Todd Eldredge

Todd Eldredge

Eldredge in 2010.
Personal information
Country represented United States
Born (1971-08-28) August 28, 1971
Chatham, Massachusetts
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Former coach Richard Callaghan
Skating club Los Angeles FSC
Began skating 1976
Retired 2002

Todd James Eldredge (born August 28, 1971) is an American former competitive figure skater. He is the 1996 World champion and a six-time U.S. national champion (1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2002). He competed at three Winter Olympics.

Career

Eldredge began skating when he was five years old and moved from Chatham, Massachusetts to Philadelphia at age ten to train with Richard Callaghan.[1][2] He later trained at the Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and at the Onyx in Rochester Hills, Michigan.[3] He won silver at the 1987 World Junior Championships and then gold in 1988.[4] He took bronze at the 1988 Skate America.

In the 1989–90 season, Eldredge won his first senior national title and was sent to the 1990 World Championships, where he finished fifth. The following season, he repeated as the national champion and then took the bronze medal at the 1991 World Championships. Although Eldredge missed the 1992 U.S. Championships, he was nominated to represent the U.S. at the 1992 Winter Olympics. He placed tenth in Albertville and then seventh at the 1992 World Championships.

Eldredge struggled during the next two seasons, placing sixth at the 1993 U.S. Championships and fourth in 1994, and was not selected for the 1994 Olympics. He regained momentum in the 1994–95 season, taking silver at the 1994 Goodwill Games and gold at the 1994 Skate America and 1994 NHK Trophy. He then won his third national title and silver at the 1995 World Championships. In 1996, he came away with silver at the U.S. Championships but won gold at the 1996 World Championships.

In the 1996-1997 season Eldredge started off on fire, easily beating Alexei Urmanov (who also skated cleanly) to win Skate America. He controversially lost the Grand Prix final to Elvis Stojko who landed the first ever quadruple-triple combination, but had other errors, including a fall on his 2nd triple axel. Eldredge skated a clean and more complete program, but suffered from the home country scoring of the event in Canada. He regained his U.S title easily, in the absence of defending Champion Rudy Galindo, who was now professional. At the World Championships Eldredge skated a spectacular short program, but due to the very early draw he finished 2nd to Alexei Urmanov who skated near the very end. The top 6 were all clean with triple axel-triple toe combinations. Elvis Stojko though came from 4th to win the gold after a flawless long program with a quadruple-triple combination. Eldredge first singled, then later fell on his 2nd triple axel try, sealing his fate when combined with that he also didn't have a quadruple jump to begin with.

In the pivotal year of his career in 1997-1998, Eldredge suffered through a sluggish grand prix circuit. First winning Skate America with an uninspiring skate, after injuring himself in warm up. Then placing only 4th at Trophee Lalique, won by rising start Alexei Yagudin. He controversially finished 3rd at the Grand Prix final where most believed he deserved at least 2nd place above Elvis Stojko. He skated cleanly, apart from a doubled triple loop, and strangely lost to Stojko who fell on his quadruple attempt. He then finished fourth at his second Olympics, in Nagano, after a crushing long program performance, managing only 5 of 8 planned triples, when a clean skate would have garnered him at least silver comfortably. He rebounded to win silver at a watered down World Championships in his home country, an event missing all 3 Olympic medalists. A fall in the short program cost him the gold to rising star Alexei Yagudin, despite comfortably winning the long program with a strong skate.

Eldredge continued to compete in pro ams and leave the door open for a return to amateur figure skating. In 2000, he landed his first quadruple jump in competition at the Masters of Figure Skating. He competed in various events through the 1999-2000 season, yet oddly did not skate at the World Championships. Eldredge withdrew from the 2001 Four Continents Championships due to an ankle injury.[1] He returned to the U.S Championships for the first time since 1998, and took silver behind Tim Goebel, but then edged Goebel for the bronze at the World Championships where most felt he deserved silver over an injured and flawed Alexei Yagudin. In 2002, he won his sixth U.S. title and placed sixth in his third Olympic appearance. After retiring from competition, he toured with Stars on Ice.

