Matthew Savoie

Matt Savoie

Savoie in 2003.
Personal information
Country represented United States
Born (1980-09-12) September 12, 1980
Residence Boston, Massachusetts
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Former coach Linda Branan
Former choreographer Tom Dickson
Former skating club Illinois Valley FSC
Began skating 1989
Retired 2006
ISU personal best scores
Combined total 206.67
2006 Olympics
Short program 75.64
2006 Four Continents
Free skate 137.52
2006 Olympics

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 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] Savoie graduated in 2009, and began work as an associate in the law firm of Choate Hall & Stewart. Then, in 2014, the U.S. Figure Skating Association Championships were conducted in Boston, and Savoie attended for the first time since his Olympic year. There, he reconnected with coaches and old friends. Within months, he was turning in his notice at the law office and accepting a position on the coaching staff of the prestigious Skating Club of Boston. This year, one of his skaters, Curran Oi, competed in the men’s national championships. [9]

Savoie married attorney Brian Boyle on October 7, 2012 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.[10]

Programs

Season Short program Free skating
2005–2006
[2]
2004–2005
[11]
  • 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
[12]
  • Mandala
    by Kitaro
  • Spirit of Taiko
    by Kitaro
2002–2003
[13]		 Cirque du Soleil:
2001–2002
[14]		 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
[15]
  • Passion and Power
    by J. Schlachter and A. Maek
  • Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra
    by George Gershwin

Competitive highlights

Results[1][2][13][15]
International
Event 1994–95 1995–96 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. 8th N. 4th N. 1st J. 11th 4th 4th 3rd 4th 5th 3rd 4th 3rd
Midwest. Sect. 3rd N. 4th N. 3rd J. 3rd 2nd
UGL Regionals 3rd N. 1st N. 1st J. 1st
Levels: N. = Novice; J. = Junior
GP = Grand Prix; JGP = Junior Grand Prix
UGL = Upper Great Lakes

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Matt Savoie". U.S. Figure Skating. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 "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. 1 2 3 Wessler, Kirk (March 16, 2003). "Proud of his home ice". Peoria Journal Star. Archived from the original on December 20, 2004.
  6. 1 2 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. ↑ "Matthew SAVOIE: 2004/2005". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 16, 2005.
  12. ↑ "Matthew SAVOIE: 2003/2004". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 5, 2004.
  13. 1 2 "Matthew SAVOIE: 2002/2003". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 8, 2003.
  14. ↑ "Matthew SAVOIE: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 2, 2002.
  15. 1 2 "Matthew SAVOIE: 2000/2001". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on July 15, 2001.
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