Vivian Joseph
Encyclopedia
Vivian Joseph is a female American
figure skater.
began skating together as children, attended Highland Park High School
, and competed for the Broadmoor Skating Club
of Colorado
.
The two siblings entered their first regional competition, the Midwest Skating Championship, in 1957, when Vivian was nine years old. They finished in 2nd place.
In 1961 the pair won the Junior National Skating Championship. In 1962 they finished third in the US National Championship; in 1963 and 1964 they finished second in the US National Championship, and in 1965 they won the US National Championship. In 1965 they also won the North American Skating Championship.
A plane crash in 1961 claimed the lives of the entire U.S. World Figure Skating Team en route to the world championships in Czechoslovakia
(which caused the 1961 world championships to be canceled that year), and the Josephs were thrust into the spotlight.
The pair entered three World Skating Championships:
Games. They finished in 4th place. But in 1966 the silver medal
-winning team of Hans-Jürgen Bäumler
and Marika Kilius
of Germany were stripped of their medals, after they were alleged to have signed a professional contract prior to the games. The Josephs were then moved up to 3rd place, and awarded bronze medals.
In 1987, however, the Germans were officially reinstated by the IOC, and the original results were restored. The Josephs, who had held the bronze medal for over 20 years, were moved back to 4th place. The USOC does not recognize them as medalists.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
figure skater.
Skating career
Vivian and her older brother Ronald JosephRonald Joseph
Ronald Joseph was an American figure skater.-Skating career:Ronald and his younger sister Vivian Joseph began skating together as children, attended Highland Park High School, and competed for the Broadmoor Skating Club of Colorado.He was an excellent all-around athlete...
began skating together as children, attended Highland Park High School
Highland Park High School (Highland Park, Illinois)
Highland Park High School, or HPHS, is a public four-year high school located in Highland Park, Illinois, a North Shore suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 113, which also includes Deerfield High School.Prior to the 1949–50 school year, the...
, and competed for the Broadmoor Skating Club
Broadmoor Skating Club
The Broadmoor Skating Club is a figure skating club based in Colorado Springs, Colorado that has long been a major training center for the sport of figure skating. Founded in 1939, it was originally known as the Pikes Peak Skating Club, and was based in the Broadmoor World Arena on the grounds of...
of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
The two siblings entered their first regional competition, the Midwest Skating Championship, in 1957, when Vivian was nine years old. They finished in 2nd place.
In 1961 the pair won the Junior National Skating Championship. In 1962 they finished third in the US National Championship; in 1963 and 1964 they finished second in the US National Championship, and in 1965 they won the US National Championship. In 1965 they also won the North American Skating Championship.
A plane crash in 1961 claimed the lives of the entire U.S. World Figure Skating Team en route to the world championships in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
(which caused the 1961 world championships to be canceled that year), and the Josephs were thrust into the spotlight.
The pair entered three World Skating Championships:
- 1963, held at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy – they finished 8th
- 1964, held at Dortmund, Germany – they finished 4th
- 1965, held at Colorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs, ColoradoColorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
(USA) – they finished 2nd.
Olympics; Bronze Medal awarded, and then taken away
The pair competed in the pairs figure skating event at the 1964 Winter Olympics1964 Winter Olympics
The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964...
Games. They finished in 4th place. But in 1966 the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
-winning team of Hans-Jürgen Bäumler
Hans-Jürgen Bäumler
Hans-Jürgen Bäumler is a German pair skater, actor, singer and television host.- Biography :...
and Marika Kilius
Marika Kilius
Marika Kilius is a two-time Olympic silver medalist and two-time World champion in pair skating....
of Germany were stripped of their medals, after they were alleged to have signed a professional contract prior to the games. The Josephs were then moved up to 3rd place, and awarded bronze medals.
In 1987, however, the Germans were officially reinstated by the IOC, and the original results were restored. The Josephs, who had held the bronze medal for over 20 years, were moved back to 4th place. The USOC does not recognize them as medalists.
Results
(Pairs with Ronald)| Event | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
4th | |||||
| 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... |
8th | 4th | 2nd | |||
| North American Championships North American Figure Skating Championships The North American Figure Skating Championships were a former elite figure skating competition for skaters from the United States and Canada. It was a biennial competition held between 1923 and 1971, with locations alternating between the two countries.Although the event was classified as an... |
3rd | 1st | ||||
| 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... |
2nd J. | 1st J. | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 1st |