Jan Ullmark

Figure Skating Builder - Inducted 2020

Since arriving in Alberta in 1973, Jan Ullmark and his elite coaching skills have made an indelible mark on the sport of figure skating in Canada. As the Director of Skating at Edmonton’s Royal Glenora Club, Jan elevated the club to prominence as one of the country’s top training centres. Under his tutelage, the club began to consistently produce national and international competitors. Among the athletes who benefited from his guidance were Michael Slipchuk, who won the 1992 Canadian Championship;  Canmore’s Jane Gray, who competes on the national stage;  former national skater Robin Forsyth; three-time Canadian national medalist Ben Ferreira; as well as the team of Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, who went on to win gold in pairs figure skating at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.

A former national figure skating champion in Sweden, Jan first came to Canada in 1973 to accept a coaching job at the Lethbridge Skating Club. After briefly returning to Sweden, Jan ultimately found a home in Canada as the Director of Skating for the Royal Glenora Club in Edmonton, a position he held until his retirement in June, 2017. The impact his elite coaching had on his students was readily apparent when over 300 of his former protégés turned out for the celebration.   

His enthusiasm and passion for the sport and his passion for developing successfully figure skating careers is known across the country and around the world.

With his induction into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, Jan joins former protégés Slipchuk, Salé and Pelletier as an honoured member.

For over 20 years, Jan and his wife, Cynthia, have hosted a “skating vacation” in Canmore, which welcomes skaters from across the province to train under their guidance.