Golden hat trick: Kurt Browning tops the world in Munich.

Full Text COPYRIGHT Maclean Hunter Ltd. (Canada) 1991

Golden hat trick

With good reason, expectations ran high among the 8,000 spectators in Munich's Olympiahalle last week when Kurt Browning stepped onto the ice in the men's long program at the World Figure Skating Championships. The 24-year-old figure skater from Caroline, Alta., had already captured the world crown twice with dazzling--and dangerous--moves that no one had ever before performed in competition. In 1988, the rancher's son made skating history when he landed the first-ever quadruple jump--a toe loop--at the world championships in Budapest. Last November, he performed back-to-back triple jumps from the same foot at the Nations Cup in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. And last week in Munich, Browning made history again with three triple-triple combinations, overcoming a second-place finish in the short program with a sensational 4 1/2 minutes of athleticism and artistry to win his third straight world championship. Said Browning: "I just work hard, skate hard and keep my nose clean."

Browning's gold-medal performance crowned a strong showing by Canadian skaters at the world championships. In pairs skating, the No. 1-ranked Canadian team of Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler were narrowly beaten for gold by a flawless performance by Soviet pair Natalia Mishkuteniok and Artur Dmitriev. Josee Chouinard of Laval, Que., finished sixth in her first-ever appearance in the women's final. As well, eight other Canadian skaters, including Isabelle and Paul Duchesnay, the Aylmer, Que., siblings who skate for France and who seized the gold medal in ice dancing, finished in the Top 10 of their respective events at Munich. And because it was the last world event prior to the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, skating experts say that Canada's showing at Munich puts it in a position to win several Olympic figure skating medals next February. They also say that Canada's Olympic potential will add to the sport's increasing appeal among television viewers at home. And that could mean more money for top amateur skaters -- who are allowed to retain their off-ice revenues in trust funds--more interest from corporate sponsors and bigger salaries for professional skaters. Said Tom Collins, who organizes the annual Tour of World Figure Skating Champions across the United States: "The sport has really come of age, to the point where a top skater can now make as much as a football star"--up to $1 million per year.

With two world titles going into Munich, Browning has drawn much of the fanfare and financial rewards from increased interest in his sport. Last week, CBC TV aired a one-hour special called Kurt Browning: Tall in the Saddle. As well, the network's six-day coverage of the championships featured Browning in commercials for Diet Coke and Teleglobe Canada. His earnings are placed in a trust fund to protect his amateur status, which, Browning said, he will probably give up after the 1992 World Figure Skating Championships in San Francisco, one month after the Olympics.

He stopped most public appearances in January to prepare for Munich. Said Browning's coach, Michael Jiranek: "The off-ice activities had drained him mentally and cut into training."

For Brasseur and Eisler, the pressure of being the top team going into the 1991 championships was compounded by the physical limitations imposed on them by an injury to Eisher's right knee. The Seaforth, Ont., native missed a month of training and has been wearing a heavy brace since he smashed into a goal post during a community hockey game in mid-December. Despite his handicap, Eisler skated a daring program with his diminutive 20-year-old partner from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., winning the short program with a flawless 1920s-style flapper routine. Because the International Skating Union dropped compulsory figures from the championships this year, their spectacular but flawed long program was worth two-thirds of the final score--allowing the Soviets to take top spot. "That was their best effort," said Eisler, "but we know that our performance can be better."

Meanwhile, there was Canadian content in two other gold-medal performances. The innovative Duchesnays upset defending champions Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko of the Soviet Union with a breathtaking performance in ice dancing. The Quebec pair earned near-perfect scores in the free-dance final for their depiction of the exultation felt by peasants freed from the bonds of dictatorship. It was a sweet victory for a couple that reluctantly adopted the French banner after failing to make the Canadian world team in 1985. Said Paul Duchesnay: "We always dreamed of skating for Canada--we thank God that France gave us a second chance." And U.S. skater Kristi Yamaguchi, who captured the women's title, trains with Browning at the Royal Glenora Club in Edmonton.

Browning's spectacular finish and his third consecutive championship puts the spotlight on the Canadian team heading into the Olympics. Their strong performances in Munich seem to indicate that Canadians will remain on the cutting edge. But even Browning said that he has not yet reached his potential. "I'm never satisfied," he said. "Artistically, I'm still growing."