Matthew Savoie (figure skater)

For the Canadian ice hockey player, see Matthew Savoie (ice hockey).

Matt Savoie
Savoie in 2003.
Born	(1980-09-12) September 12, 1980 (age 44)
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Figure skating career
Country	United States
Began skating	1989
Retired	2006
Medal record Men's Figure skating Representing United States Four Continents Championships 2006 Colorado Springs Men's singles Grand Prix Final 2000–2001 Tokyo Men's singles World Junior Championships 2000 Oberstdorf Men's singles Junior Grand Prix Final 1997–1998 Lausanne Men's singles

Matthew Savoie (born September 12, 1980, in Peoria, Illinois), is an American former competitive figure skater. He is a three-time U.S. bronze medalist, the 2006 Four Continents bronze medalist, and competed at the 2006 Olympics.

Skating career

Matthew Savoie first gained prominence when he won the gold medal on the junior level at the 1997 U.S. Championships. He went on to place in the top five at every U.S. Nationals between 1999 and 2006, winning bronze medals in 2001, 2004, and 2006 and pewter medals (fourth place) in 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2005.^[1]

Savoie won bronze medals at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, the Grand Prix Final, and the World Junior Championships. He represented the United States three times at the World Championships.^[2]

Savoie was the first alternate to the 2002 Olympic team. In 2004, he underwent knee surgery due to parallel tendonitis.^[3] By winning the bronze at the 2006 U.S. Championships, Savoie earned a chance to compete at the 2006 Winter Olympics.^[4] He finished seventh overall.

Savoie was raised in Peoria, Illinois, and trained there with coach Linda Branan throughout his career.^[5] He also worked with coach Gene Heffron, choreographer Tom Dickson, and modern dance teacher Kathy Johnson.^[5][6]

In July 2006, Savoie was appointed as the athlete representative to the Single & Pair Skating Technical Committee of the International Skating Union.^[7] He completed a four-year term.

Personal life and post-competitive career

Savoie graduated from Peoria High School (Peoria, Illinois) in 1998.^[5] He graduated summa cum laude from Bradley University in 2002, with a major in political science^[1] and a minor in biology. He went on to earn his master's degree in urban planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Fine & Applied Arts in 2005 and received the AICP Outstanding Graduate Student Award for 2005.^[1] He was admitted to the law school at Cornell University in 2005, but obtained a deferral for a year to focus on making the Olympic team. He joined the program in September 2006,^[6] where he also served as secretary of the LAMBDA (LGBT) Law Students Association.^[8] After graduating in 2009, Savoie worked as an associate at Choate Hall & Stewart law firm before leaving in 2014 to become a coach at The Skating Club of Boston.^[9] His students include Curran Oi.^[9]

Savoie married attorney Brian Boyle on October 7, 2012, in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.^[10] He and Boyle have one son together.^[11]

Programs

Season	Short program	Free skating
2005–2006 [2]	Windmills of Your Mind by Michel Legrand	Journey of Man by Benoit Jutras Gabriel's Oboe Once Upon a Time in America Ascunsion The Falls by Ennio Morricone
2004–2005 [12]	Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber	Intro by B Tribe 5 (from Higher Octava album) by The Brave Earth from Xotica (from Cirque du Soleil) by Rene Dupere Intro by B Tribe 5 Church Shootout (from Once Upon a Time in Mexico)
2003–2004 [13]	Mandala by Kitaro Spirit of Taiko by Kitaro	Prologue from Ragtime (musical) by Stephen Flaherty The Ragtime Symphonic Suite Ragtime (musical) by William David Brohn Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra Coalhouse and Sarah from Ragtime (film) by Randy Newman
2002–2003 [14]	Cirque du Soleil: Reveil Quidam by Benoit Jutras	Prologue (from Ragtime (musical)) by Stephen Flaherty The Ragtime Symphonic Suite (from Ragtime (musical)) by William David Brohn Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra Coalhouse and Sarah (from Ragtime (film)) by Randy Newman
2001–2002 [15]	Cirque du Soleil: Reveil Quidam by Benoit Jutras	Toccata con Fuoco - Piano Concerto No. 1 by Keith Emerson London Philharmonic Orchestra Age of Illusion by Joe Hisaishi New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra Introspection by Bob d'Eith and Paul Schmidt
2000–2001 [16]	Passion and Power by J. Schlachter and A. Maek	Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra by George Gershwin

Competitive highlights

Results[1][2][14][16]
International
Event	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–00	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06
Olympics										7th
Worlds						12th		16th		11th
Four Continents					4th	5th			5th	3rd
Grand Prix Final					3rd
GP Cup of China									8th	7th
GP Cup of Russia					3rd	4th	5th
GP NHK Trophy								9th
GP Skate Canada					3rd					5th
GP Skate America				5th		6th	3rd
GP Sparkassen				3rd
Bofrost									3rd
International: Junior
Junior Worlds			4th	3rd
JGP Final		3rd	6th
JGP China			4th
JGP France		2nd	3rd
JGP Germany		1st
Gardena	1st J.
National
U.S. Champ.	1st J.	11th	4th	4th	3rd	4th	5th	3rd	4th	3rd

References

1. "Matt Savoie". U.S. Figure Skating. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
2. "Matthew SAVOIE: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on July 2, 2006.
3. "Savoie, Matt". U.S. Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on April 10, 2008.
4. Wessler, Kirk (January 15, 2006). "An Olympian". Peoria Journal Star. Archived from the original on March 26, 2006.
5. Wessler, Kirk (March 16, 2003). "Proud of his home ice". Peoria Journal Star. Archived from the original on December 20, 2004.
6. Wessler, Kirk (February 12, 2006). "Deconstructing Savoie". Peoria Journal Star. Archived from the original on March 26, 2006.
7. "Matt Savoie Appointed Athlete Representative to ISU Technical Committee". U.S. Figure Skating. July 21, 2006.
8. "2006-2007: LAMBDA Law Students Association". Cornell University Student Activities Office.
9. Wessler, Kirk (March 2, 2016). "Olympic skater Matt Savoie to be enshrined in Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame". Peoria Journal Star.
10. Elfman, Lois (October 18, 2012). "Law of attraction: Wedding bells ring for Savoie". Icenetwork.
11. https://www.brianjboyle.com/about
12. "Matthew SAVOIE: 2004/2005". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 16, 2005.
13. "Matthew SAVOIE: 2003/2004". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 5, 2004.
14. "Matthew SAVOIE: 2002/2003". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 8, 2003.
15. "Matthew SAVOIE: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 2, 2002.
16. "Matthew SAVOIE: 2000/2001". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on July 15, 2001.

External links

• Matthew Savoie at U.S. Figure Skating
• Matthew Savoie at the International Skating Union