# Viktor Pfeifer

Viktor Pfeifer (born May 16, 1987) is an Austrian former competitive figure skater. An eight-time Austrian national champion, he has placed as high as eighth at the European Championships (2013) and has competed three times at the Winter Olympics, placing 22nd in 2006, 21st in 2010 and 26th in 2014.

## Career

In the 2002–03 season, Pfeifer won Austria's senior national men's title for the first time. The following season, he began competing on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series.
In 2004–05, Pfeifer competed in his second JGP season and finished 12th at the 2005 World Junior Championships. He also made his senior international debut at the 2005 European Championships, where he was 18th. He then placed 23rd at his first senior World Championships.
In 2005–06, Pfeifer again began his season on the junior level, placing fifth in both of his JGP events. He then competed on the senior level at the 2005 Karl Schäfer Memorial, the final opportunity for countries to qualify an Olympic entry. His placement, fifth, gave Austria a spot in the 2006 Olympic men's event. Pfeifer won his third senior national title and was sent to the Olympics where he placed 22nd. He ended his season at the 2006 World Championships, finishing 26th.
In 2006, Pfeifer moved from Austria to train in Aston, Pennsylvania. Two years later, he began training under Priscilla Hill at the Skating Club of Wilmington in Wilmington, Delaware. He stated that Austrian skating officials disagreed with his decision to train abroad and his funding dried up, leading him to consider no longer competing for the country. He was not sent to any ISU Championships in 2007 and 2008.
Pfeifer returned to international competition in autumn 2008. He placed tenth at the 2008 Nebelhorn Trophy and fifth at the 2008 Karl Schäfer Memorial before taking his fourth national title. He was 29th at both the 2009 European Championships and 2009 World Championships.
The final opportunity to qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympics was the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy in September. Pfeifer placed fifth and earned a spot for Austria in the men's event in Vancouver. Austria consequently resumed funding his training. After winning his fifth national title, Pfeifer was sent to the 2010 European Championships where he placed 17th. He then competed at the 2010 Winter Olympics, placing 21st. His final event of the season was the 2010 World Championships where he was 20th.
In the 2012–13 season, Pfeifer was eighth at the European Championships, the best European result of his career. He then placed 20th at the 2013 World Championships, earning a spot for Austria in the 2014 Olympic men's event.
Pfeifer began coaching at The Skating Club of Wilmington when he was still a competitive skater. He retired from competition on May 27, 2014.

## Personal life

Pfeifer began playing the cello as a child and attended a music conservatory in Austria before deciding to focus on skating. He studied business management and economics at the University of Delaware.

## Programs

| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
| 2013–2014 | Cloud Atlas by Piano Sextett | Breath of Life by Audiomachine Sad Piano by Michael Orteta Guardians at the Gate by Audiomachine | |
| 2012–2013 | Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven | Breath of Life by Audiomachine Sad Piano by Michael Orteta Guardians at the Gate by Audiomachine | |
| 2011–2012 | Lady Caliph by Ennio Morricone | Send In the Clowns The Elephant Man Entry of the Gladiators Circus Contraception | |
| 2010–2011 | The Mask by Randy Edelman | Send In the Clowns The Elephant Man Entry of the Gladiators Circus Contraception | |
| 2009–2010 | Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven | Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez for piano | Mandolin Rain by Bruce Hornsby |
| 2008–2009 | The Matrix by Don Davis Blues for Klook | Adagio in G minor by Remo Giazotto, Tomaso Albinoni Ancient Life by Rage | |
| 2007–2008 | Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven Beethoven's Last Night Trans-Siberian Orchestra | Mr. & Mrs. Smith by John Powell | |
| 2006–2007 | Moonlight Sonata Beethoven's Last Night | Sheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov | |
| 2005–2006 | Chronologie Part2 by Jean Michel Jarre Zoolook No.3 by Jean Michel Jarre | La Strada by Nino Rota 8½ by Nino Rota Il bidone by Nino Rota | Chaplin medley |
| 2004–2005 | Tango from Cirque du Soleil by Rene Dupere | Art on Ice (from "Strings and Beats") performed by Edvin Marton | |
| 2003–2004 | Tango from Cirque du Soleil by Rene Dupere | Backdraft by Hans Zimmer | |

## Results

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

### 2003–2014

International :
| Event | 03–04 | 04–05 | 05–06 | 06–07 | 08–09 | 09–10 | 10–11 | 11–12 | 12–13 | 13–14 |
| Olympics | | | 22nd | | | 21st | | | | 26th |
| Worlds | | 23rd | 26th | | 29th | 20th | 26th | 22nd | 20th | 30th |
| Europeans | | 18th | 18th | | 29th | 17th | 18th | 18th | 8th | 14th |
| GP Skate America | | | | | | | 12th | | | |
| Golden Spin | | | 4th | | | | | | | |
| Ice Challenge | | | | | | 13th | | 3rd | 11th | 2nd |
| Schäfer Memorial | | 5th | 14th | | 5th | | | | | |
| Nebelhorn Trophy | | | | | 10th | 5th | 13th | | | |
| Nepela Memorial | | | | | | 2nd | 5th | | | |
| Triglav Trophy | | | | | | | | 2nd | | |
| International: Junior |||||||||||
| Junior Worlds | | 12th | 15th | | | | | | | |
| JGP Bulgaria | | | 5th | | | | | | | |
| JGP Estonia | | | 5th | | | | | | | |
| JGP Romania | | 10th | | | | | | | | |
| JGP Slovakia | 22nd | | | | | | | | | |
| JGP Ukraine | | 9th | | | | | | | | |
| Montfort Cup | 2nd J | 1st J | 1st J | | | | | | | |
| National, domestic, or club events |||||||||||
| Austrian Champ. | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| Austrian Junior | 1st | 1st | | | | | | | | |

### 1998–2003

International :
| Event | 01–02 | 02–03 |
| Copenhagen Trophy | | 2nd J |
| Euro. Youth Olympic Festival | | 11th J |
| National |||
| Austrian Champ. | 4th | 1st |
| Austrian Junior Champ. | 2nd | 1st |