Shawn Sawyer

Shawn Sawyer (born January 14, 1985 in Edmundston, New Brunswick) is a Canadian former competitive figure skater. He is the 2011 Canadian national silver medallist and a three-time (2005-2006 & 2008) Canadian national bronze medallist. He represented Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy finishing 12th overall. Unlike most skaters, Sawyer is a clockwise spinner.

Shawn Sawyer
Sawyer in 2006.
Born (1985-01-14) January 14, 1985
Edmundston, New Brunswick
Height1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Figure skating career
Country Canada
Skating clubC.P.A. Varennes
RetiredApril 1, 2011

Personal life

Shawn Sawyer was born in Edmundston, New Brunswick.[1]

Career

Early career

He started skating at age nine.[2] Even as a young skater, he was known for his artistry and his spirals. This attracted the attention of Olympic bronze medallist Toller Cranston. Cranston was about to retire from show skating and he envisioned a final tribute show in which he and other skaters passed down their knowledge of skating and life lessons to a young skater. This skater was Shawn Sawyer.[3] Cranston remains a mentor to Sawyer.

In 1999, Sawyer won the bronze medal on the novice level at the Canada Winter Games,[4] skating with a bad cold.[5] The following year, he won the national novice title. He skated on the Junior Grand Prix the following season and won the bronze medal at his first event. His fifth-place finish at his second event prevented him from qualifying for the JGP Final. At Nationals, he placed 4th in the junior level. On the JGP the following season, he qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final, where he placed fifth, and then won the national Junior title. This earned him a trip to the 2002 Junior Worlds, where he placed 11th after performing an entirely new long program.[2]

Sawyer, already very flexible, had been working on a Biellmann spin. As a junior skater, Sawyer trained at the Minto Skating Club in Ottawa under coach Alexei Tchetveroukin. He had been training the Biellmann since learning in New Brunswick at age twelve, and he performed it in exhibition at Nationals in 2002 after winning the junior title.[2]

Later, Sawyer changed coaches to Gordon Forbes. In his third season as a junior internationally, he won his second JGP event, but an 8th-place finish prevented him from returning to the Final. In his senior debut at Nationals, he placed 6th, a promising finish, and then repeated that placement at the World Junior Championships.

The 2003-2004 season would be Sawyer's last as a junior. He dropped to ninth place at nationals and tenth at Junior Worlds. Sawyer then went senior internationally. Following this season, he changed coaches to Annie Barabe and Sophie Richard and moved to Drummondville, Quebec.[6]

Senior career

At the 2004 Cup of Russia, Sawyer's first senior international event, he placed just off the podium. He placed ninth at the 2004 NHK Trophy. At nationals, he won the bronze medal, earning him a trip to the 2005 Four Continents. His podium finish did not earn him a spot to Worlds because Canada had only two spots to the 2005 World Championships.

In the 2005-2006 season, the Olympic season, Sawyer placed in the middle of the fields in his two Grand Prix events. But he held on to the bronze position at Nationals, earning him a spot to the Olympics and to Worlds. He placed 12th at the Olympics and 21st at Worlds, held in Calgary.

In the 2006-2007 season, Sawyer placed just off the podium at the Skate Canada competition. Sawyer then placed 8th at the Grand Prix event in Paris. At Nationals, he was ahead after the short program, but a charismatic comeback performance by Emanuel Sandhu pushed Sawyer down to 4th, depriving him of a spot to Four Continents and Worlds.

In the 2007-2008 season, Sawyer placed 7th at his first event, the 2007 Cup of China. At his second event, the 2007 NHK Trophy, he placed 9th. At the 2008 Canadian Championships, he won his third bronze medal at that competition. This earned him a trip to the 2008 Four Continents, where he placed 9th.

The 2008-2009 season started off with two back to back competitions for Sawyer. He opened the season at 2008 Skate America where he placed fifth and then continued to 2008 Skate Canada International where he again placed fifth. Even though his overall placement was fifth, he did win the free skate with a score of 142.36.

In 2009-2010, Sawyer was awarded the silver medal at Skate America, but placed fourth at Canadian Nationals, narrowly missing a trip to the 2010 Olympic Games by two spots.

