Sean Rice

{{Short description|Canadian pair skater (1972–2022)}} {{Distinguish|Sean Price}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox figure skater |name= Sean Rice |image= Jodeyne Higgins and Sean Rice.jpg |caption= Jodeyne Higgins and Rice on the ''Dancing on Ice'' tour in 2011 |fullname= Sean Rice |altname= |country= Canada |birth_date= {{birth date|1972|07|20|mf=yes}} |birth_place= Oakville, Ontario, Canada |death_date= {{death date and age|2022|01|14|1972|07|20|mf=yes}} |death_place= |hometown= |height= |partner= |coach= |skating club= Oakville SC |retired= }}

'''Sean Rice''' (July 20, 1972 – January 14, 2022) was a Canadian pair skater who also competed in the fours discipline. With Jodeyne Higgins, he was the 1995 Skate Canada International bronze medalist, the 1992 Nebelhorn Trophy bronze medalist, and a two-time (1993, 1995) Canadian national bronze medallist. He was also a four-time (1993–1996) Canadian fours champion.

== Career == Competing in pairs, Higgins and Rice won bronze at the 1992 Nebelhorn Trophy and at the 1993 Canadian Nationals. They were assigned to the 1993 World Championships where they placed 10th. The following season was less successful for the pair. They finished 6th at Nationals and were not sent to Worlds. After winning bronze at the 1995 Canadian Championships, they obtained a second trip to Worlds and finished 14th. The pair never reached the podium again at Nationals but they won bronze at the 1995 Skate Canada International.

Competing in fours at the Canadian Championships, Higgins and Rice won gold medals with Scott MacDonald and Alison Purkiss (1994–1996), and Jodi Barnes and Rob Williams (1993). They also won the 1992 bronze medal with Janice Yeck and Scott MacDonald and the 1997 silver medal with Melissa Shields and Trevor Buttenham.

After retiring from competitive skating, Higgins and Rice toured professionally on Royal Caribbean International. In 2011, Rice participated in ITV1's ''Dancing on Ice'', partnered with British TV presenter Angela Rippon.<ref>{{cite news|author=Sperling, Daniel|title=Rippon, Sawalha first out of 'Dancing On Ice'|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s101/dancing-on-ice/news/a296862/rippon-sawalha-first-out-of-dancing-on-ice.html|work=Digital Spy|date=January 9, 2011|accessdate=October 15, 2011}}</ref> In 2012, Rice was partnered with British Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott.

== Personal life and death == Higgins and Rice were married and had a daughter, Signey, born in October 2013.<ref name=signey/> Rice died on January 14, 2022, at the age of 49.<ref name=Ind220117/><ref name=Yahoo220117/>

==Competitive highlights==

===Pairs with Higgins=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! style="background-color: #ffdead; " colspan=9 align=center | International<ref name=SCV2/> |- ! Event ! {{tooltip|91–92|1991–1992}} ! 92–93 ! 93–94 ! 94–95 ! 95–96 ! 96–97 ! 97–98 ! 98–99 |- | align=left | World Champ. || || 10th || || 14th || || || || |- | align=left | {{small|GP}} Skate Canada || || || || || bgcolor=cc9966 | 3rd || 6th || || |- | align=left | Skate America || || || 5th || || || || || |- | align=left | Trophée Lalique || || || 6th || || || || || |- | align=left | Nations Cup || || 4th || || 8th || || || || |- | align=left | Nebelhorn Trophy || || bgcolor=cc9966 | 3rd || || || || || || |- ! style="background-color: #ffdead; " colspan=9 align=center | National<ref name=SCNAT/> |- | align=left | Canadian Champ. || bgcolor=cc9966 | 3rd J || bgcolor=cc9966 | 3rd || 6th || bgcolor=cc9966 | 3rd || 4th || 4th || 7th || 5th |- | colspan=9 align=center | GP = Champions Series (Grand Prix); J = Junior level |}

===Fours with Higgins and others=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! style="background-color: #ffdead; " colspan=7 align=center | National |- ! Event ! 1992 ! 1993 ! 1994 ! 1995 ! 1996 ! 1997 |- | align=left | Canadian Championships || bgcolor=cc9966 | 3rd1 || bgcolor=gold | 1st2 || bgcolor=gold | 1st3 || bgcolor=gold | 1st3 || bgcolor=gold | 1st3 || bgcolor=silver | 2nd4 |- | colspan=7 align=center | '''Partners in addition to Jodeyne Higgins:''' 1 Janice Yeck / Scott MacDonald 2 Jodi Barnes / Rob Williams 3 Alison Purkiss / Scott MacDonald 4 Melissa Shields / Trevor Buttenham |}

=== Earlier partnerships === (with Sherry Ball) {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! Event ! 1990 |- | align=left | World Junior Championships || 5th |}

(with Kimberly Thomson) {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! Event ! 1989 |- | align=left | Canadian Championships || bgcolor=silver | 2nd N. |- | colspan=2 align=center | N. = Novice level |}

==References== {{Reflist|refs=

<ref name=SCV2>{{cite web |url= http://skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/SkateCanadaResultsBook-Volume2-1974-current.pdf |title= Skate Canada Results Book – Volume 2 – 1974 – current |publisher= Skate Canada |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080408215222/http://www.skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/SkateCanadaResultsBook-Volume2-1974-current.pdf |archive-date= April 8, 2008 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

<ref name=SCNAT>{{cite web |url= http://skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/championships_results.pdf |title= Canadian National Championships Medallists |publisher= Skate Canada |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090920093937/http://skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/championships_results.pdf |archive-date= September 20, 2009 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

<ref name=signey>{{cite news |url= http://serenityphoto.net/serenity-photo-blog-behind-the-lens/shes-here/ |title= She's here |publisher= Serenity Photo |date= October 2013 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131103131251/http://serenityphoto.net/serenity-photo-blog-behind-the-lens/shes-here/ |archive-date= November 3, 2013 }}</ref>

<ref name=Ind220117>{{cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/sean-rice-dancing-on-ice-death-b1994371.html |title= Sean Rice death: Dancing on Ice stars pay tribute to professional skater after he dies aged 49 |first= Annabel |last= Nugent |website= independent.co.uk |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220117194244/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/sean-rice-dancing-on-ice-death-b1994371.html |archive-date= January 17, 2022 |url-status= live }}</ref>

<ref name=Yahoo220117>{{cite news |url= https://ca.style.yahoo.com/dancing-on-ice-sean-rice-death-084201190.html |title= 'Dancing On Ice' pro skater Sean Rice dies aged 49 |first= Albertina |last= Lloyd |publisher= Yahoo News |date= January 17, 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220117194249/https://ca.style.yahoo.com/dancing-on-ice-sean-rice-death-084201190.html |archive-date= January 17, 2022 |url-status= live }}</ref>

}}

==External links== * [http://www.pairsonice.net/profileview.php?pid=22 Pairs on Ice: Jodeyne Higgins & Sean Rice]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rice, Sean}} Category:1972 births Category:2022 deaths Category:Canadian male pair skaters Category:Sportspeople from Oakville, Ontario Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen