One of the greatest figure skaters of all time was John Curry.
He dominated the sport in 1976, winning the Olympic, world, European and British titles.
Curry was outed as gay shortly after his Olympic victory, making him one of the most high-profile LGBT sports people of his time.
Curry died of an AIDS-related heart attack at the age of 44.
Curry changed his sport and his impact through his words and those of athletes he inspired, as part of LGBT history month.
Curry turned to ice skating because his father stopped him from taking ballet lessons when he was young.
He said that ice skating is protected by the umbrella of sport.
He developed a unique style, incorporating elements of ballet and modern dance together with technical excellence and natural talent - later teaching himself how to do a triple loop jump.
Curry challenged gender norms as a man and what was encouraged as a boy was met with hostility.
He said he was told not to use his arms, not to do spirals, and not to try and make everything look graceful.
I was told not to be so graceful.
American skater Adam Rippon, who won team bronze at the Winter Olympics, said Curry's skating was so beautiful, so pure, and unlike anything he had ever seen before.
He said it was the first time he had seen a person who was both a man and a woman.
Curry had an exceptional blend of skills, according to Robin Cousins, who followed Curry as Olympic champion in 1980.
He said that he could use his style, his jumping technique, his spinning technique, and his footwork as teaching tools.
Curry kept plugging away despite a mixed reception from the judges.
Curry always wanted to be able to present skating in a way he had not seen before.
I realized the only way I would have the chance to prove myself was by winning the Olympics, which was the most visible and accepted way to do that.
Curry was the first British man to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating.
Curry disclosed his sexuality in conversations with an Associated Press journalist before the Olympic final.
Curry was outed when the article was published. Curry claimed the disclosure was off the record and he had beenconned by Vinocur, who defended the piece and said there was no expectation of copy approval.
Curry was questioned about his sexuality in a press conference, which Daily Mail sports writer Ian Wooldridge said he gave his second stunning performance in 19 hours, though Curry was hurt by the incident.
A lot of people said I came out at the Olympics, but I never intended to make a statement.
Dancing on Ice star Matt Evers, who won US Championships as a junior, said he couldn't imagine how Curry was feeling during that Olympic final.
All of the Olympic glory about the sport was taken away from him because he was a gay athlete.
The first openly gay athlete to win a Winter Olympics medal for the USA, Adam Rippon, said Curry must have felt afraid.
Canada's Eric Radford, who won the gold medal in the Olympic team competition, came out as gay in 2014).
His story, despite not being told on his terms, still continues to inspire.
There were seven out athletes at the Olympics, 16 at the Olympics, and over 35 at Beijing 2022, and we needed those pioneers like John Curry.
Curry showed an admirable refusal to compromise and coped well with the scrutiny.
He said that it didn't change who he was as a person and that he made that very clear.
Curry was diagnosed with HIV in 1987 and with AIDS in 1991 and spent his final years with his mother.
Curry was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1976.
After his victory at the World Championships, he turned professional and started the John Curry Theatre of Skating, which was essentially ballet on ice.
Curry had previously said that he competed in order to have the chance to do what he did later.
He and his skaters performed at the Albert Hall in London and the Met in New York in front of celebrities.
It brought skating to a new era and really changed the sport on a professional level, according to Evers.
Curry's influence can be seen in TV shows like Dancing on Ice and in elite sport.
I find it hard to believe that our sport would be the same without John Curry.
His legacy is embedded in a lot of figure skating that we see today.
He moved in a way that I had never seen another male figure skater do. The classical style of skating is still alive and well.
Every time I doubt myself, I think about John Curry, what he did and how different it was.
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