Todd Eric Waggoner (born December 24, 1965) is an American former

pair skater Pair skating is a figure skating discipline defined by the International Skating Union (ISU) as "the skating of two persons in unison who perform their movements in such harmony with each other as to give the impression of genuine Pair Skating a ...

. With

Gillian Wachsman Gillian Margaret Wachsman (born September 19, 1966) is an American former pair skater. With Todd Waggoner, she is the 1985 NHK Trophy champion, 1985 Skate America bronze medalist, and 1986 U.S. national champion. The pair competed at the 1988 Wi ...

, he is the 1985

NHK Trophy The NHK Trophy is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Organized by the Japanese Skating Federation, it began in 1979 and was added to the Grand Prix series in 19 ...

champion, 1985

Skate America Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is hosted by U.S. Figure Skating. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: men ...

bronze medalist, and 1986

U.S. national Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...

champion. The pair competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics, placing fifth, and at three

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

, placing as high as fourth.

Skating career

Early in his career, Waggoner competed with his sister, Jan. They moved from Chicago to Delaware to train with Ronald Ludington. The pair placed fourth on the junior level at the 1984 U.S. Championships. Waggoner teamed up with

in the autumn of 1984. In their first season together, they took the bronze medal at the U.S. Championships. The following season, the pair won bronze at the 1985 Skate America, gold at the 1985 NHK Trophy, and then gold at the 1986 U.S. Championships ahead of

Jill Watson Jill Marilynn Watson (born March 29, 1963 in Bloomington, Indiana) is an American retired pair skater and coach. With her partner Peter Oppegard, she is the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist and a three-time U.S. national champion. Watson was initi ...

Peter Oppegard Peter Allen Oppegard (born August 23, 1959 in Knoxville, Tennessee) is an American retired pair skater and coach. With his partner Jill Watson, he is the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist and a three-time U.S. national champion. In May 2022, Oppe ...

. They were assigned to their first

and finished seventh. The pair was coached by Pauline Williams. After winning silver at the 1988 U.S. Championships, Wachsman/Waggoner were selected to represent the United States at the 1988 Winter Olympics. The pair placed fifth in Calgary. Their final amateur competition was the 1988 World Championships where they placed fourth. They retired in order to focus on their educations.

Personal life and aviation career

Waggoner was born on December 24, 1965, in Arlington Heights, Illinois. His father worked for Trans World Airlines. During his skating career, Waggoner worked as a waiter and landscaper and took flying lessons. After studying at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, he flew cargo aircraft for the Delaware National Guard and then became a jet pilot for United Airlines. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland and is married to American former

ice dancer Ice dance (sometimes referred to as ice dancing) is a discipline of figure skating that historically draws from ballroom dancing. It joined the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976. Ac ...

, Kristan Lowery, with whom he has 3 sons, Eric, Kyle, and Drew.

Results

With Gillian Wachsman

With Jan Waggoner

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Waggoner, Todd 1965 births American male pair skaters Olympic figure skaters for the United States Figure skaters at the 1988 Winter Olympics Living people Sportspeople from Arlington Heights, Illinois 20th-century American sportsmen