Dorothy Hamill
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Stuart Hamill is an American
figure skater
. She is the 1976 Olympic champion in Ladies' Singles and 1976 World Champion
.
, where Hamill subsequently spent the rest of her childhood. She has a brother and a sister.
Hamill first started skating in early 1965 at the age of 8, taking once-a-week group lessons in a pair of $6.95 skates. She became more serious about the sport the next season, taking regular private lessons and passing her preliminary and first figure test before the seasonal rink closed in March. She was first trained by Otto Gold and Gustave Lussi
. Ice time was limited in her area, so she eventually began training at Sky Rink in New York City
, staying overnight in the city with friends when possible. In the summers she trained in Lake Placid, New York
and later in Toronto
with her coach of the time, Sonya Dunfield
.
Until the spring of 1970, Hamill attended public schools in Riverside, but at that point she switched to a small school with flexible tutoring to accommodate her skating schedule. She attended and graduated from Colorado Academy
through high school.
at the age of 12. Later that spring, Hamill was invited to perform in Madison Square Garden
with the exhibition tour (in later years known as Champions on Ice
) that followed the 1969 World Figure Skating Championships
. She placed second at the junior level at the 1970 Championships, and made her senior debut in 1971. The U.S. Figure Skating Association arranged for her to be coached by Carlo Fassi
when she began to compete internationally.
Hamill was U.S. champion
from 1974 through 1976. At the 1974 World Championships in Munich, Germany, she was in 3rd place after the compulsory figures
and the short program. She was set to skate directly after the German skater Gerti Schanderl, whose marks were mercilessly booed while Hamill was already on the ice. Visibly upset, she left the ice and burst into tears. After the crowd settled down, she returned to the ice and skated a perfect and inspiring program; almost winning the gold medal, capturing silver behind Christine Errath
of East Germany.
Hamill won silver again at the World Championships in 1975 at Colorado Springs, Colorado
behind Dianne de Leeuw
of the Netherlands and ahead of Errath. In 1976, Hamill switched boots to skate the compulsory figures better (she had been wearing special boots created by Carlo Fassi
that did not seem to be helping her).
Hamill was disappointed by her performance at the 1976 U.S. Championships, admitting that she was outskated by Linda Fratianne
because she had not trained properly. Immediately after the national championships, her coach Carlo Fassi
then left the U.S. to accompany his other star pupil, John Curry
, to the European Figure Skating Championships
, leaving Hamill coachless with the Olympics only a few weeks away. She began training with Peter Burrows instead, an arrangement that worked out so well that she wanted to bring him to the Olympics as her coach of record. But again the USFSA intervened and she was reunited with Fassi for a brief period of training in Germany before the Olympics.
At the 1976 Olympics, Hamill came in second in the figures and then won the short and long programs, taking the gold medal. Before Dorothy Hamill took to the ice for her freestyle routine at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, she started crying after seeing a sign in the stands that said, "Which of the West? Dorothy!" At first, she thought detractors made the sign and took it as a message that she was a witch. In the Cold War era, what the sign-makers were cleverly asking is which Western skater – Hamill or Diane de Leeuw of the Netherlands – was going to defeat East Germany's Christine Errath for the gold medal. Then they answered by saying Dorothy. Once Hamill realized the sign was held by her friends, who wanted to shake her out of her usual pre-competition jitters, the three-time U.S. champion felt better. A relaxed Hamill, skating to music from Errol Flynn movies, won the gold medal by a unanimous decision of the nine judges.
The crowd showered her with so many flowers that three girls helped her gather them on the ice. Lord Killanin
, president of the International Olympic Committee, put the gold medal around her neck. Though she won't identify the alleged assailant, Hamill said that a competing skater and the skater's coach tried to run her down with a car during the 1976 Olympics. She also won the world championships that year and then turned professional.
She is credited with developing a new skating move; a camel spin
that turns into a sit spin
, which became known as the "Hamill camel." The bobbed hairstyle that she wore during her Olympic performance started a fad. A Dorothy Hamill doll was made in 1977. She quickly became "America's Sweetheart."
