Andrée Brunet
Encyclopedia
Andrée Brunet
Andrée Brunet (also Andrée Joly, September 16, 1901 in Paris
, France
– March 30, 1993, Boyne City, Michigan
, USA
) was a French
figure skater
and two-time Olympic champion in pair skating
.
in Chamonix
, they performed more skills than any pair previously had. However, the judges thought they performed too many tricks, and they were awarded only the bronze. Other skaters took note though, and the Joly/Brunet style quickly became common in the sport. Joly and Brunet continued to perform skills previously unseen in pair skating. Joly was also among the first female skaters to wear a black dress to match her partner's outfit, rather than the traditional white dress.
Joly and Brunet soon became dominant in pair skating. They were French national champions from 1924 until 1935, and won four World Championships
, competing in alternate years (1926, 1928, 1930, and 1932). They were Olympic champions in 1928
and 1932
. They refused to defend their title at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen
1936 Winter Olympics
, however, in protest of Nazi
Germany
.
Joly and Brunet also competed in individual events—Joly placed 5th and 11th at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics, respectively. She was also the French women's champion from 1921 to 1931.
Pierre and Andrée were married in 1929 (and thereafter competed under the name "Brunet" instead of her maiden name "Joly"). In 1936 they turned professional at toured Europe and Canada. In 1940 they emigrated to the United States
. They became coaches, and trained future Olympic champions Carol Heiss
and Scott Hamilton
. They coached in New York, Illinois, and Michigan until retiring in 1979.
The couple had a son, Jean-Pierre
, who became the U.S. pairs champion
with Donna Jeanne Pospisil in 1945 and 1946.
The Brunets were inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
in 1976.
Pairs (with Pierre Brunet)
Andrée Brunet (also Andrée Joly, September 16, 1901 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
– March 30, 1993, Boyne City, Michigan
Boyne City, Michigan
Boyne City is a city in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,503 at the 2000 census.Boyne City is at the southeast end of the east arm of Lake Charlevoix, where the Boyne River enters the lake...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
figure skater
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
and two-time Olympic champion in pair skating
Pair skating
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline. International Skating Union regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man." The sport is distinguished from ice dancing and single skating by elements unique to pair skating, including overhead lifts, twist lifts, death spirals,...
.
Biography
Brunet and her partner Pierre Brunet are considered groundbreakers in early pair skating. They are credited with creating mirror skating, and new jumps, lifts, and spins. At their first Olympic games, the 1924 Games1924 Winter Olympics
The 1924 Winter Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was held in 1924 in Chamonix, France...
in Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
, they performed more skills than any pair previously had. However, the judges thought they performed too many tricks, and they were awarded only the bronze. Other skaters took note though, and the Joly/Brunet style quickly became common in the sport. Joly and Brunet continued to perform skills previously unseen in pair skating. Joly was also among the first female skaters to wear a black dress to match her partner's outfit, rather than the traditional white dress.
Joly and Brunet soon became dominant in pair skating. They were French national champions from 1924 until 1935, and won four World Championships
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
, competing in alternate years (1926, 1928, 1930, and 1932). They were Olympic champions in 1928
Figure skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics
At the 1928 Winter Olympics, three figure skating events were contested. The competitions were held from Tuesday, February 14, 1928 to Sunday, February 19, 1928....
and 1932
Figure skating at the 1932 Winter Olympics
At the 1932 Winter Olympics, three figure skating events were contested. The competitions were held from Monday, February 8, 1932 to Friday, February 12, 1932...
. They refused to defend their title at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
1936 Winter Olympics
1936 Winter Olympics
The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Germany also hosted the Summer Olympics the same year in Berlin...
, however, in protest of Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Joly and Brunet also competed in individual events—Joly placed 5th and 11th at the 1924 and 1928 Olympics, respectively. She was also the French women's champion from 1921 to 1931.
Pierre and Andrée were married in 1929 (and thereafter competed under the name "Brunet" instead of her maiden name "Joly"). In 1936 they turned professional at toured Europe and Canada. In 1940 they emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They became coaches, and trained future Olympic champions Carol Heiss
Carol Heiss
Carol Elizabeth Heiss Jenkins is an American figure skater. She is the 1960 Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, 1956 Olympic silver medalist and five-time World Champion .-Biography:...
and Scott Hamilton
Scott Hamilton (figure skater)
Scott Scovell Hamilton is an American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist. He won four consecutive U.S. championships , four consecutive World Championships and a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics....
. They coached in New York, Illinois, and Michigan until retiring in 1979.
The couple had a son, Jean-Pierre
Jean Pierre Brunet
Jean-Pierre Brunet was a French-American figure skater. Born in France, he was the son of Olympic champion pair skaters Pierre Brunet and Andrée Joly Brunet. Jean-Pierre also competed in pairs with Donna J. Pospisil, and the pair won the title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships twice...
, who became the U.S. pairs champion
United States Figure Skating Championships
The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters...
with Donna Jeanne Pospisil in 1945 and 1946.
The Brunets were inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame serves as a repository for the sport of figure skating. The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame is where the greatest names in the history of the sport are honored...
in 1976.
Results
Ladies singles| Event | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating... |
5th | 11th | ||||||||
| French Championships French Figure Skating Championships The French Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of France. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. Skaters compete at the senior level... |
1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
Pairs (with Pierre Brunet)
| Event | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating... |
3rd | 1st | 1st | |||||||||
| World Championships World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion... |
2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | |||||||
| European Championships European Figure Skating Championships The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion... |
1st | |||||||||||
| French Championships French Figure Skating Championships The French Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of France. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. Skaters compete at the senior level... |
1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |