Peter Allen Oppegard (born August 23, 1959)[1] is an American retired pair skater and coach. With his partner Jill Watson, he is the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist and a three-time U.S. national champion.

Peter Oppegard
Oppegard in 2016
Born (1959-08-23) August 23, 1959 (age 65)
Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Figure skating career
CountryUnited States
Skating clubLAFSC (Los Angeles Figure Skating Club)
Retired1988
Medal record
Pairs' figure skating
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1988 Calgary Pairs
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1987 Cincinnati Pairs

In May 2022, Oppegard was suspended for one month by the U.S. Center for SafeSport for misconduct.[2]

Career

edit

Oppegard initially paired with Vicki Heasley. He began competing with Watson in 1985. In their career, Watson and Oppegard won three national titles, a world bronze medal, an Olympic bronze medal, and various other medals. During Watson and Oppegard's free skate at the 1988 Olympics, a photographer dropped his camera bag onto the ice and an usher walked onto the ice to pick it up while the pair was performing an overhead lift.[3]

As a coach, his skaters have won ten national singles and pairs titles. The Professional Skaters Association and US Figure Skating named Oppegard "Choreographer of the Year" and "Coach of the Year".[4] He coached at the East West Ice Palace in southern California until 2018.[2]

Personal life

edit

Oppegard was married to Karen Kwan, sister of world champion figure skater Michelle Kwan. As of 2017, they were estranged.[2]

Abuse allegations and suspension

edit

In February 2021, USA Today reported that Oppegard had been under investigation by the United States Center for SafeSport since July 2020 for allegations of physical abuse, including throwing coffee and hot water at skaters he coached at the East West Ice Palace. American pairs skater Jessica Pfund also alleged that Oppegard bit her on the upper right arm during a training session in 2013, when Pfund was 15 years old.[2][5] In May 2022, Oppegard was suspended for one month by the U.S. Center for SafeSport for "physical and emotional" misconduct.[2][6]

Results

edit

With Watson

edit
International
Event 84–85 85–86 86–87 87–88
Winter Olympics 3rd
World Championships 4th 6th 3rd 6th
Fujifilm Trophy 1st
NHK Trophy 2nd
Skate America 1st
National
U.S. Championships 1st 2nd 1st 1st

References

edit
  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Peter Oppegard". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e Brennan, Christine (February 18, 2021). "US Olympic medalist and figure skating coach being investigated over allegations of abuse". USA Today.
  3. ^ Janofsky, Michael (February 17, 1988). "Soviet Skaters Prevail in Pairs". The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
  4. ^ "US Figure Skating". Archived from the original on 2006-05-23. Retrieved 2006-04-29.
  5. ^ McCarriston, Shanna (19 February 2021). "Olympic figure skating medalist, coach Peter Oppegard under investigation for allegedly abusing skaters". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Names in the News". Sports Business Journal. May 3, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
edit