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Brian Orser
Brian Orser
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Orser is best known for his performance at
the 1988 Calgary Olympics during the gold medal showdown against
American Brian Boitano. Canadians were hungry for a
gold medal and Orser was their ticket to the top spot on the
podium. It was all or nothing. But in what many
consider the greatest night of figure skating ever, "The Battle
of the Brians," Orser placed second by 1/10th of a point.
For Canadians, he hadn't won the silver, he'd lost the gold.
Two billion people turned off their television sets and 20,000
disappointed spectators streamed out of the Saddle Dome.
The party planned for his victory was cancelled. And
that night, Orser recalls, "Me and my silver medal cried ourselves
to sleep." The next day, national headlines shouted
"DEFEAT!" Orser left Calgary to face the lonely and
turbulent decade that would follow.
After the Olympics, Orser joined the professional skating
circuit and turned his fame into fortune. In the high-pressure,
fast-paced world of pro skating, he slumped into a pattern
of woeful drinking and partying. Orser then suffered
a series of tragic personal losses and was "outed" in a bitter
palimony suit. Once again, Orser was in the national
and international media, but this time it was his personal
life that was front-page news.
Today, Orser coaches some of Canada's most promising young
amateurs. This year, he began working with Elvis Stojko,
Canada's three-time World champion and two-time Olympic silver
medallist. Last year, Orser was invited to the first
Winter Goodwill Games - a prestigious tournament of the world's
top professionals and amateurs. Again, he won the silver
medal. Again, the gold went to Boitano, but this time
there was a difference. From Orser's perspective, this
time he won the silver, he didn't lose the gold.
Original Air Date - November 21, 2000
Links
The
Brian Orser Official Web site
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