John Curry | British figure skater | Britannica.com British figure skater Alternative Title: John Anthony Curry John Curry Christopher Dean John Curry, in full John Anthony Curry (born September 9, 1949, Birmingham , England —died April 15, 1994, Binton, Warwickshire, England), English figure skater who redefined the sport with his elegant balletic style. Known as “the Nureyev of the ice,” he won the gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria. John Curry (U.K.), 1976. Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Curry had an early interest in ballet , but his father would not allow him to take dance lessons because he felt dance was effeminate. Curry began skating at age seven, however, because his father considered ice skating a sport. Combining graceful athleticism and innovative choreography, he was the British national champion in 1971 and from 1973 to 1976. He moved to the United States in 1973, where he trained with Carlo Fassi .

For the first time, Curry was able to devote himself fully to skating, thanks to financial help from an American sponsor. In 1976 Curry reached the pinnacle of his amateur career, winning the British national, European, and world titles, as well as the gold medal at the Olympics. Although his earlier performances had been criticized for lacking the more athletic and daring moves expected in men’s figure skating, Curry included three triples in his Olympic program. As a result, seven of the nine judges placed Curry first, with the Soviet and Canadian judges placing him second, for Great Britain’s first gold medal in figure skating. Later that year, Curry was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire . After winning the world title, Curry turned professional. He formed his own touring company, working with such ballet choreographers as Twyla Tharp , Kenneth MacMillan, and Peter Martins . In 1978 he established a skating school in New York City . Diagnosed with AIDS , he retired from the sport in 1991.

Learn More in these related articles: BBC ON THIS DAY | 11 | 1976: John Curry skates to Olympic gold About This Site | Text Only 1976: John Curry skates to Olympic gold Figure skater John Curry has won Britain's first Olympic gold in the sport. It is the country's first medal at the winter games for 12 years. Before tonight's winning performance, Britain's highest place in the men's figure skating had been fourth. Skating before a crowd of 10,000 in Innsbruck's Olympic Eisstadion, Curry took to the ice leading the field after the first two stages of the men's figure skating. His five minute performance was described by The Times as "masterly in its cool beauty of movement". Showered with carnations He executed three immaculate triple jumps, but it was his artistic interpretation of the music that put his performance above those of his rivals. The nine judges gave him a forest of 5.9s for both technical merit and artistic impression. The Soviet judge was a bit tougher with 5.8 and 5.9 and the Canadian judge gave him two 5.8s.

The 26-year-old from Birmingham was showered with carnations as he paused on the ice at the end of his performance to give his mother a wave across the stadium. Another British skater, Robin Cousins, finished 10th and Glyn Jones finished 16th. Curry shared the medal podium with Vladimir Kovalyov, of the Soviet Union, who took silver and Canadian Toller Cranston who secured the bronze. Afterwards he said: "I shall go to the world championships and then perhaps I shall retire from amateur skating. Perhaps I might form a theatre of amateur skating." He said he had enjoyed the Olympic competition more than he thought, "It's been very exciting - the perfect end to my amateur career and the perfect start to my professional career - I hope." Curry told a news conference two weeks ago he had had no intention of becoming a skater. Dancing was his first love but his father, a precision engineer, did not approve. Then at the age of seven, he saw one of the Wembley ice pantomimes on television and was immediately captivated by skating.

