Jesse Joe Pelletier
Jesse Joe Pelletier
The Canadian pair of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier made a huge impact on skating sports during the 2002 Winter Olympics. The love between the two was apparent, and they became a huge crowd draw for their perfect energy.
After the Olympics, they retired from competitive figure skating and began touring with Stars on Ice. Now, they live in Edmonton with their son.
2002 Olympic gold medalist
At the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Sale and Pelletier shared the gold medal with the Russian pair of Yelena Berezhnya and Anton Sikharulidze after a judging scandal erupted. Their perfect energy was visible on the ice and they were considered the best couple in the world at the time.
After the Olympics, Sale and Pelletier continued to impress. They had a successful fall season, winning Skate America and Skate Canada. They also competed at the NHK Trophy and Trophee Lalique. At these events, the Canadians won their short and long programs over Shen/Zhao and Berezhnya/Sikharulidze.
Sale and Pelletier became engaged on Christmas Day of 2004. They married on December 30, 2005, in Alberta, Canada, and have one child, Jesse Joe, born on September 30th of 2007. The pair turned professional after the 2002 win and currently tour North America with Stars on Ice, a figure skating show. In their spare time, they enjoy hiking, golfing, and motorcycle racing.
2001 World Champion
Joe Pelletier’s parents are a pair of famous figure skaters who have made Canada proud. They both won Skate Canada and made the Olympics together, leading to a revival of figure skating in the country. The two also have a son, Jesse Joe Pelletier.
The pair returned to competition after the 2002 Olympics and won Four Continents. At the Grand Prix Final, they dusted off “Love Story” and wowed the crowd. Their combination lift was stunning, with Sale twirling high above the ice and he catching her in perfect unison.
In the long program, however, they fell on a jump step out that did not receive a deduction, placing second to Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze. This resulted in an outcry from the North American media, but Sale and Pelletier were satisfied with their silver medal. After the Olympics, they moved to the professional and touring world of figure skating. They became inducted into the Skate Canada and Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, and had their son Jesse Joe Pelletier.
Retired from competitive figure skating
Jesse Joe Pelletier was born on 30 September 2007 in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. He is the son of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier. He has a younger step-sister, Sammy Simpson, and spends most of his time with her. He is also learning to surf and plays ice hockey. He is a huge fan of the Edmonton Oilers.
In the summer of 1999, Gauthier enlisted the help of Canadian choreographer Lori Nichol to create programs for Sale and Pelletier. They began the season with strong performances at Skate America and the Nations Cup, beating reigning champions Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze. They would then win the short and long program at the 2001 World Championships despite Sale’s mistake on a side-by-side jump.
For the 2000-01 season, Nichol choreographed a jazzy short to “Come Rain or Come Shine” and a dramatic, mature long to Wagner’s opera “Tristan und Isolde.” Although they were beaten by Shen/Zhao at the World Cup, they won both Skate America and Skate Canada that fall over Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze and narrowly defeated them at Trophee Lalique.
Currently a skating coach for the Edmonton Oilers
Joe Pelletier is now a skating coach for the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL. He has also been working with the Canadian women’s hockey team. He is a dedicated family man who spends a lot of time with his younger step-sister. He is also learning to surf and practice ice hockey.
Sale and Pelletier’s success was a catalyst for the revival of pair skating in Canada. The couple won Skate America and eventually won Olympic gold in 2002, but only after a controversial judging scandal.
The pair later divorced in 2010 and retired from competitive figure skating. Since then, they have both started coaching. Pelletier married Ekaterina Gordeeva, a former figure skater, in 2020. They live in Alberta with their son, Jesse.
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