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Robin Cousins
Personal information
Country represented  United Kingdom
Born (1957-08-17) 17 August 1957 (age 55)
Height 6' (183 cm)[1]
Skating club Queen’s Ice Dance Club
Retired 1980
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2011)
Olympic medal record
Men's figure skating
Competitor for  United Kingdom
Gold 1980 Lake Placid Singles

Robert "Robin" Cousins (Born 17 August 1957 in Bristol) is a British retired competitive figure skater. He is the 1980 Olympic Champion, the 1980 European champion, a three-time (1978, 1979 & 1980) World medalist and four-time (1977, 1978, 1979 & 1980) British national champion. He later starred in ice shows and also produced his own. He has also appeared in theatre productions, including in the West End, and has commentated on figure skating events for the BBC. Since 2006 he has been on the panel of judges on ITV's Dancing on Ice and takes the position of head judge.

Contents

Skating career [edit]

From a sporting family (his father was a goalkeeper for Millwall) of Bristol, England, Robin Cousins took to figure skating very early after skating for the first time at Westover Road Ice Rink in Bournemouth.[1][2] He won his first national title in 1969 at the age of twelve on the novice level.[3] By age fourteen, he was Britain's junior champion, and he made his international debut that same year.

As a young skater, Cousins also did ice dancing at the same time as singles, his first coach being a dancer.[3] He was later coached by Carlo Fassi.[4] Cousins is able to spin in both directions.[3]

Cousins represented the United Kingdom as an amateur skater for eight years, winning the National Senior Championships for four consecutive years. He had a left knee injury at the 1977 World Championships.[3] By 1980, he had undergone major surgery on both his left and right knees.[3]

Cousins won the free skating portion of the World Championships three times, 1978 through 1980. He won silver medals at the World Championships in 1979 and 1980. He reached the pinnacle of his amateur ice skating career by winning the European Championships gold medal, and also winning the Winter Olympic Games gold medal in Lake Placid, New York, in 1980.

Cousins followed this with a highly successful career as a professional ice skater. He starred in such skating shows as Holiday on Ice and Ice Capades,[3] and he was a regular in the World Professional Championships. In 1983, Cousins formed his own ice skating performance company, and it toured the world with the programs Electric Ice and Ice Majesty. He has also worked with the British synchronized swimming team.[5]

Later life [edit]

Theatre [edit]

Cousins has made the successful transfer from sport to stage, playing the Prince in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Munkustrap in Cats, and Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show in the West End.

Cousins also starred in, produced, directed, and/or choreographed many international TV ice spectaculars such as The Nutcracker: A Fantasy on Ice, Sleeping Beauty on Ice, The Wizard of Oz on Ice, Toy Story on Ice, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express on Ice, Holiday on Ice, and the movie The Cutting Edge.

He has also made various pantomime performances, playing Jack Frost in Santa Clause and the Return of Jack Frost at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton. Prior to this he played the Prince in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Grand Opera House, Belfast.

Media work [edit]

Over several years, Cousins has been a regular guest presenter and commentator for BBC Sport, for the European and World Figure Skating Championships and the Winter Olympics.[6]

He appeared as the head judge on the show Dancing on Ice in each series since 2006. On 10 March 2012 Cousins appeared in the gameshow All Star Family Fortunes.

Honours [edit]

He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1980 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in his home city of Bristol. In 2005, Cousins was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

Charity work [edit]

Cousins is a significant patron of the Meningitis UK organization.

Personal life [edit]

Cousins lives in Brighton.[7]

Amateur competitive results [edit]

International
Event 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80
Olympics 10th 1st
Worlds 10th 9th WD 3rd 2nd 2nd
Europeans 15th 11th 11th 6th 3rd 3rd 3rd 1st
Skate Canada 2nd 1st
NHK Trophy 1st
National
British 3rd 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st
WD = Withdrew

Professional competitive results [edit]

1980-1989

Event/Season 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
World Professional Figure Skating Competitions 1st * 2nd * 1st 2nd 1st 4th
Challenge of Champions 1st 2nd
World Cup of Skating 1st

1990-1997

Event/Season 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997
World Professional Figure Skating Competitions 2nd 3rd 2nd
Challenge of Champions 3rd 4th 2nd 3rd
World Team Championship 3rd *
Legends Championship 2nd
Canadian Pro Championship 4th

Those marked with a * were team competitions

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "Robin Cousins". Sports-reference.com. 
  2. ^ Martha Lowder Kimball (1998) Robin Cousins. Baltimore: Gateway Press ISBN 0-9662502-0-6
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Cousins Continues to Entertain". GoldenSkate. December 6, 2003. Retrieved April 12, 2011. 
  4. ^ (Russian) Tarasova, T. A. (1985). "Выдающиеся тренеры". Chetyrye Vremeni Goda. Moscow: Sov. Rossia. p. 176. 
  5. ^ Magnay, Jacquelin (8 February 2012). "London 2012 Olympics: former skating gold medallist Robin Cousins gives synchronised swimmers a lift". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 9 February 2012. 
  6. ^ "Robin Cousins". BBC Sport. 15 January 2002. 
  7. ^ Interview with Robin Cousins, Sussex Life, 29 December 2011

External links [edit]

Navigation [edit]

