Łukasz Zalewski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈwukaʐ zaˈlɛfskʲi]; born 25 May 1977) is a Polish former competitive ice dancer. Skating with Julie Keeble for the United Kingdom, he became the 1999 Karl Schäfer Memorial champion, 1999 Skate Israel bronze medalist, and 2000 British national champion. During his career with Keeble and with Jolanta Bury for Poland, Zalewski competed in the final segment at four ISU Championships.
| Łukasz Zalewski | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 May 1977 Gdańsk, Poland |
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in) |
| Figure skating career | |
| Country | United Kingdom Poland |
| Partner | Julie Keeble Jolanta Bury |
| Coach | Garry Alan Hoppe |
| Began skating | 1984 |
| Retired | 2000 |
Personal life
editZalewski was born on 25 May 1977 in Gdańsk, Poland.[1] He began living in England in 1991 and studied computer science at Queen Mary University of London, at undergraduate and postgraduate level.[2]
Career
editEarly career
editZalewski began learning to skate in 1984.[1] Early in his career, he represented Poland with Jolanta Bury. The two placed 19th at the 1995 World Junior Championships, held in November 1994 in Budapest, Hungary, and won the silver medal at the European Youth Olympic Days in February 1995 in Andorra la Vella.
Continuing in the junior ranks, Bury/Zalewski took silver at the 1995 Blue Swords and then placed 7th at the 1996 World Junior Championships, held in late 1995 in Brisbane, Australia. They began appearing on the senior level in the 1996–1997 season. They would win two national bronze medals before parting ways.[3]
Partnership with Keeble
editIn 1998, Zalewski was partnered with British ice dancer Julie Keeble by their coach, Garry Alan Hoppe, in London, England.[4] The duo competed on the senior level, representing the United Kingdom internationally. In the 1998–1999 season, they placed fourth at the British Championships, a few weeks after beginning their partnership.[4]
The following season, Keeble/Zalewski won gold at the 1999 Karl Schäfer Memorial in October, gold at the British Championships in November,[4] and bronze at the 1999 Skate Israel in December. In February, the duo finished 16th at the 2000 European Championships, held in Vienna, Austria. In March, they qualified to the free dance at the 2000 World Championships in Nice, France; they ranked 23rd in the original dance, 21st in the free dance, and 21st overall.
Keeble and Zalewski decided to retire from competition in August 2000.[5][6]
Programs
edit(with Keeble)
| Season | Original dance | Free dance |
|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 [1] |
|
Medley by ABBA |
Competitive highlights
editWith Keeble for the United Kingdom
edit| International[1] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Event | 1998–1999 | 1999–2000 |
| World Championships | 21st | |
| European Championships | 16th | |
| Karl Schäfer Memorial | 1st | |
| Skate Israel | 3rd | |
| National[1] | ||
| British Championships | 4th | 1st |
| Polish Championships | 3rd | |
With Bury for Poland
edit| International[3] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 1994–95 | 1995–96 | 1996–97 | 1997–98 |
| Czech Skate | 6th | |||
| Schäfer Memorial | 15th | |||
| Skate Israel | 5th | |||
| Autumn Trophy | 10th | |||
| Basler Cup | 4th | |||
| PFSA Trophy | 8th | |||
| International: Junior[3] | ||||
| World Junior Champ. | 19th | 7th | ||
| Blue Swords | 2nd J | |||
| EYOF | 2nd J | |||
| P. Roman Memorial | 3rd J | |||
| PFSA Trophy | 3rd J | |||
| National[3] | ||||
| Polish Championships | 3rd | 3rd | ||
| J = Junior level | ||||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Julie KEEBLE / Lukasz ZALEWSKI". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017.
- ^ "Lukasz Zalewski linkedin page". 21 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Jolanta BURY / Lukasz ZALEWSKI". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017.
- ^ a b c Hubbard, Alan (14 November 1999). "Ice Skating: K and Z draw from tracings of T and D". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017.
- ^ Hubbard, Alan (19 August 2000). "Skaters get the cold shoulder". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017.
- ^ Foster, Peter (21 August 2000). "Cash crisis leaves skaters on thin ice". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017.