Dorothy Hamill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dorothy Hamill
Hamill in 2001
Personal information
Country represented	United States
Born	(1956-07-26) July 26, 1956 (age 68) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Height	5 ft 4 in
Former coach	Otto Gold, Gustave Lussi, Sonya Dunfield, Carlo Fassi, Peter Burrows
Retired	1976
Medal record Figure skating: Ladies' singles Representing the  United States Winter Olympics Gold 1976 Innsbruck Ladies' singles World Championships Gold 1976 Gothenburg Ladies' singles Silver 1975 Colorado Springs Ladies' singles Silver 1974 Munich Ladies' singles

Dorothy Stuart Hamill (born July 26, 1956) is a famous American figure skater. She won the gold medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics and also became the 1976 World champion in ladies' singles.

Early Life and Skating Start

Dorothy Hamill was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her family moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, when she was very young. She has two older siblings, Sandy and Marcia.

Dorothy started skating in 1965 when she was 8 years old. She took group lessons at first. Soon, she became very serious about skating. She began taking private lessons and would wake up early to practice at 4:30 AM. Her first coaches were Otto Gold and Gustave Lussi.

Because ice time was hard to find, she often trained in New York City. In the summers, she practiced in Lake Placid, New York, and later in Toronto. Her parents spent a lot of money to support her skating dreams. This included lessons, travel, and costumes.

Dorothy went to public schools until 1970. Then, she switched to a special school. This school had flexible tutoring. It helped her fit in her busy skating schedule. She later graduated from Colorado Academy high school.

Dorothy's Amazing Skating Career

Dorothy's first big win was in 1969. She won the novice ladies' title at the U.S. Championships. She was only 12 years old! After that, she was invited to perform in Madison Square Garden.

She made her senior debut in 1971. The U.S. Figure Skating Association arranged for her to be coached by Carlo Fassi. This happened when she started competing internationally.

Becoming a U.S. Champion

Dorothy was the U.S. champion for three years. She won in 1974, 1975, and 1976.

At the 1974 World Championships in Munich, Germany, she was in third place. During her performance, the crowd booed the scores of the skater before her. Dorothy was upset and left the ice for a moment. But she came back and won the silver medal! She finished behind Christine Errath.

In 1975, Dorothy competed with an injured leg. She had a pulled hamstring. Despite this, she won another silver medal at the World Championships. This time, she was behind Dianne de Leeuw.

The 1976 Olympics and World Title

Dorothy was not happy with her performance at the 1976 U.S. Championships. She felt she had not trained enough. Her coach, Carlo Fassi, left to coach another skater. This left Dorothy without a coach just weeks before the Olympics. She started training with Peter Burrows. The USFSA later reunited her with Fassi for the Olympics.

At the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, Dorothy was amazing. She placed second in the first part of the competition. Then, she won both the short and long programs. This earned her the gold medal! She was the last single skater to win the Olympics without a triple jump. After the Olympics, she also won the 1976 World Championships. Then, she decided to become a professional skater.

Hamill's Signature Style

Dorothy Hamill is known for a special skating move. It's a camel spin that changes into a sit spin. This move became known as the "Hamill camel."

Her short, bobbed hairstyle also became very popular. It was called the "short and sassy" look. Her eyeglasses with large frames also started a trend. The media called her "America's sweetheart." Her skating was seen as strong and athletic. People also admired her elegant style.

After her Olympic win, Dorothy became the face of Clairol's Short & Sassy shampoo. Her famous haircut was shown in many ads.

Life After Amateur Skating

Dorothy was a main star in Ice Capades from 1977 to 1984. This was a famous ice show. Later, she and her husband tried to bring Ice Capades back. But they faced financial problems.

In 1993, a national study showed Dorothy was one of the most popular athletes in America. She was tied with fellow Olympian Mary Lou Retton.

Dorothy continued to skate in shows. She had a regular role in "Broadway on Ice." In 2007, she was a special guest in a show with Brian Boitano.

In 2013, Dorothy joined the TV show Dancing with the Stars. She had to leave the show early due to a back injury. In 2017, she was on the Food Network show Chopped. She competed in a cooking challenge.

Personal Life

Dorothy Hamill has written two autobiographies. They are called On and Off the Ice and A Skating Life: My Story. She has been married three times. She has a daughter named Alexandra. Dorothy also mentored Rachael Flatt, who became a U.S. national champion in 2010.

Results

Records and Achievements

Amateur Skating

• Olympic Champion (1976)
• World Champion (1976)
• Three-time United States National Champion (1974–1976)
• Invented the Hamill camel spin

Professional Skating

• World Professional Champion (1983–1987)

Awards and Honors

• Awarded the National Young American Award
• Won a Daytime Emmy Award for "Romeo and Juliet on Ice" (1983)
• Inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame (1991)
• Received the Golden Plate Award (1996)
• Inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame (2000)
• The "Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink" in her hometown is named after her.

See also

In Spanish: Dorothy Hamill para niños