Philippe Candeloro
Encyclopedia
Philippe Candeloro (born 17 February 1972) is a French
figure skater
who medalled at the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics.
, in France
, 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
.
Candeloro'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 springboard. In 1979, at age seven, Candeloro 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 Candeloro'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. He stole one of his first pairs of skates. His mother paid for them when the theft was discovered.
When he was 10, the French Federation offered him a place at the prestigious national training center in Paris, INSEP. 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
. He began to work with choreographer Natacha Dabadie, and a trip to the 1992 Olympics
seemed imminent. However, 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 expectations in Lillehammer, winning a bronze medal. The surprise victory launched Candeloro onto the world stage.
After the Olympics, Candeloro became a favorite on the exhibition circuit, becoming an audience favorite in the American Champions on Ice
tour and other events. In France he attracted 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 and originality were highly praised, he was criticized for having less than polished technique on his jumps and spins.
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 a 6.0 for artistry, compelled the French Federation to send him to the Olympics again. He marched in the opening ceremonies at Nagano
. In the competition he earned 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. He also appeared on television as Captain Sheng in a Disney
television special based on the cartoon Mulan
. Michelle Kwan
played the title role.
During the 2006 Olympics, Candeloro stirred controversy by commenting that Olympic champion Shizuka Arakawa
was "worth a bowl of rice" after rising to win the gold medal from third place. French public television later apologized to the Japanese ambassador to France, Hiroshi Hirabayashi, who didn't even know of the comment, in a statement, "We were taken back by the comment." However, this apology drew the Japanese media's attention to his comment.
In February 2008 he started his farewell tour through France. The show "Hello and Goodbye" is a medley of all the classic characters he portrayed.
Candeloro is known to be a big fan of Japanese female figure skater, Mao Asada
, and calls himself her godfather on ice.
", "The Godfather
" (1994 Olympics), "Lucky Luke
" (1996), and "Napoleon
" (1997). In 1998, Candeloro portrayed D'Artagnan composed by Maxime Rodriguez
. His programme included a mock swordfight with intricate footwork that covered the entire length of the rink.
Professionally, Philippe has created programs depicting Braveheart
, George of the Jungle
, The Matrix
, and a Spanish flamenco
dancer. His signature move, in which he spins and drops to his knees on the ice, is banned in amateur competition. Candeloro developed the spin accidentally when he slipped to his knees during a scratch spin
.
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.
In 2008, Candeloro was involved in the development of a namesake rose, the Philippe Candeloro rose with famous rose breeder Lyonnais Jean-Pierre Guillot.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
figure skater
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
who medalled at the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics.
Early years
Philippe Candeloro was born in CourbevoieCourbevoie
Courbevoie is a commune located very close to the centre of Paris, France. The centre of Courbevoie is situated 2 kilometres from the outer limits of Paris and 8.2 km...
, in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the youngest of four children. His father, Luigi, was a mason
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
, and, a few years after Philippe's birth, built a family home in the Parisian suburb of Colombes
Colombes
Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes ....
.
Candeloro'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 springboard. In 1979, at age seven, Candeloro 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 Candeloro's potential and invited him to increase his skating practices. At first, he participated in the village's hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
team but quickly veered into figure skating. He stole one of his first pairs of skates. His mother paid for them when the theft was discovered.
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, INSEP. 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
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. He began to work with choreographer Natacha Dabadie, and a trip to the 1992 Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
seemed imminent. However, 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
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
. He exceeded all expectations in Lillehammer, winning a bronze medal. The surprise victory launched Candeloro onto the world stage.
After the Olympics, Candeloro became a favorite on the exhibition circuit, becoming an audience favorite in the American Champions on Ice
Champions on Ice
Champions on Ice was a touring ice show in the United States. The show featured a large cast of both professional and Olympic-eligible figure skaters along with novelty acts such as skating acrobats. The shows were focused primarily on solo performances by the skaters rather than ensemble work or...
tour and other events. In France he attracted sponsorships and television and print publicity.
In competitive circles, Candeloro's star rose and fell. He had consistently strong showings at the 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...
, at Europeans
European Figure Skating Championships
The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion...
and on the Grand Prix
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating is a series of international invitational competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Elite figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing...
circuit, but never managed to win a title outright. While his artistry and originality were highly praised, he was criticized for having less than polished technique on his jumps and spins.
By 1998, however, Candeloro fought his way back to the top of the skating world with his "D'Artagnan
D'Artagnan
Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Comte d'Artagnan served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard and died at the Siege of Maastricht in the Franco-Dutch War. A fictionalized account of his life by Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras formed the basis for the d'Artagnan Romances of...
