Randy Gardner (figure skater)
| Randy Gardner | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
| 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 former pair skater. With partner Tai Babilonia, he is the 1979 World champion and a five-time (1976–1980) U.S. national champion. The pair qualified for the 1976 and 1980 Winter Olympics.
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Career [edit]
Babilonia / Gardner began skating together as children, when Babilonia was eight and Gardner ten.[1] Their coach was John Nicks. The pair became five-time U.S. national champions and won the gold medal at the 1979 World Championships.[2][3] They were medal favorites at the 1980 Winter Olympics but were forced to withdraw due to an injury to Gardner.[1][4]
In 2006, Gardner appeared as a choreographer on the television show "Skating with Celebrities". In 2008, he indicated that he was working on his autobiography which was to be released at the end of the year.[5] It has not been released. In 2008, Babilonia / Gardner announced their retirement from show skating due to a neck injury sustained by Gardner and their advancing ages.[6]
Personal life [edit]
Gardner discovered in 1998 that he was adopted after a relative divulged the family secret.[1][6] After a five-year search, he found his birth mother who had become pregnant with him at age 17 after being raped by a family friend.[1] Gardner came out as gay in 2006.[1]
Competitive highlights [edit]
(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 = Withdrew | |||||||
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d e Elliott, Helene (March 20, 2008). "Tai and Randy's bond is sure and steady off the ice". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "World Figure Skating Championships Results: Pairs medalists" (PDF). International Skating Union.
- ^ "Past U.S. Champions - Senior". Excel Energy Center. Archived from the original on February 9, 2012.
- ^ Rosewater, Amy (January 14, 2013). "A life in skating: An interview with John Nicks". IceNetwork.
- ^ "Catching up with...Randy Gardner". Lifeskate.com. April 11, 2008.
- ^ a b "Together Forever". People Magazine, Vol. 69, No. 20, p. 159. May 26, 2008.
- Sports-reference profile
- "Skate Canada Results Book - Volume 1 - 1896 - 1973" (PDF). Skate Canada.
- "Skate Canada Results Book - Volume 2 - 1974 - current" (PDF). Skate Canada.
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- 1958 births
- American pair skaters
- Olympic figure skaters of the United States
- Figure skaters at the 1976 Winter Olympics
- Figure skaters at the 1980 Winter Olympics
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Los Angeles, California
- World Figure Skating Championships medalists
- LGBT figure skaters
- American figure skating biography stubs