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. 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. Rice died on January 14, 2022, at the age of 49.
Competitive highlights
Pairs with Higgins International Event 92–93 93–94 94–95 95–96 96–97 97–98 98–99 World Champ. 10th 14th Skate Canada 3rd 6th Skate America 5th Trophée Lalique 6th Nations Cup 4th 8th Nebelhorn Trophy 3rd National Canadian Champ. 3rd J 3rd 6th 3rd 4th 4th 7th 5th GP = Champions Series (Grand Prix); J = Junior level
Fours with Higgins and others National Event 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 Canadian Championships 3rd1 1st2 1st3 1st3 1st3 2nd4 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) Event 1990 World Junior Championships 5th
(with Kimberly Thomson) Event 1989 Canadian Championships 2nd N. N. = Novice level
References
External links Pairs on Ice: Jodeyne Higgins & Sean Rice