BOITANO, BRIAN

born Oct. 22, 1963, Sunnyvale, Calif., U.S. American figure skater who was one of the greatest jumpers in the history of the sport. An Olympic and world champion in his career, he was the first skater to land a triple axel in competition and the first to land all six types of triple jumps in a single performance. At the age of eight, Boitano began taking skating lessons from Linda Leaver, who remained his only coach. He quickly gained a reputation as a fine technical skater and an exceptional jumper, executing the first triple axel at the 1982 U.S. championships and all six triple jumps at the 1983 world championships. He finished fifth at his first Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina), in 1984. He won four consecutive U.S. championships in 198588; in two of those years, 1986 and 1988, he won the world championship title as well. His loss to Canadian Brian Orser at the 1987 world championships pushed Boitano to incorporate more artistry into his skating. At the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Boitano displayed a new emotional energy and flair in his skating. He entered the free-skating competition with only a slight lead over Orser, who had placed first in the short program. Boitano gave a near-flawless performance in the long program and edged out Orser for the gold medal on a 54 vote by the judges. Boitano and speed skater Bonnie Blair were the only American gold medalists at the 1988 Games. After his Olympic triumph, Boitano skated for television specials and, through White Canvas, a production company he formed with others, both directed and produced televised skating shows. He returned to Olympic competition at the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway, and finished sixth.