Philippe Candeloro

| colspan=3 align=center| |
| colspan=3 | Figure Skating |
| bgcolor="#cc9966"| Bronze | 1994 | Men's Singles |
| bgcolor="#cc9966"| Bronze | 1998 | Men's Singles |
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Philippe Candeloro (born February 17, 1972 in Courbevoie) is a French figure skater.

Early years

Philippe Candeloro was born in Courbevoie, in France, on the 17th of February 1972, the youngest of four children. His father, Luigi, was a mason, and, a few years after Philippe's birth, built a family home in the Parisian suburb of Colombes.

Colombes, which hosted several events of the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, still boasted many sporting facilities in the 1970's. Although Philippe's early tastes ran more to action heroes than athletics, he too began to foster an interest in sports. At first, he liked swimming and elastic springboard1.

In 1979, at age seven, Philippe began taking weekly skating lessons. He displayed natural talent, taking to the ice with flair while his friends fell. During one of his first lessons, trainer André Brunet noted Philippe's potential and invited him to increase his skating practices. At first, he participated in the village's hockey team but quickly veered into figure skating.

Skating career

Within a few years of beginning his skating career, Candeloro found himself on the fast track with the French figure skating federation. He was invited to the summer skating training camp at Font-Romeu, which would become an annual event for him.
When he was 10, the French Federation offered him a place at the prestigious national training center in Paris, INSEP2. Candeloro refused this invitation, opting instead to continue training in Colombes with Brunet. At the age of 16, he left school to concentrate full time on his training.

By sixteen, Candeloro was receiving attention from both the French Federation and the international skating community. He participated in the closing ceremony at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. With renowned choreographer Natacha Dabadie3 he began to infuse his programmes with even more spark and originality, and a trip to the 1992 Olympics seemed imminent. Sadly, in October 1991, only months before the Games, he broke his leg and was forced to leave the national team and Olympic training squad.

1994 offered Candeloro another chance. He was invited to rejoin the national team and competed in the Olympics that winter. He exceeded all expecations in Lillehammer, winning a bronze medal. The surprise victory launched Candeloro onto the world stage.

After the Olymics, Candeloro became a favorite on the exhibition circuit, wowing crowds across the United States in the Champions on Ice tour and other events. In France he was a bonafide celebrity, attracting sponsorships and television and print publicity.

In competitive circles, Candeloro's star rose and fell. He had consistently strong showings at the World Championships, at Europeans and on the Grand Prix circuit, but never managed to win a title outright. While his artistry was unparalleled, he was criticized for having less than polished technique on his jumps and spins, and could not always keep up to the technical level of other skaters such as Ilia Kulik.

By 1998, however, Candeloro fought his way back to the top of the skating world with his "D'Artagnan" programme. His performance at Europeans, for which he earned 6.0's for artistry, compelled the French Federation to send him to the Olympics again. He marched in the opening ceremonies in Nagano. In the competition he once again shattered expectations with an outstanding performance to earn another bronze medal.

Following the 1998 Olympics, Candeloro turned pro and appeared in a wide variety of tours and professional competitions. In the USA he was a popular fixture with Champions on Ice; in Europe he founded the successful Candel Euro Tour. He most recently appeared in the "Holiday on Ice" tour, and is now starting a new career as a sports journalist.

Artistry

As a competitive skater, Candeloro was easily recognized by his energetic style and unique choreography. He usually portrayed specific characters on the ice, and constructed his long programmes' music, costumes and choreogaphy around each concept. His most well known long programmes include "Conan", "The Godfather" (1994 Olympics), "Lucky Luke" (1996) and "Napoleon" (1997). In 1998, Candeloro portrayed D'Artagnan from The Three Musketeers. His brilliantly choreographed programme included a mock swordfight with intricate footwork that covered the entire length of the rink.

Candeloro's focus on artistry began early in his career, when he was bothered by the fact that figure skating is often considered a feminine sport and feared ridicule from his friends. Indeed, one of his first programmes involved combat between an Indian and a Cowboy.


Trivia


* Married to dancer Olivia Darmon, with whom he has two daughters.
* Speaks several languages besides French, including English and Italian.
* Stole one of his first pairs of skates. His mother paid for them when the theft was discovered.
* One of Candeloro's early exhibition programmes, "Living in America," was criticized by some Americans because he wore an American flag robe and threw it down onto the ice. He solved the problem by handing the robe to someone on the sidelines instead of tossing it.
* His signature move, in which he spins and drops to his knees on the ice, is banned in amateur competition.
* Appeared as Captain Sheng in a Disney television special based on the cartoon Mulan. Michelle Kwan played the title role.

Competitive Highlights

1998

Olympic Games--3rd
European Championships--5th

1997

World Championships--
European Championships--2nd
French National Championships--1st
Trophee Lalique (Grand Prix)--2nd

1996

World Championships--9th
European Championships--5th
French National Championships--1st
NHK Trophy (Grand Prix)--7th

1995

World Championships--3rd
European Championships--2nd

1994

Olympic Games--3rd
World Championships--2nd
European Championships--5th

See also

*Figure skating
*Olympic medalists in figure skating
*World Figure Skating Championships
*European Figure Skating Championships

*Japanese Philippe Candeloro website in English
*Fan site
*Philippe Candeloro Gallery

Candeloro, Philippe
Candeloro, Philippe
Candeloro, Philippe
Candeloro, Philippe
Candeloro, Philippe
Candeloro, Philippe

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