He went on to win his first competition at the age of eight - and in 1967 he won the British Junior championship. He took 11th place in the Sapporo Olympics and since then has continuously held the British championship. For the past three years he has been training in the United States with the US women's champion, Dorothy Hamill, under coach Carlo Fassi. Sports Personality: Curry Olympic and World Champion - BBC Sport BBC Sport BBC Sport - Sports Personality: Curry Olympic and World Champion John Curry wins it all in 1976 7 Nov 2013 From the section Sports Personality In 1976, figure-skater John Curry was named Sports Personality of the Year winner. Curry skated to four major honours in 1976: The Winter Olympic Games and The British, European and World Championships. He was also the flag bearer at the Austria Winter Olympics. Curry passed away in 1994, aged 44, but is thought of as one of the best British figure-skaters ever to have lived.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2015 is broadcast live from Belfast on Sunday, 20 December from 19:00 GMT on BBC One. Further coverage on BBC Sport's online platforms and Radio 5 live. Share Innsbruck 1976 Winter Olympics - results & video highlights Official Reports arrow Denver pulls out The 1976 Games had been awarded to Denver, but the people of the state of Colorado voted to prohibit public funds from being used to support the Games. Innsbruck offered to step in and its offer was accepted by the IOC Executive Board. The city had previously hosted the Winter Games 12 years earlier. Downhill drama The most memorable image of the Games was local hero Franz Klammer flying wildly down the downhill course, barely in control, on his way to a gold medal. Rosi Mittermaier of West Germany won two of the three Alpine skiing events and almost became the first woman to win all three. But in the final race, Canada’s Kathy Kreiner beat her by 12 hundredths of a second. Debuts and firsts Ice dancing debuted as a full medal discipline and was dominated by the Russians.

In figure skating, American Terry Kubicka performed a back flip - the first time in the history of figure skating this dangerous move had been successfully performed. Elegant and athletic British figure skater John Curry tended to emphasise grace and artistic expression over athleticism, an approach that had cost him points with the judges in the past. But in Innsbruck he combined his natural elegance with a series of stunning jumps and was rewarded with the highest points total in the history of men's figure skating. NOCs: 37 Athletes: 1,123 (231 women, 892 men) Events: 37 Media: n/a Denver's withdrawal The Games had been awarded to the city of Denver but the city withdrew on 15 November 1972 following a referendum which rejected the building of Olympic facilities for ecological reasons. Innsbruck offered to step in. It was accepted by the IOC as host city of these Games on 4 February 1973. Two cauldrons This was the second time the Games had taken place in this city, the first being in 1964. For this reason, two Olympic cauldrons were lit.

New on the programme Olympic debut for ice dancing. The first back flip For the first time in the history of figure skating, a competitor (Terry Kubicka, USA) attempted, and succeeded, a dangerous back flip. Ceremonies 4 February 1976: There were two Olympic cauldrons, to celebrate not only the present Games but also the previous time they had been held in Innsbruck, 1964. Official opening of the Games by: President Dr Rudolf Kirschschläger Lighting of the Olympic Flame by: Two cauldrons were lit as a symbol of Winter Games being held twice in Innsbruck. The cauldron of 1964 was lit by Christl Haas (Alpine skiing) and the 1976 cauldron was ignited by Josef Feistmantl (luge). Olympic Oath by: Officials' Oath by: Willy Köstinger (Nordic combined) The emblem represents the coat of arms of the city of Innsbruck, showing the bridge on the Inn which gives the city its name.

The bridge and the five Olympic rings symbolize the link between the various peoples and the ties of friendship binding the young athletes of all nations for whom Innsbruck was once again a meeting place in 1976. As was the case for the 1964 Innsbruck Games, the winners’ medal was created by the Viennese artist Martha Coufal-Hartl. The medals were produced by the Austrian mint in Vienna. The obverse depicts the emblem of the Games (the same as the 1964 Games), comprising the Olympic rings and the coat of arms of the city showing the bridge on the Inn which gives the city of Innsbruck its name. For centuries, this bridge has been the link between the old town and the Hötting district. It symbolizes friendship and the people of the world coming together. Total distance: 1 618 km in Austria Countries crossed: Greece, Austria More info Guided by the principle of not showing one sporting discipline in particular, Arthur Zelger the designer of the poster created a neutral poster, showing a skate, a common feature of winter sports.

