Randy Gardner
Dec 2, 1957 - Los Angeles, California, USA
Randy Gardner (born December 2, 1958) is an American former pair skater. Together with Tai Babilonia, he won the 1979 World Figure Skating Championships[1] and five U.S. Figure Skating Championships (1976–1980). The pair qualified for the 1976 and 1980 Winter Olympics.
He and Babilonia began skating together when they were ten and eight. Their first coach was Mabel Fairbanks, and they began training with John Nicks in 1971. They won the gold medal as juniors at their first U.S. Nationals in 1973 and as seniors, they came in second place in 1974 and 1975. The pair became five-time U.S. national champions and won the gold medal at the 1979 World Championships. They were medal favorites at the 1980 Winter Olympics but were forced to withdraw due to a thigh injury to Gardner, which ended their competitive careers.
He and Babilonia toured with the Ice Capades for four years and with Champions on Ice for two years. They performed in many ice shows and competed professionally, earning first place in the World Professional Championships in 1985.
In 2008, He and Babilonia announced their retirement from show skating due to a neck injury sustained by Gardner and their advancing ages.
In 2006, he revealed that he is gay.
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