Brian Orser

Brian Orser is a Canadian former figure skater and 2x Olympic silver medallist, famed for the 'Battle of the Brians' rivalry with Brian Boitano, who has gone on to coach multiple Olympic champions.

Brian Orser's greatest legacy may be as a coach — guiding Kim Yuna to Olympic gold at Vancouver 2010 and Yuzuru Hanyu to back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2018 — but his own competitive career, which yielded seven consecutive World Championship podium finishes and two Olympic silver medals, stands as one of the most sustained in the history of men's figure skating. He won his first national junior title in 1979, becoming the first skater in the world to land a triple axel at his age group, and moved up to senior competition the following year. Orser stood on the World Championship podium at every edition from 1983 to 1988, winning bronze in 1983 and four consecutive silver medals before finally claiming the world title in 1987 in Cincinnati. His Olympic career produced two silver medals — at Sarajevo in 1984 and, most famously, at the 1988 Calgary Games, where his rivalry with American Brian Boitano was dubbed the 'Battle of the Brians.' Orser led after the short program, but Boitano's technically superior free skate edged him out by a mere 0.1 of a point on a split judges' decision, in one of the most closely contested finals in figure skating history. Orser turned professional after the 1988 Olympics and toured with Stars on Ice until 2007, winning an Emmy Award for his performance in 'Carmen on Ice.' He transitioned into coaching, becoming one of the sport's most successful mentors: he guided South Korea's Yuna Kim to Olympic gold at Vancouver 2010, and later coached Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu to back-to-back Olympic titles in 2014 and 2018. Orser was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1989, the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1995, and the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2009.

Powerful technical jumper renowned as a triple axel pioneer, paired with strong artistic performance

One of Canada's most iconic figure skaters, whose second career as a coach shaped the sport's modern era through Yuna Kim and Yuzuru Hanyu

• 2x Olympic silver medal (1984, 1988)
• World Champion (1987)
• 8x Canadian national champion (1981-1988)
• World Figure Skating Hall of Fame (2009)
• As coach: guided Yuna Kim and Yuzuru Hanyu to Olympic gold