Brian Orser

Brian Ernest Orser (born 18 December 1961) is a Canadian former competitive and professional figure skater and coach to Olympic champions.

Orser won his first national title on the novice level in 1977.

The following season, he went to Junior Worlds and placed 4th, behind eventual rival Brian Boitano.

He added a second national title, this time at the junior level, to his resume in 1979.

Orser became the second man to land the triple Axel when he performed it in winning his Canadian junior title in 1979, at a time when few senior skaters were even attempting it.

Over the next few years, Orser performed the jump more frequently and more consistently than any other skater of the time.

In 1980, he moved up to the senior level.

He won the bronze medal at his first senior international, the Vienna Cup, and then placed 4th at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships.

That was the last time he would place off the podium at the national level.

In the 1980–1981 post-Olympic season, Orser began making his mark on the skating world.

He won the silver at the Nebelhorn Trophy, placed 6th at Skate Canada, and then won his first of eight National titles.

In his debut at Worlds, he placed 6th.

The next season, he won his first medal at Skate Canada and moved up to 4th at Worlds.

He had not placed off a podium at any competition since 1982.

He won his first World medal in 1983, a bronze, positioning him well for the 1983–1984 Olympic season.

He is the 1984 and 1988 Olympic silver medallist, 1987 World champion and eight-time (1981–88) Canadian national champion.

Orser became the first man to land the triple Axel at the Olympics when he landed it in his free skate at the 1984 Winter Olympics.

He won the silver medal behind Scott Hamilton, and then won the silver at 1984 Worlds, again behind Hamilton.

Only Orser's low placements in the compulsory figures prevented him from winning both titles.

In the 1984–1985 season, after Hamilton's retirement, Orser was seemingly poised to become the dominant champion.

However, he had an imperfect worlds, and placed second to Alexander Fadeev, who also had the triple Axel in his repertoire.

Orser resolved to begin including two Axels, not just one, in his free skate, in order to give himself an advantage over Fadeev.

Orser was undefeated in the 1986–1987 season and had not lost a competition since losing to Boitano at the 1986 Worlds.

At the Olympics, Orser served as the flag-bearer for Canada during the opening ceremonies.

He placed 3rd in compulsory figures segment of the competition, 1st in the short program, and second in the free skating, winning the silver medal overall.

Brian Boitano won the gold medal, defeating Orser by 0.10 points.

He finally won Worlds in 1987.

At that competition he became the first skater at the World Championships to land two triple Axels in the free skate and three in the same competition.

At the 1988 Winter Olympics, the rivalry between Orser and American figure skater Brian Boitano, who were the two favorites to win the gold medal, captured media attention and was described as the "Battle of the Brians".

Orser turned professional in 1988 and skated with Stars on Ice for almost 20 years.

Going into the 1988 Olympics, Orser worked with a sports psychologist on visual imagery.

He and Brian Boitano were thrust into the Battle of the Brians, each being the other's main rival.

He won the silver again at Worlds in 1988, after winning the free skate.

Orser turned professional following that season.

As a coach, he has led both Yuna Kim (2010) and Yuzuru Hanyu (2014, 2018) to Olympic titles.

He also coached Javier Fernández to Olympic bronze (2018) and the 2015 and 2016 World titles.

He is a Skating Consultant at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club.

Brian Orser was born in Belleville, Ontario.

He grew up in Penetanguishene.

He is the youngest of five children.