Philippe Candeloro was born in Courbevoie, in France, the youngest of four children. His father, Luigi, was a mason, and, a few years after Philippe's birth, built a family home in the Parisian suburb of Colombes.

Colombes, which hosted several events of the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, still boasted many sporting facilities in the 1970s. Although Candeloro's early tastes ran more to action heroes than athletics, he too began to foster an interest in sports. At first, he liked swimming and elastic springboard.

In 1979, at age seven, Candeloro began taking weekly skating lessons. He displayed natural talent, taking to the ice with flair while his friends fell. During one of his first lessons, trainer André Brunet noted Candeloro's potential and invited him to increase his skating practices. At first, he participated in the village's hockey team but quickly veered into figure skating. At the age of 16, he left school to concentrate full time on his training.

By sixteen, Candeloro was receiving attention from both the French Federation and the international skating community. He participated in the closing ceremony at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. With renowned choreographer Natacha Dabadie he began to infuse his programs with even more spark and originality, and a trip to the 1992 Olympics seemed imminent. However, in October 1991, only months before the Games, he broke his leg and was forced to leave the national team and Olympic training squad.

1994 offered Candeloro another chance. He was invited to rejoin the national team and competed in the Olympics that winter. He exceeded all expecations in Lillehammer, winning a bronze medal. The surprise victory launched Candeloro onto the world stage.

After the Olympics, Candeloro became a favorite on the exhibition circuit, becoming an audience favorite in the American Champions on Ice tour and other events. In France he was a bonafide celebrity, attracting sponsorships and television and print publicity.

In competitive circles, Candeloro's star rose and fell. He had consistently strong showings at the World Championships, at Europeans and on the Grand Prix circuit, but never managed to win a title outright. While his artistry and originality were highly praised, he was criticized for having less than polished technique on his jumps and spins, and he could not always keep up to the technical level of other skaters such as Ilia Kulik.

By 1998, however, Candeloro fought his way back to the top of the skating world with his "D'Artagnan" programme. His performance at Europeans, for which he earned 6.0's for artistry, compelled the French Federation to send him to the Olympics again. He marched in the opening ceremonies in Nagano. In the competition he once again shattered expectations with an outstanding performance to earn another bronze medal.

Following the 1998 Olympics, Candeloro turned pro and appeared in a wide variety of tours and professional competitions. In the USA he was a popular fixture with Champions on Ice; in Europe he founded the successful Candel Euro Tour. He most recently appeared in the "Holiday on Ice" tour, and is now starting a new career as a sports journalist.

As a competitive skater, Candeloro was easily recognized by his energetic style and unique choreography. He usually portrayed specific characters on the ice, and constructed his long programmes' music, costumes and choreogaphy around each concept. His most well known long programmes include "Conan", "The Godfather" (1994 Olympics), "Lucky Luke" (1996) and "Napoleon" (1997). In 1998, Candeloro portrayed D'Artagnan from The Three Musketeers. His brilliantly choreographed program included a mock swordfight with intricate footwork that covered the entire length of the rink.