Sale made her Olympic debut at the 1994 Lillehammer Games, placing 12th with Jason Turner at the age of 17. That spring, she and Turner placed 16th at the World Championships in Chiba, Japan. That summer, they split and Sale pursued a singles career. Her best solo effort was fifth place at the 1995 Canadian nationals in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She called Pelletier twice before things finally jelled. They both left their previous coaches to work with Richard Gauthier, who they have since left to train with Jan Ullmark, who is based in Edmonton. The pair still works with Michelle Kwan's former choreographer, Lori Nichol; "Lori brings out the best in our skating," Sale says. Sale says he brought out the best in them while the pair worked through communication problems and attitude adjustments. First of all, Pelletier speaks French and Sale speaks English. Also, Sale would say something, he'd take it the wrong way, and they would leave the ice mad. Sale says that after Gauthier gave Pelletier some books by self-help guru Tony Robbins, Pelletier did a 180-degree turn. Now he's got such a positive attitude that it's sometimes almost annoying, Sale says.

Bladed beginnings

Sale first stepped on the ice at age 3 at a rink down the street. She wore double-bladed skates to help her balance. Her mother enrolled her in gymnastics and figure skating classes when she was 5. By age 7, she chose figure skating, although she says she's not sure why.

Official Olympic Site 2002

Pelletier hurt his lower back around Christmas of 1998, right before the 1999 nationals. After nationals, his back spasms continued, so they pulled out of the 1999 Four Continents and then the 1999 worlds. They returned in April 1999. Pelletier says he thinks the injury was a result of doing lifts and twists over the years and that it worsened because he didn't take care of it. He says he should have been strengthening his lower back the whole time instead of his pectorals, but thought "a strong chest looks better on the beach." As a result of the time off, they had truly been skating together for only a year when they won the 1999 Skate America. Since his condition will always be there; he controls it with specific daily exercises daily. He says of the setback, "When someone gives you a kick in the butt, you go forward, right?"

Fightin' words

Pelletier and his two brothers all learned to figure skate. When David had to choose between hockey and figure skating at age 15, he picked skating because his mother liked it. He also knew he would never make Canada's hockey elite. It was not the most prudent thing to do in small-town Quebec, where he says it was considered to be a feminine sport. He was fighting nearly every day with boys who teased him. In retrospect, he says, "Good thing I played hockey," because he knew how to land a punch.

Official Olympic Site 2002

Results / Eredmények

(1): Allison GAYLOR - David PELLETIER, CAN; (2): Caroline ROY - David PELLETIER, CAN;
(3): Jamie SALE - Jason TURNER, CAN ; (S): Jamie SALE, CAN - Single

International Competition:

International Skating Union, Chemin de Primerose 2, CH - 1007 Lausanne 16.03.2001

After the long program, Canadian pairs skaters Jamie Sale (pronounced SA-lay) and David Pelletier were awarded the silver medal. It was a controversial and bittersweet result for the Canadians. They fell to Russians Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, a pair that Pelletier and Sale defeated at the 2001 World Championships. In the days following the event, allegations of corruption and coercion among the judges prompted a full investigation by the International Skating Union. After suspending the French judge, the ISU recommended to the International Olympic Committee that the Canadians should be awarded the gold. The IOC obliged the ISU and announced that a second gold was to be awarded to Sale and Pelletier. The agreement also stipulated that the Russians would retain their gold medal and be co-Olympic champions.

World champions

Sale and Pelletier were in third place after the short program at the 2001 World Championships in Vancouver, Canada. As was the case at the 2000 worlds, they were in excellent position to win a medal entering the free skate. At the 2000 Worlds in Nice, Sale faltered in the free skate and the pair ended up fourth. But at the 2001 Worlds, she managed to maintain her poise and skate well. The performance was good enough to move them into gold medal position over 1998 Olympic silver medalists and two-time world champions Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze of Russia. The pair did not have the smoothest of preparations for the 2001 worlds. In the week and a half before the pair departed for Vancouver, Pelletier's car was stolen and his house was damaged in a fire, leaving him temporarily homeless. Sale suffered a few setbacks as well: She burned her hand with coffee, leaving her unable to do full practices for a few days. She also lost a lucky necklace that her former choreographer had given her.

Beginning of a partnership

Sale is the fourth partner in Pelletier's 14-year pairs career. Their partnership was born March 10, 1998, but they jumped into things so quickly that Sale ended up with tendinitis. They then missed two and a half months of training after she underwent surgery to repair her Achilles tendon. Pelletier and Sale have been skating together in earnest since July 1998. They actually had a tryout in 1996, but for various reasons, were not put together. Sale now says the timing just wasn't right then. 

Official Olympic Site 2002

Jamie Sale & David Pelletier

Pictures / Képek