Gordon McKellen
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Gordon "Gordie" McKellen Jr. is an American former figure skater. He found his career path early thanks to his father, Gordon "Bud" McKellen of the famous 1940's ice skating duo, the McKellen Brothers. He is the 1973-1975 United States national champion. He placed tenth at the 1972 Olympics. His highest placement at the World Figure Skating Championships was 5th, in 1975.
Although other skaters had practiced triple axels before then, Gordie McKellen was the first skater to attempt them in public performances.[citation needed] He landed at least one in exhibition in 1974. A triple axel wasn't landed in competition until Vern Taylor did it in 1978.
McKellen married Kath Malmberg, World Figure Skating contender and Bronze medalist in the 1974-75 US Figure Skating Championships.[citation needed] He retired from competitive skating after the 1975 season after his coach, Slavka Kohout, left her position at the Wagon Wheel rink in Rockton, Illinois, where McKellen had been training. He was known as a good show skater and toured with Toller Cranston's "The Ice Show" company after turning professional.
He was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1998. However, in 2001 McKellen was permanently banned by the U.S. Figure Skating Association for "engaging in unethical and unprofessional behavior while coaching a student".
[edit] References
- Skatabase: 1970s Worlds
- Skatabase: 1972 Olympics
- Hamilton, Scott (1999). Landing It, ISBN 1-57566-466-6.
- Grievance Report, Skating magazine, October 2001.
