Tai Babilonia and Jack Courtney - January 2, 2009

Ice skating legend, Tai Babilonia, poses with World singles and pair roller skating champion, and U.S. ice pair skating bronze medalist, Jack Courtney.

World and U.S. Pair skating champion and figure skating legend, Tai Babilonia, poses with World singles and pair roller skating champion, and U.S. ice pair skating bronze medalist, Jack Courtney, on January 2, 2009.

1975 and 1976 U.S. National Pairs Bronze Medalist, Jack Courtney, was a champion roller skater before he switched to ice. What is remarkable about Courtney's record is, that in 1968, he won roller worlds in BOTH single and pair skating. He also won the U.S. Senior men's title in singles in roller skating five times and the national senior pair title was won by Courtney and his partner Sheryl Trueman Courtney four times. Jack Courtney is considered a legend in the roller skating world.

In early 2009, ice skating legend, Tai Babilonia, took a special trip to Colorado Springs especially to mentor 2008 U.S. pair skating champions, Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker. During a break from her mentoring tasks, she took the time to reunite with Jack Courtney. Babilonia recalled that some of the pair skating lifts done by Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner were invented by Jack Courtney. Here, the two "skating greats" pose together.


Source: figureskating.about.com