Babilonia and Gardner did for pairs skating what Torvill and Dean later did for Ice Dance. We will not see the likes of them again. Thank you for this magic. We will never forget.

they were just so perfectly matched...they make it look so easy

I have never seen a pair like Tai and Randy before and I haven't seen once since that skates like them. They skate like one single moving unit. Neither one is a second behind or ahead of the other, they are just together! Simply beautiful...

this pair is what figure skating is all about...grace, class, elegance, style

I'm so glad yo see this video. Tai and Randy are still my facorite American pair team. Great unison, class and artistry.. and a super throw triple salchow in 1979! And that pair Ina Bauer is so sublime...

Greatest US pair? They are one of the greatest of all time.

This was just simply amazing! I sat down and said I was only going to watch a minute or two. IMPOSSIBLE! I was so drawn in. Just Beautiful!

Those Arabian Pulls are absolutely magnificent!

BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE! Not only is their technique superb, but the extension and balletic movements are wonderful. Thank you!

You are correct...they are the best! The fluidity and unison in their skating is without comparison.

The best pair skaters ever! No one since has their style and elegance.

Still the greatest US pairs team ever....

I was always glued to the TV when they skated

I remember this. I was 8 and totally obsessed with Tai and Randy. I wanted to skate so bad.

That spread eagle to into an Ina Baur was gorgeous, simply gorgeous.

Got to see them in Ice Capades when I was a kid. They were amazing! 🥰

Nothing but pure elegance and grace! I've loved them since I was a kid!

Skating was more original back then. Miss it.

They were absolutely so graceful and beautiful on the ice. Two of their most spectacular moves were the spread eagle into the inside Ina Bauer and the death spiral at the end of their program. The death spiral always scared the daylights out of me. Truly special skaters.

Tai and Randy are one of the best all-time pair figure skaters! What a great performance to win the 1979 World Figure Skating Championships! Thank you for sharing and allowing me to relive this magical figure skating moment! :-)

just as beautiful today as it was back then have yet to see as classy a pair as these two

Their artistry, technical elements, chemistry....you just cannnot even compare to anyone else out there. Just pure magic.

That spiral sequence is really just sublime. What artistry!! And the side by side splits at 1:51!!! Just beautiful

Have always loved this performance. This was their apex as amateurs: The perfect Arabian pulls, the throw double axel, the swan lift, and the Protopopov-like spiral which flows into the balletic moves in the 2nd act @ 3:25: the star lift, the spread eagle, the Ina Bauer, and of course, the death spiral. Their age of innocence ends here, as they go from this '79 win into the '80 Olympic devastation. Thank goodness this is a legacy.

Oh my goodness! After all these years, this is still so beautiful. Thank you so much for uploading this video. :')

Tai and Randy had the best synchronicity I’ve seen of any pair skater.

I have always wanted to see this performance again....it gave me chills then and still does! Thank you for posting it!!

This is mesmerising. Can't take my eyes off the screen. Perfection.

Still stands up today. Grace & Style.

WOW beautiful just beautiful!! (tearing) yes even after all these years!!!

I remember watching this :D ! ! ! & That last score by that last judge upsetting me so, and thinking, "Oh but it'll be thrown out!" (lowest score = OUT!) It was a breathtaking performance to be sure!!! We were ALL so proud : ) !!

Totally beautiful!!! So simple by today's standards, but then it is more about big stunts rather then the skating anymore. Thanks for posting.

Thrilling to watch, even after all these years. :)

Beautiful, Lovely and a very powerful skating program!!

Their unison and beauty was and is still unmatched. Modern figure skating is forgetting the beauty and grace of the sport. The polish of their program was sheer perfection.

I would love to see the Short program one day

I didn't see anything like this in our recent Olympics with complete grace, and compassionate movements in sync with each other. What they did we don't see anymore.

Those magnificent Arabian pulls and superb Ina Bauer sequence make up for the horrendous music cuts. Can't believe its been almost 30 years!

I used to think they had a great chance to win Olympic gold in 1980 but upon reflection after all these years I am now sadly convinced the judges would NEVER have allowed Rodnina and Zaitsev to retire without anything less than gold. It wouldn’t have mattered if Tai and Randy had skated to perfection. It was unfortunately the way political judging was especially in those days

I will never forget this. I was 20 years old watching this from my apartment in upstate ny. I was a hockey skater but always drawn to these two. The courage to take on the Russians and come away with this world championship was honestly a highlight of my life. I felt pride and admiration. I remember some difficulties they had including injury around those years but we will never forget how well you represented our country, can't imagine the pressure. I still watch the long program skate often and feel the same each time. Thank you Randy and Tai for what you gave the world. The Russians were technicians but always left me amazed but cold. You two had that plus the spark of emotion and fearlessness which I think we all felt. Sincere best wishes to you both and thank you. I need to find out if you guys have a podcast or something. Btw I agree with so many commenters. Skating lost something. In the quest for technical advancements much of what Randy and Tai possessed was lost. Ice dancing still has the opportunity to push the presentation limits but pairs to me has become mechanical. Those Arabian pulls were killer, I'm not sure I even see those anymore. Randy and or Tai if you are ever in nj dinner is on me at olive garden! Nothing high end but lots of free breadsticks.

so sad about what happened to them at the olympics

So inspiring and lovely

I love the way Thai stacks each move with such musicality.

