Rudi Swiegers
Lawrence/Swiegers in 2010.
Born (1987-08-31) August 31, 1987
Cape Town, South Africa
HometownVirden, Manitoba
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Figure skating career
CountryCanada
PartnerHayleigh Bell
CoachAnabelle Langlois, Cody Hay
Skating clubSkate Regina
Began skating1998
RetiredJune 15, 2016
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Figure skating: Pairs
Four Continents Championships
Bronze medal – third place2011 TaipeiPairs
Canadian Championships
Bronze medal – third place2011 VictoriaPairs
Bronze medal – third place2012 MonctonPairs
Bronze medal – third place2013 MississaugaPairs
Bronze medal – third place2014 OttawaPairs

Rudi Swiegers (born August 31, 1987) is a Canadian retired pair skater. With previous partner Paige Lawrence, he is the 2011 Four Continents bronze medalist and a four-time Canadian national bronze medalist (2011–14). He later competed with Hayleigh Bell.

Personal life

Swiegers was born in Cape Town, South Africa.[1] His family moved to Canada for his mother, a physician, to work in Kipling, Saskatchewan.[2] In 2009, he began studying part-time at Brandon University, focusing on psychology.[2]

Skating career

Early years

Swiegers began skating at age ten in Saskatchewan and began pairs at age fifteen. In 2005, his first partner, Kristin Bonkowski, decided to focus on her singles career.[2]

Partnership with Lawrence

In summer 2005, Swiegers teamed up with Paige Lawrence, one of few skaters at his club who jumped in the same direction – clockwise.[2][3]

Lawrence/Swiegers had a slow start in the junior ranks, placing 14th at Junior Nationals in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, however, they moved up to 2nd at the junior level and received several international assignments for the 2008–09 season. They were eighth and fifth at their two Junior Grand Prix assignments before finishing fourth at the 2009 World Junior Championships. They placed fourth on the senior level at Canadian Nationals.[2]

In the 2009–10 season, the pair moved up to seniors. They were seventh at the NHK Trophy but dropped to sixth at Nationals, receiving no further assignments for the season.

Lawrence/Swiegers started the 2010–11 season at the 2010 Skate Canada International, where they won their first international medal, a bronze. They were fifth at the 2010 Cup of Russia. At the 2011 Canadian Nationals, they made several mistakes in the long program to finish in third place, their first podium finish at the event as seniors.[4] They were named to the Canadian team for the 2011 Four Continents Championships. At the event, Swiegers was recognized as an example of good sportsmanship after lending his skate to Mark Ladwig during the short program.[5] Ladwig's boot heel broke during his program and Swiegers, who had skated earlier in the day, quickly offered his own skate so that Ladwig and partner Amanda Evora could return to the ice to finish their program within the time allowed.[6] Lawrence/Swiegers finished second in the short program and fourth in the free skate, with new personal best scores in both segments, and won the bronze medal. Swiegers later received a sportsmanship award from U.S. Figure Skating for his actions.[3]

In late December 2011, Lawrence sustained a concussion in a training accident.[7] The next month, the pair competed at the 2012 Canadian Championships, where they won their second national bronze medal.

Lawrence/Swiegers were named in Canada's team to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and finished 14th.[8] The final event of their career was the 2014 World Championships in Saitama, Japan, where they placed 12th. They announced the end of their partnership on May 8, 2014.[9]

Partnership with Bell

Swiegers teamed up with Hayleigh Bell in May 2015.[10] They placed 5th in their international debut at the 2015 Skate Canada Autumn Classic and then 8th at a Grand Prix event, the 2015 Rostelecom Cup. On June 15, 2016, Swiegers and Bell announced their retirement on their Facebook page.

Programs

With Bell

Season Short program Free skating
2015–2016
[1]

With Lawrence

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2013–2014
[11]
  • Olivier
  • I Put a Spell on You
  • Rudy's Bock
    2012–2013
    [12]
    2011–2012
    [13]
    2010–2011
    [14]
    2009–2010
    [15]
    • Van Helsing
      by Alan Silvestri
    2008–2009
    [16]
    • Orange Blossom Sorbet
      by Joe Trio

    Competitive highlights

    Lawrence/Swiegers with the other medalists at the 2010 Skate Canada

    GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

    With Bell

    International[17]
    Event 2015–16
    GP Rostelecom Cup8th
    Skate Canada Autumn Classic5th
    National
    Canadian Championships8th

    With Lawrence

    International[18]
    Event 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14
    Olympics14th
    Worlds12th
    Four Continents3rd7th6th
    GP NHK Trophy7th6th
    GP Rostel. Cup5th4th
    GP Skate Canada3rd8th4th4th
    Nebelhorn Trophy5th
    U.S. Classic2nd5th
    International: Junior[18]
    Junior Worlds4th
    JGP Belarus8th
    JGP Germany4th
    JGP U.K.5th
    National[19]
    Canadian Champ.14th J.14th J.2nd J.4th6th3rd3rd3rd3rd
    SC Challenge1st
    J. = Junior level

    References

    1. 1 2 "Hayleigh BELL / Rudi SWIEGERS: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 Mittan, Barry (19 July 2009). "Scion of Rodeo Family Roped into Pairs". Golden Skate.
    3. 1 2 Golinsky, Reut (28 October 2011). "Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers: "We like to get the crowd going"". Absolute Skating.
    4. ↑ Hoyt, Melanie (24 January 2011). "Moore-Towers and Moscovitch win Canadian pairs title". Golden Skate.
    5. ↑ Flade, Tatjana (17 February 2011). "Pang and Tong dominate pairs in Taipei". Golden Skate.
    6. ↑ Rutherford, Lynn; Stevenson, Alexandra (17 February 2011). "Disaster strikes, but Swiegers saves the day". IceNetwork.com.
    7. ↑ Nealin, Laurie (23 January 2012). "Virden's Lawrence earns bronze in pairs at nationals". Winnipeg Free Press. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014.
    8. ↑ "Rudi SWIEGERS". Sochi2014.com. Organizing Committee of the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games of 2014 in Sochi. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014.
    9. ↑ "Saskatchewan pair skaters Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers end partnership". Skate Canada. 8 May 2014.
    10. ↑ Kwong, PJ (18 November 2015). "Figure skaters get creative to cover massive costs". CBC Sports.
    11. ↑ "Paige LAWRENCE / Rudi SWIEGERS: 2013/2014". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014.
    12. ↑ "Paige LAWRENCE / Rudi SWIEGERS: 2012/2013". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 12 March 2013.
    13. ↑ "Paige LAWRENCE / Rudi SWIEGERS: 2011/2012". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012.
    14. ↑ "Paige LAWRENCE / Rudi SWIEGERS: 2010/2011". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 16 August 2011.
    15. ↑ "Paige LAWRENCE / Rudi SWIEGERS: 2009/2010". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010.
    16. ↑ "Paige LAWRENCE / Rudi SWIEGERS: 2008/2009". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009.
    17. ↑ "Competition Results: Hayleigh BELL / Rudi SWIEGERS". International Skating Union.
    18. 1 2 "Competition Results: Paige LAWRENCE / Rudi SWIEGERS". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015.
    19. ↑ Paige Lawrence / Rudi Swiegers at Skate Canada at the Wayback Machine (archive index)

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