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'Brian Orser' OC (born on December 18, 1961 in Belleville, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian figure skater and one of the most accomplished skaters in his country's history, with eight national titles, two Olympic medals, and a world title to his credit. He currently coaches Kim Yu-Na.

Contents

Biography

Competitive highlights

Amateur

References

External links

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Biography

Orser won silver medals at the 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics. He won the 1987 World Championships, beating American silver medalist Brian Boitano. At the 1988 Olympics in Calgary the battle for gold was waged between Orser and Boitano, with Orser losing the gold by the narrowest margin in history. The rivalry between them became known as the Battle of the Brians, and their skating in Calgary is often referred to as the greatest night of skating in Olympic men's history. At the time of their rivalry, Orser was especially known for his incredible footwork and artistry, in contrast with Boitano, who was known more for his athleticism and consistency in jumps. Ironically, Orser used to be considered the stronger technical skater when he competed against Scott Hamilton at the 1984 Olympics. During the first part of his skating career Orser was known as "Mr. Triple Axel," having been the first man to consistently land the jump and the first one to land it at the Olympics in 1984.
In November 1998, an ex-boyfriend sued Orser for palimony, outing Orser as gay against his will. According to Orser, "Other skaters, both Canadian and American, guard their gayness closely because of the likely impact of public disclosure on their careers."
Orser's many accolades include an Emmy Award for his performance in Carmen on Ice. In 1985 he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Officer in 1988.
Orser currently lives in Toronto with his partner Jason Forbes.^[1] He is a head instructor at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club and currently coaches Kim Yu-Na.

Competitive highlights

Amateur

Event	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988
Winter Olympic Games				2nd				2nd
World Championships	6th	4th	3rd	2nd	2nd	2nd	1st	2nd
Canadian Championships	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st

References

1. Life of Brian's just fine, thanks Mary Ormsby

External links

★ Brian Orser: Canadian Excellence - Official website

★ ESPN's brief history of gay athletes

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