This skate symbolizes all the disciplines found in the Winter Games: a ski run, a sledge or bobsleigh and the blade of a skate. The white rectangle on the tip makes the “I” of Innsbruck. On the right, in the background, the coloured peaks symbolize the Tyrolean mountains. Entitled “Final report”, the official report of the XII Olympic Winter Games, Innsbruck 1976, was the first one published in a trilingual version – French, English and German. Sports Personality: Curry Olympic and World Champion - BBC Sport BBC Sport BBC Sport - Sports Personality: Curry Olympic and World Champion John Curry wins it all in 1976 7 Nov 2013 From the section Sports Personality In 1976, figure-skater John Curry was named Sports Personality of the Year winner. Curry skated to four major honours in 1976: The Winter Olympic Games and The British, European and World Championships. He was also the flag bearer at the Austria Winter Olympics. Curry passed away in 1994, aged 44, but is thought of as one of the best British figure-skaters ever to have lived.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2015 is broadcast live from Belfast on Sunday, 20 December from 19:00 GMT on BBC One. Further coverage on BBC Sport's online platforms and Radio 5 live. Share Figure Skating | Britannica.com Figure Skating sport in which ice skaters, singly or in pairs, perform freestyle movements of jumps, spins, lifts, and footwork in a graceful manner. Displaying Featured Figure Skating Articles Kim Yuna South Korean figure skater who won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Kim began skating at age six and gained her first international experience in 2002, when she competed in and won the Triglav Trophy competition at the novice level in Jesenice, Slovenia. In 2003 she captured her first South Korean national title. The following... figure skating sport in which ice skaters, singly or in pairs, perform freestyle movements of jumps, spins, lifts, and footwork in a graceful manner. Its name derives from the patterns (or figures) skaters make on the ice, an element that was a major part of the sport until recently.

There are various kinds of figure skating, including freestyle, pairs, ice dance,... Dorothy Hamill American figure skater who won the gold medal for women’s figure skating in the 1976 Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria. Hamill first skated at age eight on a backyard pond. By 14 she was being privately tutored so that she could skate up to seven hours per day. In the 1970s she lived and trained in Denver, Colorado, under the supervision of... Katarina Witt German figure skater who was the first woman to win consecutive Olympic gold medals (1984 and 1988) in singles figure skating since Sonja Henie in 1936. The charismatic Witt defined the sport in the 1980s with her flirtatious and graceful performances. She won four world titles (1984–85 and 1987–88) and six European championships (1983–88). Witt began... Tara Lipinski American figure skater who in 1998 became the youngest female in her sport to win an Olympic gold medal.

Lipinski planned for Olympic gold for most of her life. At age three she began roller-skating classes and soon was taking private lessons; she won her age group’s gold medal at the national championships when she was nine. By that time Lipinski... Sonja Henie Norwegian-born American world champion figure skater and Olympic gold medalist who went on to achieve success as a professional ice-skater and as a motion-picture actress. Henie began skating when she was six years old. At age 10 she won the Norwegian national figure-skating championship, and in 1924 she competed in the Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix,... Patrick Chan Canadian figure skater who was known for his elegance and artistry and for his ability to land quadruple jumps. Chan was the son of immigrants to Canada from Hong Kong. They enrolled him in skating classes when he was five years old with the expectation that he would take up ice hockey. Chan, however, was immediately drawn to figure skating instead... Oksana Baiul Ukrainian figure skater who at age 16 won the Olympic gold medal for women’s figure skating at the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway.

Known as the “Swan of Odessa,” Baiul was one of the most graceful and artistically accomplished skaters in the history of the sport. Baiul overcame personal tragedy to become a champion skater. Her father left... Yevgeny Plushchenko world-champion Russian figure skater and the first athlete to cleanly land the quadruple toe–triple toe–triple loop and triple axel–half loop–triple flip combinations in competition. Plushchenko moved with his family to Volgograd when he was a young boy. He began skating at age four after family friends gave him a pair of skates they no longer wanted.... Scott Hamilton American figure skater, who was a four-time world champion and the 1984 Olympic gold medal winner in men’s figure skating. He has been credited with imbuing men’s figure skating with an air of athleticism. In order to portray figure skating as a sport, he took to the ice in the 1983 World Championships wearing a sleek black speed-skating suit rather... Evan Lysacek American figure skater who won the men’s figure skating gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Lysacek started skating at age eight when his grandmother purchased a pair of hockey skates for him. Though he initially showed no natural ability on the ice, he soon improved after learning the basics in group lessons with his sister’s... John Curry English figure skater who redefined the sport with his elegant balletic style. Known as “the Nureyev of the ice,” he won the gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria. Curry had an early interest in ballet, but his father would not allow him to take dance lessons because he felt dance was effeminate. Curry began skating at age seven,... Irina Rodnina Soviet figure skater who, with her partners, first Alexey Ulanov and later Aleksandr Zaytsev, won 10 successive world championships (1969–78) and three successive Olympic gold medals. Rodnina survived a bout with tuberculosis as an infant. She graduated from the Central Institute of Physical Culture in Moscow and taught as well as skated. After winning... Barbara Ann Scott Canadian figure skater who was the first citizen of a country outside Europe to win a world championship in skating (1947).

