Brian Boitano

Personal Info
Country:	United States
Date of birth:	October 22, 1963 (1963-10-22) (age 43)
Residence:	San Francisco, California
Height:	5' 11"
Coach:	Linda Leaver, Sandra Bezic
Retired:	1988, 1994
ISU Personal Best Scores

Brian Anthony Boitano (born October 22, 1963 in Mountain View, California) is an Italian-American figure skater from Sunnyvale, California. He is a four-time US National Champion (1985-1988), two-time World Champion (1986, 1988) and the 1988 Winter Olympics gold medalist in men's figure skating. He became a professional skater following the 1988 season. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Olympic medalists in figure skating. ... The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and opened by Governor General Jeanne Sauvé. The Olympics were highly successful financially as they brought in million-dollar profits. ... Figure skating at the 1988 Winter Olympics The events took place at the Stampede Corral and the Olympic Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Government  - Mayor Gavin Newsom Area  - City  47 sq mi (122 km²)  - Land  46. ... Sandra Bezic is a former Canadian pairs figure skater. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Figure skating is an ice skating sporting event where individuals, mixed couples, or groups perform spins, jumps, and other moves on the ice, often to music. ... Location of Sunnyvale within Santa Clara County, California. ... The U.S. Figure Skating Championships is an annual event put on by the United States Figure Skating Association. ... The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual event sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. ... The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and opened by Governor General Jeanne Sauvé. The Olympics were highly successful financially as they brought in million-dollar profits. ...

Career

Boitano was the first American to land a triple axel in 1982. In 1987, he introduced his signature jump, the 'Tano triple lutz in which the skater, while performing the second most difficult triple jump, raises his left arm above his head. A single axel jump. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

The extent to which Boitano helped push the technical limits of the sport is quite astounding when one considers the type of elements that skaters regularly executed during the 10 years prior to Boitano's final competition as an amateur and the 10 years following his departure^{[citation needed]}. The contrast in the difficulty of elements between a winning performance in 1978 and 1988 is quite stark, while the elements that Boitano executed in 1988 are still part of top performances today. Possessing such technical ability enabled Boitano to compete as a favorite in the second Olympics following his victory while previous Olympic champions would have found the technical landscape of their sport to have dramatically changed such that they would not be able to contend. Even in the professional ranks, Boitano was the first skater to regularly execute triple axels and land 6 triple jumps at the World Professional Championships. Prior to Boitano's entrance, professional skating had not at all emphasized technical prowess, but that significantly changed^{[citation needed]}. The Three Major Professional Tournaments Professional tennis players in the years before the Open era began in 1968 played mostly on tours in head-to-head competition. ...

1988 Olympics--Battle of the Brians

The highlight of Boitano's amateur career was winning the much-celebrated "Battle of the Brians" over Canadian Brian Orser at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. Following the departure of four-time World champion and 1984 Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton to the professional ranks, a power vacuum had been left in the world of eligible men's figure skating. Among likely successors of Hamilton were 1984 Olympic silver medalist Brian Orser and Hamilton's fellow American, Brian Boitano, who had finished 5th at the Sarajevo Games. At the first World Championships of the post-Hamilton era in 1985, Alexander Fadeev, then of the Soviet Union, was the surprise winner, with Orser finishing 2nd and Boitano 3rd. But in the 1986 World Championships in Geneva, Switzerland, Boitano took the title, while Orser had a disastrous free skate despite having been in an excellent position to win. The following World Championships in 1987 were held in Cincinnati, giving defending World champion Boitano a home-field advantage. Furthermore, the outcome of the event would set the tone for the 1988 Olympics. During the 1986-87 season, Boitano had introduced two new elements to his programs: the 'Tano triple lutz and a quadruple toe loop. Orser had also pushed the sport by introducing two triple Axels to the free skate. In Cincinnati, Boitano fell on his quadruple toe loop attempt, despite landing it perfectly during warmups, and that set the tone for the rest of the program. Brian Orser, on the other hand, skated fantastically, and took the gold medal. The Battle of the Brians was an informal name given to the figure skating rivalry between Canadian Brian Orser and American Brian Boitano at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. ... Orser carrying the Canadian flag at the opening ceremony of the 1988 Winter Olympics Brian Orser OC (born December 18, 1961 in Belleville, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian figure skater. ... The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and opened by Governor General Jeanne Sauvé. The Olympics were highly successful financially as they brought in million-dollar profits. ... Nickname: Motto: Onward Location of Calgary within census division number 6, Alberta, Canada. ... Motto: Fortis et liber(Latin) Strong and free Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Official languages English (see below) Government - Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong - Premier Ed Stelmach (PC) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 28 - Senate seats 6 Confederation September 1, 1905 (split from Northwest Territories) (8th [Province]) Area Ranked... The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual event sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. ... The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, were held in 1984 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia. ... Scott Scovell Hamilton (born August 28, 1958 in Toledo, Ohio) is an American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist known for his originality and engaging on-ice personalities. ... Map of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo) Coordinates: Country Bosnia and Herzegovina Entity Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Canton Sarajevo Canton Government  - Mayor Semiha Borovac (SDA) Area [1]  - City 141. ... Alexander Fadeyev Alexander Alexandrovich Fadeyev (Russian: ; 24 December (O.S. 11 December) 1901 –May 13, 1956) was a Soviet writer, one of the co-founders of the Union of Soviet Writers and its chairman from 1946 to 1954. ... Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German:   //, Italian: Ginevra //, Romansh: Genevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich), and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). ... Cincinnati, Ohio viewed from the SW, across the Ohio River from Kentucky. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A single axel jump. ...

