Madge Syers
Encyclopedia
Florence Madeline "Madge" Syers (née Cave, 16 September 1881 – 9 September 1917) was a British
figure skater
. She became the first woman to compete at the World Figure Skating Championships
in 1902 by entering what was previously an all-male event and won the silver medal, which prompted the International Skating Union
(ISU) to create a separate ladies' championship. Syers was the winner of the first two ladies' events in 1906 and 1907, and went on to become the Olympic champion
at the 1908 Summer Olympics
, the first Olympic Games to include figure skating. She also competed as a pairs skater with her husband Edgar Syers
, winning the bronze medal at the 1908 Olympics.
, London, one of 15 children of Edward Jarvis Cave, a builder, and his wife Elizabeth Ann. She was a proficient figure skater, as well as a gifted swimmer and equestrienne. Madge became a regular at the Prince's Skating Club
in Knightsbridge
, which had been formed in 1896 and was popular with aristocratic society in London.
In 1899 Madge met her future husband Edgar Syers
, a figure skater and coach who was 18 years her senior. Edgar was an exponent of the international skating style, which was freer and less rigid than the traditional English style, and encouraged Madge to adopt this style. Madge and Edgar completed together in pairs skating events, and in 1900 finished second in one of the first international pairs events, staged in Berlin
. They married in June of that year. The Syers co-authored The Book of Winter Sports in 1908.
, who was reputedly so impressed with her challenge that he offered her his gold medal. T. D. Richardson later wrote: "Rumour, nay more than rumour – a good deal of expert opinion – thought she should have won."
Syers' entry into the World Championships prompted the ISU to discuss the subject of women competing against men at their next Congress in 1903. The concerns raised were that "(1) the dress prevents the judges from seeing the feet; (2) a judge might judge a girl to whom he was attached; and (3) it is difficult to compare women with men." The Congress voted six to three in favour of barring women from the championships.
, which began as a mixed competition. She won again the following year, beating her husband, who won the silver medal. She also entered the 1904 European Championships
but withdrew due to injury after the first stage of the competition, the compulsory figures
.
The 1905 ISU Congress established a separate ladies' event, which was supported by strong lobbying from the National Ice Skating Association
. The event was known at the time as the Ladies' Championship of the ISU rather than a World Championship, and was staged at a different date and location from the men's event. Syers won the inaugural event held in Davos
, Switzerland in 1906
, finishing first in a field of five competitors. She won her second title in Vienna at the 1907 Championships
.
, the report described her as having "excelled in rhythm and time-keeping, and her dance steps, pirouettes, &c., were skated without a fault." She was again placed first by all five judges and won the title. In the pairs event Syers and Edgar finished third (of three couples) and won the bronze medal.
on 9 September 1917 at her home in Weybridge
, Surrey
, aged 35.
Syers was elected to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
in 1981.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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 became the first woman to compete at the 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...
in 1902 by entering what was previously an all-male event and won the silver medal, which prompted 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...
(ISU) to create a separate ladies' championship. Syers was the winner of the first two ladies' events in 1906 and 1907, and went on to become the Olympic champion
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...
at the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
, the first Olympic Games to include figure skating. She also competed as a pairs skater with her husband Edgar Syers
Edgar Syers
Edgar Morris Wood Syers was a British figure skater who competed in both singles and pair skating. As a singles skater, he won the bronze medal at the 1899 World Championships. At age 45, he competed with wife Madge Syers at the 1908 London Summer Olympics and won the bronze medal there...
, winning the bronze medal at the 1908 Olympics.
Personal life
Florence Madeline Cave was born on 16 September 1881 in KensingtonKensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London, one of 15 children of Edward Jarvis Cave, a builder, and his wife Elizabeth Ann. She was a proficient figure skater, as well as a gifted swimmer and equestrienne. Madge became a regular at the Prince's Skating Club
Prince's Skating Club
Prince's Skating Club was an ice rink in the Knightsbridge area of London, England. It saw a number of firsts for ice hockey in Britain and Europe.The rink was opened on Montpelier Square on 7 November 1896 by the Princes Sporting Club...
in Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, which had been formed in 1896 and was popular with aristocratic society in London.