In 2010-2011, he won the silver at the 2011 Canadian Championships and was named to the team for the World Championships. After the Japan earthquake, the event was postponed by a month and now coincided with his commitment to Stars on Ice.[7] Sawyer decided to withdraw from the World Championships and was replaced by Kevin Reynolds.[8] He decided to end his competitive career.[9] He continued to perform in ice shows, such as Art on Ice.[10]

Signature moves
Sawyer performs a Y-spin in competition
Sawyer performs a cantilever in exhibition

Sawyer is well known for his spins and his spiral positions, which show great flexibility. Sawyer is one of few male skaters to perform spirals in their programs, because under Code of Points, men do not get any credit for spiral sequences. Sawyer's arabesque, I and Y positions in spins and spirals are his trademark moves.

Programs
Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2010–2011
[1]
2009–2010
[12]
2008–2009
[13]
2007–2008
[14]
2006–2007
[15]
2005–2006
[16]
  • Libertango
  • Warsaw Concerto
2004–2005
[17]
  • Libertango
  • Cirque du Soleil
2003–2004
[18]
  • Into The Night
  • Cello Concerto
  • Save Yourself
  • Sweet Dreams
2001–2003
[19][20]
  • Spartacus
  • How Much Is the Fish?

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[21]
Event 99–00 00–01 01–02 02–03 03–04 04–05 05–06 06–07 07–08 08–09 09–10 10–11
Winter Olympics12th
Worlds21st
Four Continents6th9th7th10th
GP Bompard8th
GP Cup of China7th
GP Cup of Russia4th7th8th
GP NHK Trophy9th9th5th
GP Skate America5th2nd8th
GP Skate Canada6th4th5th
International: Junior[21]
Junior Worlds11th6th10th
JGP Final5th
JGP Bulgaria1st3rd
JGP Canada8th
JGP China5th
JGP Japan3rd
JGP Mexico3rd
JGP Serbia1st
JGP Slovenia3rd
National[21]
Canadian Champ.1st N4th J1st J6th9th3rd3rd4th3rd5th4th2nd
Eastern Challenge1st J
Atlantic Divisionals1st N
Levels: N = Novice; J = Junior

References
  1. "Shawn SAWYER: 2010/2011". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on August 16, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. Mittan, Barry (September 19, 2002). "Canada's Sawyer Gets Jump on Competition for 2003". GoldenSkate. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  3. Cranston, Toller; Martha Lowder Kimball (2000). When Hell Freezes Over: Should I Bring My Skates?. McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 0-7710-2337-5.
  4. MacAfee, Michelle (March 4, 1999). "Young skater has performed with veterans". Canadian Press. Canoe.ca. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  5. Hooper, Barrett (March 5, 1999). "Skaters' silver tops medal haul; Bronze easy lift for Yessie". Telegraph-Journal. Canoe.ca. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  6. Brodie, Rob (October 17, 2004). "Top skating prospects on the move". Ottawa Sun. Canoe.ca. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  7. Rutherford, Lynn (April 8, 2011). ""Mad Hatter" makes wise decision". Icenetwork. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
  8. Smith, Beverley (March 29, 2011). "Reynolds gets named to figure skating worlds team". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  9. Kwong, PJ (April 1, 2011). "Sawyer walks away from amateur career". CBC News. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  10. Golinsky, Reut (May 12, 2017). "Shawn Sawyer: "Art is supposed to get emotions out of people"". Absolute Skating.
  11. Rutherford, Lynn (April 8, 2011). ""Mad Hatter" makes wise decision". IceNetwork. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018.
  12. "Shawn SAWYER: 2009/2010". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 28, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. "Shawn SAWYER: 2008/2009". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 1, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. "Shawn SAWYER: 2007/2008". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. "Shawn SAWYER: 2006/2007". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 26, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. "Shawn SAWYER: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 15, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  17. "Shawn SAWYER: 2004/2005". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 4, 2005.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  18. "Shawn SAWYER: 2003/2004". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 7, 2004.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  19. "Shawn SAWYER: 2002/2003". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 15, 2003.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  20. "Shawn SAWYER: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 2, 2002.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  21. "Competition Results: Shawn SAWYER". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016.
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