Debbi Wilkes
Encyclopedia
Debbi Wilkes is a Canadian
former pair skater. Competing with Guy Revell
, she captured two Canadian titles, the 1963 North American Championship
, and won the bronze medal at the 1964 Winter Olympics.
Wilkes was 6 years younger than her partner and had not yet started to grow when they were paired. By 1963, when she was 17 years old, Wilkes was 5'5" and an inch taller than Revell.
Wilkes and Revell had to withdraw from the 1963 World Figure Skating Championships
when Wilkes fell from a lift while posing for press photographs prior to the event. She hit the ice head-first and fractured her skull.
They split after the 1964 World Figure Skating Championships
when Revell turned professional, joining Ice Capades
. Wilkes wanted to pursue an education rather than go on tour.
In 1966, Wilkes and Revell were advised that the second-place pair in Innsbruck, Marika Kilius
and Hans-Jürgen Bäumler
, had been disqualified after an International Olympic Committee investigation found they had signed pro contracts before the Winter Games. IOC executive James Worrall presented Wilkes and Revell with the silver medals during the Canadian championships in Peterborough, Ont. Later, Kilius and Baumler were reinstated in the record books, but the medals were never redistributed.
After her competitive career ended, Wilkes went on to become a television skating analyst.
She has also continued her involvement in figure skating as an author, coach and most recently as Skate Canada’s Director of Marketing and Sponsorship.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
former pair skater. Competing with Guy Revell
Guy Revell
Guy Revell was a Canadian figure skater. He competed in pairs with Debbi Wilkes. The couple captured two Canadian titles, the 1963 North American Championship, and won the bronze medal at the 1964 Winter Olympics....
, she captured two Canadian titles, the 1963 North American Championship
North American Figure Skating Championships
The North American Figure Skating Championships were a former elite figure skating competition for skaters from the United States and Canada. It was a biennial competition held between 1923 and 1971, with locations alternating between the two countries.Although the event was classified as an...
, and won the bronze medal at the 1964 Winter Olympics.
Wilkes was 6 years younger than her partner and had not yet started to grow when they were paired. By 1963, when she was 17 years old, Wilkes was 5'5" and an inch taller than Revell.
Wilkes and Revell had to withdraw from the 1963 World Figure Skating Championships
1963 World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion....
when Wilkes fell from a lift while posing for press photographs prior to the event. She hit the ice head-first and fractured her skull.
They split after the 1964 World Figure Skating Championships
1964 World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion....
when Revell turned professional, joining Ice Capades
Ice Capades
The Ice Capades was a traveling entertainment show featuring theatrical performances involving ice skating. Shows often featured former Olympicand National Champion figure skaters who had retired from amateur competition....
. Wilkes wanted to pursue an education rather than go on tour.
In 1966, Wilkes and Revell were advised that the second-place pair in Innsbruck, Marika Kilius
Marika Kilius
Marika Kilius is a two-time Olympic silver medalist and two-time World champion in pair skating....
and Hans-Jürgen Bäumler
Hans-Jürgen Bäumler
Hans-Jürgen Bäumler is a German pair skater, actor, singer and television host.- Biography :...
, had been disqualified after an International Olympic Committee investigation found they had signed pro contracts before the Winter Games. IOC executive James Worrall presented Wilkes and Revell with the silver medals during the Canadian championships in Peterborough, Ont. Later, Kilius and Baumler were reinstated in the record books, but the medals were never redistributed.
After her competitive career ended, Wilkes went on to become a television skating analyst.
She has also continued her involvement in figure skating as an author, coach and most recently as Skate Canada’s Director of Marketing and Sponsorship.
Results
pairs with Guy RevellGuy Revell
Guy Revell was a Canadian figure skater. He competed in pairs with Debbi Wilkes. The couple captured two Canadian titles, the 1963 North American Championship, and won the bronze medal at the 1964 Winter Olympics....
| Event | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating... |
3rd | |||||
| World Championships World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion... |
11th | 4th | 3rd | |||
| North American Championships North American Figure Skating Championships The North American Figure Skating Championships were a former elite figure skating competition for skaters from the United States and Canada. It was a biennial competition held between 1923 and 1971, with locations alternating between the two countries.Although the event was classified as an... |
5th | 3rd | 1st | |||
| Canadian Championships Canadian Figure Skating Championships The Canadian Figure Skating Championships is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of Canada. It is organized by Skate Canada, the nation's figure skating governing body. The levels of the competition are senior and junior; in some years, the novice level has... |
1st J. | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 1st |