In 1899 Madge met her future husband Edgar Syers
Edgar Syers
Edgar Morris Wood Syers was a British figure skater who competed in both singles and pair skating. As a singles skater, he won the bronze medal at the 1899 World Championships. At age 45, he competed with wife Madge Syers at the 1908 London Summer Olympics and won the bronze medal there...
, a figure skater and coach who was 18 years her senior. Edgar was an exponent of the international skating style, which was freer and less rigid than the traditional English style, and encouraged Madge to adopt this style. Madge and Edgar completed together in pairs skating events, and in 1900 finished second in one of the first international pairs events, staged in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. They married in June of that year. The Syers co-authored The Book of Winter Sports in 1908.
1902 World Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships, first contested in 1896, was regarded as an all-male event since competitive skating was generally viewed as a male activity, but there was no regulation barring women, enabling Syers to enter and compete at the 1902 Championships in London. She won the silver medal behind Ulrich SalchowUlrich Salchow
Karl Emil Julius Ulrich Salchow was a Swedish figure skater, who dominated the sport in the first decade of the 20th century....
, who was reputedly so impressed with her challenge that he offered her his gold medal. T. D. Richardson later wrote: "Rumour, nay more than rumour – a good deal of expert opinion – thought she should have won."
Syers' entry into the World Championships prompted the ISU to discuss the subject of women competing against men at their next Congress in 1903. The concerns raised were that "(1) the dress prevents the judges from seeing the feet; (2) a judge might judge a girl to whom he was attached; and (3) it is difficult to compare women with men." The Congress voted six to three in favour of barring women from the championships.
1903–1907
Syers continued to compete elsewhere, and in 1903 won the inaugural British Figure Skating ChampionshipsBritish Figure Skating Championships
The British Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United Kingdom...
, which began as a mixed competition. She won again the following year, beating her husband, who won the silver medal. She also entered the 1904 European Championships
1904 European Figure Skating Championships
The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion....
but withdrew due to injury after the first stage of the competition, 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...
.
The 1905 ISU Congress established a separate ladies' event, which was supported by strong lobbying from the National Ice Skating Association
National Ice Skating Association
The National Ice Skating Association is a British organisation that is responsible for the development of ice skating careers. It is known as the biggest ice-skating company in the UK...
. The event was known at the time as the Ladies' Championship of the ISU rather than a World Championship, and was staged at a different date and location from the men's event. Syers won the inaugural event held in Davos
Davos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
, Switzerland in 1906
1906 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....
, finishing first in a field of five competitors. She won her second title in Vienna at the 1907 Championships
1907 World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual event sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion.The 1907 competition took place on January 21-22, 1907 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary.-Men:...
.
1908 Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics in London were the first Games to include figure skating events in the programme, which were staged in October at the Prince's Club. Syers entered both the ladies' event and the pairs with Edgar. In the ladies' event, Syers comfortably won the compulsory figures section, with all five judges placing her first. The official report of the Games described her as "in a class by herself" and stated that "the wonderful accuracy of her figures, combined with perfect carriage and movement, was the chief feature of the morning's skating." In the free skatingFree 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...
, the report described her as having "excelled in rhythm and time-keeping, and her dance steps, pirouettes, &c., were skated without a fault." She was again placed first by all five judges and won the title. In the pairs event Syers and Edgar finished third (of three couples) and won the bronze medal.
Later life
Syers retired from competitive skating after the Olympics due to fading health. She and Edgar co-authored a second book together, The Art of Skating (International Style), published in 1913. She died of heart failure caused by acute endocarditisEndocarditis
Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves . Other structures that may be involved include the interventricular septum, the chordae tendineae, the mural endocardium, or even on intracardiac devices...
on 9 September 1917 at her home in Weybridge
Weybridge
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, aged 35.
Syers was elected to 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 1981.
Results
| Event | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympics 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... |
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... |
1st | 1st |
| Event | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
2nd | ||
| 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 |
| Event | 1908 |
|---|---|
| Olympics 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... |
3rd |