Beatrix Schuba
Encyclopedia
Trixi Schuba is an Austrian
figure skater
and is a six-time Austrian champion
(1967–1972), a two-time European champion
(1971
and 1972
), a two-time World champion
(1971
and 1972
), and Olympic champion of 1972
, all in ladies' singles.
She is considered to be one of the best compulsory figure
skaters ever.
, Schuba's passion for figure skating began as a young child in 1955 when she happened to see an American competition on the television bought by her parents to watch performances of the Vienna State Opera
and the Burgtheater
. Her coach from 1955 to 1962 was Helmut Seibt
and then was Leopold Linhart. After her father died when she was thirteen, Schuba went to trade school and eventually took over the bookkeeping of her family's lumber business in Vienna; mornings were given to skating and afternoons to work.
Her first major success was winning the ladies' singles portion of the Austrian Championships
at the age of sixteen in 1967; she would go on to defend her title five straight times. Schuba steadily improved throughout the end of the 1960s and the early 1970s, placing in the top five several times and eventually taking first twice each at the European Championships and the World Championships in 1971 and 1972.
in 1924 to win gold and is the most recent.
Schuba, the dominant compulsory figures skater, placed first in the figures and Janet Lynn
of the United States
, the top free skater
placed first after the free skate; however, due to the scoring system used at the time, Schuba won the gold and Lynn the bronze behind silver medalist Karen Magnussen
of Canada
.
The International Skating Union
, the governing body of the sport, would over the ensuing years decrease the weight given the figures portion before finally eliminating it in 1990.
for 1972.
Retiring from amateur skating, Schuba appeared over the succeeding six years in the professional shows Ice Follies
and Holiday on Ice
, after which she began a career in the insurance industry which she continues to the present.
In addition to her career in insurance, Schuba is involved in various sports organizations in Austria. She is a former president of the Austrian Ice Skating Association, the first woman to hold that position, and she sat on the board of the Austrian Olympic Committee from 2004 to 2009. Schuba has served as president of the International Panathlon Club Wien since 2007, on the board of the Austrian Paralympic Committee
since 2009, and as vice president of the Graz Skating Association since 2010.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
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 is a six-time Austrian champion
Austrian Figure Skating Championships
The Austrian Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of Austria. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing....
(1967–1972), a two-time 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...
(1971
1971 European Figure Skating Championships
The 1971 European Figure Skating Championships were the European Figure Skating Championships of the 1970-1971 season. Elite senior-level figure skaters from European ISU Member Nations competed for the title of European Champion...
and 1972
1972 European Figure Skating Championships
The 1972 European Figure Skating Championships were the European Figure Skating Championships of the 1971-1972 season. Elite senior-level figure skaters from European ISU Member Nations competed for the title of European Champion...
), a 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...
(1971
1971 World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion....
and 1972
1972 World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion....
), and Olympic champion of 1972
Figure skating at the 1972 Winter Olympics
Figure skating was contested at the 1972 Winter Olympic Games . The competition took place at the Makomanai Indoor Skating Rink.Results of both the men's and ladies' singles events were dominated by placements in the compulsory figures, which at this time were nominally worth 50% of the total...
, all in ladies' singles.
She is considered to be one of the best compulsory figure
Compulsory figures
Compulsory figures or school figures were formerly an aspect of the sport of figure skating, from which the sport derives its name. Carving specific patterns or figures into the ice was the original focus of the sport. The patterns of compulsory figures all derive from the basic figure eight...
skaters ever.
Biography
Born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Schuba's passion for figure skating began as a young child in 1955 when she happened to see an American competition on the television bought by her parents to watch performances of the Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
and the Burgtheater
Burgtheater
The Burgtheater , originally known as K.K. Theater an der Burg, then until 1918 as the K.K. Hofburgtheater, is the Austrian National Theatre in Vienna and one of the most important German language theatres in the world.The Burgtheater was created in 1741 and has become known as "die Burg" by the...
