Jeffrey Buttle

2.1. Childhood and Education

Buttle was born on September 1, 1982, in Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario, Canada, and was raised in Sudbury. He is from an English-Canadian family, but he attended École Don Bosco, a French-language elementary school as a child. This educational background led to his bilingual proficiency in English and French, which he learned at a language school. He is 68 in ^{(173 cm)} tall.

Buttle began skating at the age of two and started competing in figure skating at six. At seven, he started training under Lee Barkell, who would become one of his primary coaches. Other notable coaches included Rafael Arutunyan, Doug Leigh, and Wendy Philion. Around the age of ten, he also competed in ice dancing alongside his elder sister, Meghan. To enhance his skating skills, Buttle engaged in competitive ballet, and at 13, he received an admission offer from the Canada's National Ballet School. During his competitive career, he resided in Barrie, Ontario, where he trained at the Mariposa School of Skating. He also pursued higher education, studying chemical engineering part-time at the University of Toronto before taking time off to fully concentrate on his skating career.

2.2. Personal Life and Public Identity

Buttle's family consists of his father, mother, and his elder sister, Meghan. In his personal life, Buttle is openly gay. He married Justin Harris in February 2014, although they later divorced in early 2021.

Beyond his skating career, Buttle has shown a keen interest in other sports and community involvement. In 2012, he joined an ice hockey team in the Toronto Gay Hockey Association, embarking on a new challenge in a team sport after years in individual competition. He expressed a desire to continue playing ice hockey until he was in his 60s, noting how he was encouraged by his teammates despite his lack of experience in the sport. Buttle also publicly announced his intention to donate his medals and Olympic uniform to the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (CLGA), demonstrating his commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, although the CLGA later respectfully declined the offer.

3.1. Junior and Early Senior Years

Buttle's competitive journey began with early success at the junior level. He won the silver medal at the 1998 Canadian Figure Skating Championships at the junior level. The following year, he made his senior national debut, placing among the top ten at the 1999 Canadian Figure Skating Championships.

His senior international debut came in the 2001-2002 season, where he immediately made an impact by winning the silver medal at the 2001 NHK Trophy, finishing behind Takeshi Honda. Notably, some judges scored him highly despite it being his first Grand Prix appearance. At the Canadian Championships that season, Buttle earned his first podium finish, securing third place. This qualified him for the 2002 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Korea, where he achieved his first gold medal in his debut at the event.

Despite his bronze medal at the 2002 Nationals, Buttle did not qualify for the 2002 Winter Olympics as Canada had only two entries, and he did not meet the Canadian Olympic Committee's criteria. Although he was an alternate, he could not replace Emanuel Sandhu, who withdrew. Instead, Buttle competed at the 2002 World Figure Skating Championships, placing high enough to secure two spots for Canada at the subsequent World Championships.

In the 2002-2003 season, Buttle repeated his podium finish at the 2003 Canadian Figure Skating Championships. At the 2003 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, he landed a successful quadruple-triple combination jump in the short program, finishing fourth. The 2003-2004 season saw Buttle claim his first Grand Prix gold medal at the 2003 NHK Trophy, followed by a silver at the 2003 Skate Canada International. He qualified for the 2003-2004 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final but was forced to withdraw. A disappointing performance at the 2004 Canadian Figure Skating Championships meant he did not earn a spot for the World Championships that year. Instead, he was sent to the 2004 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, where he secured his second victory. During the summer of 2004, Buttle began training in Lake Arrowhead, California, with Rafael Arutyunyan, who would remain his secondary coach alongside Lee Barkell. In the 2004-2005 season, he rebounded by winning a silver medal at the 2004-2005 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and his first National title at the 2005 Canadian Figure Skating Championships. He concluded the year with a silver medal at the 2005 World Figure Skating Championships.

3.2. Major Achievements and International Success

Buttle's senior career culminated in a series of significant achievements, solidifying his status as one of the world's top figure skaters.

In the 2005-2006 Olympic season, Buttle achieved victories at the 2005 Trophée Eric Bompard and placed second at the 2005 Skate Canada, despite a notable wardrobe malfunction during his performance at the latter event. His consistent Grand Prix results led to his second consecutive silver medal at the 2005-2006 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. He then secured his second National title at the 2006 Canadian Figure Skating Championships, heading into the Olympics as a reigning World silver medalist and a strong favorite to medal.

