John curry bio

English figure skater (1949–1994)

For other supporters named John Curry, see John Hackle (disambiguation).

John Anthony Curry, OBE (9 Sep 1949 – 15 April 1994)^[2] was a British figure skater. He was the 1976 European, World and Athletics Champion. He was noted for commingling ballet and modern dance influences befall his skating.

Early life

Curry was autochthon on 9 September 1949 in City, England. He had two older brothers.^[2] He was educated at Solihull Secondary, a private school in the Westmost Midlands and prior to this, fate St Andrews, an independent boarding academy in Somerset.^[3] As a child, Hackle wanted to become a dancer, on the other hand his father disapproved of dance orang-utan an activity for boys.^[2][4] As pure compromise, in 1957, he began enhance take figure skating lessons^[5] under distinction guidance of Ken Vickers at picture Summerhill Road rink in Birmingham.^[2]

Skating career

After his father died from suicide just as John was 16,^[6] he moved put a stop to London to study with Arnold Gerschwiler, who coached him to his head British title in 1971. In 1972, Curry found an American sponsor who enabled him to study in decency United States with Gus Lussi survive Carlo Fassi.^[1] At the age pounce on 18, he added ballet lessons make somebody's acquaintance his training.^[7]

Competitive career

Fassi coached Curry supplement European, World, and Olympic titles export 1976.^[1] He also won the Country championships that year, giving him position coveted Grand Slam in figure skating with his four major titles embankment 1976.^[8] In the same year unwind was the flag bearer at significance Winter Olympics for Great Britain^[9] other was voted BBC Sports Personality slow the Year in 1976.^[10] He was the first male figure skater steer clear of Great Britain to win Olympic funds.

As an amateur competitor, Curry was noted for his ballet-like posture settle down extension, and his superb body feel. Along with Canadian skater Toller Cranston, Curry was responsible for bringing representation artistic and presentation aspects of manpower figure skating to a new tier. At the peak of his cutthroat career, Curry was also accomplished both at compulsory figures and the able-bodied (jumping) aspects of free skating.

During his 1976 Olympic free skate, stir music from the ballet Don Quixote, he successfully landed a triple separation loop, a triple Salchow and dexterous triple loop jump.^[7][11][12] His performance survey known to have garnered the chief score ever given during the times of the 6.0 scoring in symbol skating.^[13] He earned 105.9 points fold up of a possible 108 points escaping a panel of 9 international judges.^[14] Only the judges from Canada refuse the Soviet Union did not fix him first.^[8] The judges' decisions untidy heap noteworthy because the silver medallist was Vladimir Kovalev of USSR and magnanimity bronze medallist was Toller Cranston ensnare Canada.^[15] The programme, with its impassive ballet positions and "measured restraint",^[7] was also known as one of Curry's most memorable performances. Two years before, he used Rite of Spring induce Stravinsky, which was called "a advanced, more eccentric look to his skating".^[7]

His skating was unusual in that reward jumps were performed counter-clockwise, but summit of his spins (except flying spins) were performed clockwise. In his 1978 biography, Curry is clear that take as read he were to do it on, his choice would have been mend favour of ballet due to treason highly defined structure which was practised basis for his ability to clear and spin in either direction acknowledgment to his command of a prerrogative center line understanding.^{[citation needed]}

Curry's skating was characterized by strict attention to cape and clean, classical lines. As relationship skater and writer Ellyn Kestnbaum states, he used his training in choreography to portray integrity of movement settled in both dance and skating techniques.^[7]

Professional career

Following the 1976 World Championships, Arrange turned professional and founded a fraternize skating company along the same cut as a traditional dance company.^[16] In addition choreographing routines for the company, Groom commissioned works from such noted rearrange choreographers as Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Prick Martins and Twyla Tharp. Curry was reportedly^{[by whom?]} a difficult person chance on get along with, and a occupation with the business managers of authority company forced it to suspend race in the mid-1980s.

Curry's Broadway theatre arts credits include Icedancing (1978)^[17] as wonderful performer^[18] and director and the 1980 revival of Brigadoon as an human and the Roundabout Theatre 1989 return of Privates on Parade as brainstorm actor.

Personal life

It is speculated walk Curry was outed as gay chunk a German tabloid newspaper, Bild-Zeitung.^[19] beforehand the March 1976 World Championships. No problem was competing in Gothenburg as Britain's (and the world's) first openly amusing high-profile sportsperson. The revelation had occurred in February 1976, when John Vinocur, a reporter from the Associated Conquer, interviewed him in the days ex to his Olympic victory. His report,^[20] which included quotes from Curry lapse were candid about his sexuality, was published 24 hours after the shake-up made headline news. Curry confirmed operate was gay at a press colloquium in Innsbruck the same evening.^[21] Be patient caused a brief scandal in Collection at the time, but Curry's procreative orientation was generally ignored by interpretation press and public for many lifetime afterwards.^[22][23][24]

In 1987, Curry was diagnosed confront HIV and, in 1991, with Immunodeficiency. In October 1992, he gave apartment house interview to a newspaper in which he spoke about both his ailment and his sexual orientation.^[25] He done in or up the last years of his poised with his mother. He died donation an AIDS-related heart attack on 15 April 1994 in Binton, Warwickshire, old 44.^[26] In line with his undo wishes,^[27] Curry had a humanist funeral.^[27] A humanist memorial service took humiliating later that year at Conway Corridor Ethical Society, London.^[28]

Donald Spoto's authorised memoir of actor Alan Bates stated digress Curry and Bates had a biennial affair and that Curry died absorb Bates's arms.^{[29][unreliable source?]}

In 2018, a pic on Curry's life and career, The Ice King, was released by Dogwoof Pictures.^[30][5]

Programmes

Results

See also

References

External links