Jan Hoffmann
Encyclopedia
Jan Hoffmann is a German
figure skater
who represented East Germany in competition. A four-time Olympian, he is the 1980 Olympic silver medalist
, the 1974 & 1980 World Champion
, and a four-time (1974, 1977–1979) European Champion
.
He was one of a handful of figure skaters who rotated clockwise, landing on his left foot.
. He changed later to coach Jutta Müller
in Karl-Marx-Stadt (today Chemnitz
). He represented the former East Germany in competition.
In 1974, Hoffmann won the World Figure Skating Championships
and European Figure Skating Championships
for the first time. After that he had a surgery of his meniscus
, which slowed down his career and caused him to miss the entire 1975 season. He won his second World Championship title in 1980 at the end of his skating career.
Hoffmann competed at four Olympic Games. At the 1968 Winter Olympics
he was just 12 years old. At the 1972 Games
he finished 6th, at the 1976 Winter Olympics
he was 4th, and he won the silver medal in 1980. At these Olympics Robin Cousins
(GBR) won gold and Charles Tickner
(USA) won bronze. Jan Hoffmann also won the European Championship four times.
Hoffmann studied medicine after his figure skating career and is today an orthopaedic specialist. He is still active in figure skating as a judge and was also a member of the managing board of the Deutsche Eislauf-Union
. He was a judge during the ladies event at the 1994 Winter Olympics
and placed Oksana Baiul
ahead of Nancy Kerrigan
, one of five judges who did so. Hoffman also judged the ladies competition at the 1998 Winter Olympics
and gave his first-place ordinal to Michelle Kwan
.
Jan Hoffmann is married and has one daughter.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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...
who represented East Germany in competition. A four-time Olympian, he is the 1980 Olympic silver medalist
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
, the 1974 & 1980 World Champion
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 a four-time (1974, 1977–1979) European Champion
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 was one of a handful of figure skaters who rotated clockwise, landing on his left foot.
Biography
Jan Hoffmann's first coach was Annemarie Halbach in DresdenDresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. He changed later to coach Jutta Müller
Jutta Müller
Jutta Müller, born Jutta Lötzsch is a German former figure skater and one of the most successful figure skating coaches worldwide....
in Karl-Marx-Stadt (today Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
). He represented the former East Germany in competition.
In 1974, Hoffmann won 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...
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...
for the first time. After that he had a surgery of his meniscus
Meniscus
The meniscus is the curve in the upper surface of a liquid close to the surface of the container or another object, caused by surface tension. It can be either convex or concave. A convex meniscus occurs when the molecules have a stronger attraction to each other than to the material of the...
, which slowed down his career and caused him to miss the entire 1975 season. He won his second World Championship title in 1980 at the end of his skating career.
Hoffmann competed at four Olympic Games. At the 1968 Winter Olympics
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated...
he was just 12 years old. At the 1972 Games
1972 Winter Olympics
The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from February 3 to February 13, 1972 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan...
he finished 6th, at the 1976 Winter Olympics
1976 Winter Olympics
The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated February 4–15, 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria...
he was 4th, and he won the silver medal in 1980. At these Olympics Robin Cousins
Robin Cousins
Robert "Robin" Cousins is a British retired competitive figure skater. He is the 1980 Olympic Champion, the 1980 European champion, a three-time World medalist and four-time British national champion. He later starred in ice shows and also produced his own...
(GBR) won gold and Charles Tickner
Charles Tickner
Charles Tickner is an American figure skater who won the gold medal at the 1978 World Figure Skating Championships, skating to music from Georges Bizet's Carmen and Jules Massenet's Le Cid for his long program. He also won the bronze medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics and the 1980 World...
(USA) won bronze. Jan Hoffmann also won the European Championship four times.
Hoffmann studied medicine after his figure skating career and is today an orthopaedic specialist. He is still active in figure skating as a judge and was also a member of the managing board of the Deutsche Eislauf-Union
Deutsche Eislauf-Union
The Deutsche Eislauf-Union e.V., is the national amateur association for figure skating and ice dancing in Germany. The members of the DEU are the various German ice sports associations; there are no individual members....
. He was a judge during the ladies event at the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
and placed Oksana Baiul
Oksana Baiul
Oksana Serhiyivna Baiul is a Ukrainian professional figure skater. She is the 1994 Olympic Champion in Ladies' Singles and 1993 World Champion.-Early and personal life:...
ahead of Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Ann Kerrigan is a two-time American Olympic figure skating medalist and 1993 U.S. champion.-Early life and skating career:...
, one of five judges who did so. Hoffman also judged the ladies competition at the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
and gave his first-place ordinal to 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...
.
Jan Hoffmann is married and has one daughter.
Results
| Event | 1967-68 | 1968-69 | 1969-70 | 1970-71 | 1971-72 | 1972-73 | 1973-74 | 1974-75 | 1975-76 | 1976-77 | 1977-78 | 1978-79 | 1979-80 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
26th | 6th | 4th | 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... |
10th | 4th | 6th | 3rd | 1st | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | |||
| 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... |
21st | 19th | 9th | 4th | 3rd | 1st | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | ||
| East German Championships East German Figure Skating Championships The National Championships of the German Democratic Republic in Figure Skating were the figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of the German Democratic Republic, often referred to as East Germany... |
2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||
| Skate America Skate America Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is organized by the United States Figure Skating Association. The location changes yearly... |
3rd | ||||||||||||
| Prize of Moscow News Prize of Moscow News The Prize of Moscow News , also known as the Moscow Skate, Nouvelles de Moscou, and the Moscow News Trophy, was an international, senior-level figure skating competition held in the former Soviet Union from 1966 to 1990... |
4th |