Paul Duchesnay
Olympic medal record | ||
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Representing France | ||
Figure skating | ||
1992 Albertville | Ice dancing |
Paul Duchesnay | |
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Personal information | |
Country represented | France |
Former country(ies) represented | Canada |
Born | Metz, France | July 31, 1961
Height | 5 ft 8.5 in (1.74 m)[1] |
Former partner | Isabelle Duchesnay |
Retired | 1996 |
show
Medal record |
Paul Duchesnay (born July 31, 1961 in Metz, France) is a retired ice dancer who represented France for most of his career. With his sister Isabelle Duchesnay, he is the 1991 World champion and the 1992 Olympic silver medalist.
Career[]
The Duchesnays started skating at an early age in Canada in pairs. Their first major success came at the 1982 Canadian Nationals, where they placed second in the junior competition. After a serious accident where Isabelle hit her head, they switched to ice dancing. Over time, the Duchesnays’ skating became more innovative and revolutionary with help from 1984 Olympic champion Christopher Dean. After Skate Canada criticized their skating, they decided to leave the Canadian team. In 1985, they began skating for their mother's homeland, France. They were coached by Martin Skotnicky, based out of Oberstdorf, Germany.
The Duchesnays’ 1988 Winter Olympics programs were considered unusual. Their free dance, a jungle-inspired dance set to drums, was not well received by judges and they finished eighth overall.[2] Despite the judges’ reactions, the Duchesnays continued skating in their unusual and innovative style. They placed third and second in the 1989 and 1990 World Championships, respectively. They won their only World title at the 1991 Worlds in Munich, Germany.
The Duchesnays were favoured to win gold at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.[3][4] They won the silver medal behind Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko. The Duchesnays then retired from amateur competition and competed professionally until Paul suffered a serious rollerblading accident in 1996.
In 1996, the Duchesnays were nominated for a Gemini Award in Best Performance - Performing Arts Program or Series for their performance in “The Planets”.[5][6] [1] Paul Duchesnay is now a coach in the United States.[2]
Personal life[]
Paul Duchesnay was born to a French mother and Canadian father.[3] He was born in France but his family moved to Aylmer, Quebec, in 1962. He also had an elder brother, Gaston who died in 1991.[7]
Results[]
(ice dance with Isabelle Duchesnay)
International | ||||||||||
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Event | 1982–83 | 1983–84 | 1984–85 | 1985–86 | 1986–87 | 1987–88 | 1988–89 | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1991–92 |
Olympics | 8th | 2nd | ||||||||
Worlds | 12th | 9th | 6th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | ||||
Europeans | 8th | 5th | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | |||||
Skate America | 1st | |||||||||
Nebelhorn | 2nd | |||||||||
National | ||||||||||
French | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||||||
Canadian | 4th | 4th | 3rd |
Amateur Career Programs[]
Season | Original Set Pattern Dance | Free Dance | Exhibition |
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1991-1992 |
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1990-1991 |
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1989-1990 |
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1988-1989 |
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1987-1988 |
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1986-1987 |
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References[]
- ^ Sports Reference
- ^ Swift, E.M. (7 March 1988). "So Much For Originality". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Janofsky, Michael (14 February 1992). "ALBERTVILLE; Duchesnays Try to Make Just as Striking an Exit". The New York Times.
- ^ Swift, E.M. (24 February 1992). "Theater Of The Absurd: After making the bizarre the norm, the Duchesnays went conservative and lost". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ "1995-1996 10th Gemini Awards". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 15 May 2006.
- ^ "The Planets". Bullfrog Films, Inc.
- ^ Hersh, Phil (October 13, 1991). "Bittersweet life for Duchesnays". Chicago Tribune.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paul Duchesnay. |
- 1961 births
- Living people
- Canadian male ice dancers
- European Figure Skating Championships medalists
- French emigrants to Quebec
- French male ice dancers
- Figure skaters at the 1988 Winter Olympics
- Figure skaters at the 1992 Winter Olympics
- Medalists at the 1992 Winter Olympics
- Olympic figure skaters of Canada
- Olympic figure skaters of France
- Olympic medalists in figure skating
- Olympic silver medalists for France
- Sportspeople from Gatineau
- Sportspeople from Metz
- World Figure Skating Championships medalists