One of the indelible images from the last 20 years of Canadian figure skating was Mike Slipchuk's triumph at the 1992 nationals.

Three-time world champion Kurt Browning was hurt and didn't go to Moncton, and a hotshot by the name of Elvis Stojko was expected to snatch the crown.

Slipchuk, skating in Browning's shadow all the while out of Edmonton's Royal Glenora Club, seemed to have little chance after a blood vessel burst in his nose. Yet, with blood dripping to the ice, Slipper hit every jump and managed to earn top marks to take the gold medal.

Browning was back the next year to reclaim the title.

Slipchuk has remained in the sport, coaching at the Glencoe Club in Calgary and earning worldclass judging credentials.

On Thursday, Skate Canada, the national governing body of the sport, announced that Slipchuk, 40, has been hired as high performance director. A better choice could not have been made.

``I'm very excited,'' he said from Calgary. ``It was an opportunity that came up in the last couple of months and, the more I thought about it, I decided it was something I wanted to pursue.

``I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead.''

His experience and technical knowledge will be invaluable, said acting CEO William Thompson.

``His main task will be to ensure that our high performance athletes have the necessary support systems in place to produce the best competitive results possible and to develop and implement improved athlete development and identification programs,'' Thompson said. ``We are delighted that he has accepted this position.

``Michael is universally respected in the Canadian skating community and will be a tremendous asset to the organization.''

Slipchuk, who sits as a technical expert on International Skating Union judging panels, will be in Taiwan for a Jr. Grand Prix meet and in Hartford, Conn., for the Sr. GP Skate America next month.

He'll move to Ottawa in late winter and take up his duties in March.

``I'll be working with skaters and coaches and helping them in every way possible to continue the success we've had and to build on it,'' he said.

The late Barbara Graham performed a somewhat similar role during Slipchuk's competitive days, and he hopes to pattern his work after what she did.

``The vision she had and the respect she had really helped skating get to where it did and helped us in our careers,'' he explained. ``I owe a lot of my success to her because she and Skate Canada gave me the opportunities to compete, and when things weren't going well they remained behind me and supported me.

``I'd never be able to match what she did.''

But he'll try.

Some of the best figure skating coaches in the world are in Canada, he said, and he intends to lean heavily on them in his new and important role.

``We need to work with them to hit the goals we want to reach.''

Canada is particularly strong in men's singles _ has been forever, it seems _ and in ice dancing.

Identifying the future is always difficult.

``We've always had very strong novices and juniors. We have to help them become even stronger seniors.''

Slipchuk retired from competition after finishing ninth at the 1992 Olympics. He competed at five world meets, finishing seventh in 1991 and ninth in 1989. He was 1986 Canadian junior men's champion, and he won five medals at the senior national level.

He's been the head skating professional at the Glencoe for the last 10 years.