John Donald McPherson was a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 figure skater. He is the 1963 World Champion

World Figure Skating Championships

The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...

 and the 1963 Canadian national champion

Canadian Figure Skating Championships

The Canadian Figure Skating Championships is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of Canada. It is organized by Skate Canada, the nation's figure skating governing body. The levels of the competition are senior and junior; in some years, the novice level has...

. He represented Canada at the 1960 Winter Olympics

Canada at the 1960 Winter Olympics

Canada competed at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, United States. Canada has competed at every Winter Olympic Games.-Medalists:- Alpine skiing:MenWomen- Cross-country skiing:Men- Figure skating:MenWomenPairs...

, where he placed 10th at the age of 15

Figure skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics

The figure skating 1960 Winter Olympics results in Squaw Valley, California, United States.-Men's Singles:-Ladies Singles:-Pairs:-Medal table:-Men:Referee:* Rudolf MarxAssistant Referee:* Harold G. Storke...

. He turned 15 years old during the Olympic figure skating competition.

Donald McPherson started to skate with the age of 4. He represented the Stratford Figure Skating Club in Ontario, and was coached by Dennis Silverthorne

Dennis Silverthorne

Dennis Alfred Silverthorne was a British pair skater who competed with his sister Winifred Silverthorne. The pair won the silver medal at the 1947 European Figure Skating Championships and finished fourth at that year's World Figure Skating Championships...

. He won the 1963 World Figure Skating Championships

1963 World Figure Skating Championships

The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion....

 at the age of 18, becoming the youngest men's World Champion. McPherson won his World title skating on an unusual pair of skates with small serrations in the blades.

Following that win, he turned professional, starring in Dick Button

Dick Button

Richard Totten "Dick" Button is an American former figure skater and a well-known long-time skating television analyst. He is a two-time Olympic Champion and five-time World Champion...

's Ice-Travanganza at the 1964 New York World's Fair

1964 New York World's Fair

The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major world's fair to be held in New York City. Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding," dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe";...

. He also toured for 11 years for Holiday on Ice

Holiday on Ice

Holiday on Ice is an ice show currently produced by Joop van den Ende's Stage Entertainment Group with its headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands...

, and won the 1965 World Professional Figure Skating Championships

World Professional Figure Skating Championships

The World Professional Figure Skating Championships, often referred to as Landover, was an elite made-for-TV figure skating competition. It was created by Dick Button, a 2-time Olympic gold medalist, through his production company Candid Productions. It usually took place in December...

.

He was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1963 and the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1996.

Later in life, he moved to Munich, Germany. He died of complications arising from diabetes in Munich on 24 November 2001.

Competitive highlights

Event	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963
Winter Olympic Games Figure skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics The figure skating 1960 Winter Olympics results in Squaw Valley, California, United States.-Men's Singles:-Ladies Singles:-Pairs:-Medal table:-Men:Referee:* Rudolf MarxAssistant Referee:* Harold G. Storke...		10th
World Championships World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...		8th		4th	1st
North American Championships North American Figure Skating Championships The North American Figure Skating Championships were a former elite figure skating competition for skaters from the United States and Canada. It was a biennial competition held between 1923 and 1971, with locations alternating between the two countries.Although the event was classified as an...	6th		5th		1st
Canadian Championships Canadian Figure Skating Championships The Canadian Figure Skating Championships is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of Canada. It is organized by Skate Canada, the nation's figure skating governing body. The levels of the competition are senior and junior; in some years, the novice level has...	1st J.	2nd	2nd	2nd	1st

• J = Junior level