Hamill was an Ice Capades
headliner from 1977–1984. She was asked to join Ice Capades by an aging Donna Atwood, who had been its star for years and who had eventually acquired financial control of the Ice Capades, to be Atwood's successor as its new star. After the Ice Capades eventually folded due to competition and changing national tastes in entertainment (notably favoring the professional sports of football and basketball), Hamill bought the financially strapped company's assets in 1993 in an effort to revive earlier successes, but wound up selling it to Pat Robertson
's International Family Entertainment, Inc. in 1995.
In 1993, the Associated Press
released results of a national sports study. Hamill was statistically tied for first place with fellow Olympian
, Mary Lou Retton
as the most popular athlete in America ranking far ahead of other major sports stars such as Michael Jordan
, Magic Johnson
, Troy Aikman
, Dan Marino
, Wayne Gretzky
, Joe Montana
, Nolan Ryan
and 800 other athletes.
(1982–1984), and then to Kenneth Forsythe (1987–1995), with whom she had a daughter named Alexandra. Her second autobiography A Skating Life: My Story, was published in October 2007 by Hyperion Press.
Hamill has continued to skate in shows, including a regular principal role with Broadway on Ice
. She was a special guest in the Brian Boitano
-Barry Manilow
skating extravaganza at AT&T Park in San Francisco on December 5, 2007.
On January 4, 2008, Hamill announced that she was being treated for breast cancer
. Following her battle with cancer, Hamill began encouraging people to eat a plant-based diet to reduce their risks of contracting cancer and other diseases.
Hamill was also friends with pop singer and drummer Karen Carpenter
. When Carpenter died in 1983 due to complications from anorexia nervosa, Hamill attended the funeral on February 8, 1983.
Hamill is a mentor to 2008 World Junior Champion and two-time U.S. Championship silver medalist Rachael Flatt
. Flatt, who competed in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, is a member of the Broadmoor Skating Club
and trains at the World Arena and Ice Hall
in Colorado Springs, Colorado
, the same place where Hamill trained before winning her Olympic gold.
During an interview with Al Michaels of NBC on February 23, 2010, Hamill stated that she had remarried.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 1976 Olympic champion in Ladies' Singles and 1976 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...
.
Early life
Hamill was born in Chicago, Illinois to Chalmers and Carol Hamill. Shortly after her birth, her family moved to the Riverside neighborhood of Greenwich, ConnecticutGreenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
, where Hamill subsequently spent the rest of her childhood. She has a brother and a sister.
Hamill first started skating in early 1965 at the age of 8, taking once-a-week group lessons in a pair of $6.95 skates. She became more serious about the sport the next season, taking regular private lessons and passing her preliminary and first figure test before the seasonal rink closed in March. She was first trained by Otto Gold and Gustave Lussi
Gustave Lussi
Gustave François Lussi was a figure skating coach. His students include many champions, such as Dick Button, Donald Jackson, Ronald Robertson, Ronald Ludington, Barbara Ann Scott, David Jenkins, Hayes Jenkins, Dorothy Hamill , John Misha Petkevich, and John Curry.-Biography:Lussi was born in...
. Ice time was limited in her area, so she eventually began training at Sky Rink in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, staying overnight in the city with friends when possible. In the summers she trained in Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
and later in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
with her coach of the time, Sonya Dunfield
Sonya Klopfer
Sonya Klopfer Dunfield is an American figure skater. She is the 1951 U.S. national champion. Having won at age 15, she was the youngest U.S. ladies' champion until Tara Lipinski won in 1997 at age 14. Klopfer is a two-time World medalist...
.
Until the spring of 1970, Hamill attended public schools in Riverside, but at that point she switched to a small school with flexible tutoring to accommodate her skating schedule. She attended and graduated from Colorado Academy
Colorado Academy
Colorado Academy is an independent nonsectarian, co-educational, college preparatory day school for students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade...
through high school.
