Torvill & Dean

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean were born in Nottingham in 1957 and 1958 respectively. Having developed a love of ice skating at a young age, the pair started ice dancing competitively with other partners in the early 70's. And it wasn't until 1975 that they danced together for the first time.

Successful placing in European and World Championships between 1978 and 1980 lead to Chris and Jayne becoming British National Dance Champions in 1980. They also received the fifth place ranking in the Olympics.

In 1981, the duo won the European Championships and the World Championships for the first time. By 1984 they had achieved first place in the World Championships for the fourth time.

Torvill & Dean's defining moment was winning gold with their interpretation of Ravel's "Bolero" at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo. 24 million viewers were glued to their televisions on Valentine's Day 1984. And Torvill & Dean broke the traditional rules of competition ice dancing and scored 12 perfect sixes, including all nine for artistic impression.

The nation was captivated by such a great British sporting triumph. The pair won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 1984 - the only time it has been awarded jointly to more than one person.

In 1985 the pair turned professional and embarked on their first world tour. Successive tours, including 'Ice Escapades' and performances with the Russian Allstars, the best of Torvill and Dean Tour of the UK.

They returned to competitive skating in 1993 and won the gold medal in the 1994 European championships. Their spectacular return in 1994 to the Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway led to a bronze medal. Then heading back on tour, the 'Face The Music' world tour, 'Ice Adventures' UK tour and the 'Canadian Stars' on Ice tour marked their final performances before they announced their retirement in 1998 and were honoured with an OBE in 1999.

Although remaining close friends, the pair did not skate together again until 2006 when they were enticed out of retirement to take part in ITV's Dancing on Ice and its Australian version, Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice.

Nottingham is proud to be the home of the excellent National Ice Centre, which is part of the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham. Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean lead the first public skating session within the National Ice Centre. The square in front of the building was re-named 'Bolero Square' to honour their great achievements.