Scott won the Canadian women’s championship from 1944 to 1946 and in 1948 and the North American title in 1945. In 1947 she became a Canadian national heroine, and dolls were made in her image, when she won the European and world... Tenley Albright American figure skater and first American woman to win the world championships (1953) and an Olympic gold medal in figure skating (1956). She was also the first to win the world, North American, and United States titles in a single year (1953). Albright started skating when she was eight years old. She began to skate seriously at age 11 in order to... Jackson Haines American skater known as the father of figure skating. A ballet dancer, he adapted ballet styles and techniques to a sport that had previously comprised a limited number of figures executed in a tight, awkward manner. Having won the U.S. men’s figure-skating championship, he went to Europe in 1865. Although his skating style (called International)... Michelle Kwan American figure skater, who was one of the most decorated athletes in the sport.

Combining artistry and elegance with athleticism, she won more than 40 championships, including a record-tying nine U.S. titles (1996, 1998–2005). Kwan began skating at age five and won her first competition two years later. In 1994 she landed the alternate spot on the... Brian Boitano American figure skater who won multiple U.S. national and world titles as well as an Olympic gold medal. He was also the inventor of the jump called the tano lutz. Boitano began skating at age eight. Shortly after that, he began taking skating lessons from Linda Leaver, who remained his only coach throughout his career. He quickly gained a reputation... Dick Button figure skater who dominated American and international amateur competition in the late 1940s and early 1950s until he became a professional in 1952. He was the only man to win top honours in the Olympic, World, European, North American, and U.S. national competitions, and in 1948 he held all those titles simultaneously. At age 16 Button became the...

Peggy Fleming American figure skater who dominated world-level women’s competition from 1964 through 1968. Fleming began skating at age nine. She worked with many coaches, including Carlo Fassi, who would eventually guide her to an Olympic gold medal. The United States dominated men’s and women’s figure skating in the 1950s, but in 1961 a plane carrying the United... Elvis Stojko Canadian figure skater whose outstanding jumping ability helped him win three world titles (1994, 1995, and 1997) and two Olympic silver medals (1994 and 1998). By the time he was two and a half, Stojko knew he wanted to skate. In 1988 he was Canadian junior national champion, and two years later he finished ninth in the world championships. His improvement... Irina Slutskaya Russian figure skater who dominated women’s figure skating in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Although her career was briefly interrupted by health problems, Slutskaya went on to become the first woman to win seven European championship titles.

Slutskaya began skating at age four upon the urging of her grandmother, who thought the sport might reduce... Robin Cousins English figure skater who combined athletic jumping skills with an exceptional talent for artistic impression to win an Olympic gold medal at the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York, U.S. Cousins was a crowd favourite as early as 1972, when he was chosen for the British international team, but repeated knee injuries led to a series of disappointments... Carol Heiss American figure skater who from 1956 through 1960 dominated women’s competition. Heiss began to skate at age six, and she won the world championships in 1956, a title she held for four more years. She also captured the North American championship in 1957 and 1959 and the U.S. national championship from 1957 through 1960. Although narrowly defeated... Ulrich Salchow Swedish figure skater who established a record by winning 10 world championships for men (1901–05, 1907–11—he did not compete in 1906).

At the 1908 Games in London, he won the first Olympic gold medal awarded for men’s figure skating. Salchow was a generous competitor, and he acknowledged the talents of others. At the 1902 World Championships, Madge... Gillis Grafström Swedish figure skater who won three Olympic gold medals and one silver medal. Considered one of the best skaters of compulsory figures, he was drawn to the sport’s artistic precision rather than the challenges of competition. Grafström won his first gold medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, despite breaking a skate and having to use... Carlo Fassi Italian-born figure-skating coach who guided four individual skaters to gold medals in the Winter Olympics. Fassi was the Italian singles champion from 1943 to 1954, won a bronze medal at the world championship in 1953, and clinched gold medals at the European championship in 1953 and 1954. He also competed in the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway,...