Career
Hamill's first national success came in 1969, when she won the novice ladies' title at the U.S. ChampionshipsUnited 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...
at the age of 12. Later that spring, Hamill was invited to perform in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
with the exhibition tour (in later years known as Champions on Ice
Champions on Ice
Champions on Ice was a touring ice show in the United States. The show featured a large cast of both professional and Olympic-eligible figure skaters along with novelty acts such as skating acrobats. The shows were focused primarily on solo performances by the skaters rather than ensemble work or...
) that followed the 1969 World Figure Skating Championships
1969 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....
. She placed second at the junior level at the 1970 Championships, and made her senior debut in 1971. The U.S. Figure Skating Association arranged for her to be coached by Carlo Fassi
Carlo Fassi
Carlo Fassi was a well-known Italian figure skater and international coach whose students included several World and Olympic champions.-Career:Fassi was born in Milan....
when she began to compete internationally.
Hamill was U.S. 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...
from 1974 through 1976. At the 1974 World Championships in Munich, Germany, she was in 3rd place after the compulsory figures
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...
and the short program. She was set to skate directly after the German skater Gerti Schanderl, whose marks were mercilessly booed while Hamill was already on the ice. Visibly upset, she left the ice and burst into tears. After the crowd settled down, she returned to the ice and skated a perfect and inspiring program; almost winning the gold medal, capturing silver behind Christine Errath
Christine Errath
Christine Errath is a German figure skater who represented East Germany in competition. She is the 1976 Olympic bronze medalist.-Biography:...
of East Germany.
Hamill won silver again at the World Championships in 1975 at Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
behind Dianne de Leeuw
Dianne de Leeuw
Dianne Margaret de Leeuw is a Dutch figure skater. She is the 1975 World champion, the 1976 European champion, and the 1976 Olympic silver medalist.-Career:...
of the Netherlands and ahead of Errath. In 1976, Hamill switched boots to skate the compulsory figures better (she had been wearing special boots created by Carlo Fassi
Carlo Fassi
Carlo Fassi was a well-known Italian figure skater and international coach whose students included several World and Olympic champions.-Career:Fassi was born in Milan....
that did not seem to be helping her).
Hamill was disappointed by her performance at the 1976 U.S. Championships, admitting that she was outskated by Linda Fratianne
Linda Fratianne
Linda Sue Fratianne is a former American Olympic figure skater who won four consecutive U.S. Championships .-Early career:...
because she had not trained properly. Immediately after the national championships, her coach Carlo Fassi
Carlo Fassi
Carlo Fassi was a well-known Italian figure skater and international coach whose students included several World and Olympic champions.-Career:Fassi was born in Milan....
then left the U.S. to accompany his other star pupil, John Curry
John Curry
John Anthony Curry, OBE was a British figure skater. He was the 1976 Olympic and World Champion. He was famous for combining ballet and modern dance influences into his skating.-Early life:...
, to the European Figure Skating 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...
, leaving Hamill coachless with the Olympics only a few weeks away. She began training with Peter Burrows instead, an arrangement that worked out so well that she wanted to bring him to the Olympics as her coach of record. But again the USFSA intervened and she was reunited with Fassi for a brief period of training in Germany before the Olympics.
At the 1976 Olympics, Hamill came in second in the figures and then won the short and long programs, taking the gold medal. Before Dorothy Hamill took to the ice for her freestyle routine at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, she started crying after seeing a sign in the stands that said, "Which of the West? Dorothy!" At first, she thought detractors made the sign and took it as a message that she was a witch. In the Cold War era, what the sign-makers were cleverly asking is which Western skater – Hamill or Diane de Leeuw of the Netherlands – was going to defeat East Germany's Christine Errath for the gold medal. Then they answered by saying Dorothy. Once Hamill realized the sign was held by her friends, who wanted to shake her out of her usual pre-competition jitters, the three-time U.S. champion felt better. A relaxed Hamill, skating to music from Errol Flynn movies, won the gold medal by a unanimous decision of the nine judges.