Eldredge was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame during the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. On January 31, 2011, the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame announced Eldredge as a nominee for an outstanding competitor in the men's category.[5]

Eldredge formerly coached at the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida.[3] In April 2012, he underwent left hip replacement surgery.[3][6] As of 2014, he coaches at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in McKinney, Texas.[7]

Personal life

Eldredge was born in Chatham, Massachusetts.[8] He married Megan McCrea on September 3, 2005, in St. Petersburg, Florida.[9] In 2008, he moved to Florida.[3] In March 2009, he said he was divorced.[2] Eldredge married Sabrina Corbaci on September 28, 2012, in San Diego, California.[10][11] Corbaci is a graphic designer and two-time (1991, 1992) U.S. novice pairs medalist with Eddy Zeidler.[6] They have two sons — Ayrton, born May 26, 2012,[12][13] and Rhyder, born in 2004.[7]

Programs

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2001–2002
[8]
2000–2001
[1]
  • 1492: Conquest of Paradise
    by Vangelis
1999–2000
  • The 13th Warrior

Competitive highlights

Post-1993

International[1][8]
Event 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02
Olympics 4th 6th
Worlds 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd 3rd
Four Continents 4th WD
Grand Prix Final 5th 2nd 3rd WD 4th
GP Int. Paris/Lalique 1st 1st 4th 2nd
GP Nations Cup 3rd
GP NHK Trophy 1st
GP Skate America 4th 1st 1st 1st 1st 3rd
GP Skate Canada 4th 2nd 3rd
Goodwill Games 2nd 1st
National[1][8]
U.S. Champ. 4th 1st 2nd 1st 1st 2nd 1st
GP = Became part of Champions Series in 1995–96, Grand Prix from 1998–99
WD = Withdrew
Eldredge did not compete in 1998–99 season.

Pre-1993

International
Event 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93
Olympics 10th
Worlds 5th 3rd 7th
Nations Cup 2nd 1st
NHK Trophy 6th
Skate America 3rd 3rd 3rd 1st
Goodwill Games 3rd
Nebelhorn 1st
St. Gervais 1st
International: Junior
Junior Worlds 5th 2nd 1st
National
U.S. Champ. 7th N. 2nd N. 1st N. 5th J. 1st J. 8th 5th 1st 1st 6th
Levels: N. = Novice; J. = Junior

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Todd ELDREDGE: 2000/2001". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 9, 2001.
  2. 1 2 Fillo, MaryEllen (March 1, 2009). "Spilling the Beans with Todd Eldredge". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on March 6, 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Barnas, Jo-Ann (April 26, 2012). "Former figure skating champ Todd Eldredge getting new hip". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012.
  4. ↑ "World Junior Figure Skating Championships: Men" (PDF). International Skating Union. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 24, 2013.
  5. ↑ , 2011 World Figure Skating Hall of Fame Nominees
  6. 1 2 Brannen, Sarah S.; Meekins, Drew (May 8, 2012). "The Inside Edge: New hips and safe travels". IceNetwork.
  7. 1 2 Elfman, Lois (July 31, 2014). "Lone star: Eldredge takes teaching talents to Texas". IceNetwork.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Todd ELDREDGE: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on August 10, 2002.
  9. ↑ Walden, Tammy (December 15, 2005). "Alliance native marries in magical destination wedding". the-review.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2012.
  10. ↑ https://twitter.com/toddeldredge/status/251655954976890881
  11. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9RUdSYUzw0&list=UUi4fq5uoGPcKfltBnY8-NAA&index=5&feature=plcp
  12. ↑ Brannen, Sarah S.; Meekins, Drew (June 8, 2012). "The Inside Edge: Young Artists Showcase". IceNetwork.
  13. ↑ https://twitter.com/toddeldredge/status/206317591432671232/photo/1
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