Olympic gold medallists Salé, Pelletier divorce
Last Updated: Friday, June 4, 2010 | 5:13 PM ET
The Canadian Press
Jamie Salé, left, and David Pelletier won gold at the Salt Lake City Olympics after a judging scandal that had left them with silver was resolved. (Tim Smith/Getty Images)Canadian gold medal-winning figure skaters Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, who won the hearts of audiences at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, are getting a divorce.
Salé and Pelletier said Friday they plan to divorce after more than four years of marriage but will continue to skate together.
They were married Dec. 30, 2005. Among the guests at the wedding were skating stars Brian Orser, Jennifer Robinson and Kurt Browning. Salé and Pelletier have a son, Jesse, born in 2007.
"We've had an incredible partnership for the past 12 years, and we look forward to that mutual respect and commitment continuing both on the ice and as we parent our son," Salé said in a statement.
"While this is always a difficult decision, we still share two of the most important parts of our lives in common, and for that reason, we wanted it to be amicable and by mutual agreement."
Salé, of Red Deer, Alta., and Pelletier, of Sayabec, Que., climbed to international fame at the 2002 Games.
The defending world champions finished second to a Russian couple. French judge Marie Reine Le Gougne later admitted her role in a marks-trading conspiracy with a Russian counterpart that left Salé and Pelletier with the silver.
They were later awarded gold medals.
The couple turned professional and skated with Stars on Ice. They also worked as broadcasters during the Vancouver Olympic Games.
They first skated together in the summer of 1996, but it did not lead to a partnership. Pelletier was looking for a partner again in 1998 and coach Richard Gaulthier suggested Salé.
Pelletier travelled to Edmonton, and the pair clicked.
"The first time we grabbed hands, it was just great," Pelletier said later.
Salé moved to Montreal to skate with Pelletier the next month. Later, Pelletier separated from his wife as he and Salé became a couple.
Salé and Pelletier will continue to live in Edmonton and share custody of their child. They have been separated for the last 18 months.
"As a team, we have achieved many goals, but no medal or accomplishment can compare to our son," Pelletier said in a statement. "He will always be our priority."