The crowd showered her with so many flowers that three girls helped her gather them on the ice. Lord Killanin
Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin
Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin, MBE, TD was an Irish journalist, author, sports official, the sixth president of the International Olympic Committee...
, president of the International Olympic Committee, put the gold medal around her neck. Though she won't identify the alleged assailant, Hamill said that a competing skater and the skater's coach tried to run her down with a car during the 1976 Olympics. She also won the world championships that year and then turned professional.
She is credited with developing a new skating move; a camel spin
Figure skating spins
Spins are an element in figure skating where the skater rotates, centered on a single point on the ice, while holding one or more body positions. The skater rotates on the part of the blade just behind the toe pick, with the weight on the ball of the foot...
that turns into a sit spin
Figure skating spins
Spins are an element in figure skating where the skater rotates, centered on a single point on the ice, while holding one or more body positions. The skater rotates on the part of the blade just behind the toe pick, with the weight on the ball of the foot...
, which became known as the "Hamill camel." The bobbed hairstyle that she wore during her Olympic performance started a fad. A Dorothy Hamill doll was made in 1977. She quickly became "America's Sweetheart."
Hamill was an Ice Capades
Ice Capades
The Ice Capades was a traveling entertainment show featuring theatrical performances involving ice skating. Shows often featured former Olympicand National Champion figure skaters who had retired from amateur competition....
headliner from 1977–1984. She was asked to join Ice Capades by an aging Donna Atwood, who had been its star for years and who had eventually acquired financial control of the Ice Capades, to be Atwood's successor as its new star. After the Ice Capades eventually folded due to competition and changing national tastes in entertainment (notably favoring the professional sports of football and basketball), Hamill bought the financially strapped company's assets in 1993 in an effort to revive earlier successes, but wound up selling it to Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
's International Family Entertainment, Inc. in 1995.
In 1993, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
released results of a national sports study. Hamill was statistically tied for first place with fellow Olympian
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, Mary Lou Retton
Mary Lou Retton
Mary Lou Retton is an American gymnast and Olympic gold medalist. She was the first female gymnast from outside Eastern Europe to win the Olympic all-around title, after 14 Eastern Bloc countries boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.-Personal life:Retton was born in Fairmont, West...
as the most popular athlete in America ranking far ahead of other major sports stars such as Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
, Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
, Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
, Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
, Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
and 800 other athletes.
Personal life
Hamill wrote an autobiographical book, On and Off the Ice. She was married and divorced twice: to singer/actor Dean Paul MartinDean Paul Martin
Dean Paul Martin was an American entertainer, noted as a tennis player, a singer and actor, and a military pilot.-Early life and career:...
(1982–1984), and then to Kenneth Forsythe (1987–1995), with whom she had a daughter named Alexandra. Her second autobiography A Skating Life: My Story, was published in October 2007 by Hyperion Press.
Hamill has continued to skate in shows, including a regular principal role with Broadway on Ice
Broadway on Ice
Broadway On Ice is a long-running ice show produced by Willy Bietak Productions. Dating back to the early 1980s, in recent years the show has been presented in theatrical venues in resort areas such as Las Vegas and Branson, Missouri with a rotating cast of skating and musical guest stars, rather...
. She was a special guest in the Brian Boitano
Brian Boitano
Brian Anthony Boitano is an American figure skater from Sunnyvale, California. He is the 1988 Olympic champion, the 1986 and 1988 World Champion, and the 1985-1988 U.S. National Champion. He turned professional following the 1988 season...
-Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
skating extravaganza at AT&T Park in San Francisco on December 5, 2007.
On January 4, 2008, Hamill announced that she was being treated for breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. Following her battle with cancer, Hamill began encouraging people to eat a plant-based diet to reduce their risks of contracting cancer and other diseases.
Hamill was also friends with pop singer and drummer Karen Carpenter
Karen Carpenter
Karen Anne Carpenter was an American singer and drummer. She and her brother, Richard, formed the 1970s duo The Carpenters. She was a drummer of exceptional skill, but she is best remembered for her vocal performances of idealistic romantic ballads of true love...
