Famous Female Olympic Figure Skating Champions - by Anne Shier (a.k.a. "Annie")

http://figureskating.about.com/od/olympicchampions/tp/olympicskaters.htm 

There are maybe a dozen or so women in the world who have made figure skating history by becoming figure skating world champions and/or Olympic medalists.  These women all had something substantial to offer the sport of women’s figure skating.  The following is a compilation of the 6 most outstanding women in this competitive field, based on their individual uniqueness and contributions to this sport.

Sarah Hughes (United States):

2002 Olympic Figure Skating Champion, Sarah Hughes, was not expected to win the gold medal at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. She was in fourth place after the short program, but in the free skate, she landed seven triple jumps. The other competitors made mistakes, and, thus, Hughes won gold.

Hughes is a graduate of Yale University.

In 2002, Sarah Hughes received the James E. Sullivan Award. She was honoured with a parade in her hometown of Great Neck, New York after her Olympic victory. In 2005, she was inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.  Her sister, Emily Hughes, competed in figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino.

Tara Lipinski (United States):

In 1998, Tara Lipinski won the Olympic gold medal in figure skating at age fifteen. She is the youngest Olympic gold medalist in figure skating history.

Tara began skating first as a roller skater. She was only three when she began roller skating and showed much talent. She won many awards as an artistic roller figure skater.  Lipinski switched from roller skating to ice skating at the age of six. It is very easy for roller skaters to make the switch to ice skating, so Tara mastered figure skating elements quickly and easily.

Michelle Kwan (United States):

Michelle Kwan is considered a figure skating legend and is the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history.  Michelle has won nine U.S. championships, five world championships, and two Olympic medals.

Michelle is known for being expressive and also for her consistency on the ice.

Michelle became interested in figure skating when she was five years old. Both Michelle, and her sister, Karen, began serious figure skating training when Michelle was eight.  Karen and Michelle both trained under Frank Carroll. At age eleven, Michelle placed ninth at the Junior U.S. Nationals. In 1993, she placed sixth at her first senior U.S. championships. She won the World Junior Championships in 1994.

Michelle placed second at the United States National Championships in 1995. She went on to the 1995 World Championships and landed seven triple jumps. She came in fourth.  In 1996 Michelle won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and the World Championships.

Oksana Baiul (the Ukraine, U.S.S.R):

Oksana Baiul won the gold medal in the women's event in the 1994 Winter Olympics.  Oksana was only sixteen years old when she won Olympic gold. She won the World Figure Skating Championships when she was only fifteen years old.

At age two, Oksana Baiul's parents separated and she never did reconnect with her father. She was raised by her grandparents and mother, but both her grandparents died by the time she was ten. Then, her mother died when she was thirteen.

Oksana then lived with her coach, Stanislav Koretek, and his family. Koretek moved to Canada suddenly, so for awhile, Oksana was alone.  She then moved in with coach Galina Zmievskaya in Odessa. She was trained by Zmievskaya from that point on.

Oksana Baiul began skating professionally shortly after the 1994 Winter Olympics. Barbara Walters named her "One of the 10 Most Fascinating Personalities of 1994." She has performed in "Champions on Ice" and other professional shows. She was also young Clara in "Nutcracker on Ice."

Nancy Kerrigan (United States):

Nancy Kerrigan won the bronze medal in 1992 and the silver medal in 1994 in women's figure skating at the Olympics. She also was the U.S. Ladies Champion in 1993.

Just before the 1994 Olympics, right after a practice session at the United States National Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, Michigan, Nancy Kerrigan was attacked and hit hard with a hard object on her knee. The accident made it impossible for her to compete and Tonya Harding won the Championship Ladies event.

Shortly after that, it was alleged that Tonya Harding might have been part of the conspiracy to hurt Nancy. Tonya was banned from U.S. Figure Skating for life.

After the Olympics, Nancy continued skating as a performer with the Ice Capades, Champions on Ice, and "Skating With Celebrities." She has also performed in other exhibitions and shows. She has done some commenting for the press at ice skating competitions.

The Nancy Kerrigan Foundation, established in honour of Nancy's legally blind mother, helps support the vision impaired.

Kristi Yamaguchi (United States):

Kristi Yamaguchi won the 1992 Olympics. She was the first American woman to win the Olympics in figure skating since 1976.

Kristi is a fourth generation Japanese American.

Kristi began skating as a little girl. She was born with clubfeet, a birth defect. Skating was prescribed as physical therapy for this condition. She was inspired to take up ice skating after seeing Olympic Champion Dorothy Hamill on television.

Kristi competed in pairs skating with partner Rudy Galindo. In 1989, she became the first woman, in thirty-five years, to win two medals, one in singles and one in pairs, at the U.S. nationals.

Kristi Yamaguchi's singles coach was Christy Kjarsgaard-Ness. Her choreographer was Sandra Bezic. For pairs skating, her coaches were Jim Hulick and John A.W. Nicks. She trained in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada at the end of her amateur skating career.

After Kristi Yamaguchi's Olympic triumph in 1992, she was very successful as a professional skater. For many years she starred in "Stars on Ice." She also won many professional competitions.

Kristi Yamaguchi was inducted into both the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame and the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1998.

Kristi founded the "Always Dream" Foundation in 1996. The mission of the foundation is to encourage and support the hopes and dreams of children.

These, then, are the abbreviated biographies of 6 of the world’s most famous and outstanding Olympic and/or world champions in women’s figure skating.  No doubt, it should be obvious to anyone who reads this that these women’s lives and careers each have their own unique features and each woman has made significant contributions to the sport of figure skating.

copyright 2014, Anne Shier.  All rights reserved.