Elaine Zayak

[Mohacz]

Elaine Zayak is a former U.S. Ladies figure skater. She was born on 4 April 1965 in Paramus, New Jersey.

Elaine is the 1982 World Champions and the 1981 U.S. National Champion. She also competed at the 1984 Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo, placing 6th.

Elaine was the first woman to consistently land many triple jumps in her programs. At the 1982 World Championships, she landed six triple jumps to win the title, although four of them were triple toe loops. While she also had triple salchows and loops in her repertoire, they were less consistent. Zayak's skating contributed to the creation of what became informally known as the Zayak Rule enacted at the 1982 ISU Congress, which states that a skater may not perform the same kind of triple jump more than twice, and for it to be given full credit on both occasions, one of the two triples must be incorporated into a combination or sequence. The rule encouraged skaters to display a greater variety of skills.

She retired from competitive skating in 1984 and started skating in Ice Capades shows (1984-86).

Zayak was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2003 and the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2013, she was elected into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

She teaches figure skating at the Ice House in Hackensack, New Jersey, and is a spokeswoman for U.S. Figure Skating.

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaine_Zayak

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/elainezayak/

Programs and Videos
1993/1994
SP: no information found
LP: "Reverie" by Arthur Fiedler

1994 U.S. National Championships

SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7kOLzvxxm8 / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlWcY3G0Imw
LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4zFIashnc8 / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yP_AGPWPY4
Medal ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AucAlGNg-p0
​

1983/1984
SP: no information found
LP: "Reverie" by Arthur Fiedler

1984 World Championships

SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfUfIWSFXbU
LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xrb3k2y6Q0 / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTr95ezrOGQ​

XIV Winter Olympic Games Sarajevo 1984

SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2nzC7d_9-o / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhKgw-UE_GY
LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjHfiv1pF5U / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MBbng2Mzj8​

1984 U.S. National Championships

LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkrfexVFctI​

1982/1983
SP: no information found
LP:no information found

1983 U.S. National Championships

LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6QUaaxMC70​

1981/1982
SP: no information found
LP: Romanian Rhapsody

1982 World Championships

SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1R2geqkSAA / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI06rChH4hY
LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHLZfJiAvb0 / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHWnBNLV7QE
Ex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew_neMpUT9M
Medal ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQxxS2i1lqc
​

1982 U.S. National Championships

LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3amwSkZr5FQ / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIE3JWa5Fy4​

1981 Skate America

LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dj3EkGX9Nw​

1980/1981
SP: no information found
LP: no information found

1981 World Championships

LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7wV32eQCBs / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMhEulMXdRQ​

1981 U.S. National Championships

LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4PzBmPYpU4 / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEv_iLAs3Uw​

1980 Skate Canada

SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVXIapcNjVg
LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czI4hxCbS_I​

1979/1980
SP: no information found
LP: no information found

1980 U.S. National Championships

LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNB3las_0Wk​

1978/1979
SP: no information found
LP: no information found

Results

Competition	CF	SP	LP	FR
1993/1994
1994 U.S. National Championships	--			4
1983/1984
1984 World Championships				3
XIV Winter Olympic Games Sarajevo 1984	13	6	4	6
1984 U.S. National Championships				3
1982/1983
1983 World Championships				WD
1983 U.S. National Championships				2
1982 St. Ivel International				1
1981/1982
1982 World Championships	4	10	1	1
1982 U.S. National Championships				3
1981 Skate America				2
1981 International Challenge Cup				2
1980/1981
1981 World Championships				2
1981 U.S. National Championships				1
1980 Skate Canada				1
1979/1980
1980 World Championships				11
1980 U.S. National Championships				4
1979 Prague Skate				1
1979 International Challenge Cup				2
1978/1979
1979 World Junior Championships				1

Pro-am competitions and shows
1995 U.S. Postal Service Skating Challenge, Free Skate - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2zJLCzx9DY
1995 Vail Skating Festival Zayak - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5ZrR08gWww
1994 Goodwill Games, Figure Skating, Ladies' Free Skate - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFYz-CQxQfM
1994 Goodwill Games, Figure Skating, Ladies' Technical Program - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGXiC0iuOD4
1994 Canadian Professionals, Ladies' Artistic Program - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuiMU_zULik
1990 U.S. Open Professionals, Ladies' Technical Program - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWKia1dvYIY
1982 Skate America Exhibition - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt4YTjnVjM4

Articles and Interviews
16 July 2019 - Tales of the Blade - Elaine Zayak - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8YceodOBvo
19 December 2015 - Teens, Tots and Toys Featuring Elaine Zayak - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23qGb-H_J0o / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA77Q6dw_R8
27 October 2014 - Elaine Zayak - National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame 2013 Induction Highlight Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryVKl_Om-70
1 April 2013 - The Skating Lesson: Interview with Elaine Zayak - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAlLabjukps
21 November 2010 - Reports on Elaine Zayak and What It Takes to be a Champion - 1994 U.S. Pro-Am Championships - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8GrPDxP71A
2 January 2010 - Profile on Elaine Zayak (USA) - 1984 Sarajevo, Ladies' Short Program - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtdYYXLyMEg
15 November 2009 - Elaine Zayak 1984 Olympics Up Close and Personal fluff - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Eqk6PoS1M

 

[Mohacz]

I've just opened a thread for Elaine. I'll still try to add more videos and detailed results, but you can already start enjoying this great skater who is nowadays especially known to the wider public for the so called Zayak Rule.

 

[dorispulaski]

I always loved Elaine' s skating!!

Thank you so much for the thread.

 

[Triple loop]

Great to see her added on this list. I always loved her skating.