Skip to content

Hall of Fame

Brian Boitano

Figure Skating

Olympian in Sarajevo 1984 Olympic Winter Games, Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games, Lillehammer 1994 Olympic Winter Games

Born:
October 22, 1963
Birthplace:
Mountain View, California
Hometown:
Sunnyvale, California
Hall of Fame Class:
2008

hall of fame

Brian Boitano

Figure Skating

Olympian in Sarajevo 1984 Olympic Winter Games, Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games, Lillehammer 1994 Olympic Winter Games

Born:
October 22, 1963
Birthplace:
Mountain View, California
Hometown:
Sunnyvale, California
Hall of Fame Class:
2008
Figure skater Brian Boitano put on the performance of his life at the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games, defeating rival Brian Orser of Canada to win the gold medal.
SHARE

Brian Boitano made his first mark in the figure skating world in 1978, when he took the bronze medal in the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, just ahead of fourth-place Brian Orser of Canada.

The Battle of the Brians – matching fierce rivals – culminated at the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games.

Boitano, who four years earlier had placed fifth at the Sarajevo 1984 Olympic Winter Games, had edged Orser in the 1986 World Championships. Orser repaid the favor at the 1987 World Championships, winning gold to Boitano’s silver.

“I knew getting on the flight from San Francisco to Calgary that I couldn’t make a mistake all week,” Boitano said 30 years later. “I knew that I’m going to have to be clean in not only the competition, but in every practice. I don’t have a chance of winning unless I’m perfect, because I have to create a talk within the judges and the community of skaters watching the practices, like, ‘Oh my gosh, Boitano’s on fire!’”

In Calgary, Boitano and Orser were essentially tied heading into the final phase of the competition, the free skate. Of the nine judges, five favored Boitano’s flawless program, while four favored Orser. The American claimed gold by the narrowest of margins.

“It was what I dreamed about for so many years that I had trouble convincing myself that it was really happening,” he said. ‘There’s this feeling when you skate your brains out and it’s so important to do it at that time – and you actually do it and you meet the challenge.

“That’s such a good feeling just alone by itself that when they’re playing the national anthem you’re like, ‘Life can’t be this good. This moment can’t possibly be as fulfilling and complete as I feel it is right now.’”

Following the Olympics, Boitano turned professional and won 10 consecutive competitions, including five world professional championships. He successfully petitioned the International Skating Union to return to amateur status and participated in the Lillehammer 1994 Olympic Winter Games, where he finished sixth.



MEDAL RESULTS
1988 Calgary Men's singles Gold

TICKETS NOW

ON SALE

DISCOUNTS FOR MILITARY, FIRST RESPONDERS, SENIORS, GROUPS AND MORE!​
RELATED GALLERY
NEXT UP
After losing use of his legs in a farming accident, Randy Snow once again became an elite athlete, winning two Paralympic gold medals and one bronze.
Steve Cash made his Paralympic debut at the Torino 2006 Games, later becoming a Paralympic gold medalist and legend sled hockey goaltender, redefined excellence in adaptive sport.
Marla Runyan, the first legally blind athlete to compete in the Olympics, broke barriers with a career that includes six Paralympic medals—five of them gold.
Susan Hagel, a six-time Paralympian, competed in wheelchair basketball, Para archery, and Para track and field between 1976 and 1996, earning four gold and two bronze medals.