Tracey Wainman

Tracey Wainman
Personal information
Country represented	Canada
Born	(1968-01-02) January 2, 1968

Tracey Wainman (born January 2, 1968) is a Canadian figure skater. She is the 1981 and 1986 Canadian national champion.

Skating Career

Wainman first came to international prominence at the age of 12 when she won the bronze medal at the 1980 Canadian Championships and was controversially selected to compete as Canada's sole entry in the ladies' event at that year's 1980 World Championships instead of either of the two older skaters who had placed ahead of her in the national event. At that time she was being heavily promoted as a future champion by David Dore, the head of the Canadian Figure Skating Association, as well as by Canadian television.

After winning the 1981 Canadian title, Wainman began to struggle with the effects of a normal teenage growth spurt; she grew six inches and put on weight as her figure developed. In 1982 she took the bronze medal at the Canadian Championships and the following year she slipped to 7th. At that point, she stopped skating entirely for a year. When she began to skate again in 1984, she re-learned her technique from scratch. Wainman won the 1986 Canadian Championships and competed at that year's World Championships, finishing 9th. When the Canadian association passed her over for international competition assignments the following season—allegedly because they disapproved of her undisciplined off-ice behavior^{[citation needed]}—she decided to retire from competitive skating.

Following her competitive career, Wainman skated professionally with shows including Holiday on Ice and Ice Capades. She currently coaches in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Wainman is often cited as a cautionary example of a skater who burned out on the sport while still a child after being prematurely pushed into the spotlight.^{[citation needed]} Wainman herself has pointed out that if she had been held back from competing at the World level as a child, when her skills were at their peak, she might never have had the opportunity to do so while older.^{[citation needed]}

Coaching Career

Wainman currently works as a national and international coach and skating director and the York Region Skating Academy. She has coached skaters to a total of 9 national medals, including 4 titles. She was awarded the COS Competitive Coach of the Year twice (2002 and 2006) and 2011 Skate Canada Competitive Coach of Excellence.

Personal Life

Wainman was formerly married to Slovak skater Jozef Sabovčík. Her current off-ice partner is Grzegorz Filipowski.

Results

International
Event	1979–80	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86
World Championships	14th	10th					9th
Skate America							2nd
Skate Canada International		2nd	1st
Karl Schäfer Memorial	3rd
National
Canadian Championships	3rd	1st	3rd	7th			1st

References

• "Ice Storm", Toronto Life, April 2006.
• Beverley Smith, Figure Skating: A Celebration. ISBN 0-7710-2819-9.