Gillis Grafström facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gillis Grafström
Gillis Grafström in 1924
Personal information
Full name	Gillis Emanuel Grafström
Born	(1893-06-07)7 June 1893 Stockholm, Sweden
Died	14 April 1938(1938-04-14) (aged 44) Potsdam, Germany
Medal record Men's Figure skating Representing  Sweden Olympic Games Gold 1920 Antwerp Men's singles Gold 1924 Chamonix Men's singles Gold 1928 St. Moritz Men's singles Silver 1932 Lake Placid Men's singles World Championships Gold 1922 Stockholm Men's singles Gold 1924 Stockholm Men's singles Gold 1929 London Men's singles

Gillis Emanuel Grafström (born June 7, 1893 – died April 14, 1938) was an amazing figure skater from Sweden. He was born in Stockholm. Gillis is famous for winning many big competitions.

He won three gold medals in a row at the Olympic Games for men's figure skating. These wins were in 1920, 1924, and 1928. He also won a silver medal in 1932. On top of that, he won three World Championships in 1922, 1924, and 1929.

Gillis Grafström and Eddie Eagan are the only athletes ever to win a gold medal at both the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympic Games. Gillis is also the only person to win an individual gold medal in both the Summer (1920) and Winter Olympics (1924, 1928).

Life and Career

Gillis Grafström competed in the World Championships in 1914. This was the last big competition before World War I. After the war, he became a huge star in figure skating.

Olympic Success

Grafström won the Olympic gold medal three times in a row. He won in 1920, 1924, and 1928. He then won a silver medal at the 1932 Winter Olympics. This makes him the most successful male figure skater in Olympic history. Only Sonja Henie and Irina Rodnina have also won three Olympic gold medals in figure skating.

He also won three World Championships. He competed in these championships in 1922, 1924, and 1929. He didn't compete very often between the Olympic Games.

Challenges and Triumphs

At his first Olympics in Antwerp in 1920, something unexpected happened. One of his skates broke! He had to quickly go into town to buy a new pair. The only skates he could find had curly toes. Even with this problem, he still managed to win the gold medal.

At his last Olympics in 1932 in Lake Placid, he faced another challenge. He accidentally crashed into a photographer on the ice. Despite this collision, he still managed to win the silver medal. Later, he even coached the famous Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie.

Skating Style and Inventions

Gillis Grafström was known for being one of the best skaters in compulsory figures. These are specific patterns skaters must trace on the ice. He also invented two special moves. One was the Grafström-pirouette, a spin done on the back outside edge of the blade. The other was the flying sit spin.

He was very graceful and elegant on the ice. People loved how he used music in his performances.

Life Outside Skating

From 1925 until he passed away, Gillis lived in Potsdam, Germany. He would practice skating on the frozen Bornstedter See (Bornstedt Lake). If the lake wasn't frozen, he trained at an indoor rink in Berlin.

Gillis also studied architecture at the Technical University of Berlin. He later worked as an architect. He loved collecting art about skating, including drawings, paintings, and sculptures. His wife, Cecilie Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, continued this collection after he died. Today, this amazing collection is at the World Figure Skating Museum in Colorado Springs, USA. Gillis was also a writer and an etcher.

Later Life and Legacy

Gillis Grafström passed away in 1938 in Potsdam, Germany. He was 44 years old.

Today, there is a street in Potsdam named after him. In 1976, he was honored by being added to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame. He also won the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1929, sharing it with Sven Utterström.

Results

See also

In Spanish: Gillis Grafström para niños