One of the most beautiful and challenging sports is figure skating. The Olympics is an especially difficult and exciting test for an athlete. Many people like to watch skaters perform at the Olympic Games. But few think that behind this wonderful bewitching spectacle is the hard and everyday work of athletes. How much pain, sweat, setbacks and tears have to endure! And how hard the treasured gold is given. It is especially difficult for fragile girls performing in single skating.
A bit of history
How spectacular figure skating looks ! Women - Olympic champions in this sport - are known all over the world. But not everyone knows that solo skating was born only in 1906. It was then that they began to hold solo competitions of men and women. And in 1908, women's single skating was included in the program of the Olympics.
The first Olympic figure skating champions
The first Olympic champion in women's single skating in 1908 was the Englishwoman Madge Sayers. This is truly an outstanding athlete. She began her performances back in 1901, when women's singles were not allowed at all, so she participated in men's. Moreover, she became twice the world champion - in 1906 and 1907. Two years in a row, which not every athlete can do.
Further, in the period after the First World War, the most prominent athlete was Norwegian Sonia Heni, who won all competitions and Olympics from 1927 to 1936. She was the first woman who managed to master a single axel. These outstanding women are the first Olympic figure skating champions.
The post-war period in figure skating
During the Second World War, athletes from Europe did not have the opportunity to train. Only skaters from the USA and Canada continued their studies. It is not surprising that the next champion in figure skating was just a citizen of Canada. At the games in 1948, Barbara Ann Scott receives Olympic gold. One of her achievements was the first double lutz in women's single skating, performed by her in 1942.
The 1952 Olympic gold is earned by Genette Alvegg of Great Britain. She was the world champion in 1951. At that time, artistry was less valued, and Genette's performances were always distinguished by a clear, perfect execution of jumps and other necessary elements. This distinguished her from the main competitors. It is noteworthy that the gold of the Olympics again fell into the hands of the Englishwoman.
American stage in female figure skating
At this stage, gold and silver medals from their hands do not let the American. At the 1956 Olympics, the winner is Tenley Albright. The next Olympic champion in figure skating in 1960 is her compatriot Carol Hayss, who before that was the silver medalist of the competition.
The Americans have established their special recognizable skiing style, which was distinguished by its flexibility, plasticity, clarity of movements, spectacular choreography, as well as high-quality and technical performance of the required elements. The next generation of American skaters continued to show this style. In 1968, Peggy Fleming became the Olympic champion, and in 1976, Dorothy Hamill received the gold.
An athlete from Austria also contributed to figure skating. She was an outstanding Beatrice Shuba, who performed the mandatory figures with the highest quality and was the only one who received a rating higher than 5 points for the technique. This brought her the coveted 1972 Olympic gold.
The triumph of the German skaters
Olympic figure skating champions from Germany have also made a significant contribution to the history of this sport. In the 80s, athletes from the GDR declared themselves. They were strong skaters who brought innovative and powerful sports style to skating. At the same time, the artistic abilities of these girls were at a fairly high level.
At the 1980 Olympics, gold goes to Anette Petch. And after her two Olympics, her compatriot Katarina Witt leads in 1984 and 1988. This athlete was distinguished by an ideal performance of technical elements and harmoniously built programs.
A new stage in women's figure skating
Gold of the Olympic Games returns to the Americans in 1992. It was brought to the country by Kristi Yamaguchi. She is known for having won the US Championship twice: in singles and in pairs figure skating.
The 1994 Olympic champion becomes a citizen of Ukraine Oksana Bayul. This skater amazed the spectators and judges with an excellent technique of performing elements and a very emotional performance.
And again, American women are at their best. The 1998 Games bring gold to Tara Lipinski, who became the youngest Olympic champion in individual disciplines. Sarah Hughes wins in 2002, thanks to a record number of complex elements and jumps in a free program.
In Turin, the American school of figure skating falls on an honorable second place. Silver gets American Sasha Cohen. And the first place is awarded to Japanese Shizuka Arakawa. This is the first Japanese female skater to become an Olympic champion.
The next outstanding skater is a girl from South Korea. Kim Yong-ah received all the top titles, which before this was not possible for any skater. She received gold at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, won the championship of four continents, became the world champion and the leader of the Grand Prix finals.
Olympics in Sochi
An important stage in the history of figure skating is the Sochi Olympics. Figure skating is gaining a valuable innovation. For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, a team classification is held. Gold in it is received by skaters from Russia. The young figure skater Yulia Lipnitskaya, who becomes the youngest Olympic champion, takes part in this classification. But in the individual standings, Yulia was not lucky, and she becomes only the fifth.
Gold still goes to Russia. In the individual standings, the winner is Adeline Sotnikova, another young Russian woman who impressed everyone with her performance, amazing in technique, artistry and emotions. Olympic figure skating champions such as Adeline and Julia receive the first gold medals for Russia in women's singles. Adeline Sotnikova becomes the first individual winner of the Games from Russia.