Figure skating at the 1924 Winter Olympics

Figure skating was already at the Summer Olympic Games in London in 1908 and the Summer Olympics in Antwerp in 1920 within the framework of so-called winter sports weeks on the program of the Olympic Games. I. The Olympic Winter Games in 1924 in Chamonix competitions were held in a single run of the men and women and pair skating. Venue was the Stade Olympique ( Olympic Stadium ) in the center of Chamonix. Was run on two natural ice surfaces of 50 x 60 m in diameter in the curve areas of 400 m speed skating track. Since the ice hockey tournament at the same time took place as the figure skating competitions, the audience was also because of the hockey games at the stadium.

Medalist

Gentlemen

Competition: January 29, 1924 at 9:30 clock (mandatory ) and January 30, 1924 at 15:00 clock ( Freestyle)

At the start were 11 skaters from 9 countries

Attendance: 555

The competition consisted of a duty - it had to be shown six figures - and from a five-minute freestyle. The world champion of 1923, Fritz Kachler from Austria, and the Hungarian champions Andor Szende missing here, so that in the battle for gold only Gillis Grafström and Willy Böckl came into question in advance. In earlier meeting between the Swede was always the winner of the ice surface. Grafström was an excellent runner of compulsory figures and was considered extremely elegant dancer with enormous music feeling. He ran the best duty was in the freestyle runner-up and successfully defended his title in 1920. Although the Wiener Willy Böckl ran the best freestyle of all participants, but the points are not submitted for the Olympic title. Curiously, there were four of the six judges that Gillis Grafström, despite a fall, was better than Böckl and put the Swedes to square one.

John Page, Nathaniel Niles, Melville Rogers and Pierre Brunet were in pair skating at the start. For Gillis Grafström and Nathaniel Niles, it was the second Olympic figure skating competitions after 1920.

Ladies

Competition: January 28, 1924 at 9:00 clock (mandatory ) and January 29, 1924 at 13:30 clock ( Freestyle)

At the start were eight skaters from 6 countries

Attendance: 720

The competition consisted of a duty ( six figures ) and a four-minute freestyle. Among the judges were Walter Jakobsson (Finland) and Georges Wagemans (Belgium ), who were both as athletes in pair skating at the start. With defending champion Magda Julin and Svea Norén (both Sweden) were missing two big favorites, so that Herma Szabo - World Champion of 1922 and 1923 - almost effortless for Best in compulsory and optional ran to Olympic victory. She belonged to Willy Böckl the Vienna Ice Skating Club and won the first Olympic gold medal for Austria in winter sports competitions. Like a phoenix from the ashes, however, came to the New Yorker Beatrix Loughran and won a complete surprise silver. Loughran had traveled as U.S. Vice Champion to Chamonix. Actually, her compatriot Theresa Weld was rather have expected a medal. However, this missed bronze extremely tight with only one point in more to the British Ethel Muckelt.

Eighth of the competition was Sonja Henie from Norway who was the youngest participant at these Winter Games, with its 11 years and 295 days. At the beginning of their freestyle she fell, said awkwardly just " Oops! " And started again. Since then, the press calls them lovingly Miss Oops. Sonja Henie was later 1928-1936 three times Olympic champion. Ethel Muckelt, Theresa Weld, Andrée Joly and Cecil Smith were also in pair skating at the start. For Muckelt and Weld it was the second Olympic Games after 1920.

Couples

Competition: January 31, 1924 at 15:00 clock ( Freestyle)

At the start, 9 pairs were (18 skaters ) from 7 countries

Attendance: 347

The competition consisted of a five minute freestyle. The couple were accompanied here by a brass band. It was almost the whole world's top pair of runners at the start. Only the Norwegians Alexia and Yngvar Bryn missing. The pair of running became one of the most exciting decisions. At the top it came to a duel between Ludowika and Walter Jakobsson - World Champion 1923 - from Helsinki and Helene Engelmann and Alfred Berger - World Champion 1922 - from Vienna. Classical met popular. Here, the Finnish title holder of 1920 proved to be a bad loser. They accused the winning couple Engelmann / Berger to have beguiled the judges with not the classic skating belonging acrobatics. Born from Potsdam Ludowika Jakobsson was the only German athlete in Chamonix and also with 39 years and 188 days, also the oldest medalist Olympic Winter Games. Her husband Walter Jakobsson was already 41 years and 358 days old.

Embarrassing mistake: After several minutes of standing ovations the press imagined the Canadian pair Cecil Smith and Melville Rogers as the winner and the French journalist cabled this " sensation" somewhat prematurely to their newspapers. In fact, they were only seventh. Out of the nine pairs were five for the second time at the Olympics.

1924 Summer Olympics France Pierre Brunet (figure skater) Sweden at the 1924 Winter Olympics Switzerland at the 1924 Winter Olympics Czechoslovakia at the 1924 Winter Olympics Josef Slíva United States at the 1924 Winter Olympics France at the 1924 Winter Olympics Figure skating at the 1920 Summer Olympics Cecil Smith (figure skater) Kathleen Shaw Alexia Bryn 1924 Winter Olympics medal table Curling at the 1924 Winter Olympics Nordic skiing at the 1924 Winter Olympics Figure skating at the Olympic Games Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympics Figure skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics Figure skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics List of Olympic medalists in figure skating
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