sur une vidéo" [Marina chose Gwendal after watching him on video] (in French). La Dépêche du Midi. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Anissina-Peizerat, un couple de glace" [Anissina-Peizerat, an ice couple] (in French). Le Point. 1 March 2002. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b van Kote, Gilles (19 February 2002). "Pour Marina Anissina, la voie du succès est passée par l'exil" [The road to success through exile for Marina Anissina] (PDF). Le Monde (in French). p. 24.
^ Lecaudey, Martine (1 April 2000). "Anissina-Peizerat enfin au sommet" [Anissina-Peizerat finally at the top] (in French). La Dépêche du Midi. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012.
^ "France's Anissina, Peizerat claim ice dancing event". Associated Press. Sports Illustrated. 18 February 2002. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
^ "L'œil de Marina Anissina" [Under the eye of Marina Anissina]. Sud-Ouest (in French). 5 October 2011. Archived from the original on 7 November 2011.
^ Bangs, Kathleen (15 September 2003). "Peizerat still 'Peaking'". GoldenSkate. Archived from the original on 7 August 2008.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "Free dances - Original dances - Exhibitions - Compulsories list". Archived from the original on 19 July 2006.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Marina ANISSINA / Gwendal PEIZERAT: 2000/2001". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 20 August 2001.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Marina ANISSINA / Gwendal PEIZERAT: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 3 August 2002.

External links[]

Official Website GwendalPeizerat.com
Gwendal Peizerat at the International Skating Union
Anissina/Peizerat (English)

[jbm96-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b Mittan, J. Barry (1996). "Fire on the Ice - Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat". Archived from the original on 13 May 2012.

[prem131121-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d "La biographie de Gwendal Peizerat" [Gwendal Peizerat biography] (in French). premiere.fr. 21 November 2013.

[PP140331-3] Ohnona, Joachim (31 March 2014). "Gwendal Peizerat : Le patineur surprend en papa rockeur, avec Baby Rock" [Gwendal Peizerat: The skater surprises as rocker dad with Baby Rock]. Pure People (in French).

[twit131222-4] Peizerat, Gwendal (22 December 2013). "...she was impatient, so yesterday she was born...and her name is Lilas! ;-)". Twitter.com.

[ladepeche000402-5] Jump up to: ^a ^b Lecaudey, Martine (2 April 2000). "Marina a choisi Gwendal sur une vidéo" [Marina chose Gwendal after watching him on video] (in French). La Dépêche du Midi. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012.

[lepoint020301-6] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Anissina-Peizerat, un couple de glace" [Anissina-Peizerat, an ice couple] (in French). Le Point. 1 March 2002. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2011.

[monde020219-7] Jump up to: ^a ^b van Kote, Gilles (19 February 2002). "Pour Marina Anissina, la voie du succès est passée par l'exil" [The road to success through exile for Marina Anissina] (PDF). Le Monde (in French). p. 24.

[ladepeche000401-8] Lecaudey, Martine (1 April 2000). "Anissina-Peizerat enfin au sommet" [Anissina-Peizerat finally at the top] (in French). La Dépêche du Midi. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012.

[ap020218-9] "France's Anissina, Peizerat claim ice dancing event". Associated Press. Sports Illustrated. 18 February 2002. Retrieved 31 May 2011.

[oeil-10] "L'œil de Marina Anissina" [Under the eye of Marina Anissina]. Sud-Ouest (in French). 5 October 2011. Archived from the original on 7 November 2011.

[gs091503-11] Bangs, Kathleen (15 September 2003). "Peizerat still 'Peaking'". GoldenSkate. Archived from the original on 7 August 2008.

[prog-12] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "Free dances - Original dances - Exhibitions - Compulsories list". Archived from the original on 19 July 2006.

[bio0001-13] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Marina ANISSINA / Gwendal PEIZERAT: 2000/2001". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 20 August 2001.

[bio0102-14] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Marina ANISSINA / Gwendal PEIZERAT: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 3 August 2002.

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