Career
Early in her career, Punsalan competed with Christopher Rettstatt, placing 8th at the 1989 U.S. Championships. She began skating with Swallow in mid-1989. They were initially coached by Sandy Hess in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They placed 7th at 1989 Skate America and 5th at the 1990 U.S. Championships. The following season, they won their first U.S. national title. They were one of the favorites for the 1992 Olympic team but at the 1992 U.S. Championships, Swallow fell during the free dance and they finished in third. Swallow was ready to leave competition for show skating but she persuaded him to continue.
In 1992, Punsalan and Swallow began working with Igor Shpilband for choreography in Detroit. By the 1993-1994 season, he had become their head coach. The couple developed a rivalry with Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur, who had earlier choreographed a program for them and trained alongside them. The U.S. had a single berth to the ice dancing event at the 1994 Winter Olympics. Punsalan and Swallow were involved in a letter-writing campaign to Congress to prevent Sur from receiving expedited citizenship, which would allow him to compete at the 1994 Olympics. At the U.S. Championships in January 1994, Punsalan and Swallow placed first in the original dance, ahead of their injured rivals in second. Roca and Sur withdrew before the free dance and Punsalan and Swallow went on to win their second national title and were named to the Olympic team. On February 4, tragedy struck when Punsalan's father was stabbed to death. Her brother was charged but found not mentally fit to stand trial. Punsalan and Swallow competed at the 1994 Olympics only two weeks later, finishing 15th.
Punsalan and Swallow won silver at the 1995 U.S. Championships behind Roca and Sur but finished ahead of them the following year to take their third national title. Punsalan and Swallow won another two national titles at the 1997 and 1998 U.S. Championships. They placed 7th at the 1998 Winter Olympics and 6th at the 1998 World Championships.
Punsalan and Swallow ended their eligible career in 1998 and continued to skate in shows for a number of years. Punsalan became a coach at the Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Read more about this topic: Elizabeth Punsalan
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