. When Carpenter died in 1983 due to complications from anorexia nervosa, Hamill attended the funeral on February 8, 1983.
Hamill is a mentor to 2008 World Junior Champion and two-time U.S. Championship silver medalist Rachael Flatt
Rachael Flatt
Rachael Elizabeth Flatt is an American figure skater. She is the 2010 U.S. national champion, 2008, 2009 and 2011 national silver medalist, and 2008 World Junior Champion....
. Flatt, who competed in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, is a member of the Broadmoor Skating Club
Broadmoor Skating Club
The Broadmoor Skating Club is a figure skating club based in Colorado Springs, Colorado that has long been a major training center for the sport of figure skating. Founded in 1939, it was originally known as the Pikes Peak Skating Club, and was based in the Broadmoor World Arena on the grounds of...
and trains at the World Arena and Ice Hall
Broadmoor World Arena
The Broadmoor World Arena was a pioneering skating rink and hockey arena located at the Broadmoor Resort & Spa in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Originally an outdoor riding academy, the building was enclosed and converted to an ice arena which opened in January 1938...
in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, the same place where Hamill trained before winning her Olympic gold.
During an interview with Al Michaels of NBC on February 23, 2010, Hamill stated that she had remarried.
Competition highlights
| Event | 1968–69 | 1969–70 | 1970–71 | 1971–72 | 1972–73 | 1973–74 | 1974–75 | 1975–76 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
7th | 4th | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | |||
| U.S. Championships 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... |
1st N. | 2nd J. | 5th | 4th | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| Nebelhorn Trophy Nebelhorn Trophy The Nebelhorn Trophy is an international senior-level figure skating competition organized by the Deutsche Eislauf-Union and held annually in Oberstdorf, Germany. The competition is named after the Nebelhorn, a nearby mountain.... |
1st | |||||||
| St. Gervais Grand Prix International St. Gervais The Grand Prix International St. Gervais was an annual senior-level international figure skating competition held in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, France. For many years, beginning in 1969, it was paired with a similar competition in Germany, the Nebelhorn Trophy, to form a series called the Coupe des... |
1st | |||||||
| Richmond Trophy Richmond Trophy The Richmond Trophy was an international figure skating competition for ladies held annually from 1949 to 1980 at the Richmond ice rink near London. It was the only invitational international competition held on a regular basis in the post-war years... |
1st |
Amateur
- Olympic Champion (1976)
- World Champion (1976)
- Three-time United States National Champion (1974–1976)
- Invented the Hamill camel, a camel spin followed by a sit spin
Professional
- World Professional ChampionWorld Professional Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe World Professional Figure Skating Championships, often referred to as Landover, was an elite made-for-TV figure skating competition. It was created by Dick Button, a 2-time Olympic gold medalist, through his production company Candid Productions. It usually took place in December...
(1983–1987)
Awards
- Awarded the National Young American AwardYoung American AwardThe Young American Award is an award of the Boy Scouts of America for outstanding college students ages 19 through 25 who have achieved excellence in the fields of art, athletics, business, community service, education, government, humanities, literature, music, religion, and science; and have...
by the Boy Scouts of AmericaBoy Scouts of AmericaThe Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions... - Won Daytime Emmy AwardDaytime Emmy AwardThe Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
– Outstanding Individual Achievement in the Performing Arts – Host/Hostess for Romeo and Juliet on Ice (1983) - Inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame (1991)
- Academy of Achievement Golden Plate AwardAcademy of AchievementThe Academy of Achievement is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization founded in 1961 by photographer Hy Peskin. He established the Academy of Achievement to bring aspiring young people together with accomplished people...
(1996) - Inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of FameWorld Figure Skating Hall of FameThe 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...
(2000) - The Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink in her hometown of Greenwich, Connecticut is named after her
External links
- ESPN Classics – Dorothy Hamill's win in Innsbruck plus trivia