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Kurt Browning
Source: |
Skating Superstars II - A Firefly Book |
Date: |
1997 |
Author: |
Allison Gertridge |
Photo Credit: Barb McCutcheon
Born: June 18. 1966 |
In: Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada |
Height: 170 cm (5'7") |
Coach: Louis Stong |
Choreographer: Sandra Bezic |
Category: Men's singles |
Highlights |
1st at World Professional Championships (1995, 1996) |
1st at Canadian Professional Championships (1995, 1996) |
1st at Ultimate Four Pro Championships (1995) |
1st at Starlight Challenge (1995) |
5th at Olympic Games (1994) |
1st at World Championships (1989, 1990, 1991, 1993) |
1st at Canadian Championships (1989, 1990, 1991, 1993) |
2nd at World Championships (1992) |
8th at Olympic Games (1988) |
2nd at Canadian Championships (1987, 1988, 1994) |
5th at Canadian Championships (1986) |
Four must be Kurt Browning's magic number. He took gold at the Canadian
Championships four times. He won four World Championships, and in 1988 he
made the Guinness Book of World Records when he landed the first
successful quadruple jump ever performed in competition.
A kind whose first blades were hockey skates, Kurt has spent years polishing
his routines. Weight training, discipline and the support of family and
friends are all factors that Kurt credits with his success. And his fans
love him! When a disastrous short program took him out of contention in
the 1994 Olympics, fans across the country sent him a gold medal - made
from watches, jewelry, even gold teeth - to let him know his long program
deserved top marks!
Kurt had a rocky beginning when he turned pro in 1995, after ending his
amateur career without an Olympic medal. But now he's showing fans just how
versatile one skater can be. Former pairs champion Paul Martini says:
"Kurt's pretty much in a league of his own in terms of ability to entertain."
Knows for his ability to portray a character on ice, Kurt has taken his
love for black-and-white film classics such as Casablanca and
Singing in the Rain into a television special called "You Must Remember
This." The show featured not only Kurt's skating, but his acting ability
as well - and won him a cheer-raising five Gemini Awards.
Stars on Ice has taken up much of Kurt's time since he turned pro, but
he still manages to win gold at events like the Ultimate Four and the World
Professional Championships.
In 1996 Kurt did more than skate on the ice. He got on his knees to
propose to beautiful ballerina Sonia Rodriguez from the rink in Toronto's
Maple Leaf Gardens - in front of 16,000 people! Kurt and Sonia said "I do"
on June 30, 1996.
"He's the kind of skater who loves to skate. After a performance
of Stars on Ice, he's the one who will say to the [other] skaters, 'Come on,
let's go skating!' " - former pairs champion Debbi Wilkes
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