" programme. His performance at Europeans, for which he earned a 6.0 for artistry, compelled the French Federation to send him to the Olympics again. He marched in the opening ceremonies at Nagano
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
. In the competition he earned 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
Champions on Ice
Champions on Ice was a touring ice show in the United States. The show featured a large cast of both professional and Olympic-eligible figure skaters along with novelty acts such as skating acrobats. The shows were focused primarily on solo performances by the skaters rather than ensemble work or...
; 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. He also appeared on television as Captain Sheng in a Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
television special based on the cartoon Mulan
Mulan
Mulan is a 1998 American animated film directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, with story by Robert D. San Souci and screenplay by Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik, Chris Sanders, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, and Raymond Singer. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney...
. Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...
played the title role.
During the 2006 Olympics, Candeloro stirred controversy by commenting that Olympic champion Shizuka Arakawa
Shizuka Arakawa
is a Japanese figure skater.She is the 2006 Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles and the 2004 World Champion. Arakawa is the first Japanese skater to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating and the second Japanese skater to win any Olympic medal in figure skating, after Midori Ito, who won silver...
was "worth a bowl of rice" after rising to win the gold medal from third place. French public television later apologized to the Japanese ambassador to France, Hiroshi Hirabayashi, who didn't even know of the comment, in a statement, "We were taken back by the comment." However, this apology drew the Japanese media's attention to his comment.
In February 2008 he started his farewell tour through France. The show "Hello and Goodbye" is a medley of all the classic characters he portrayed.
Candeloro is known to be a big fan of Japanese female figure skater, Mao Asada
Mao Asada
is a Japanese figure skater.She is the 2010 Winter Olympic silver medalist, the 2008 & 2010 World champion, the 2008 & 2010 Four Continents champion, a two-time Grand Prix Final champion, the 2005 World Junior champion, the 2004–2005 Junior Grand Prix Final champion and a four-time Japanese...
, and calls himself her godfather on ice.
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 choreography around each concept. His most well known long programmes include "ConanConan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
", "The Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
" (1994 Olympics), "Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke is a Belgian comics series created by Belgian cartoonist, Maurice De Bevere better known as Morris, the original artist, and was for one period written by René Goscinny...
" (1996), and "Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
" (1997). In 1998, Candeloro portrayed D'Artagnan composed by Maxime Rodriguez
Maxime Rodriguez
Maxime Rodriguez, born in Colombes, France, is a French composer. Many of his works, such as Esperanza, Child of Nazareth, and Tango Volver, D'Artagnan, Coeur Brave, L'enfant pur, have been used for figure skating programs....
. His programme included a mock swordfight with intricate footwork that covered the entire length of the rink.
Professionally, Philippe has created programs depicting Braveheart
Braveheart
Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
, George of the Jungle
George of the Jungle
George of the Jungle was an American animated series produced by Jay Ward and Bill Scott, who created The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. The character George was inspired by the legend of Tarzan. It ran for 17 episodes on Saturday mornings from September 9 to December 30, 1967, on the American TV...
, The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
, and a Spanish flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
dancer. His signature move, in which he spins and drops to his knees on the ice, is banned in amateur competition. Candeloro developed the spin accidentally when he slipped to his knees during a scratch spin
Upright spin
The Upright spin is one of the three basic figure skating spin positions. It is defined as a spin position with an extended skating leg which is not a camel position...
.
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.
Personal life
Candeloro is married to ballet dancer Olivia Darmon, with whom he has three daughters: Luna Nizza, Maya Estella and Thalia Soleya. He was introduced to Olivia by the choreographer of his 1994 Olympic program, Natasha Dabadie. He speaks several languages besides French, including English and Italian.In 2008, Candeloro was involved in the development of a namesake rose, the Philippe Candeloro rose with famous rose breeder Lyonnais Jean-Pierre Guillot.
Results
| Event | 1988-89 | 1989-90 | 1990-91 | 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating... |
3rd | 3rd | ||||||||
| 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... |
14th | 9th | 5th | 2nd | 3rd | 9th | ||||
| European Championships European Figure Skating Championships The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion... |
8th | 5th | 2nd | 5th | 4th | 5th | 2nd | 5th | ||
| World Junior Championships World Junior Figure Skating Championships The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion... |
4th | 5th | ||||||||
| French Championships French Figure Skating Championships The French Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of France. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. Skaters compete at the senior level... |
4th | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | WD |
| Skate America Skate America Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is organized by the United States Figure Skating Association. The location changes yearly... |
6th | 5th | 5th | 2nd | ||||||
| NHK Trophy NHK Trophy The NHK Trophy is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
1st | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 7th | |||||
| Trophée Lalique | 7th | 5th | 4th | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | ||||
| Nations Cup | 4th | |||||||||