. Her coach from 1955 to 1962 was Helmut Seibt
Helmut Seibt
Helmut Seibt was an Austrian figure skater. He won the silver medal at the 1952 Winter Olympics. He was the 1951–1952 European Champion. He placed 9th at the 1948 Winter Olympics and won a bronze medal at the 1951 World Figure Skating Championships...
and then was Leopold Linhart. After her father died when she was thirteen, Schuba went to trade school and eventually took over the bookkeeping of her family's lumber business in Vienna; mornings were given to skating and afternoons to work.
Her first major success was winning the ladies' singles portion of the Austrian Championships
Austrian Figure Skating Championships
The Austrian Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of Austria. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing....
at the age of sixteen in 1967; she would go on to defend her title five straight times. Schuba steadily improved throughout the end of the 1960s and the early 1970s, placing in the top five several times and eventually taking first twice each at the European Championships and the World Championships in 1971 and 1972.
Olympics
Schuba's greatest success came in 1972 at the Winter Olympics at Sapporo when she won the gold medal. She is the first Austrian lady since Herma SzaboHerma Szabo
Herma Szabo was an Austrian singles and pairs figure skater. She is the 1924 Olympic champion in ladies' singles and a seven-time World Champion, including five titles in singles and two titles in pairs partnered with Ludwig Wrede.-Personal life:Szabo was born in Vienna, where she came from a...
in 1924 to win gold and is the most recent.
Schuba, the dominant compulsory figures skater, placed first in the figures and Janet Lynn
Janet Lynn
Janet Lynn Nowicki is an American figure skater and Olympic bronze medalist.-Amateur career:Lynn began to skate almost as soon as she could walk and took part in her first exhibition performance at the age of four in a group number at Chicago Stadium...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the top free skater
Free skating
The free skating competition of figure skating, sometimes called the "free skate" or "long program", is usually the second of two phases in major figure skating competitions in single skating and pair skating. It is the longer of the two programs, the other one being the Short Program...
placed first after the free skate; however, due to the scoring system used at the time, Schuba won the gold and Lynn the bronze behind silver medalist Karen Magnussen
Karen Magnussen
Karen Diane Magnussen, OC is a Canadian figure skater. She won the silver medal at the 1972 Winter Olympics, and is 1973 World Champion....
of 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...
.
The International Skating Union
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
, the governing body of the sport, would over the ensuing years decrease the weight given the figures portion before finally eliminating it in 1990.
Post-olympic career
After winning gold at Sapporo, Schuba did the same the next month at the World Championships, successfully defending against silver medalist Magnussen and bronze medalist Lynn. At the end of the year, sportswriters named her Athlete of the YearAustrian Sportspersonality of the year
The Austrian Sports Personality of the Year is chosen annually since 1949. Recordholders are Annemarie Moser-Pröll and Hermann Maier . In 1978 and 1979 the Austrian national football team was named Austrian Sports Team of the Year...
for 1972.
Retiring from amateur skating, Schuba appeared over the succeeding six years in the professional shows Ice Follies
Ice Follies
Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies was a touring ice show featuring elaborate production numbers, similar in concept to Ice Capades. It was founded in 1937 by Eddie Shipstad, Roy Shipstad, and Oscar Johnson, who also skated in the show. In later years, Olympic skaters such as Donald Jackson, Barbara...
and Holiday on Ice
Holiday on Ice
Holiday on Ice is an ice show currently produced by Joop van den Ende's Stage Entertainment Group with its headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands...
, after which she began a career in the insurance industry which she continues to the present.
In addition to her career in insurance, Schuba is involved in various sports organizations in Austria. She is a former president of the Austrian Ice Skating Association, the first woman to hold that position, and she sat on the board of the Austrian Olympic Committee from 2004 to 2009. Schuba has served as president of the International Panathlon Club Wien since 2007, on the board of the Austrian Paralympic Committee
Austrian Paralympic Committee
The Austrian Paralympic Committee was founded in 1998 with the objective to enable qualified athletes to compete at the Paralympics...
since 2009, and as vice president of the Graz Skating Association since 2010.
Results
| Event | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
5th | 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... |
9th | 4th | 2nd | 2nd | 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... |
5th | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 1st |
| Austrian Championships Austrian Figure Skating Championships The Austrian Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of Austria. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |