Elvis Stojko

One of the best known names in men’s figure skating, Elvis Stojko was named after another famous Elvis, singer Elvis Presley, and began his career on the ice at the age of four. He attended his first World Championship in 1990, placing 9th, and the following year he was the first man to land a quadruple-double jump combination at an international tournament, although he only placed 6th overall. He came in 7th at the 1992 Winter Olympics, but also reached the international podium for the first time that year with a bronze medal at the World Championships. He improved to second place in 1993 and, a year later, took the Canadian and World Championships in addition to a silver medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics. That year he won the Lionel Conacher Award as Canada’s top male athlete. Although he suffered a serious ankle injury that caused him to withdraw from the Canadian Championships, he nevertheless retained his World Championship title in 1995 and retook the Canadian one in 1996, which he would hold on to for an additional five years, through 2000. After falling during a triple axel jump at the 1996 World Championships, he pulled off the first quadruple toe loop-triple toe loop in international competition and managed to finish in 4th place. He regained the world title for a final time in 1997.

Stojko experienced a groin injury, as well as a bout with the flu, in 1998 prior to that year’s Winter Olympics. Although he managed to win a second silver medal at the tournament, he severely strained the injury and decided not to attend that year’s World Championships. He placed fourth, second and tenth at the 1999, 2000 and 2001 World Championships respectively and did not skate at the latter year’s Canadian Championships. He regained the Canadian title a final time in 2002, but placed only 8th at the Winter Olympics and decided to turn professional. He skated for four more years before retiring in 2006. He is also a black belt in karate, which he earned at the age of 16. In 1997 his autobiography “Heart and Soul” was published and he now lives in Mexico, married to Mexican figure skater Gladys Orozco since 2010.