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Sebastian Coe		 BBC Sports Personality of the Year
1980		 Succeeded by
Ian Botham
1954–1959
1960–1969
1970–1979
1980–1989
1990–1999
2000–2009
2010–present
Authority control
Wikipedia content is licensed under the GNU Free Document License or Creative Commons CC-BY-SA
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Top Videos
Robin Cousins - Olys 1980 FP
Robin Cousins - Olys 1980 FP
DATE: 2008/01/23
LENGTH: 8 min.
Robin Cousins "Satan Takes A Holiday"
Robin Cousins "Satan Takes A Holiday"
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Robin Cousins - 1986 World Pro Championship Mens Artistic Program.
Robin Cousins - 1986 World Pro Championship Mens Artistic Program.
DATE: 2012/02/14
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Robin Cousins - Olys 1980 SP
Robin Cousins - Olys 1980 SP
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Robin Cousins (EUR) - 1994 World Team Figure Skating Championships, Artistic Program
Robin Cousins (EUR) - 1994 World Team Figure Skating Championships, Artistic Program
DATE: 2010/11/27
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Robin Cousins (GBR) - 1980 Lake Placid, Men
Robin Cousins (GBR) - 1980 Lake Placid, Men's Long Program
DATE: 2009/12/20
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Robin Cousins - EX (1980)
Robin Cousins - EX (1980)
DATE: 2007/10/14
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Robin Cousins "Rachmaninov Concerto No.2" 1991
Robin Cousins "Rachmaninov Concerto No.2" 1991
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LENGTH: 4 min.
Robin Cousins "Music of the Night" 1990
Robin Cousins "Music of the Night" 1990
DATE: 2011/01/07
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Dancing on Ice judge Robin Cousins performs | Dancing on Ice goes Gold
Dancing on Ice judge Robin Cousins performs | Dancing on Ice goes Gold
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1980 Winter Olympics Long Program - Robin Cousins
1980 Winter Olympics Long Program - Robin Cousins
DATE: 2010/01/04
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Robin Cousins - 1980 Winter Olympics Short Program
Robin Cousins - 1980 Winter Olympics Short Program
DATE: 2010/01/04
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Robin Cousins on Daybreak (9 February 2012)
Robin Cousins on Daybreak (9 February 2012)
DATE: 2012/02/13
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Robin Cousins (GBR) - 1985 World Challenge of Champions, Exhibitions
Robin Cousins (GBR) - 1985 World Challenge of Champions, Exhibitions
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Robin Cousins has Tea With Wilma
Robin Cousins has Tea With Wilma
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Robin Cousins Sports Centre Bristol - Suspects Arson
Robin Cousins Sports Centre Bristol - Suspects Arson
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1980 Worlds - Robin Cousins LP
1980 Worlds - Robin Cousins LP
DATE: 2008/02/24
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Interview with Robin Cousins (Angela Friends) 2010
Interview with Robin Cousins (Angela Friends) 2010
DATE: 2011/03/07
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Robin Cousins recalls This Is Your Life
Robin Cousins recalls This Is Your Life
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Robin Cousins HOI
Robin Cousins HOI
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Robin Cousins (GBR) - Skating to Michael Jackson
Robin Cousins (GBR) - Skating to Michael Jackson
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Robin Cousins Artistic program World Professional FS Championships 1980-1981 Landover
Robin Cousins Artistic program World Professional FS Championships 1980-1981 Landover
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Robin Cousins and Torvill & Dean (GBR) - 1985 World Ice Spectacular
Robin Cousins and Torvill & Dean (GBR) - 1985 World Ice Spectacular
DATE: 2010/05/03
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Robin Cousins (GBR) - 1980 Worlds, Men
Robin Cousins (GBR) - 1980 Worlds, Men's Long Program
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LENGTH: 4 min.
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A performance with cousins
A performance with cousins
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Silly Cousins!
Silly Cousins!
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Just chilling with my cousins
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Robin Cousins - 1977 Skate Canada - SP
Robin Cousins - 1977 Skate Canada - SP
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Cousins Harlem Shake
Cousins Harlem Shake
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Cousins Harlem Shake
Cousins Harlem Shake
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Robin Cousins Sports Centre Bristol - Suspects Arson
Robin Cousins Sports Centre Bristol - Suspects Arson
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My Cousins Being Ratchet
My Cousins Being Ratchet
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Adam Cousins - Grappling Industries Round Robin
Adam Cousins - Grappling Industries Round Robin
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Shocked Shayne Ward Heads for Exit After Skate-off
Shocked Shayne Ward Heads for Exit After Skate-off
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Cousins swimming
Cousins swimming
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Ashley Roberts behind the scenes at Dancing On Ice 2013 - Backstage Pass
Ashley Roberts behind the scenes at Dancing On Ice 2013 - Backstage Pass
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The Bowling Alley and Cousins
The Bowling Alley and Cousins
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Shyfall Shoes Brothers 2
Shyfall Shoes Brothers 2
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Redskins: RG3 & Cousins - Batman & Robin
Redskins: RG3 & Cousins - Batman & Robin
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With Pooh（Orser）
With Pooh（Orser）
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Robin Cousins
Robin Cousins
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silly cousins 2...
silly cousins 2...
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sep 1 silly cousins
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Robin Cousins has Tea With Wilma
Robin Cousins has Tea With Wilma
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Dancing on Ice judge Robin Cousins performs | Dancing on Ice goes Gold
Dancing on Ice judge Robin Cousins performs | Dancing on Ice goes Gold
DATE: 2012/07/22
LENGTH: 2 min.
The Olympic Torch being carried by Robin Cousins in Brighton for London 2012
The Olympic Torch being carried by Robin Cousins in Brighton for London 2012
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Robin Cousins London 2012 Olympics interview
Robin Cousins London 2012 Olympics interview
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LENGTH: 4 min.
Olympic Torch - Robin Cousins - Hove 2012
Olympic Torch - Robin Cousins - Hove 2012
DATE: 2012/07/17
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