Rudi Cerne

Rudi Cerne (born 26 September 1958) is a German TV presenter and former figure skater. He is the 1984 European silver medalist and a two-time West German national champion. He competed at two Winter Olympics, finishing fourth in 1984.

Personal life

Cerne was born on 26 September 1958 in Wanne-Eickel, West Germany. His father was a figure skater.

In 1987, Cerne married his wife Christiane, with whom he has a daughter.

Career

Figure skating

When he was six years old, Cerne was introduced to ice skating by his father, a former ice skater who had lost a leg in the war. His skating club was Herner EV in Herne, Germany. He was coached by Günter Zöller and was a member of West Germany's national team in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His domestic rivals included Norbert Schramm and Heiko Fischer. He was most known for his elegant style, which emulated that of John Curry, and his strong edging.

Cerne won the German Figure Skating Championships in 1978 and 1980. Then, in 1981, a younger teammate, Norbert Schramm, emerged and went on to dominate not only the German Nationals but also various international competitions. Schramm won two consecutive world silver medals in 1982 and 1983 while Cerne could barely place in the top dozen, which prompted many to conclude that Cerne's career as the top West German male skater was over.

In 1984, however, 26-year-old Cerne entered the scene with a new attitude and consistent triple jumps due to intensive training. Most notably, Cerne had mastered the triple Lutz jump, which he needed in order to be technically competitive with Schramm as well as other top skaters.