Otto Jelinek, a former cabinet minister and world-champion figure skater, dead at 86
The former world champion skater served two decades in Parliament and later became Canada’s ambassador to the Czech Republic.
- Otto Jelinek, a former world-champion figure skater and federal cabinet minister, died in hospital at age 86 on Saturday after living with Parkinson's disease for nearly 20 years.
- Born in Prague, Jelinek escaped communism in Czechoslovakia as a boy before representing Canada in figure skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics in California with his sister Maria.
- Jelinek represented the Oakville, Ont. area for two decades in federal politics, serving as national revenue minister under then prime minister Brian Mulroney and holding portfolios in sport and multiculturalism.
- After considering a leadership bid for the Progressive Conservative Party, Jelinek served as Canadian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, capping a diverse public career.
- The Jelinek family reported he passed away peacefully following his nearly 20-year battle with Parkinson's disease, marking the end of a career spanning Olympic competition, federal governance, and diplomacy.
51 Articles
51 Articles
Otto Jelinek, a former world figure skating champion and former federal government minister, died at the age of 86.
Otto Jelinek, World Champion Figure Skater Turned Canadian Cabinet Minister, Dies at 86
A family that fled Czechoslovakia with almost nothing after Communists nationalized their father’s factory went on to produce a World Champion figure skater and, decades later, a member of the Canadian federal cabinet, all in the person of one man. Otto Jelinek died on September 5, 2026, at the Trillium Health Centre in Mississauga, Canada, […]
Otto Jelinek, Dead at 86
Otto Jelinek, along with his sister Mariea, won the 1962 World Figure Skating Championships and represented Canada at the 1960 Winter Olympics. He went on to a successful career in politics where he was elected to the House of Commons in 1972, becoming Minister of National Revenue in 1989.
Otto Jelinek, a Canadian figure skater, businessman and politician of Czech origin, died on Saturday at the age of 86. The Prague native became world champion in the sports pairs competition with his sister Marie at the championship in the Czech capital in 1962, and they also had a silver and two bronze medals from world championships in their collection.
Oakville (Canada) - Otto Jelinek, a Canadian figure skater, businessman and politician of Czech origin, died on Saturday at the age of 86. The Prague native became the world champion in the sports pairs competition with his sister Marie at the championship in the Czech capital in 1962, and they also had silver and two bronze medals from world championships. They represented Canada, where their family emigrated in 1948. Jelinek's death was announ…
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