Mark Janoschak

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Mark Janoschak
Personal Information
Country : Federation Flag of Canada Canada : CFSA
Current Status Coach
Skating Club
Residence Houston, TX
Former Coaches
Former Choreographer(s) Toller Cranston
Olympic Games
12th Place 1992: Albertville, France
World Championships
10th Place 1991
12th Place 1992
National Championships
1st Place 1992
2nd Place 1991
3rd Place 1990, 1993
6th Place 1989

Mark Janoschak (born December 2, 1968 in Mississauga, Ontario) [1] is a Canadian ice dancer. Competing with partner, Jacqueline Petr, the two captured the gold in 1992 at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in ice dancing. Janoschak and Petr are known for their daring originality.[citation needed]


Contents

[edit] Early life

Janoschak grew up skating in Brampton, Ontario [1], while partner, Jacqueline Petr, grew up skating in Winnepeg, Manitoba. Mark began skating singles until he developed an eagerness to learn the "Kilian" dance after being intrigued by local ice dancers.

[edit] Competitive career

Only after a few months of practicing together, Mark and Jacqueline placed 7th at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in 1987. Two years later, with more experience, the two hit the senior scene, placing 6th at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships skating to Yanni. At their next nationals in 1990, the two moved up 3 places to capture the bronze skating to music from the Last Emperor. The following year, Mark and Jacqueline stirred up a controversy[citation needed] at Nationals with their odd costumes and program to music from Pee-wee's Big Adventure, which was choreographed by Toller Cranston. Mark and Jacqueline captured the silver and qualified for Worlds where they placed 10th [2]. In 1992, Petr and Janoschak captured a gold medal at the national championships, skating gracefully to the program Cinderella by Prokofiev, making it to Worlds once again. However, at Worlds, they slipped 2 places from the previous year, ending up in 12th [2]. 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, Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz (who would lead the world in ice dancing until 2003).

[edit] Currently

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

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

[edit] Legacy

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

[edit] Competitive highlights

(with Jacqueline)

1987

  • World Junior Championships - 7th

1988

  • World Junior Championships - 1st

1989

  • Canadian Nationals - 6th

1990

  • Goodwill Games - 7th
  • Skate Canada - 1st
  • Canadian Nationals - 3rd

1991

  • Skate America - 5th
  • Canadian Nationals - 2nd
  • World Championships - 10th

1992

  • Skate Canada - 1st?
  • Canadian Nationals - 1st
  • Worlds - 12th
  • Olympics - 12th

1993

  • Canadian Nationals - 3rd

[edit] References

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