Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz

Bourne, Shae-Lynn, and Kraatz, Victor

Shae-Lynn Bourne (b at Chatham, Ont, 24 Jan 1978) and Victor Kraatz (b at Berlin, Germany 7 April 1971), skaters. Ice dancing partners beginning in 1991 and members of the Canadian figure skating team starting in 1992, they were unrivalled on the Canadian scene for many years. After winning the junior title in 1992, they went on to dominate senior ice dancing throughout the 1990s. They competed in their first major international competition in 1993 and finished 14th in the world championships. They soared in the standings during the following years, reaching 6th place in 1994 and 4th in 1995. In 1996 they won the bronze medal at the world championships, a feat they repeated in 1996, 1997 and 1999. They did not compete in 1998 due to injuries. In 1997, they earned gold in the finals of the Champions Series. Only two other Canadian pairs have ever won dance medals at the world championships. They were also five-time winners of the Skate Canada competition. They took part in two Olympic Games, finishing 10th in 1994 in Lillehammer and 4th in 1998 in Nagano, a competition that gave rise to a lively controversy over the impartiality of the judges.