Tai Babilonia

Tai Reina Babilonia (born September 22, 1959) is an American former pair skater. Together with Randy Gardner, she won the 1979 World Figure Skating Championships and five U.S. Figure Skating Championships (1976–1980). The pair qualified for the 1976 and 1980 Winter Olympics.[1]

Tai Babilonia
Babilonia in 1979
Full nameTai Reina Babilonia
Born (1959-09-22) September 22, 1959
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height1.59 m (5 ft 3 in)
Figure skating career
CountryUnited States
Skating clubLos Angeles FSC
Retired1980
Medal record
Representing United States
Pairs' figure skating
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1979 ViennaPairs
Bronze medal – third place 1978 OttawaPairs
Bronze medal – third place 1977 TokyoPairs

Career

Babilonia and Gardner began skating together at eight and ten years old when skating coach Mabel Fairbanks needed a young pair team for a skating show in Culver City, California.[2] Their coach from 1971 until 1980 was John Nicks. The pair became five-time U.S. national champions and won the gold medal at the 1979 World Championships.[3][4] They were medal favorites at the 1980 Winter Olympics but were forced to withdraw due to an injury to Gardner.[1][2][5]

Babilonia was the first figure skater of partial African American descent to compete for the United States at an Olympics and win world titles. She is also part Filipino on her father's side and part Native American.[1][6]

In 1990, a biographical film of her rise to fame was aired on television, On Thin Ice: The Tai Babilonia Story.[7]

Babilonia appeared in the 2006 Fox television program Skating with Celebrities, partnered with Olympic decathlon gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner.

Babilonia and Gardner also appeared on an episode of Hart to Hart "Silent Dance" (season 5 episode 16) in 1984.

Personal life

Babilonia was inspired at the age of six to begin ice skating after watching Peggy Fleming on television. Babilonia has a son named Scout with former husband Cary Butler.[8] She was engaged in 2005 to actor and comedian David Brenner, but they never married before their breakup in 2011.

Competitive highlights

(with Gardner)

Event 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80
Winter Olympic Games5thWD
World Championships10th10th5th3rd3rd1st
U.S. Championships2nd2nd1st1st1st1st1st
Nebelhorn Trophy1st
Coupe des Alpes3rd
WD = Withdrew

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Tai Babilonia". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020.
  2. Elliott, Helene (March 20, 2008). "Tai and Randy's bond is sure and steady off the ice". Los Angeles Times.
  3. "World Figure Skating Championships Results: Pairs medalists" (PDF). International Skating Union. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 5, 2013.
  4. "Past U.S. Champions - Senior" (PDF). Excel Energy Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 9, 2012.
  5. Rosewater, Amy (January 14, 2013). "A life in skating: An interview with John Nicks". IceNetwork.
  6. Notable Filipinos Worldwide. notablefilipinos.com
  7. On Thin Ice: The Tai Babilonia Story (1990). IMDb
  8. "Long Path Has Rewards for Babilonia, Gardner". Los Angeles Times. February 19, 2002. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
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