Robert Dineen
Encyclopedia
Robert Dineen was an American ice dancer
who competed with his wife Patricia Dineen
. The duo won Silver (Junior) dance title at the 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships
and then the bronze in the senior division at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships
, earning them the right to compete a month later at the World Championships
in Prague
. He and his wife died on February 15, 1961 when Sabena Flight 548
crashed en route to the World Championships. They left behind an infant son, Robert Jr., who was adopted by Dineen's brother.
Dineen was a graduate of St. John's University and had plans to return to school to study law. The Dineens lived in New York City where they were trained by Sonya Klopfer
.
Ice dancing
Ice dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....
who competed with his wife Patricia Dineen
Patricia Dineen
Patricia Major Dineen was an American ice dancer who competed with her husband Robert Dineen. The duo won the Silver dance title at the 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships and then the bronze at the senior level at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships, earning them the...
. The duo won Silver (Junior) dance title at the 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships
1960 United States Figure Skating Championships
The 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships were held at the Civic Ice Arena in Seattle, Washington from January 27 through 30, 1960. In the ladies', men's, and pairs' divisions, the competitions were won by the defending champions Carol Heiss, David Jenkins, and Nancy Ludington/Ron...
and then the bronze in the senior division at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships
1961 United States Figure Skating Championships
The 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships were held at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from January 25 to January 29, 1961. The competition was dedicated to the memory of Howard D...
, earning them the right to compete a month later at the 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...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. He and his wife died on February 15, 1961 when Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548, registration OO-SJB, was a Boeing 707 aircraft that crashed en route to Brussels, Belgium, from New York City on February 15, 1961, killing the entire United States Figure Skating team on its way to the 1961 World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia.The flight, which...
crashed en route to the World Championships. They left behind an infant son, Robert Jr., who was adopted by Dineen's brother.
Dineen was a graduate of St. John's University and had plans to return to school to study law. The Dineens lived in New York City where they were trained by Sonya Klopfer
Sonya Klopfer
Sonya Klopfer Dunfield is an American figure skater. She is the 1951 U.S. national champion. Having won at age 15, she was the youngest U.S. ladies' champion until Tara Lipinski won in 1997 at age 14. Klopfer is a two-time World medalist...
.
Results
Ice Dance (with Dineen)| Event | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Championships United States Figure Skating Championships The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters... |
3rd J. | 1st J. | 3rd |