Why hasn’t anybody skated to this music again. This music is way better than Carmen.

Probably one of the very few teams that could stand up to the Soviets

Tai Babilonia, my first celebrity crush.

Loved these 2!!!!!!!!!!

I saw them in 1979 in Boston and she would land so softly it was like a feather dropping.

You don't see throw salchow entrances like that anymore. Fantastic.. I love watching old figure skating videos. I didn't like her helicopter leg on her throw axel. Their flying camel pair spin was so cool! I've never seen that before.

While the music itself was dramatic, Dick Button’s commentary made it super dramatic. “There it is. This is it!”

Class of their own

Are Arabian fulls still allowed? Never seen them before and they're amazing!

Just Awesome ! Dazzling !

so graceful

My far the best US pair skaters ever. No team since Peter and Kitty Carruthers comes remotely close to their skills and elegance.

She went to my school today 👌

One thing about Randy and Tai. They were more equal in size. Not like now, 2020, little woman, larger man.

Happy Birthday Tai xox

It's so stupid they disallowed "pulls" - they're stunning.

I love to watch the older videos, before they threw out the 6.0 system of judging. Now, there are so many required elements that there isn't any time for choreography of any kind. I mean, there are linking steps and transitions and jumps and spins that are slowed down and so many required changes of edge and position that "artistic Impression' just isn't possible. It's like watching the same elements over and over, in different order as each skater TRIES to make something of one big hot mess.

WOW!! My litte sister is named after her!

Such a magical performance

Extensions and Araian pulls are suberb!

Beautiful!❤🎉

Does anyone know where i can watch the movie "on thin ice",based on these two? it was a movie in 1990....

They are so majestic strong yet graceful. Their height and long limbs give them an expansive quality that is thrilling.

Уж очень медленый прокат!

Too bad they were injured to compete at the home Olympics next year. They might have pulled an upset.

so arrogant to think that the average viewer can't tell that their skating is 'steady, mature and complete' besides naming maneuvers, fans don't need it explained when someone is skating well. too much commentary during such beautiful art....

I remember seeing them at Disney on ice when I was young.

Not that it seems all that fantastic to me, but what I Do find impressive is the ease with which the man handles the partner practically his own height and - couldn't help noticing :)))- weight...Anyway, glad to see a bit of solid skating from a US pair.

Death Spiral is to die for !!

My favorite American pairs.

Sooooooooooo good.

7:00 that's a Torval & Dean move!

Ну что, кто тут после новости о Камиле Валиевой?)

I was always amazed how easily he seemed to lift her and throw her considering how close in size they were. Usually you see a much larger male and a smaller female partner together.

Good ole nicks

Technically, they absolutely lost to the program to russian pair! Marina Cherkasova and Sergei Shakhrai did triple axel (!) twist, triple toeloops, double axels, and much more difficult lifts! Western countries 6 judges (USA, Canada, Australia, France, Japan and WestGermany) dragged Babylonia/Gardner into first place. Eastern countries judges prefer Marina Cherkasova and Sergei Shakhrai in 1st place, but there were only three.

Wow!

1980 😢

wow...who perform the Music? Holst-goes-Disco?

Correction: little

As far as I know they were the only American world pairs champions.

What is the music? I love it

5.4?? Must be an Eastern bloc judge at the time.

Wow, Tai was super tall for a female pairs competitor. She looks about 5'8 or so.

Пара скатанная , синхронная . В то время на это и был упор. Но прыжков мало , и партнёша, как бревно : спина не гнется, и ноги не поднимаются.

They were so much better than the robotic Rodnina and her plethora of partners!

RUSSIAN SCHOOL IS THE BEST.STUDY IT.

Without a great speed, without double axels SBS, without triple twist, she got great pre-rotation on throw 2A, with so many asynchronous moments (especially 3:31)... also remember more difficult throw triple loop (done by Baess/Thierbach). Marks 5.4-5.6 - absolytely right, and 5.9 (?!) - wrong! Yes, americans could win only due to Rodnina and Zaitsew absence here.

Ужасное катание!!!! Дутые чемпионы

Never forget when they lost to Irina Rodnina and Alexander Zaitsev USSR.By the way Garner tan away from the competition.

With all due respect and no disrespect to the fine artistry of Babilonia and Gardner for the time (especially compared to Rodnina and Zaitsev), how can you say you miss the 'good old days' when we have Gordeeva and Grinkov? Just do a youtube search for G&G 1989 Barber of Seville...They are as fast or faster than Rodnina and Zaitsev & have superior ballet training, artistry,grace and unison to Tai and Randy.G&G are the best that has ever been so far for pairs technique, unison, and charisma.