The women's figure skating competition at the 1956 Winter Olympics took place at the Olympic Ice Stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The competition was held on 30–31 January and 2 February 1956. Twenty-one women from eleven countries participated in the competition. The event was dominated by the American skaters and who won gold and silver. Tenley Albright, who overcame a significant injury two weeks before the start of the competition, was the Olympic champion.
Competition The event was held outdoors at the Ice Stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the host city for the Games. This would be the last time that the figure skating events were held outdoors at an Olympic Games. The Ice Stadium was the focal point of the Games. It was used not only for figure skating but also for the opening and closing ceremonies.Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (1956), pp. 124–133 It was built to accommodate 6,000–7,000 people. Temporary seating was added for the figure skating competition that swelled the stadium's capacity to 14,000 people.Findling and Pelle (1996), p. 260 The ladies' competition was the first figure skating event held at the Games. It was followed by the men's competition and then the pairs. Ice dancing had yet to become an Olympic sport in 1956.Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (1956), pp. 662–677
The competition was broken down into two disciplines. The first was a compulsory figures competition, which counted for 60% of the score. This was done on 30 January, with the competition beginning in such a heavy snowstorm that it was difficult for the judges to see the skaters' tracings. After the first day of competition Tenley Albright had the lead with 9 of 11 judges' first-place ordinals, with Carol Heiss second."The Olympics: 1956", Skating magazine, March 1960
The second discipline was a free skating program, which counted for 40% of the final score. This final program was performed on 2 February. In the second day of competition Albright edged out Heiss by 1.6 points to claim the gold medal.Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (1956), pp. 669–671
Albright won the event despite a serious leg injury sustained just weeks before the Olympics. While skating in practice Albright fell when her skate hit a rut in the ice. Her left skate blade sliced her right ankle to the bone, severing a vein. She also had to overcome polio, which she contracted in 1946. Carol Heiss won the silver medal. She later won gold at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, and married Hayes Jenkins, the men's champion at the 1956 Games.Findling and Pelle (1996), p. 261 Ingrid Wendl from Austria won the bronze medal, the only Olympic medal of her career.
Results Source:Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (1956), p. 669Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (1956), p. 671
Rank Name Nation CF FS Points Places 1 Tenley Albright 11169.6712 2 Carol Heiss 22168.0221 3 Ingrid Wendl 35159.4439 4 Yvonne Sugden 49156.6253 5 Hanna Eigel 54157.1552 6 Carole Jane Pachl 68154.7473 7 Hanna Walter 87153.8983.5 8 Catherine Machado 103153.4886.5 9 Ann Johnston 710152.5694 10 Rosi Pettinger 116152.04101 11 Erica Batchelor 912149.67116 12 Sjoukje Dijkstra 1215145.80140 13 Joan Haanappel 1411145.85145.5 14 Dianne Carol Peach 1313144.75151 15 Fiorella Negro 1614142.31168.5 16 Karin Borner 1516141.69171 17 Maryvonne Huet 1719138.30194 18 Alice Fischer 1820137.69203 19 Alice Lundström 1918136.34206 20 Jindra Kramperová 2117136.67209 21 Manuela Angeli 2021133.51222
See also
1956 Winter Olympics
References
External links