The International Skating Union (ISU) is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Otto Jelinek, the 1962 ISU World Pair Figure Skating Champion, on 5 September 2026, at the age of 86.
Mr. Jelinek was born on 20 May 1940 in Prague during the Second World War. He began skating alongside his younger sister, Maria, initially because he was tasked with looking after her. “So they put us on skates in the one and only stadium, called Štvanice,” Mr. Jelinek recalled in a 2015 interview with Radio Prague International. “We held onto each other so we wouldn’t fall, and we learned as we went. Somehow, people helped us improve, and it became second nature for her and me to skate together.”
Following the communist takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1948, Jelinek’s father, a businessman, organized the escape of his entire family - himself, his wife, and their five children - first to Switzerland and subsequently to Canada.
Otto and Maria Jelinek ©Skate Canada
The family settled in Oakville, Ontario, where Otto continued skating with his sister. The pair quickly achieved national success, becoming Canadian Junior Champions in 1955. The siblings went on to win the first of their four silver medals at the Canadian National Championships in 1956. In 1957, they earned the bronze medal at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships, repeating that result the following year. The Jelineks placed fourth at the 1959 ISU World Championships, took World silver in 1960, and finished fourth at the 1960 Olympic Winter Games in Squaw Valley.
Maria and Otto Jelinek claimed their first Canadian senior-level national title in 1961 and were selected to compete at the ISU World Championships in their old hometown of Prague that same year. They were originally scheduled to travel alongside the U.S. Figure Skating team from New York to Brussels. However, in a last-minute change, their coach rebooked them on a flight via Amsterdam. Tragically, Sabena Flight 548 crashed near Brussels, killing everyone on board, including the entire U.S. team. As a result, the 1961 World Championships were canceled.
The Jelineks defended their national title in 1962 and prepared to travel back to Prague for the rescheduled ISU World Championships. Because the family had fled Czechoslovakia as political refugees, returning was a high-risk endeavor. The Czech-born athletes were granted visas and guarantees of safe passage only after the ISU threatened to move the event to Vienna, Austria. Their victory in Prague proved to be a deeply emotional homecoming, as the pair captured the World title in front of an enthusiastic audience.
Otto and Maria Jelinek ©Skate Canada
“It was pure coincidence that just as we reached our peak in international competition, the World Championships were held in Prague, the city where we were born. A tremendous coincidence,” Jelinek said in the 2015 interview.
“As it turned out, it was probably the most memorable moment of my life because the people were so thrilled that a young couple was returning. Coming back to Czechoslovakia was incredibly emotional because every Czechoslovak knew we were native Czechs coming back from abroad. Of course, we skated to Czech music: Smetana and Dvořák. When it came time for the main performance, the stadium was packed. It was standing-room only, fitting 19,000 people into that old arena. And those 19,000 people went crazy. We won the gold medal for Canada, but in our hearts, we also skated for Czechoslovakia.”
Maria and Otto Jelinek became famous for an innovative variation of the death spiral where Maria went into the spiral while Otto executed a single Axel simultaneously - a move named the "Jelinek Death Spiral." They were also renowned for their complex multi-rotational lifts. Following their World Championship triumph, the siblings retired from competitive skating and toured professionally in ice shows for seven years.
Otto and Maria Jelinek ©Skate Canada
Following in his father’s footsteps, Mr. Jelinek became a successful businessman, manufacturing figure and ice hockey skates. Encouraged by colleagues, he entered Canadian politics in 1972, serving as a Member of Parliament and holding several cabinet posts until 1993. The following year, Mr. Jelinek relocated to Czechia, where he worked in various capacities to foster economic and business development. He later served as Canada's Ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2013 to 2016. Mr. Jelinek was married to Leata Bennett in 1974, with whom he had two children.
On behalf of the global skating family, the ISU extends its heartfelt condolences to Mr. Jelinek’s family, friends, colleagues, and all those touched by his remarkable life and legacy. The ISU pays tribute to Otto Jelinek’s immense contributions to Figure Skating and will remember him with profound respect and gratitude.