Barbara Berezowski

Last updated
Barbara Berezowski
Personal information
Country representedCanada
Born (1954-09-05) September 5, 1954 (age 67)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Partner David Porter
CoachMarijane Stong
Retired1983

Barbara Berezowski (born September 5, 1954) is a Canadian former ice dancer. With partner David Porter, she won two gold medals at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships and competed at the 1976 Winter Olympics. [1] From 1994 through 2008, she served as Founding Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame. She was inducted into their athlete category in 1999.

Contents

Berezowski / Porter retired from amateur competition in 1976 and then performed in ice shows, including Toller Cranston's The Ice Show and later Ice Follies. [2]

Competitive highlights

(with Porter)

International
Event70–7171–7272–7373–7474–7575–76
Winter Olympics 10th
World Champ. 15th15th9th7th
Skate Canada 4th2nd
Prize of Moscow News 5th5th
Lake Placid Invit.1st
Prestige Cutlery3rd
National
Canadian Champ. 5th2nd2nd2nd1st1st
Canadian Champ. 1st J

Berezowski was named "Miss Charm on Ice" at the 1974 and 1975 Prize of Moscow News. In 1976, Berezowski/Porter became the first ice dancers in the world to become Olympians. Berezowski was selected as "Miss Olympics" at the 1976 Winter Olympic Games, Innsbruck, Austria by world journalists. She also won the title of "Miss Toronto" 1975-1976 and was a finalist in the 1976 Miss Canada Beauty Pageant.

Professional career

Related Research Articles

Dorothy Hamill American figure skater

Dorothy Stuart Hamill is a retired American figure skater. She is the 1976 Olympic champion and 1976 World champion in ladies' singles.

John Curry British figure skater (1949–1994)

John Anthony Curry, was a British figure skater. He was the 1976 European, Olympic and World Champion. He was noted for combining ballet and modern dance influences into his skating.

Ekaterina Gordeeva Russian pair skater

Ekaterina "Katia" Alexandrovna Gordeeva is a Russian figure skater. Together with her husband, the late Sergei Grinkov, she was the 1988 and 1994 Olympic Champion and four-time World Champion in pair skating. After Grinkov's death, Gordeeva continued performing as a singles skater.

Robin Cousins, MBE is a British former competitive figure skater who was BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1980. He was the 1980 Olympic champion, the 1980 European champion, a three-time World medalist (1978–1980) and four-time British national champion (1977–1980), winning all of these titles during his amateur career. He followed this with a successful career as a professional figure skater and later starred in ice shows as well as producing several of his own. He is able to spin in either direction, both clockwise and anti-clockwise, which is an unusual skill for a figure skater.

Ice Capades Touring shows featuring ice skating

The Ice Capades were traveling entertainment shows featuring theatrical ice skating performances. Shows often featured former Olympic and US National Champion figure skaters who had retired from formal competition. Started in 1940, the Ice Capades grew rapidly and prospered for 50 years. A decline in popularity ensued in the 1980s, and the show went out of business around 1995. There have been several attempts to revive the show and its name.

Jan Hoffmann East German figure skater

Jan Hoffmann is a German figure skater who represented East Germany in competition. A four-time Olympian, he is the 1980 Olympic silver medalist, the 1974 & 1980 World Champion, and a four-time European Champion.

Toller Cranston Canadian figure skater and painter

Toller Shalitoe Montague Cranston, CM was a Canadian figure skater and painter. He won the 1971–1976 Canadian national championships, the 1974 World bronze medal and the 1976 Olympic bronze medal. Despite never winning at the World Figure Skating Championships due to his poor compulsory figures, he won the small medal for free skating at the 1972 and 1974 championships. Cranston is credited by many with having brought a new level of artistry to men's figure skating.

Shae-Lynn Bourne Canadian ice dancer and choreographer (born 1976)

Shae-Lynn Bourne is a Canadian ice dancer and choreographer. In 2003, she and partner Victor Kraatz became the first North American ice dancers to win a World Championship. They competed at three Winter Olympic Games, placing 10th at the 1994 Winter Olympics, 4th at the 1998 Winter Olympics, and 4th at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Dianne de Leeuw Dutch figure skater and coach

Dianne Margaret de Leeuw is a Dutch-American former competitive figure skater who represented the Netherlands. She is the 1975 World champion, the 1976 European champion, and the 1976 Olympic silver medalist.