3.2.2. 2008 World Championship Title

Buttle's competitive career culminated at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden. He placed first in the short program with a compelling performance. He then delivered a personal best performance in the free skate, which earned him the gold medal by a significant margin of 13.95 points over the defending world champion, France's Brian Joubert. This victory made him the first Canadian man to win the World title since Elvis Stojko in 1997. Notably, Buttle achieved this without attempting a quadruple jump, relying instead on his exceptional artistic interpretation and high-quality execution of other elements. His short program, set to `Adiós Nonino<sub>Adios Nonino</sub><sup>Spanish</sup>`, was particularly praised by the ISU's components seminar in June 2008, being described as "absolutely wonderful" due to its unified feel.

3.3. Retirement from Competitive Skating

Following his historic World Championship win, Buttle gained significant media attention, appearing as a guest on numerous television shows, including CBC's Air Farce Live. For the 2008-2009 season, he was assigned to the 2008 Skate Canada International and 2008 Cup of China, and he prepared new programs, a short program to `坂本龍一<sub>Ryuichi Sakamoto</sub><sup>Japanese</sup>`'s "M.A.Y. in the Backyard" and a free program to "Eclogue" by Gerald Finzi.

However, on September 10, 2008, Buttle announced his retirement from competitive skating. He stated that he had achieved his goals in the sport and that competitive skating no longer held the same place in his heart. Throughout his distinguished career, Buttle consistently represented the Sudbury Skating Club.

4.1. Artistic and Technical Characteristics

Buttle's skating was widely recognized for its beautiful edge work and powerful `イナバウアー<sub>Inabaauer</sub><sup>Japanese</sup>` moves. He excelled in moves in the field, demonstrating high-quality spins and step sequences. Under the new Code of Points judging system, Buttle was a pioneer, achieving high scores by focusing on the quality of his elements rather than relying heavily on quadruple jumps. For instance, at the 2007 Four Continents Championships, he was the first male skater to achieve Level 4 on all spins and footwork in his short program, a testament to his technical mastery. His strong program component scores were a consistent hallmark of his performances, contributing significantly to his overall success. Even during his competitive career, Buttle possessed judging qualifications for the novice level, indicating his deep understanding of the sport's technical aspects.

4.2. Competitive Programs

Throughout his competitive career, Jeffrey Buttle performed a variety of memorable short and free skating programs, collaborating with notable choreographers like David Wilson.

4.3. Exhibition Programs

Buttle's exhibition programs often showcased his artistic flair and ability to connect with audiences, featuring a diverse range of music.

5.1. Professional Skater and Show Direction

Buttle has been a consistent performer with the Canadian Stars on Ice tours since his eligible skating days and continues to tour as a professional skater. He participated in the 2009 US "Smuckers Stars on Ice" tour and has performed in numerous shows across China, Japan, Korea, and Europe. To maintain his high technical level, he regularly participated in pro-am competitions in Japan for many years, notably winning the first Medal Winners Open in 2012.

His continued dedication to the sport was recognized when he served as the Athlete Ambassador for the 2010 and 2011 Canadian National Championships. On November 15, 2012, Skate Canada announced his induction into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in the athletic category. The induction ceremony took place during the 2016 Canadian Figure Skating Championships, where Buttle performed an exhibition program to "Both Sides, Now". Buttle also served as the athlete representative on the Skate Canada Officials Advisory Committee.

In addition to his performing and choreographic roles, Buttle expanded his involvement in ice shows by becoming the director of Stars on Ice for its 2017 tour.

5.2. Choreographic Career

Buttle seriously began pursuing a career as a choreographer after his retirement from amateur competition. His interest in choreography was sparked by observing David Wilson, who had been Buttle's primary choreographer since 1999, and for whom Buttle held immense appreciation for his passion in creating skating programs. Buttle currently works as a choreographer at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club.

His choreographic work extends beyond individual skaters. He has choreographed ensemble numbers for major ice shows such as Stars on Ice, Holiday Festival on Ice, The ICE, and Fantasy on Ice. Buttle was also part of the choreography team for the Canadian television competition show Battle of the Blades and contributed as a choreographer for Intimissimi on Ice - OPERAPOP 2014.