Dudley Richards

Shaw Dudley " Dud " Richards ( born February 4, 1932 in Providence, Rhode Iceland, † February 15, 1961 in Mountain Kampenhout, Belgium) was an American figure skater, who started in a single run and pair skating.

Dudley Richards was the second child of Byron and Ruth Richards. He grew up in Pawtucket, Rhode Iceland, with his brother Ross and his sister Susan on. At age nine, he began skating at Providence Figure Skating Club. Later he joined the Skating Club of Boston, and thus to the famous Montgomery Wilson. 1946, after he had just become U.S. champion in the novice, he broke his neck while diving. He survived and was able to skate again after a half year break. In 1951, he was U.S. champion in the juniors.

Richards graduated in 1954 at Harvard University, where he was room -mate of his childhood friend, the later years of Senator Ted Kennedy. He then did his military service, during which he, inter alia, participated in the Casa Carioca Eisschau in Garmisch -Partenkirchen. Richards was a good sailor and tennis player.

In a single run Richards participated in three World Cups. 1951 and 1952 he finished fifth and sixth in 1953, but he was, however, always only the fourth best American, because in the period after the Second World War until 1960, the Americans dominated the figure skating men's competition. Following the resignation of Richard Button and James Grogan, he managed at the U.S. Championships in 1953 for the only time on the podium. He won the bronze medal behind Hayes Alan Jenkins and Ronald Robertson.

In pair skating, he tried it first with the later Olympic champion and world champion Tenley Albright, then with Anita Andres and finally with Maribel Owen, the daughter of Maribel Vinson, which the two trained. With Owen he stood from 1958 to 1961 on the national podium. In 1960, she occupied at the World Championships and at the Olympic Games in Squaw Valley each tenth. 1961 were U.S. champion and awoke great expectations for the future.

As reigning U.S. champion they were on board the Sabena flight 548, which was to take them to the World Championships in Prague. Richards was appointed as the oldest participant for the first official team captain. The night flight should stop over in Brussels. There, however, the pilot had to take break and new start-up, to try it on a different runway landing approach. Here, the plane crashed on farmland in mountain Kampenhout. All 72 passengers, the crew and a farmer on the ground were killed, including the entire 18- member U.S. team and their 16 relatives. The World Cup in Prague was canceled.

Richards and Owen wanted to announce their engagement after the World Cup.

Results

Single run

Pair of running

( with Maribel Owen )

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