Karl Schäfer Austrian figure skater who was the best performer in his sport during the 1930s and was an innovator in the sport as well. He won two successive gold medals in the Winter Olympics of 1932 and 1936. He was also world champion in figure skating from 1930 to 1936. Schäfer started training to be a figure skater early in his youth. He placed fourth in figure... Madge Cave Syers English figure skater who was the first woman to compete at the highest level of international figure skating. At the 1908 Olympic Games in London, she won the first Olympic gold medal awarded in women’s figure skating, as well as the bronze medal for pairs with her husband and coach, Edgar Syers. Madge Cave was an accomplished figure skater, as well... David Jenkins American figure skater who won a gold medal at the 1960 Winter Olympic Games in Squaw Valley, Calif. Jenkins and his brother Hayes Alan were a dominating force in American competitive figure skating for much of the 1950s.

After watching his brother go undefeated in major competition for four years, David held the U.S. national title from 1957 to 1960... Great Gays in Figure Skating History Follow DL on Great Gays in Figure Skating History 1972 Olympic Gold Medalist Ondrej Nepela of Czechoslovakia: Hooked up with Canadian figure skater Toller Cranston at the '73 World Championships. Sadly, Nepela died of AIDS in 1989 at the age of 38. In 2000, the Slovak Republic named him Slovakian athlete of the century. Toller Cranston: won bronze medals at the 1974 Worlds and the 1976 Winter Olympics. In his second autobiography," When Hell Freezes Over: Should I Bring My Skates?", Cranston details the sexual tryst between himself and Ondrej Nepela. John Curry: 1976 Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion. Was in the 1980 Broadway revival of "Brigadoon." In 1987 Curry was diagnosed with HIV and died in 1994.

A recent biography of actor Alan Bates claimed that Curry and Bates had a two-year affair, and that Curry died in Bates' arms. Rob McCall, Canadian Ice Dancer: With partner Tracy Wilson, he was the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist. Sadly, he died of AIDS-related brain cancer on November 15, 1991 at age 33. Others? What am I, chopped liver? You ungrateful bitches... So sad 3 of these guys aren't around anymore. The 1980's were brutal. by Anonymous John Curry's 1976 Olympic Short and Long Programs: by Anonymous reply 3 02/20/2010 As I'm reading this thread, I am also watching Today Show where Brian Boitano is cooking with hot Lester Holt. If anyone had any doubts, Brian looked like he wanted to jump into Lester's arms during the segment. There are 2 other Brians - Pockar and Orser. None of the Brians came out on their own. And how can you forget Rudi Galindo??? by Anonymous reply 5 02/20/2010 Evil, but hilarious, R5.

Aside from Brian Boitano, are there any figure skating gays who don't have HIV/didn't die of AIDS? by Anonymous You'd think Skating would get less prissy and homophobic after what AIDS has taken. by Anonymous reply 7 02/20/2010 There are so many juicy gay trysts and relationships - both past and present - in the male figure skating world. by Anonymous reply 8 02/20/2010 Does Boitano have a boyfriend? It's funny that for all of these years I never found him particularly attractive but recently saw clips of his new cooking show and, for whatever reason, thought he was smoking hot. Maybe it's because we're both older now (I'm 44) and I tend to like men in my age group. by Anonymous reply 9 02/20/2010 With the exception of Denis Ten - whose orientation is unknown - every single major male figure skater today is at least bisexual. And yes, that includes both Vaughn Chipeur and Brian Joubert.

by Anonymous reply 10 02/20/2010 Toller Cranston, easily the most unique figure skater in the history of the sport, at the 1976 Olympics. by Anonymous reply 11 02/20/2010 John Curry also did the Roundabout Theatre production of the British musical PRIVATES ON PARADE, in which, yes, his privates were on parade, full frontal. by Anonymous Recap of the "Battle of the Brians" - Orser vs. Boitano, 1988: by Anonymous reply 13 02/20/2010 You just know that the two Brians had an affair of some kind. Look at the long and lingering way they hug each other at the medal ceremony. by Anonymous 02/20/2010 I taped the Battle of the Brians when it played out live. A couple of years later I bought some ABC produced videotape, I think it was called "Magic Memories on Ice"? Anyway, when Orser realizes he's lost the gold to Boitano he's looking off to his left and he says "Second? Second?

