Richard Totten Button Famous American figure skater. Date of Birth: 18.07.1929 Country: USA

Biography of Dick Button

Dick Button, a former American figure skater, is a two-time Olympic champion in figure skating, a five-time world champion, and a television commentator. Button was born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey. He started skating at an early age but didn't take training seriously until he was 12 years old when his father overheard someone saying that he would never become a good skater. His father then sent Button to New York, where he began training with ice dance coach Joey Carroll. He trained with Carroll in Lake Placid during the summer and later switched to Gustav Lussi on Carroll's advice.
At the age of 16, Button won the U.S. Championships with all the judges unanimously giving him first place. This qualified him for the 1947 World Championships in Stockholm, where he finished second to Hans Gerschwiler. Gerschwiler placed first in compulsory figures, while Button won the free skating, resulting in Button becoming the overall runner-up. This was the last time in Button's career that he finished below first place in a World Championship. At the World Championships, Button befriended Ulrich Salchow, who was disappointed with Button's loss and, to support him, gave him his first trophy (Salchow won his first World Championship in 1901). Button later passed on this trophy to fellow American John Misha Petkevich.
At the 1948 European Championships, Button competed against Gerschwiler again and this time emerged as the winner. The following year, Americans were banned from participating in the European Championships, making Button the only U.S. citizen to win the European title. At the 1948 Winter Olympics, Button outscored Gerschwiler by 29.6 points after the compulsory figures, winning four out of five figures. While practicing, Button attempted a double axel but made errors each time. The day before the free skate, Button successfully landed the jump for the first time and decided to include it in his program. He successfully executed the jump, becoming the first skater to perform a double axel in competition. His results in the free skate and compulsory figures earned him the gold medal. At the age of 19, Button became the youngest Olympic champion in history.
In his last competition against Gerschwiler in the same year, Button once again emerged as the victor at the World Championships. The U.S. Championships also ended with a gold medal for Button. In 1949, he received the Sullivan Award, the top American sports award, for outstanding athletic achievements.
In the fall of 1947, Button planned to start his studies at Yale University but had to interrupt them to prepare for the Olympics. Although the university initially assured him that his sports career would not hinder his education, they later informed him that if he wanted to attend Yale, he would have to give up figure skating. Following the advice of his friends, Button applied to Harvard University and was accepted. He graduated in 1952 with a degree in law. Throughout the rest of his career, Button won every competition he participated in and was expected to set records each year. In 1949, he performed a double Rittberger-double Rittberger cascade; in 1950, a double Rittberger-double Rittberger-double Rittberger cascade; and in 1951, a double Axel-double Rittberger cascade. Button and his coach were preparing for a triple jump for the 1952 Winter Olympics, which Button successfully executed for the first time during the exhibition at the European Championships in Vienna. At the Olympics, he performed a triple Rittberger, becoming the first skater in history to execute a triple jump. He repeated this jump at the World Championships. Button was also the first man to perform a double Axel and a triple Rittberger. He was the first to perform a lift. He was the only American to win the European Championships. He was the first American to win the World Championships. He was the first American to win a medal at the Olympics. He is the youngest male skater to have ever won an Olympic gold medal.