Eric Radford's Biography

A Champion on and off the Ice: Eric Radford

Eric Radford is a Canadian pair skater who made history as the first openly gay man to win gold at the Winter Olympics.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1985, Radford was raised in the small town of Balmertown, Ontario.

He began skating at the age of eight, Eric Radford initially competed as a singles skater, winning national titles at the novice and junior levels.

Radford's pairs career saw him partner with several skaters before finding success with Meagan Duhamel in 2010. Together, they won two World Championships (2015, 2016), two Four Continents Championships (2013, 2015), and seven consecutive Canadian National Championships (2012-2018). They also achieved Olympic glory, winning gold in the team event and bronze in the pairs event at PyeongChang 2018, as well as silver in the team event at Sochi 2014.

Radford publicly came out as gay in 2014. His decision to come out was driven by a desire to inspire young LGBTQ athletes and normalise conversations about sexuality in sports. He has been an advocate for inclusion and diversity, serving as an ambassador for the Canadian Olympic Committee's #OneTeam programme.

Eric Radford retired from competitive skating in 2018 but briefly returned in 2021 to compete with Vanessa James, winning bronze at the 2022 World Championships.

Beyond skating, Radford is a talented musician who composes and plays the piano.

2024 was an important year for Radford. He released his first album, Liminal; and also was chosen to be one of the professional dancers in the next series of Dancing on Ice.

He was paired with Charlie Brooks.