26 Facts About Robin Cousins

Robin Cousins, MBE was born on 17 August 1957 and is a British former competitive figure skater who was BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1980.

Robin Cousins was the 1980 Olympic champion, the 1980 European champion, a three-time World medalist and four-time British national champion, winning all of these titles during his amateur career.

Robin Cousins 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.

Robin Cousins is able to spin in either direction, both clockwise and anti-clockwise, which is an unusual skill for a figure skater.

Robin Cousins has appeared in theatre productions, including the West End.

Robin Cousins was born in Bristol to Jo, a secretary, and Fred, a civil servant, who was formerly a goalkeeper for Millwall FC Cousins has two older brothers, Martin and Nick.

Robin Cousins first stepped onto the ice at age six at Westover Road Ice Rink while on holiday in Bournemouth.

Robin Cousins was later coached by Gladys Hogg at Queens Ice Rink and then by Carlo Fassi.

Robin Cousins left school at the age of sixteen to focus on figure skating.

Robin Cousins won his first national title in 1969, aged 12, at novice level.

Robin Cousins represented the United Kingdom as an amateur figure skater for eight years.

Robin Cousins won the British National Senior Championships for four consecutive years ; the free skating portion of the World Championships three times ; and the silver medal at the World Championships in 1979 and 1980.

Robin Cousins reached the pinnacle of his amateur career by winning gold medals both in the European Championships and in the Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York, in 1980.

The silver medalist Hoffmann skated a technically superior performance, but six out of nine judges gave first place to Robin Cousins, giving him the overall win and the gold medal.

Robin Cousins was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 1980.

Robin Cousins turned professional in 1980 and went on to win the World Professional Men's Figure Skating Championships twice and was a World Professional singles medalist four times.

In 1983, Robin Cousins formed his own ice skating performance company, which toured the world with professional ice shows Electric Ice and Ice Majesty.

Over several years, Robin Cousins has been a regular guest presenter and commentator for BBC Sport, for the European and World Figure Skating Championships and the Winter Olympics.

Robin Cousins appeared as the head judge on the show Dancing on Ice in each series from 2006 to 2014, but did not return to the show when it was revived in 2018.

Robin Cousins played the Prince in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Munkustrap in Cats, Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, Teen Angel in Grease, and Billy Flynn in Chicago in the West End.

In March 2016, Robin Cousins joined the Art of the Olympians program.

Robin Cousins has undergone a total of eight operations, including a knee replacement in his fifties.

Robin Cousins's problems began at the 1974 World Championships, where he withdrew before the event started and returned to Bristol to have his first of two meniscus surgeries the second came immediately after the 1977 World Championships when his left knee cartilage ripped and locked in place.

In December 1980, Robin Cousins was the subject of This Is Your Life, after being surprised by Eamonn Andrews in his home city of Bristol.

Robin Cousins appeared on the gameshow Tipping Point Lucky Stars in August 2013.

Robin Cousins is a significant patron of the Meningitis UK organization and the Starr Trust children's charity in Brighton.