Barbara-Ann Scott
Encyclopedia
Barbara Ann Scott King, OC
, O.Ont
(born May 9, 1928 in Ottawa
, Ontario
, Canada
) is a Canadian figure skater. She is the 1948 Olympic Champion
in Ladies Singles and two-time World Champion
(1947–1948).
of Ottawa
, Ontario
, Canada
. She was only eleven years old when she won her first Canadian national
junior title. Two years later, in 1942, the thirteen-year-old became the first female to ever land a double lutz
in competition.
From 1945 to 1948, she won the North American Figure Skating Championships
. In 1948 she became the first North American to win the European and World Figure Skating Championships, making her a Canadian national heroine. Subsequent to her victory, her hometown of Ottawa
gave her a new convertible automobile, but she had to turn down the gift in order to retain her amateur status so as to be able to compete in the 1948 Winter Olympics
in St. Moritz
, Switzerland
. In the Winter Games she became the first Canadian to win the figure skating gold medal.
She was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy
as Canada's Top Athlete of the Year in 1945, 1947 and 1948. She was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1948, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
in 1955, the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 1966 and the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1991.
Scott turned professional, skating with the Hollywood Ice Revue in Chicago
where she met publicist Tom King, whom she married in 1955. As a professional she toured outside Canada. Amongst her early successes was the huge hit, Tom Arnold's Rose Marie on Ice at the Harringay Arena
in London
, UK.
She then later retired in 1955 after being married. She then settled in Chicago where she trained and showed horses.
Scott carried the Olympic torch during the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Scott was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
in 1991, a member of the Order of Ontario in 2009, and in 1998 was named to Canada's Walk of Fame
. In December 2009 she carried the Olympic torch to Parliament Hill in Ottawa, in anticipation of the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver
. On February 12, 2010, she was one of the bearers of the Olympic flag at the opening ceremonies. of the XXI Winter Olympic Games
in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, O.Ont
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
(born May 9, 1928 in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
) is a Canadian figure skater. She is the 1948 Olympic Champion
Figure skating at the 1948 Winter Olympics
At the 1948 Winter Olympics, three figure skating events were contested: men's singles, ladies singles, and pair skating.-Event summary:Barbara Ann Scott became the first Canadian to win the figure skating gold medal while Dick Button became the first American to win a figure skating title for the...
in Ladies Singles and two-time World Champion
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...
(1947–1948).
Biography
Scott began skating at a very young age with the Minto Skating ClubMinto Skating Club
The Minto Skating Club is a competitive figure skating club in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, founded in 1904. The Club is a member of the Skate Canada figure skating organization in Canada, and was a founder of the predecessor organization to Skate Canada, the "Figure Skating Department" of the Amateur...
of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She was only eleven years old when she won her first Canadian national
Canadian Figure Skating Championships
The Canadian Figure Skating Championships is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of Canada. It is organized by Skate Canada, the nation's figure skating governing body. The levels of the competition are senior and junior; in some years, the novice level has...
junior title. Two years later, in 1942, the thirteen-year-old became the first female to ever land a double lutz
Lutz jump
The Lutz is a figure skating jump, named after Alois Lutz, an Austrian skater who performed it in 1913. It is a toepick-assisted jump with an entrance from a back outside edge and landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot.- Lutz technique:...
in competition.
From 1945 to 1948, she won the North American Figure Skating Championships
North American Figure Skating Championships
The North American Figure Skating Championships were a former elite figure skating competition for skaters from the United States and Canada. It was a biennial competition held between 1923 and 1971, with locations alternating between the two countries.Although the event was classified as an...
. In 1948 she became the first North American to win the European and World Figure Skating Championships, making her a Canadian national heroine. Subsequent to her victory, her hometown of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
gave her a new convertible automobile, but she had to turn down the gift in order to retain her amateur status so as to be able to compete in the 1948 Winter Olympics
1948 Winter Olympics
The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936...
in St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In the Winter Games she became the first Canadian to win the figure skating gold medal.
She was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy
Lou Marsh Trophy
The Lou Marsh Trophy, also known as the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy and Lou Marsh Award, is a trophy that is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, with the vote taking place in December. It was first awarded in 1936...
as Canada's Top Athlete of the Year in 1945, 1947 and 1948. She was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1948, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
in 1955, the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 1966 and the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1991.
Scott turned professional, skating with the Hollywood Ice Revue in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
where she met publicist Tom King, whom she married in 1955. As a professional she toured outside Canada. Amongst her early successes was the huge hit, Tom Arnold's Rose Marie on Ice at the Harringay Arena
Harringay Arena
Harringay Arena was a sporting and events venue on Green Lanes in Harringay, North London, England. Built in 1936, it lasted as a venue until 1958.-Construction:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK.
She then later retired in 1955 after being married. She then settled in Chicago where she trained and showed horses.
Scott carried the Olympic torch during the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Scott was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1991, a member of the Order of Ontario in 2009, and in 1998 was named to Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
. In December 2009 she carried the Olympic torch to Parliament Hill in Ottawa, in anticipation of the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. On February 12, 2010, she was one of the bearers of the Olympic flag at the opening ceremonies. of the XXI Winter Olympic Games
2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics was held on February 12, 2010 beginning at 6:00 pm PST at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This was the first Olympic opening ceremony to be held indoors...
in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Results
| Event | 1941 | 1942 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics 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... |
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... |
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 | 1st | |||||
| North American Championships North American Figure Skating Championships The North American Figure Skating Championships were a former elite figure skating competition for skaters from the United States and Canada. It was a biennial competition held between 1923 and 1971, with locations alternating between the two countries.Although the event was classified as an... |
1st | 1st | |||||
| Canadian Championships Canadian Figure Skating Championships The Canadian Figure Skating Championships is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of Canada. It is organized by Skate Canada, the nation's figure skating governing body. The levels of the competition are senior and junior; in some years, the novice level has... |
2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |