Pavel Roman - Career

Career

The Romans started their competitive careers in pair skating rather than ice dance, placing third at the Czechoslovakian championships in 1957 and second in 1958 and 1959. They won the ice dancing title at the Czech championships in 1959, the first year that discipline was competed in Czechoslovakia. They competed in both disciplines at the 1959 European Figure Skating Championships, placing 7th in dance and 12th in pairs. After that they focused on ice dancing.

In 1962 they won their first World Championship in their home city of Prague, defeating their greatest rivals, Christian and Jean Paul Guhel of France. Eva was only 16 and Pavel 19.

One year later they won the silver medal at the European Championships, behind Linda Shearman and Michael Phillips. After this competition they won every event they entered, winning the European title in 1964 and 1965, and World titles from 1962 to 1965. (Ice dancing was not an Olympic sport in those times.)

After retiring from competition they skated in the professional revue Holiday on Ice.

Roman died in a car crash a short time after his 29th birthday.


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