The stage was set for the 1987-88 season, which included the 1988 Olympics. Upon losing the world title to Orser at home, Boitano and his coach Linda Leaver decided that some drastic changes needed to be made if Boitano was to become the Olympic champion. Boitano's technical elements had always been amazing, but his presentation had not; he was a self-described "jumping robot". In order to rectify the shortcomings in his artistry, Canadian Sandra Bezic, now a legendary choreographer, was hired. Bezic recalls feeling somewhat uneasy about taking the job on two respects: She wondered if becoming Boitano's choreographer would constitute taking sides in the American Boitano vs. fellow Canadian Orser's looming duel in Calgary, but Bezic also had doubts about whether Boitano could be transformed into an artistic skater. Boitano had usually skated to upbeat rock and roll music, trying to imitate Hamilton's and Orser's quick movements, but Bezic choreographed two programs that had clean lines and accentuated the 5' 11" Boitano's skating. The short program was based on Giacomo Meyerbeer's ballet Les Patineurs in which Boitano plays a cocky young man showing off his tricks, using movements dating back to the 19th century. It is this program in which Boitano famously wipes ice shavings from his skate blade and tosses them over his shoulder upon landing a very difficult triple axel-double loop combination. The free program was based on the film score, Napoleon, detailing various phases of a soldier's life. Coincidently, Orser's free program that season also had a military theme, and both skaters' costumes involved military garb: Boitano in blue and Orser in red. Sandra Bezic is a former Canadian pairs figure skater. ... Giacomo Meyerbeer Giacomo Meyerbeer (September 5, 1791 – May 2, 1864) was a noted German-born opera composer, and the first great exponent of Grand Opera. ...

Boitano debuted his new programs at 1987 Skate Canada, held in the Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the same venue in which he would compete against Brian Orser for the Olympic title three months later. Boitano's new programs were received with standing ovations by the audience and were quite a surprise for his critics. Orser actually won the competition, but Boitano showed amazing early-season form, landing seven flawless triple jumps, which was more than Orser had landed. Furthermore, the 'Tano triple was refined, the triple Axel further improved, and the triple flip-triple toe loop combination now preceded by a footwork sequence. This sent a message that the significant strides in presentation did not come at the expense of technique; if anything, Boitano's technical elements were now much more difficult and better executed. Furthermore, Boitano, Leaver, and Bezic were so confident about the strength of Boitano's new programs that they omitted the quadruple toe loop, which if landed, would have put him a shoulder above Orser in technical merit, even if Orser skated absolutely flawlessly. The Skate Canada International is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition. ... The flip jump (usually just flip) is a jump in figure skating in which the counter-clockwise jumper takes off from the left back inside edge and lands on the right back outside edge (reverse feet for the clockwise jumper). ...

The short program at the 1988 United States Figure Skating Championships proved to be a highlight. Boitano received marks of 6.0 from eight of the nine judges for presentation, not for his usual high mark of technical merit, although those marks were quite good as well. His free skate was not his best, but because of significant delays, the program was skated in the wee hours of the night, nearly 6 hours after it was scheduled. Boitano's only remark was, "I was sleepy." Orser faced a similar predicament at the Canadian Nationals: a fantastic short program, and a mediocre free skate due to extremely sloppy conditions. But both skaters had the clear backing of their national federations, and the stage was set for the Olympics. The U.S. Figure Skating Championships is an annual event put on by the United States Figure Skating Association. ... The Canadian Championships is an annual figure skating competition held by Skate Canada, the nations figure skating governing body. ...

The media coverage surrounding the head-to-head competition between Boitano and Orser, dubbed the "Battle of the Brians" was in a state of frenzy. At the Calgary games, Fadeev won the compulsories, with Boitano 2nd and Orser 3rd. Then in the short program, Orser finished 1st with a dramatic rendition of "Sing, Sing, Sing" and Boitano finished 2nd. Heading into the final free skating portion of the competition (worth 50% of the overall total), Boitano still had a slight lead over Orser, but the lead was so minuscule that the winner of the free skate was guaranteed to win the gold medal. Boitano went on to skate the performance of his life and win the gold, landing 8 triple jumps, including two triple Axels and a triple flip-triple toe loop combination. The performance is considered to be among the very best in the history of the sport, which is particularly impressive given the pressure of the Olympic Games as well as intense media scrutiny surrounding the "Battle of the Brians". To this day, the Sports Illustrated cover featuring Brian Boitano landing his second triple axel of the program marks the only time a male figure skater has appeared on the cover of the magazine. Sing, Sing, Sing is a 1936 song written by Louis Prima that has become one of the definitive songs of the big band and Swing Era. ... The flip jump (usually just flip) is a jump in figure skating in which the counter-clockwise jumper takes off from the left back inside edge and lands on the right back outside edge (reverse feet for the clockwise jumper). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The first issue of Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1954, showing Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews at bat in Milwaukee County Stadium. ...

