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Petra BurkaCanadian figure skater, women's singles skating, bronze medalist at the 1964 Olympic Games. Currently works as a trainer. Petra Burka is considered the first woman to perform a triple jump at international competitions - Salchow on the h
Date of Birth: 17.11.1946
Country:  Canada |
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Biography of Petra Burka
Petra Burka is a Canadian figure skater who competed in women's singles skating and won the bronze medal at the 1964 Olympic Games. She is currently working as a coach. Burka is considered the first woman to successfully perform a triple jump, a Salchow, in international competitions at the 1965 Canadian Championship. In 2012, she was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Early Life and Career
Petra Burka was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 1951, she and her mother, figure skater Ellen Burka, moved to Canada. Petra trained under her mother's guidance. With her athletic build, she effortlessly executed difficult jumps such as the double Axel and even the triple Lutz (in practice), but she received low scores for compulsory figures.
In 1961, Burka became the Canadian Junior Champion in figure skating, and from 1964 to 1966, she won gold in the senior category. In 1965, she achieved victory at the World Championships, becoming the first Canadian woman to win the competition since 1947. She represented Canada at the 1964 Olympic Games, where she reached the third step of the podium. Additionally, Burka won bronze medals at the World Championships twice.
Coaching and Broadcasting
After retiring from competitive skating, Petra Burka pursued a career as a coach. She also worked as a commentator for figure skating competitions on the television channels CBC and CBS.
