Gordon "Gordie" McKellen Jr. is a former American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 figure skater. He found his career path early thanks to his father, Gordon "Tuffy" McKellen of the famous 1940's ice skating duo, the McKellen Brothers. He is the 1973-1975 United States national champion

United States Figure Skating Championships

The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters...

. He placed tenth at the 1972 Olympics

Figure skating at the 1972 Winter Olympics

Figure skating was contested at the 1972 Winter Olympic Games . The competition took place at the Makomanai Indoor Skating Rink.Results of both the men's and ladies' singles events were dominated by placements in the compulsory figures, which at this time were nominally worth 50% of the total...

. His highest placement at the World Figure Skating Championships

World Figure Skating Championships

The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...

 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. He landed several in exhibition in 1974-1975 , as King of the Lake Placid Winter Festival exhibition and during the exhibitions following his third National championship win in Providence. The triple axel wasn't landed in competition until Vern Taylor did it in 1978.

McKellen married Kath Malmberg

Kath Malmberg

Kath Malmberg is a former American figure skater. She was the 1974-1975 U.S. bronze medalist.-Results:-References:*...

, World Figure Skating contender and Bronze medalist in the 1974-75 US Figure Skating Championships. He retired from competitive skating after the 1975 season after his coach, Slavka Kohout

Slavka Kohout

Slavka Kohout is an American figure skating coach, best known for coaching 5-time U.S. Champion Janet Lynn throughout her entire competitive career.- Career :...

, left her position at the Wagon Wheel rink in Rockton, Illinois

Rockton, Illinois

Rockton is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States located on the banks of the Rock River. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, where McKellen had been training. He was known as a good show skater and toured with Toller Cranston

Toller Cranston

Toller Shalitoe Montague Cranston, CM is a Canadian figure skater and painter. He is the 1971-1976 Canadian national champion, the 1974 World bronze medalist, and the 1976 Olympic bronze medalist....

's "The Ice Show" company after turning professional.

He was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame

United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame

The United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame serves as a repository for the sport of figure skating. The United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame is where the greatest names in the history of the sport are honored. To be inducted into the Hall of Fame is considered the highest achievement an...

 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."

Results

Event	1965	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975
Winter Olympics Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...				10th
World Championships World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...			9th	8th	7th	6th	5th
U.S. Championships United States Figure Skating Championships The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters...	6th N.	6th	3rd	3rd	1st	1st	1st

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