Herma Szabo
Encyclopedia
Herma Szabo was an Austria
n singles and pairs figure skater
. She is the 1924 Olympic
champion in ladies' singles and a seven-time World Champion, including five titles in singles (1922-1926) and two titles in pairs partnered with Ludwig Wrede
.
, where she came from a family of figure skaters. Her mother was Christa von Szabo, a two time world medalist in pairs figure skating and her uncle was Eduard Engelmann Jr.
, a three time European Champion in men's figure skating, who built the first artificial ice rink
. As a result, Szabo was exposed to the sport at a young age, where she practiced at her uncle's ice rink along with her cousins Helene Engelmann
and Christine Engelmann, who went on to marry Karl Schäfer
.
uses the surname Szabo to refer to her accomplishments. Szabo won the gold medal at the 1924 Winter Olympics in ladies figure skating. At the Olympics, she helped modernize ladies's figure skating by wearing a skirt cut above the knee. High-cut skirts allowed for more freedom of movement in the legs. Despite this, Sonja Henie is usually credited with being the first to wear short skirts in competition.
Szabo did not compete in the Europeans
because the ladies and pair events were not established until 1930. However, she won five consecutive world titles in ladies' figure skating from 1922 to 1926. She is one of four women to have won the World
title five times, the others being Sonja Henie
, Carol Heiss
, and Michelle Kwan
.
In addition, she was also an early pioneer in pairs figure skating, where she competed with Ludwig Wrede
. They won the World title twice, in 1925 and 1927, and placed third in 1926. She is the only skater to hold a simultaneous world titles in pairs and singles.
With her accomplishments, she is considered to be one of the most decorated figure skaters of all time.
She became disillusioned with the sport and never skated again. Henie offered her a rematch years later, but she refused to participate. Her abrupt retirement, led her partner Wrede, to find a different partner for the 1928 Olympic Games
, but not with the same success.
Despite the bitter end to her career, Szabo was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame
in 1982. She died at age 84 in Rottenmann
, Styria
.
Pairs
(with Ludwig Wrede
)
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n singles and pairs 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 1924 Olympic
Figure skating at the 1924 Winter Olympics
At the 1924 Winter Olympics, three figure skating events were contested. The competitions were held from Tuesday, January 29, 1924 to Thursday, January 31, 1924....
champion in ladies' singles and a seven-time World Champion, including five titles in singles (1922-1926) and two titles in pairs partnered with Ludwig Wrede
Ludwig Wrede
Ludwig Wrede was an Austrian figure skater in both pairs and singles skating.He competed with Herma Szabo and won the World Championships in 1925 and 1927. They won the bronze in 1926. After Szabo retired, Wrede competed with Melitta Brunner, with whom he won the bronze medal at the 1928 Winter...
.
Personal life
Szabo was born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, where she came from a family of figure skaters. Her mother was Christa von Szabo, a two time world medalist in pairs figure skating and her uncle was Eduard Engelmann Jr.
Eduard Engelmann Jr.
Eduard Engelmann Jr. was an Austrian figure skater, engineer, and cyclist. He was a three-time gold medallist at the European Figure Skating Championships...
, a three time European Champion in men's figure skating, who built the first artificial ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
. As a result, Szabo was exposed to the sport at a young age, where she practiced at her uncle's ice rink along with her cousins Helene Engelmann
Helene Engelmann
Helene Engelmann was an Austrian pair skater....
and Christine Engelmann, who went on to marry Karl Schäfer
Karl Schäfer
Karl Schäfer was an Austrian figure skater and swimmer. In figure skating, he was a dual Olympic Champion at the 1932 Winter Olympics and the 1936 Winter Olympics, a seven-time World Champion and the eight-time European Champion...
.
Career
She competed as a figure skater under different surnames, which include von Szabó, Plank-Szabo, Planck-Szabo, Jarosz-Szabo and Jaross-Szabo. The International Skating UnionInternational 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...
uses the surname Szabo to refer to her accomplishments. Szabo won the gold medal at the 1924 Winter Olympics in ladies figure skating. At the Olympics, she helped modernize ladies's figure skating by wearing a skirt cut above the knee. High-cut skirts allowed for more freedom of movement in the legs. Despite this, Sonja Henie is usually credited with being the first to wear short skirts in competition.
Szabo did not compete in the Europeans
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...
because the ladies and pair events were not established until 1930. However, she won five consecutive world titles in ladies' figure skating from 1922 to 1926. She is one of four women to have won the World
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...
title five times, the others being Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, a ten-time World Champion and a six-time European Champion . Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies figure skater...
, Carol Heiss
Carol Heiss
Carol Elizabeth Heiss Jenkins is an American figure skater. She is the 1960 Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, 1956 Olympic silver medalist and five-time World Champion .-Biography:...
, and Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...
.
In addition, she was also an early pioneer in pairs figure skating, where she competed with Ludwig Wrede
Ludwig Wrede
Ludwig Wrede was an Austrian figure skater in both pairs and singles skating.He competed with Herma Szabo and won the World Championships in 1925 and 1927. They won the bronze in 1926. After Szabo retired, Wrede competed with Melitta Brunner, with whom he won the bronze medal at the 1928 Winter...
. They won the World title twice, in 1925 and 1927, and placed third in 1926. She is the only skater to hold a simultaneous world titles in pairs and singles.
With her accomplishments, she is considered to be one of the most decorated figure skaters of all time.
Retirement
She retired in 1927 after she was defeated by Sonja Henie of Norway at the World Championships. This result was controversial because the judging panel consisted of three Norwegians, a German, and an Austrian. The three Norwegian judges placed Henie first, while the German and Austrian judges placed Szabo first.She became disillusioned with the sport and never skated again. Henie offered her a rematch years later, but she refused to participate. Her abrupt retirement, led her partner Wrede, to find a different partner for the 1928 Olympic Games
1928 Winter Olympics
The 1928 Winter Olympics, officially known as the II Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated February 11–19, 1928 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The 1928 Games were the first true Winter Olympics held on its own as they were not in conjunction with a Summer Olympics...
, but not with the same success.
Despite the bitter end to her career, Szabo was inducted into 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 1982. She died at age 84 in Rottenmann
Rottenmann
Rottenmann is a town in Styria in Austria, near the Rottenmanner Tauern. As of 2008, it has a population of 5.341....
, Styria
Styria (state)
Styria is a state or Bundesland, located in the southeast of Austria. In area it is the second largest of the nine Austrian federated states, covering 16,401 km². It borders Slovenia as well as the other Austrian states of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Burgenland, and Carinthia. ...
.
Results
Ladies singles| Event | 1918 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
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 | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | |
| Austrian Championships Austrian Figure Skating Championships The Austrian Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of Austria. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
Pairs
(with Ludwig Wrede
Ludwig Wrede
Ludwig Wrede was an Austrian figure skater in both pairs and singles skating.He competed with Herma Szabo and won the World Championships in 1925 and 1927. They won the bronze in 1926. After Szabo retired, Wrede competed with Melitta Brunner, with whom he won the bronze medal at the 1928 Winter...
)
| Event | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3rd | 1st |
| Austrian Championships Austrian Figure Skating Championships The Austrian Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of Austria. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
1st | 1st |