Brian Orser - One of the Most Successful Figure Skaters in Canadian History:
Brian Orser won eight Canadian national figure skating titles and two Olympic silver medals. He is also the 1987 Men's World Figure Skating Champion.
Date of Birth:
December 18, 1961
Place of Birth:
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Early Skating Days:
Orser began skating at around the age of five when he went ice skating with his sisters. Like most young Canadian boys, he played ice hockey. He performed in a local ice carnival when he was six years old. From there, he was hooked on figure skating.
Coach:
Brian Orser was coached by Doug Leigh for most of his amateur figure skating career. During his competitive figure skating years, he trained at the Mariposa School of Skating."Mr. Triple Axel" :
Brian Orser was known as "Mr. Triple Axel" because he landed that jump consistently. He holds the record for being the first man to land the triple Axel at the Olympics.
"Battle of the Brians":
The "Battle of the Brians" is the name the media used to describe the rivalry between Canadian Brian Orser and American Brian Boitano at the 1988 Olympics. As the competition began, Orser may have been the favorite to win gold since he'd already won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games. (In 1984 he placed second behind Scott Hamilton.)
The competition between Orser and Boitano was exciting and very close. Brian Boitano skated a perfect program and ended up winning the gold.
Competition Highlights:
- Canadian National Figure Skating Champion 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988
- World Figure Skating Champion 1987
- World Figure Skating Silver Medalist 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988
- World Figure Skating Bronze Medalist 1983
- Olympic Figure Skating Silver Medalist 1984 and 1988
Professional Career:
After the 1988 Winter Olympics, Brian Orser performed and toured with Stars on Ice.
Coaching Career:
Brian Orser is the head figure skating coach at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club. In 2008, one of his students, Kim Yu-Na, of Korea, won the World Figure Skating Championships. In 2010, Orser was on Kim's side when she won Olympic gold.
Other Awards:
Orser is a member of both the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame. He won an Emmy award for his portrayal of Escamillo in "Carmen on Ice." In 1988, Brian Orser was selected as an Officer of Canada which is the the most prestigious award a Canadian civilian can receive.
