Sport by Dr Denise Amos

Ice dancing

Torvill and Dean (photo courtesy of Nottinghamshire Archives).
Torvill and Dean (photograph courtesy of Nottinghamshire Archives).

Probably the most famous sports personalities of the county in recent years are Jayne Torville and Christopher Dean, the Ice dancing champions of the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics when they won an outstanding 6.0 across the board with their interpretation of Ravel’s Bolero. They had previously set a high precedent at the 1983 World Championships when they danced Barnum in Helsinki. The pair turned professional following the 1984 Olympics, regaining amateur status briefly ten years later in 1994 to compete in the Olympics once again.

The pair retired from competitive skating for good in 1998 when they toured one last time with their own show, Ice Adventures. They had trained at the Nottingham Ice Rink which was built in 1939 and which was demolished in 1995 to make way for the more fashionable National Ice Centre, accessed through Bolero Square.

 

Event

1975-1976

1976-1977

1977-1978

1978-1979

1979-1980

1980-1981

1981-1982

1982-1983

1983-1984

1993-1994

Winter Olympic Games

       

5th

     

1st

3rd

World Championships

   

11th

8th

4th

1st

1st

1st

1st

 

European Championships

   

9th

6th

4th

1st

1st

Withdrew

1st

1st

British Championships

 

4th

3rd

1st

1st

1st

1st

1st

1st

1st