Randy Gardner (figure skater)
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| Full name | Randy Gardner | ||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented | United States | ||||||||||||||||||
| Born | December 2, 1958 Los Angeles, California |
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| Former partner | Tai Babilonia | ||||||||||||||||||
| Former coach | John Nicks | ||||||||||||||||||
| Skating club | Santa Monica FSC Los Angeles FSC |
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| Retired | 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Randy Gardner (born December 2, 1958 in Los Angeles, California) is an American pair skater. With partner Tai Babilonia, he was the 1979 World Champion and the 1976-1980 U.S. national champion.
[edit] Career
Babilonia & Gardner began skating together as children, when Babilonia was eight and Gardner ten.[1] Their coach was John Nicks. The pair were five-time gold medalists at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and won the gold medal at the 1979 World Figure Skating Championships. They were medal favorites at the 1980 Olympics but were forced to withdraw due to an injury to Gardner.[1]
As an adult he discovered that he was adopted after a relative divulged the family secret and he subsequently tracked down his birth mother, with whom he developed a relationship.[2] He indicated that he was working on his autobiography which was to be released at the end of 2008, but there is no indication anywhere that it was ever published.[3]
Gardner has been featured as a choreographer on the television show "Skating with Celebrities".
In 2008, Babilonia and Gardner announced their retirement from professional figure skating due to a neck injury suffered by Gardner and their advancing ages.[2]
[edit] Competitive highlights
(with Babilonia)
| Event | 1973-74 | 1974-75 | 1975-76 | 1976-77 | 1977-78 | 1978-79 | 1979-80 |
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| Winter Olympic Games | 5th | WD | |||||
| World Championships | 10th | 10th | 5th | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | |
| U.S. Championships | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| Nebelhorn Trophy | 1st | ||||||
| Coupe des Alpes | 3rd |
- WD = Withdrawn
[edit] References
- ^ a b Los Angeles Times, March 20, 2008: Babilonia and Gardner's Bond Survives Off the Ice
- ^ a b People Magazine, May 26, 2008, Vol. 69, No. 20, p. 159: "Together Forever"
- ^ Lifeskate.com, April 11, 2008
- Sports-reference profile
- "Skate Canada Results Book - Volume 1 - 1896 - 1973" (PDF). Skate Canada. http://skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/SkateCanadaResultsBook-%20Volume1-1896-1973.pdf.
- "Skate Canada Results Book - Volume 2 - 1974 - current" (PDF). Skate Canada. http://skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/SkateCanadaResultsBook-Volume2-1974-current.pdf.
- Past U.S. Champions - SeniorPDF (123 KiB)
- "World Figure Skating Championships Results: Pairs Medalists" (PDF). International Skating Union. http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4844-148238-165454-56217-0-file,00.pdf.
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