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.
Skating club	SC of Boston Philadelphia SC & HS
Retired	1952

Richard Totten Button (July 18, 1929 – January 30, 2025) was an amazing American figure skater and TV commentator. He won two Olympic gold medals (in 1948 and 1952). He was also a five-time world champion from 1948 to 1952.

Dick Button was the only non-European man 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 also performed the first triple jump ever – a triple loop jump – in 1952. He even invented a cool move called the flying camel spin, which was first known as the "Button camel." He brought a lot of athletic power to figure skating 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 he would never be a good skater.

His father then sent him to Lake Placid, New York, to train with a famous coach named Gus Lussi. Lussi coached Button throughout his entire competitive career. Button finished high school in 1947.

Skating Career Highlights

First Competitions

In his very first competition in 1943, Dick Button finished second. The next year, 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 skating, he won the Eastern States senior title and the national junior title.

He also tried pair skating with Barbara Jones. They won a junior pairs competition in 1946. At just 16 years old, Button won the 1946 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.

World Championships Debut

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

After this, a famous skater named Ulrich Salchow gave Button a special trophy. Salchow was disappointed Button didn't win, so he gave him the first International Cup he had won in 1901. Button later passed this trophy on to another skater, John Misha Petkevich.

European Champion

Button faced Gerschwiler again at the 1948 European Championships. Button won this competition. After this year, skaters from outside Europe were no longer allowed to enter the European Championships. This means Dick Button is the only American ever to win the European Championships.

Olympic Gold and New Jumps

At the 1948 Winter Olympics, Button was leading after the first part of the competition. He had been trying to land a double Axel jump in practice but had never done it successfully. The day before the free skating event, he landed one for the first time in practice.

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

After the Olympics, Button won the 1948 World Championships. He also won the James E. Sullivan Award in 1949, which is given to the best amateur athlete in the United States.

College and More Records

Dick Button attended Harvard College while still competing. He graduated in 1952. Even with his studies, he won every international competition he entered for the next four years.

He felt pressure to invent new jumps or spins each season. In 1949, he performed a combination of two double loops. In 1950, he did three double loops in a row! For the 1952 Winter Olympics, Button and his coach worked on a triple jump. They decided on the triple loop. Button landed it for the first time in practice in December 1951.

Second Olympic Gold

At the 1952 Winter Olympics, Button was again in the lead after the first part. 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 continued to win the 1952 World Figure Skating Championships and the U.S. Championships.

Life After Competition

After his amazing amateur career, Dick Button decided to go to Harvard Law School in 1952. He stopped competing as an amateur to focus on his law studies. He earned his law degree in 1956.

He also performed in ice shows during his law school breaks, like the Ice Capades and Holiday on Ice. He even helped create some TV sports events through his company, Candid Productions. These included the World Professional Figure Skating Championships.

Button became very famous as a figure skating commentator on television. He started working for CBS at the 1960 Winter Olympics. Then, starting in 1962, he became a figure skating analyst for ABC Sports. He was known for his honest and sometimes critical comments about skaters' performances.

He won an Emmy Award in 1981 for being an outstanding sports analyst. He continued to commentate on major skating events for decades, teaching many viewers how to understand and enjoy the sport. He also appeared on NBC for the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics.

Personal Life and Legacy

Dick Button was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1976. He lived in North Salem, New York.

In 1978, Button was involved in a serious incident in Central Park. He recovered from his injuries. In 2000, he had another serious head injury from a fall while skating. He recovered from this as well and became a spokesperson for the Brain Injury Association of America.

Dick Button passed away on January 30, 2025, at the age of 95. He left behind an incredible legacy in figure skating, not just as a champion skater but also as a beloved voice who helped millions understand and appreciate the sport.

Major Achievements

• First skater to land a double Axel.
• First skater to land a triple jump (the triple loop).
• First skater to land a combination jump of three doubles.
• First male skater to perform the camel spin and invented the flying camel spin (also called the "Button Camel").
• Only American to win the European title.
• First American to become World Champion.
• First American to win the Olympic title in figure skating.
• First, and only, American to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in figure skating.
• Youngest man to win the Olympic title in figure skating (at 18 years old).

Competition Results

See also

In Spanish: Dick Button para niños