Elizabeth Ann Manley (born August 7, 1965) is a Canadian figure skater. She is best known for her electrifying free program at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. She won silver medals at both the 1988 Winter Olympics and the 1988 World Championships.
Early life and training
Born in 1965 in Trenton, Ontario, the fourth child and only daughter in her family, Manley began skating at an early age. Her father's military career necessitated occasionally moving, and when Manley was nine years old, her family moved from Trenton to Ottawa. Her parents divorced, and Manley was henceforth raised by her mother Joan, who invested much time and money in her daughter's figure skating career.
Amateur career
Manley finished in 13th place at the 1982 World Figure Skating Championships, but the 1982-83 skating season proved disastrous for her. Relocating from Ottawa to Lake Placid, New York to receive more intensive training, Manley became depressed and homesick, which resulted in her hair falling out and weight gain. She failed to win a medal at the 1983 Canadian National Championships and briefly dropped out of the sport, but she agreed to resume her skating career upon receiving a coaching offer by Peter and Sonya Dunfield. Manley competed in the 1984 Winter Olympics and the World Figure Skating Championships between 1984 and 1987 but failed to win a medal at any of those competitions. Most heartbreaking for her was her performance at the 1987 World Championships. In a position to vie for the world title after skating compulsory figures and the short program, she skated a disastrous long program, which left her in 4th place overall in the competition.