Shit." Magic Memories has Dick Button's narrative over that scene and Button has Orser saying "Second? Second? Second." by Anonymous He's from Naperville, which is tragic. by Anonymous reply 22 02/20/2010 What about Todd Eldredge? I always had my suspicions about him, though never really heard anything one way or the other. And I was totally fucking SHOCKED to hear that Paul Wylie and Kurt Browning were both straight, if only because of all the Tiffany's handbags that hit the floor the second either one of them opened their mouths. But whatever. by Anonymous reply 23 02/20/2010 How about the Bad Gays in Figure Skating History. The ones who publicly support Evangelical Christian Charities.....The ones who lie and beard with women....the ones that do both! Canada was much better in the past, so this thread confirms that the new management at Skate Canada is the most homophobic in the last 40 years.

by Anonymous reply 24 02/20/2010 Evan said in one interview linked here yesterday; 'i try to keep my private life private' and 'i don't let many people in the inner circle. it takes years to earn my trust but once you have it you're there forever.' Those are closet case code words, in case you're too dumb to know it. True, we haven't heard them much in the current day (they were common and cliche around 1990), but Evan hangs around older people, so.... I thinks it's hilarious that Brian Joubert has not skated one clean program since winning a lawsuit against his girlfriend for calling him a fag. We can page Dr. Freud but I don't think it takes a genius to figure out what this is about. by Anonymous Canada has more OUT Olympic Figure Skating Medalists than the US. Deal with it. reply 29 02/20/2010 R17 speaks the truth, at least for the singles scene. This is, ironically enough, the most gay period in the sport's history, and yet it seems more closeted than ever before.

by Anonymous reply 30 02/20/2010 [quote]I thinks it's hilarious that Brian Joubert has not skated one clean program since winning a lawsuit against his girlfriend for calling him a fag. We can page Dr. Freud but I don't think it takes a genius to figure out what this is about What? What happened?? 02/20/2010 [quote]What? What happened?? Brian Joubert won a lawsuit against his ex-girlfriend, Miss France, for calling him a fag in the media. She said he was using her as a beard. He collected from her and from two publications. by Anonymous reply 33 02/20/2010 At the time I figured the two Brians were involved. A lot was made of the friendship betw the two, though the token female best friend as beard was put before the cameras. It was like a wink-wink to the audience. I also recall how Orser was upset he lost the gold to Boitano, but Boitano was upset that Orser had lost (though he had to be happy he'd won).

It seemed the "Battle of the Brians" was bittersweet for both of them under the circumstances. Orser had a reason to be upset. He'd been cheated out of the gold the prior Olympics - losing to Scott Hamilton - as well as this one. Both Olympics he'd turned in the overall-superior performances, but it's like the judges had decided in advance to settle the gold upon the Americans. Scotty Hamilton even apologized for his long-program performance as it was so bad ("I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry"), and yet he still won! All of this political/favoritism crap turned me off the sport. by Anonymous reply 34 02/20/2010 Most of the Russians are straight. Everything I've heard about Plushenko suggests he is. Yagudin is most definitely straight - he was a known man-whore with women. I think it's because in Russia, men's figure skating doesn't have the nelly 'stigma' it has in the US and is actually perceived as a somewhat macho sport. by Anonymous reply 35 02/20/2010 Take a look at the current standings.

The entire Top 16 is gay (Lysacek, Verner, Takahashi, Weir, Chan, Oda, Abbott, Ponsero, Preaubert, Kozuka, Rippon, Lambiel) or bi (Brezina, Joubert, van der Perren, Contesti). Out of those bi men, only van der Perren and Contesti lean straight. The streak ends with #17 Voronov, who is supposedly straight. It's different in pairs and ice dancing, though. Pairs has mostly straight men, and ice dancing has a sprinkling of gay guys, but many bi guys who lean straight. by Anonymous reply 36 02/20/2010 R35 is mostly correct; the male Russians who figure skate are nearly always straight. But Plushenko is bi, and just very schizophrenic and compartmental about it. by Anonymous Any info about John Misha Petkevich? by Anonymous 02/20/2010 "but many bi guys who lean straight" I think you meant to say 'narcissists who love body worship by any gender'.

Such is the case with nearly all professional dancing, whether ice or not. by Anonymous 02/20/2010 [quote]Is Elvis Stojko gay? Well, he's 40 and never married nor consistently connected will a woman except for 1 at the end of his career. by Anonymous reply 40 02/20/2010 [quote]Well, he's 40 and never married nor consistently connected will a woman except for 1 at the end of his career. R40=Johnny Weir reply 41 02/20/2010 I had actually heard Elvis was married back when he was competing at the Olympic level, but guess that was never true. by Anonymous Yeah, right, because there are no gay coke addicts. by Anonymous 02/20/2010 [quote]Bowman was a tragic straight Bowman was never straight. He was gay until the very end turning tricks on Sepulveda & Van Nuys blvd in the valley. Those two streets are notorious whore streets in Los Angeles. Bowman was a meth queen.

by Anonymous reply 62 02/20/2010 This thread reeks of Skate Canada trying to cover up its homophobia. Sorry, ABC World news called you on it a few month ago and all of your skaters in the last 10 years lied about being gay. You even forced them to pose with women on the cover of magazines. The "Great Gays" of figure skating were long gone from official skating, when they came out. P.S. Kudos to the agencies/federations for stacking Google with dummy skater girlfriend links. (Go to Google and type in any male skaters name and watch girlfriend come up as the first match) they all lead to thousands of computer generated, dummy links. Talk about a smoking gun of homophobia. by Anonymous Any neutral observer would say that, yes, there is a flame war going on. by Anonymous reply 65 02/20/2010 R63's picture looks like one of those fake ones you take out of a new picture frame.

by Anonymous reply 66 02/20/2010 Bowman was a coke addict, and Toller Cranston addressed his aggressive heterosexuality in his own book. He'd know before you would. by Anonymous reply 67 02/20/2010 I wouldn't call it a flame war R65. Just two damaged loons flirting with each other. Probably one of them is Justin. by Anonymous reply 68 02/20/2010 [quote]Bowman was a coke addict, and Toller Cranston addressed his aggressive heterosexuality in his own book. He'd know before you would. Would you mind rephrasing this? Is Bowman the "his" and "He'd" or is Toller the "his" and "He'd"? Or is Bowman the "His" and Toller the "He'd"? by Anonymous 02/20/2010 [quote]Any neutral observer would say that, yes, there is a flame war going on. Well, that wouldn't be you. Since you are the other half of what you are calling a fw you'd be smart just to cork your hole, sweetie.

by Anonymous R62, I hardly think this guy was 'turning tricks until the very end': by Anonymous 02/20/2010 Pride House? So we're supporting segregation? Really? Wow, and to think how far we've come. Pretty soon we will be fighting for separate schools and drinking fountains. Nothing says "I'm as normal as you" as being separated from society. by Anonymous reply 90 02/20/2010 R89, that is so sad. I understand he was abused really bad by his mom. Don't know what else happened to him, but she got him into skating because she couldn't handle him and used to beat the shit out of him. by Anonymous reply 91 02/20/2010 I thought that too, R89. I knew he had gotten very fat at the end of his life. by Anonymous reply 92 02/20/2010 r89 you'd be surprised what cruises those streets. There are many desperate people out there that look similar to Bowman.

Sad.t by Anonymous reply 93 02/20/2010 [quote]Scotty Hamilton even apologized for his long-program performance as it was so bad ("I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry"), and yet he still won! The biggest reason he won is because he had an enormous lead built up in the school figures. They aren't competed anymore. by Anonymous R89 has never seen east Santa Monica blvd on a Saturday night. There are worse hookers. by Anonymous 02/20/2010 Pride house is not an official space. A group of gay Vancouverites called, Gay Whistler, decided to open a room with pictures of gay athletes in it, while the Olympics were in town. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Canadian Government or the Olympics. Stop pretending otherwise. Go open up a Pride House in any city in the North America anytime you wish, but don't claim it is anything other than a group gays renting a room. by Anonymous reply 96 02/20/2010 Regardless to what Bowman looked like at the end of his life, he still had two working holes.

That's the only thing broke down low end johns care about. by Anonymous Toller Cranston of Canada is my favorite male skater of all time. Denise Beillman of Switzerland is my favorite female skater. by Anonymous 02/20/2010 How do you know Bowman was turning tricks? Yagudin was not a infamous manwhore. He was a closet case who was close to Rudy Galindo during the Tom Collins tours. Plushenko had a nasty split with his wife a few years back. If he was bi she would have no issue with using that in the divorce case. Orser and Boitano were not involved. Nowhere near Brian's type. Orser is a pocket gay (5'3). by Anonymous reply 105 02/20/2010 How would she have known, R105? And if she did, who would have believed her? Plushenko is like a god in Russia. by Anonymous LOL. He's a special snowflake that Johnny. by Anonymous reply 111 02/20/2010 Frank Carroll coached the supremely talented and equally troubled Christopher Bowman.

Try as he might, Carroll couldn't save the skater from the self-destructive abyss of drugs and alcohol. Despite winning two national titles and silver and bronze world medals, Bowman is considered the ultimate underachiever. "If I could have kept him from drugs, if I could have kept him going "� I tried, his mom and dad tried, we all tried," Carroll says, sighing deeply. "We left no stone unturned to help him. And I could see it happening. I could see him going down the drain." Bowman was just 40 when he died from a drug overdose and an enlarged heart in January 2008. by Anonymous reply 112 02/20/2010 Fuck off R101. More about Weir and Lambiel, please? Is this fangirl slash fantasy or is there something to it? They are both going to be living in New York now... by Anonymous How could this thread get to six pages with no mention of Christopher Dean? by Anonymous reply 119 02/21/2010 Patently untrue, R103.

I have seen photos of Lambiel sitting in Weir's lap and they are almost kissing. by Anonymous reply 120 02/21/2010 Robin Cousins tried to pick me up in the lobby of the Mariott Marquis but I found him to be totally uninteresting sexually. by Anonymous reply 121 02/21/2010 Probably because Dean's married with kids R119. It's his second marriage, the first was to the Duchesney gal, from the unfortunately-named incestuous pair of French ice dancers. Now he's married to Jill Trenary, a former women's skater who I've always found incredibly hot. She won the US Champs three times, but in her only Olympic appearance, finished 4th in Calgary somehow edged out by *gulp* Debi Thomas. by Anonymous Jill Trenary was also the 1990 World Champion. by Anonymous 02/21/2010 R105, the whole point of being a closet case is that nobody knows. It's fairly well known that Yagudin liked to get it on with his female skating groupies. Liked the booze too.

I agree with you about Plushenko. If he was bi then it would have come out during the divorce case. Then again, the ex might have had her own reasons for keeping quiet if he was. by Anonymous reply 124 02/21/2010 Robin Cousins is an interesting one. Never really pinged for me, but to my knowledge he's never been married or linked with a woman either(or has he?) Not that it necessarily means anything. by Anonymous reply 125 02/21/2010 Frank Carroll lives in Palm Springs. Why do I get the feeling that he probably hangs out at Tom Bianchi's house a lot? by Anonymous A 1992 article about AIDS affecting gay skaters. by Anonymous reply 134 02/24/2010 AIDs took a lot of people back then, not just figure skaters. So yes, some figure skaters got it, but the best way to avoid AIDs, is monogamy, which back with that generation, was not common practice.

18 years later, there may be no more figure skaters out of the closet, but I will bet many have a much healthier, non-self hating attitude about being Gay today, which really lowers the STD rates. Of course we are not taking about Lysacek or Buttle, who live like it is 1992. by Anonymous

Question: What was the name of the British figure skater who was 1976 Olympic and World Champion?
Answer: John CURRY.