Dick Button facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dick Button
Button as a commentator at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid
Personal information
Country represented	United States
Born	(1929-07-18)July 18, 1929 Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	January 30, 2025(2025-01-30) (aged 95) North Salem, New York, U.S.
Former coach	Gustave Lussi
Skating club	SC of Boston Philadelphia SC & HS
Retired	1952

Richard Totten Button (born July 18, 1929 – died January 30, 2025) was an amazing American figure skater and later a TV commentator. He won two Olympic gold medals (in 1948 and 1952). He also won the world title five times in a row from 1948 to 1952.

Dick Button was the only male skater from outside Europe to win the European title. He made history by being the first skater to land a double Axel jump in a competition in 1948. He was also the first to land any triple jump, which was a triple loop in 1952. He even invented a cool move called the flying camel spin, which was first known as the "Button camel." He helped make figure skating more athletic after World War II.

Early Life and Training

Dick Button was born on July 18, 1929, in Englewood, New Jersey. He started skating when he was very young. However, he didn't begin serious training until he was 12 years old. This happened after his father heard someone say Dick would never be a good skater.

His father then sent him to Lake Placid, New York. There, Dick trained with a famous coach named Gus Lussi. Lussi coached him throughout his entire competitive career.

Skating Career Highlights

Becoming a Champion Skater

Dick Button's first competition was the 1943 Eastern States Novice Championship, where he finished second. In 1944, he won the Eastern States junior title. This allowed him to compete at the National Novice Championships, which he also won.

By 1945, after only three years of serious training, he won the Eastern States senior title and the national junior title. He also competed in pairs for a short time. In 1946, at just 16 years old, Dick Button won the U.S. Championships. He was the first person to win the men's novice, junior, and senior titles in three years in a row. He went on to win six more national championships, setting a record.

First World Championships

In 1947, Dick Button competed in his first World Championships. He finished second to his rival, Hans Gerschwiler. Even though Dick won the free skating part, Gerschwiler had more first-place votes from the judges. This was the last time Dick Button placed lower than first in any competition.

After this, Dick trained outdoors to get better on different types of ice. A famous skater named Ulrich Salchow was impressed by Button. Salchow gave Button a special trophy he had won in 1901.

Winning in Europe

Dick Button faced Gerschwiler again at the 1948 European Championships. Dick won this competition, performing his Olympic routine for the first time. After this year, skaters from outside Europe were no longer allowed to compete in the European Championships. This means Dick Button is the only American man to have ever won the European title.

First Olympic Gold Medal

At the 1948 Winter Olympics, Dick Button was in the lead after the first part of the competition. He had been trying to land a double Axel jump in practice but hadn't done it yet. The day before the free skating event, he finally landed one in practice. He decided to try it in the competition.

Dick Button successfully landed the double Axel in his performance. This made him the first skater in the world to do so in a competition! He won the gold medal, becoming the youngest man ever to win an Olympic gold in figure skating at 18 years old.

More World Titles

After his Olympic win, Button went on to win the 1948 World Championships, beating Gerschwiler one last time. He also defended his national title in the U.S. In 1949, he won the James E. Sullivan Award, given to the best amateur athlete in the United States. He is one of only two male figure skaters to ever win this award.

College and New Jumps

Dick Button attended Harvard College while still competing. He managed to win every international competition he entered for the next four years. He was always trying to invent new jumps or spins.

• In 1949, he performed a combination of two double loops.
• In 1950, he did a combination of three double loops.
• In 1951, he performed a double Axel with a double loop.

For the 1952 Winter Olympics, Dick and his coach worked on a triple jump. They decided to try the triple loop. Dick landed it for the first time in practice in December 1951.

Second Olympic Gold Medal

At the 1952 Winter Olympics, Dick Button was again in the lead after the first part of the competition. During his free skate, he successfully landed the triple loop. This made him the first person to complete a triple jump in a competition!

He became the third male figure skater to win two Olympic gold medals. He was also the last man to defend his Olympic title in figure skating until Yuzuru Hanyu did it in 2018. After the Olympics, he won the 1952 World Figure Skating Championships and the U.S. Championships again.

Life After Competing

Professional Career

After winning his second Olympic gold, Dick Button decided to retire from amateur skating in 1952. He wanted to focus on studying law at Harvard Law School. He earned his law degree in 1956.

After law school, Button performed in ice shows like the Ice Capades and Holiday on Ice. He also started his own company, Candid Productions. This company created sports events for television, including the World Professional Figure Skating Championships.

Dick Button also acted in some movies and TV shows. However, his biggest impact after competing was as a figure skating commentator.

Famous Commentator

Dick Button started his career in television commentary at the 1960 Winter Olympics. He became a well-known figure skating analyst for ABC Sports. He was famous for his honest and sometimes sharp comments about skaters' performances.

He won an Emmy Award in 1981 for being an outstanding sports analyst. Many people learned how to watch and understand figure skating by listening to his commentary. He continued to commentate on major skating events for decades.

In 2006, he returned to commentate on the Winter Olympics. He also had a popular segment called "Push Dick's Button," where he answered questions from viewers. He continued to appear on TV as a judge and commentator for various skating shows.

Later Life

In 1975, Button married figure skating coach Slavka Kohout. They had a son, Edward, and a daughter, Emily. Dick Button lived in North Salem, New York.

In 1976, he was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame. On December 31, 2000, Dick Button fell while skating and suffered a serious brain injury. He recovered and became a spokesperson for the Brain Injury Association of America. He continued his commentary work after his recovery.

Dick Button passed away on January 30, 2025, at the age of 95. He was survived by his partner, Dennis Grimaldi, and his children, Edward and Emily.

Amazing Achievements

Dick Button achieved many incredible things in figure skating:

• He was the first skater to land a double Axel.
• He was the first skater to land any triple jump (a triple loop).
• He was the first skater to land a combination of three double jumps.
• He was the first male skater to perform the camel spin and invented the flying camel spin, also known as the Button Camel.
• He is the only American to win the European title.
• He was the first American World Champion.
• He was the first American to win an Olympic title in figure skating.
• He was the first and only American male skater to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in figure skating.
• He was the first and only male skater to hold all these titles at the same time: National, North American, European, World, and Olympic.
• He was the youngest man to win an Olympic title in figure skating (at 18 years old).

Competition Results

See also

In Spanish: Dick Button para niños

• Canadian Professional Figure Skating Championships