Maria Jelinek Figure skater

Maria Jelinek (birth name Maria Jelínková; born November 16, 1942 in Prague) is a Canadian pair skater. She competed with her brother Otto Jelinek. They are the 1962 World Champions, the 1961 North American national champions, and 1961–1962 Canadian national champions. They represented Canada at the 1960 Winter Olympics, where they placed 4th. The pair were the first to perform lifts with several rotations, and also performed side-by-side double jumps. Maria was tall for a pair skater, at 5' 7½". The Jelinek family fled to Canada from Czechoslovakia in 1948 at the beginning of the Cold War. While competing, the pair were warned not to return to Czechoslovakia for events, but chose to do so despite political and personal concerns. They won their World title in the original home city of Prague. The Jelineks retired from competition later in 1962, and toured professionally with Ice Capades. The Jelineks were inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1962 and into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in 1994. Maria currently resides in Oakville, Ontario.

Personal facts

Birth dateNovember 16, 1942
Birth place
Prague
Height (meters)1.524

Search

Figure skater

former partner
Otto Jelinek

Athlete

Career end1962

Maria Jelinek on Wikipedia

External resources

  1. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=880188585333409