Rudi Cerne

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Rudi Cerne
Cerne in 2012
Born (1958-09-26) 26 September 1958 (age 65)
Wanne-Eickel, West Germany
Figure skating career
Country West Germany
Medal record
Representing  West Germany
Men's Figure skating
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1984 Budapest Men's singles

Rudi Cerne[1] (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[edit]

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[edit]

Figure skating[edit]

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.[2] 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.

Cerne received the bronze medal at the German Championships during his final two seasons, 1982–83 and 1983–84, but won silver at the 1984 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary, behind Alexandr Fadeev of the Soviet Union. He went on to finish 4th at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, having ranked third in the compulsory figures, sixth in the short program, and fourth in the free skate. After placing fifth at the 1984 World Championships, Cerne turned professional and skated with "Holiday on Ice". He also became a figure skating coach.

Television[edit]

After ending his figure skating career, Cerne became a TV journalist, working initially for the German public TV station ARD, presenting sport shows from 1992 onwards. In 1996, he joined ZDF, Germany's other public broadcaster. He also presents Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst, a show about unresolved crimes, since 2002.[2]

Results[edit]

1976–1984[edit]

International
Event 76–77 77–78 78–79 79–80 80–81 81–82 82–83 83–84
Olympics 13th 4th
Worlds 14th 11th 15th 10th 5th
Europeans 7th WD 4th 7th 2nd
Skate America 2nd
NHK Trophy 6th
Nebelhorn 3rd 3rd
St. Gervais 3rd 1st
National
German Champ. 4th 1st 1st 2nd 2nd 3rd 3rd
WD = Withdrew

1969–1976[edit]

International
Event 69–70 70–71 71–72 72–73 73–74 74–75 75–76
Prague Skate 9th
National
German Champ. 1st J 1st S 4th 4th 5th 6th 4th
In 1970 and 1971, the categories were juniors (J), seniors (S), and master class;
S in this case is not the highest level.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "'Vaters Traum verwirklicht'". noz.de (in German). 26 June 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b Döring, Udo (23 January 2012). "Ex-Eiskunstläufer Rudi Cerne: "Ich hatte einen Eislauf-Vater"". Westdeutsche Zeitung.