Jeannette Altwegg
Encyclopedia
Jeannette Altwegg CBE (married name: Wirz; born 8 September 1930 in India
) is a British
figure skater
. She is the 1952 Olympic champion
in Ladies' Singles, the 1948 Olympic bronze medalist
, the 1951 World champion
, and the 1951 & 1952 European champion
Altwegg was born in India
and raised in Lancashire
, the daughter of a British mother and Swiss father.
Altwegg was a competitive tennis
player, reaching the junior finals at Wimbledon
in 1947 before giving up the sport to focus on skating.
Her win at the 1952 Winter Olympics
in Oslo was the first individual gold medal won by a British woman in the Winter Olympics. Her achievement as a British female individual Winter Olympics gold medalist was not matched until the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver when Amy Williams
won gold in Skeleton
. She remains the only British woman to have won two individual medals (gold and bronze) at the Winter Olympics.
After her Olympic victory, Altwegg bypassed a lucrative professional career to take a job working with war orphans.
She went to work in Pestalozzi Children's Village in Switzerland and married Marc Wirz, the brother of Swiss skater Susi Wirz
. They had four children and divorced in 1973. Their daughter Christina Wirz was a member of the Swiss 1983 World champion and European bronze medalist curling team.
.
She was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
in 1993.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) is a British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
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...
. She is the 1952 Olympic champion
Figure skating at the 1952 Winter Olympics
At the 1952 Winter Olympics, three figure skating events were contested. Compulsory figures were skated at the outdoor Jordal Amfi rink, while the free skating portions of the competition were held at the huge Bislett Stadion, on a regulation-sized ice surface set inside the speed skating track...
in Ladies' Singles, the 1948 Olympic bronze medalist
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...
, the 1951 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...
, and the 1951 & 1952 European champion
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...
Altwegg was born in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and raised in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, the daughter of a British mother and Swiss father.
Altwegg was a competitive tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player, reaching the junior finals at Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
in 1947 before giving up the sport to focus on skating.
Her win at the 1952 Winter Olympics
1952 Winter Olympics
The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, took place in Oslo, Norway, from 14 to 25 February 1952. Discussions about Oslo hosting the Winter Olympic Games began as early as 1935; the city wanted to host the 1948 Games, but World War II made that impossible...
in Oslo was the first individual gold medal won by a British woman in the Winter Olympics. Her achievement as a British female individual Winter Olympics gold medalist was not matched until 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 when Amy Williams
Amy Williams
Amy Joy Williams MBE is an English skeleton racer and Olympic gold medallist. Originally a runner, she began training in skeleton after trying the sport on a push-start track at the University of Bath...
won gold in Skeleton
Skeleton (sport)
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...
. She remains the only British woman to have won two individual medals (gold and bronze) at the Winter Olympics.
After her Olympic victory, Altwegg bypassed a lucrative professional career to take a job working with war orphans.
She went to work in Pestalozzi Children's Village in Switzerland and married Marc Wirz, the brother of Swiss skater Susi Wirz
Susi Wirz
Suzanne "Susi" Wirz is a Swiss figure skater. She is the 1952 Swiss national champion. She represented Switzerland at the 1952 Winter Olympics where she placed 15th.She was the sister-in-law of British figure skater Jeannette Altwegg....
. They had four children and divorced in 1973. Their daughter Christina Wirz was a member of the Swiss 1983 World champion and European bronze medalist curling team.
Honours
In 1953 she was awarded the CBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.
She was 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 1993.
Results
| Event | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
3rd | 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... |
5th | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | 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... |
4th | 5th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 1st |
| British Championships British Figure Skating Championships The British Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United Kingdom... |
1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |