Boitano, Brian
Figure skating
b. Oct. 22, 1963, Mountain View, CA
Early in his career, Boitano was a nearly flawless technical skater with incredible jumping ability whose scores often suffered because of his lack of artistic expression. He was the first skater ever to land a triple axel, at the 1982 U. S. championships, where he finished fourth.
After finishing second to Scott Hamilton in the 1983 and 1984 national championships, Boitano won the first of four consecutive U. S. titles in 1985 and he won the world title in 1986, making perfect landings on five triple jumps.
Boitano was second behind Canada's Brian Orser in the 1987 world championships, when he fell trying a quadruple loop. He then began working with a choreographer to improve his artistry and he dropped the quadruple jump from his program. In 1988, he swept the U. S., Olympic, and world championships, edging Orser in both international events.
He then became a professional, went on a cross-country exhibition tour, and skated with an ice show before going back into training for the 1994 Winter Olympics, when professionals were allowed to compete. However, he failed to medal in 1994.
Boitano skated with the Champions on Ice tour before retiring after the 2001 season.