Hans Gerschwiler was a Swiss

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....

 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...

.

Biography

Born in 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....

, Gerschwiler made his international debut at the 1939 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...

, where he placed 5th. Between 1939 and 1947, no international skating competitions were held, due to World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Gerschwiler had been living in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 with his uncle and coach Jacques Gerschwiler

Jacques Gerschwiler

Jacques Gerschwiler was a noted Swiss figure skater and coach. He was later elected to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Among his students were Cecilia Colledge, Jeannette Altwegg, and Sally Stapleford. Born in Arbon, Switzerland, he was the brother of Arnold Gerschwiler and the uncle of...

 when the war broke out. When his uncle was called home to Switzerland, Gerschwiler stayed with Cecilia Colledge

Cecilia Colledge

Magdelena Cecilia Colledge was a British figure skater. She was the 1936 Olympic silver medalist, the 1937 World Champion, the 1938-1939 European Champion, and a six-time British national champion....

's family. He spent the war years working as a factory worker and fire watcher and was able to practice skating only once a week.

Following the War, Gerschwiler emerged as one of the dominant skaters of the time.

Gerschwiler won the 1947 World Figure Skating 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...

 and 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...

. He also won the silver medal at 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...

 and came in second at the 1948 European Championships, both time finishing behind Dick Button

Dick Button

Richard Totten "Dick" Button is an American former figure skater and a well-known long-time skating television analyst. He is a two-time Olympic Champion and five-time World Champion...

. He was coached by his uncle Arnold Gerschwiler

Arnold Gerschwiler

Arnold Gerschwiler OBE was a Swiss/British figure skating coach....

.

Gerschwiler was considered to be a beautiful 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...

 and one of the best school-skaters

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...

 in the world at the time. He turned professional after 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...

.

Until Stéphane Lambiel

Stéphane Lambiel

Stéphane Lambiel is a Swiss figure skater and a choreographer. He is a two-time World Champion, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Champion and a nine-time Swiss national champion...

 won his first world title in 2005, Gerschwiler was the only Swiss man ever to have been World Champion. He and Lambiel are the only Swiss figure skaters ever to have won a Silver medal at the Olympics. The only other Swiss skater to medal at the Olympics was Georges Gautschi

Georges Gautschi

Georges Harold Roger Gautschi was a Swiss figure skater. He won the bronze medal in men's singles at age nineteen at the 1924 Chamonix Olympics. He went on to come in third at the 1926 European Figure Skating Championships and then came in second in 1929...

 who won a Bronze in 1924

1924 Winter Olympics

The 1924 Winter Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was held in 1924 in Chamonix, France...

. Following Lambiel's win in 2005, Gerschwiler sent him a congratulatory message.

Results

Event	1938	1939	1946	1947	1948
Winter Olympic Games 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...					2nd
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	2nd
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		1st	2nd
Swiss Championships Swiss Figure Skating Championships The Swiss Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of Switzerland...	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st