40 YEARS AGO


talks about her Olympic experience – and more


by LORI GROSSMAN On Feb. 13, 1976, skating fans at the Innsbruck


(Austria) Olympic Ice Stadium already knew the pretty 19-year-old skater who stood waiting for her music to be- gin. Te reigning U.S. ladies champion delivered a grace- ful, seemingly effortless long program, then skated off the ice and into her father’s arms. After the two remaining skaters’ marks were announced, it became official. Doro- thy Hamill was the 1976 Olympic champion. Tis year is the 40th anniversary of the storied skate


that made Hamill a household name. In those days, com- petitions had three phases: figures, short program and long program. Hamill placed second in figures, first in the short program and first in the long program. Remember figures? If you do, you’re at least 30 years old — they were dropped from international competition in 1990. Hamill remembers spending countless hours learning


and perfecting her compulsory — aka “school” — figures. “Te skill of compulsory figures is so different than


that of free skating; I think they’re more mentally chal- lenging,” she said. “Sometimes, I forget how precise, accurate and beautiful they are.” Figures weren’t Hamill’s biggest concern leading up to the Olympic Games, howev- er. Her coach, Carlo Fassi (whose students included Peggy Fleming, John Curry, Rob-


in Cousins and Jill Trenary, among others) had gone


to Europe to work with Curry. Hamill was temporarily coachless. Now, she looks back on it as a blessing in dis- guise.


“I got to go home (Connecticut), sleep in my own bed and train with Peter Burrows for a while,” Hamill said. “I’d been training all those hours with Carlo, so it was a good break for me.


Dorothy Hamill after winning the 1976 U.S. title at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado


28 FEBRUARY 2016


PHOTO BY LEROY MILTNER


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