COUSINS, ROBIN

born Aug. 17, 1957, Bristol, Eng. English figure skater who combined athletic jumping skills with an exceptional talent for artistic impression to win an Olympic gold medal at the 1980 Games in Lake Placid, New York, U.S. Cousins was a crowd favourite as early as 1972, when he was chosen for the British international team, but repeated knee injuries led to a series of disappointments early in his career. He competed in the Winter Olympics in 1976 but failed to finish in the top three. His first medal in a major amateur competition was a bronze at the European championships in 1977. That year he moved to Colorado to train with renowned coach Carlo Fassi, and from that point forward he was undefeated in the free-skating portion (comprised of the short and long programs) of competition for the rest of his amateur career. In addition to finally earning a gold medal in Lake Placid, Cousins won gold and silver medals at the European and world championships, respectively, in 1980 before turning professional. Cousins was best known as an expressive skater, yet he was also a first-rate athlete and an innovator of jumps and combinations. During his professional career he placed first in 15 competitions and set 2 Guinness World Records for jumping distance. One of the most consistently superior professional skaters of all time, Cousins also worked in the skating world as a coach, commentator, and costume designer.