John Curry

Born Birmingham England, September 9, 1949

Died Stratford-upon-Avon England, April 15, 1994 Aged 44

A skater who redefined figure skating with his elegant ballet style and movement.

He started at the 'old' Birmingham Summerhill Ice Rink (now demolished) with lessons from Ken Vickers. His career evolved, Junior British Champion in 1967 and senior champion in 1970.

In 1976, at the age of 26, he won the European Championship and followed with a gold medal performance at the Olympics in Innsbruck, he continued onto Gothenburg for the 1976 World Championships and won.

In 1976 he was voted BBC Sport's Personality of the year.

He turned professional, forming his own skating company that used his theory of skating as a dance form, borrowing the grace and body lines from ballet. He gathered like-minded skaters and worked with major ballet choreographers. "The John Curry Theatre of Skating" arrived, and played to enthralled audiences.

John Curry was elected to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1991.

On the 31st May 2001 a bronze statue of John was unveiled by his mother at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham. The statue was located outside the NISA offices, now on display at ice Sheffield, a tribute to a skater whose influence on the sport of Figure Skating is so unique that it may never be equalled.

Walsall Arboretum 1963

Birmingham skaters perform on the frozen lake. John is far right. Third from right is Ann Crompton-Turner, one of the top UK professionals and second from left is Odette Coulson, ISU championship judge