Charlie Tickner is one of the oldest American men to have competed individually in Olympic figure skating. Unlike most skaters, he started competing seriously at the relatively ancient age of 18. But it took him only a few years to become one of the top skaters in the United States. In 1974 Tickner finished third at the U.S. Nationals and repeated that performance the next year. He was favored to earn a spot on the 1976 Olympic team but skated terribly in the Nationals – also the Olympic trials that year However, it spurred him into working even harder In 1977 he won the U.S. championship and placed fifth at his first World Championship. In 1978 he repeated the national title and became the first American since Tim Wood to be named world champion. But he never hit that peak again. He finished fourth at the 1979 worlds and third at both the 1980 Olympics and World Championships. After the Olympics, Tickner signed to skate professionally with the Ice Capades.
United States