Ronald Ludington facts for kids

Ronald Ludington was a famous American figure skater and coach. He was born on September 4, 1934, and passed away on May 14, 2020. With his skating partner, Nancy Rouillard Ludington, he won a bronze medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics. They also earned a bronze medal at the 1959 World Championships. Ronald was a four-time U.S. national champion in pair skating.

Skating Career Highlights

Ronald Ludington achieved great success in his skating career. With his skating partner and wife, Nancy Rouillard Ludington, he won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships four times. These wins happened every year from 1957 to 1960. Before that, they were junior national champions in 1956.

Olympic and World Medals

Ronald and Nancy won bronze medals at two major events. They earned a bronze at the 1959 World Figure Skating Championships. The next year, they won another bronze at the 1960 Winter Olympics. Ronald also won a silver medal in junior ice dance in 1958. He competed with a partner named Judy Ann Lamar.

Coaching Career

After he stopped competing, Ronald Ludington became a figure skating coach. He started coaching in Norwalk, Connecticut.

A Difficult Start

Some of his first students were Patricia and Robert Dineen. Sadly, they died in a plane crash in 1961. This crash killed the entire U.S. figure skating team on their way to the World Championships. Ronald was not on the plane because he and the Dineens did not have enough money for his travel. This was the only World Championships from 1957 until the end of the century that he did not attend. He was either a competitor or a coach at all the others.

Moving to Delaware

Around 1970, Ronald moved to Wilmington, Delaware. He coached at the Skating Club of Wilmington. In 1987, he became the director of the University of Delaware's Ice Skating Science Development Center. He held this important position until 2010.

Famous Skaters He Coached

Ronald Ludington coached many talented skaters. Some of his students went on to win big awards. Here are a few of them:

• Kitty Carruthers and Peter Carruthers: They won a silver medal in pairs at the 1984 Winter Olympics.
• Carol Fox and Richard Dalley: They were ice dancers at the 1984 Olympics.
• Melissa Militano and Johnny Johns: They became U.S. national pair champions.
• Stacey Smith and John Summers: They were three-time U.S. national champion ice dancers.
• Karen Courtland and Todd Reynolds: They won two U.S. National Pair Bronze Medals. They also competed in the 1994 Olympics.

Awards and Recognition

Ronald Ludington was recognized for his amazing contributions to figure skating. He was added to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2002, he joined the Professional Skaters Association Coaches Hall of Fame. He was also honored by the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame in 2000.

Personal Life

In 1957, Ronald Ludington married his skating partner, Nancy Rouillard. He later had a son named Michael. Ronald Ludington passed away on May 14, 2020, at the age of 85.

Results

Pairs

(with Nancy Ludington)

Ice dance

(with Lamar)