Mark Janoschak

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mark Janoschak was a Canadian ice dancer. Competing with partner, Jacqueline Petr, the two captured the gold two years in a row (1991-1992) at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in ice dancing. Janoschak and Petr are known for their daring originality.

Jacqueline Petr Born on December 2nd in 1968, Janoschak grew up skating in Bramalea while partner, Jacqueline Petr, grew up skating in Winnepeg. Janoschak began skating singles until he developed an eagerness to learn the "Kilian" dance after being intrigued by local ice dancers. After that, his ice dancing career blossomed.

Janoschak's first Juniors Worlds Figure Skating Championship with partner Petr ended up with a solid 7th after a bit of fumbling. In 1989, they placed 6th at the Canadian Nationals skating to Yanni. In 1990, the two moved up 3 places to capture the bronze skating to a beautiful program with music from the Last Emperor. In 1991, skating to PeeWee Herman's adventure, the couple created a controversy with their unique program and costumes. They managed to capture the gold and make it to Worlds where they placed 10th. In 1992, Petr and Janoschak captured another gold, skating gracefully to the program Cinderella by Prokofiev, making it to Worlds once again. At Worlds, they slipped 2 places from the previous year to end up in 12th. However, the team still qualified for the Olympics. Unfortunately, the couple had an accident in practice when they collided with another ice dance team. The result was a deep slice in Petr's calf. Petr and Janoschak managed to pull it together to skate at the Olympics in 1992. The couple placed a solid 12th. The following year, skating to King of Hearts, Queen of Spades, the team lost their title to a rising young team, ShaeLynn Bourne and Voctor Kraatz (who would lead the world in ice dancing until 2003).

[edit] Currently

Afterwards, the couple decided to stop competing to skate in shows. Sometime during this, Petr and Janoschak were married and divorced. Janoschak remarried and moved to the Houston, TX area with new wife, Tammy. The two are currently living happily with their two kids - Chrissy and Zane. Both Mark and Tammy currently coach singles and ice dancing.

As for Petr, she remarried U.S. pair skater Joseph Mero, with whom she began a coaching career in Michigan. However, Petr was banned from coaching by the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA), allegedly for having an affair with one of her students, and she and Mero subsequently divorced.

Petr and Janoschak will always be remembered for their creativity and uniqueness in ice dancing and their title as two-time Canadian ice dance champions. They have left their mark of innovation on the sport.