Jayne Torvill

Jayne Torvill, born in 1957, British ice skater, who with her partner Christopher Dean dominated the world ice dancing scene in the early 1980s. Torvill was born and raised in Nottingham, England. She worked as an insurance agent before receiving a grant from the local government that allowed her to devote her time solely to ice dancing.

Torvill and Dean soon achieved worldwide fame for their performances. In 1978 they won the first of six consecutive British titles (1978-1983). They also won the European title three times (1981-1983), the world championship title four times (1981-1984), and the ice dancing gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina). At the 1984 games all nine judges awarded them perfect scores of 6.0 in artistic impression for their interpretation of Boléro by French composer Maurice Joseph Ravel.

After the 1984 season Torvill and Dean turned professional, appearing in successful ice shows over the next few years. Professional skaters were allowed to compete in the Olympics beginning in 1994, and at the games that year in Lillehammer, Norway, Torvill and Dean won the bronze medal.