Following his victory in Calgary and another win at the World Championships, Boitano turned professional. He went on to dominate competitions in the professional ranks, winning 10 straight professional competitions, including 5 consecutive World Professional Championship titles and 4 consecutive wins at the Challenge of Champions. During this five-year stretch, Boitano did not make a single technical error in his programs. In June 1993, the International Skating Union (ISU) introduced a clause, known as the "Boitano rule", which allowed professionals to reinstate as 'amateur' or 'eligible' skaters. This had been the result of Boitano's active involvement during the early 1990s, which saw professionals being allowed in the Olympic Games in the sports of tennis and basketball.^[1] Boitano reinstated as an amateur to compete in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Going into the Olympics as a gold medal favorite in a strong field, Boitano uncharacteristically missed his triple axel combination during the short program—the first time he ever made that mistake, according to commentator Scott Hamilton. This mistake proved extremely costly, and knocked Boitano out of medal contention. He skated a good long program and finished 6th. The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. ... County Oppland District Gudbrandsdal Municipality NO-0501 Administrative centre Lillehammer Mayor (2005) Synnøve Brenden Klemetrud (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 211 477 km² 450 km² 0. ... Scott Scovell Hamilton (born August 28, 1958 in Toledo, Ohio) is an American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist known for his originality and engaging on-ice personalities. ...

Competitive highlights and achievements

Amateur

The U.S. Figure Skating Championships is an annual event put on by the United States Figure Skating Association. ... The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual event sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. ... An athlete carries the Olympic torch The Winter Olympic Games or the Olympic Winter Games, are a winter multi-sport event held every four years. ...

Professional

• Six-time World Professional Championships Champion (1988-1992, 1994).

Awards

• Inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame (1996).
• Inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame (1996).

The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame serves as a repository for the sport of figure skating. ...

Cultural references

• A caricature of Boitano as a superhero appears as a recurring character in the cartoon series South Park. The movie South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999), features a musical number titled "What Would Brian Boitano Do?". Boitano also appears in a 1995 Christmas cartoon that was a prototype of South Park, entitled The Spirit of Christmas. Boitano would later skate to a slightly-modified version of the song during his Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular in 1999.

• In 2006, Boitano was mentioned in a scene from the FX series Rescue Me.

• In a MADtv sketch Boitano is said to "star" in an adaptation of Angela's Ashes on ice as Franky.

• In a Mind of Mencia sketch, Carlos Mencia tells a flamboyantly dressed man, "Brian Boitano would like his suit back, bro".

For the book of comics by Daniel Clowes see Caricature (Daniel Clowes collection) A common caricature of Charles Darwin focuses on his beard, eyebrows, and baldness, while often giving him the features of an ape or monkey. ... For the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode, see Super Hero (Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode). ... A cartoon is any of several forms of illustrations with varied meanings that evolved from its original meaning. ... South Park is an Emmy Award-winning[1] American animated television comedy series about four third/fourth-grade school boys who live in the small mountain town of South Park, Colorado. ... South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 motion picture based on the cartoon television series of South Park. ... The year 1999 in film involved some significant events. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... The Spirit of Christmas is the name of two different animated short films made by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. ... Rescue Me is a critically praised American television drama that premiered on the FX Network in 2004. ... MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series based on the humor magazine, Mad. ... Cover of Angelas Ashes Angelas Ashes is a memoir by American author Frank McCourt, and tells the story of his childhood. ... Mind of Mencia is an American television comedy show on the cable channel Comedy Central. ... Carlos Mencia on stage for his show, Ned Arnel Mencía (born October 22, 1967), better known by his stage name Carlos Mencia, is an American comedian, writer, and actor. ...

Trivia

• Boitano is a graduate of Peterson High School in Sunnyvale, California.^[2]
• Boitano won an Emmy for his portrayal of Don Jose in "Carmen on Ice."
• Boitano was featured in the Super Bowl XXVI halftime show "Winter Magic" along with Gloria Estefan and Dorothy Hamill.[1]
• Boitano is considered to resemble actor Bronson Pinchot, to the point where he was considered for a guest role in the TV series Perfect Strangers, as a relative of Pinchot's character.
• Appeared briefly in the 2007 film Blades Of Glory as a world skating federation judge

Date January 26, 1992 Stadium Metrodome City Minneapolis, Minnesota MVP Mark Rypien, Quarterback Favorite Redskins by 7 National anthem Harry Connick, Jr. ... Gloria Estefan (born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García on September 1, 1957 in Havana, Cuba) is a five-time Grammy Award-winning Cuban American singer and songwriter. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Bronson Pinchot (right) as Balki with Mark Linn-Baker as Larry on Perfect Strangers. ... The title Perfect Strangers has been used by many artists over the years. ...

References

1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... March 7 is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Brian Boitano's U.S. Olympic Team bio
• Brian Boitano Fan Club

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Brian Boitano

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