Ondrej Nepela Slovak figure skater (1951–1989)

Ondrej Nepela was a Slovak figure skater who represented Czechoslovakia. He was the 1972 Olympic champion, a three-time World champion (1971–73), and a five-time European champion (1969–73). Later in his career, he performed professionally and became a coach.

Tessa Virtue Canadian ice dancer

Tessa Jane McCormick Virtue is a Canadian retired ice dancer. With ice dance partner Scott Moir, she is the 2010 and 2018 Olympic champion, the 2014 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World champion, a three-time Four Continents champion, the 2016–17 Grand Prix Final champion, an eight-time Canadian National champion, the 2006 World Junior champion and the 2006 Junior Grand Prix gold medalists. Virtue and Moir are also the 2018 Olympic gold medalists in the team event and the 2014 Olympic silver medalists in the team event. Upon winning their third Olympic gold medal, they became the most decorated Canadian ice dance team of all time and the most decorated Olympic figure skaters of all time. Widely regarded as one of the greatest ice dance teams of all time, they are the only ice dancers in history to achieve a Super Slam, having won all major competitions in their senior and junior careers. Virtue and Moir are holders of the world record score for the now-defunct original dance.

Robert McCall (figure skater) Canadian ice dancer

Robert "Rob" McCall, CM was a Canadian ice dancer. With partner Tracy Wilson, he was the 1988 Olympic bronze medallist.

Andrée Brunet French figure skater (1901–1993)

Andrée Brunet was a French figure skater. Together with her husband Pierre Brunet she won Olympic medals in 1924, 1928 and 1932, as well as four world titles between 1926 and 1932 in pair skating. She also competed in singles, winning the national title in 1921–1930 and finishing fifth at the 1924 Winter Olympics.

Sandra Bezic Canadian pair skater, figure skating choreographer and television commentator

Sandra Marie Bezic is a Canadian pair skater, figure skating choreographer, and television commentator. With her brother Val Bezic, she won the Canadian Figure Skating Championships from 1970 to 1974 and placed ninth at the 1972 Winter Olympics. Skate Canada announced on July 14, 2010, that she will be inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in the professional category

Gordon McKellen American figure skater

Gordon Riley "Gordie" McKellen Jr. is an American former competitive figure skater. He is the 1973–75 U.S. national champion and placed tenth at the 1972 Winter Olympics.

David Porter is a former Canadian ice dancer. With partner Barbara Berezowski, he won two gold medals at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships and competed at the 1976 Winter Olympics.

Candace Lynne "Candy" Jones is a Canadian former pair skater. With her husband Don Fraser, she won gold medals at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in 1975 and 1976 and competed in the 1976 Winter Olympics. They have also won a number of World Championships as professionals. There were known as the first couple to do a one-handed overhead lift, as well as a no-hands death spiral that has yet to be attempted by other pairs.

Donald Edward Fraser is a former Canadian pair skater. With his wife Candace Jones, he won the gold medal at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships in 1975 and 1976 and competed in the 1976 Winter Olympics. They have also won a number of World Championships as professionals. There were known as the first couple to do a one-handed overhead lift, as well as a no-hands death spiral that has yet to be attempted by other skating couples.

Barbara Ann Scott Canadian figure skater (1928–2012)

Barbara Ann Scott was a Canadian figure skater. She was the 1948 Olympic champion, a two-time World champion (1947–1948), and a four-time Canadian national champion in ladies' singles. Known as "Canada's Sweetheart", she is the only Canadian to have won the Olympic ladies' singles gold medal, the first North American to have won three major titles in one year and the only Canadian to have won the European Championship (1947–48). During her forties she was rated among the top equestrians in North America. She received many honours and accolades, including being made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1991 and a member of the Order of Ontario in 2008.

Paulette Doan is a Canadian former ice dancer. She competed with Kenneth Ormsby. Together, they were the 1963 and 1964 Canadian champions and in those years won bronze and silver medals (respectively) at the World Figure Skating Championships.

References

  1. Olympic results
  2. Elfman, Lois (March 28, 2013). "Olympian Berezowski shares winning philosophy". IceNetwork .