Scott Hamilton (figure skater) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Scott Hamilton
Scott Hamilton, 2022
Personal information
Country represented	United States
Born	(1958-08-28) August 28, 1958 (age 66) Bowling Green, Ohio, U.S.
Residence	Franklin, Tennessee, U.S.
Height	5 ft 4 in
Former coach	Don Laws, Carlo Fassi, Pierre Brunet
Skating club	Philadelphia SC & HS
Began skating	Age 9
Retired	2009
Medal record Men's figure skating Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 1984 Sarajevo Men's singles World Championships Gold 1981 Hartford Men's singles Gold 1982 Copenhagen Men's singles Gold 1983 Helsinki Men's singles Gold 1984 Ottawa Men's singles

Scott Scovell Hamilton, born on August 28, 1958, is a famous American figure skater. He is an Olympic gold medalist who retired from competitive skating. Scott won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics. He also won four World Championships in a row from 1981 to 1984. On top of that, he won four U.S. championships during the same years.

Scott Hamilton was known for his special move, the backflip. Not many other skaters could do it at the time. This move was against the rules for Olympic competitions. However, he would still do it in his exhibition shows to entertain the crowd. Later, he even used the backflip in his professional routines. People also admired his amazing footwork on the ice. After retiring, Scott has spent time helping others through charity work. He has also written three books.

Scott Hamilton's Early Life and Education

Scott Hamilton was born in Bowling Green, Ohio, on August 28, 1958. He was adopted when he was six weeks old by Dorothy and Ernest S. Hamilton. His father was a biology professor, and his mother was also a professor. Scott grew up in Bowling Green with his older sister, Susan, and younger adopted brother, Steven. He went to Kenwood Elementary School.

When Scott was two years old, he faced a health challenge that stopped him from growing. Doctors did many tests and tried to figure out what was wrong. Years later, it was discovered that a brain tumor he was born with caused his childhood illness. Even with this challenge, Scott became a top skater. At the peak of his amateur career, he weighed about 49 kilograms (108 pounds) and was about 1.59 meters (5 feet 2.5 inches) tall. He eventually grew to be 1.63 meters (5 feet 4 inches) tall.

Starting His Skating Journey

At age 13, Scott began training with Pierre Brunet. Pierre was a former Olympic champion. In 1976, Scott almost had to stop skating because it was too expensive. He even enrolled in college. However, Helen and Frank McLoraine stepped in to help. They provided money so Scott could keep training. Scott later worked with the McLoraines to continue supporting figure skating. Scott attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio. A street in Bowling Green, formerly called First Street, was renamed Scott Hamilton Avenue in his honor.

Scott Hamilton's Skating Career

In 1980, Scott Hamilton placed third in the United States Figure Skating Championships. This earned him a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. At this time, Don Laws was his coach. Scott finished fifth at the 1980 Winter Olympics. He also had the special honor of carrying the American flag during the opening ceremony.

Hamilton's final performance on the Stars on Ice tour

His big moment came at the 1981 U.S. Championships. He skated perfectly, and the audience started a standing ovation before his performance even ended. After that, he never lost another amateur competition. In 1981, he won a gold medal at the World Figure Skating Championships. During his long program, he received very high scores for both his technical skills and artistic performance. He started his long program with a triple Lutz jump, which was his most consistent and difficult jump. He performed a strong program despite a small mistake. He continued to win gold medals in 1982 and 1983 at both the U.S. and World Championships.

Winning Olympic Gold

At the 1984 Olympics, Scott won the compulsory figures part of the competition. He then placed second in the short program. For his long program, he planned five jumps. He completed three of them, but missed a triple flip and a triple Salchow. The judges gave him excellent scores for his technical skill and artistic impression.

Hamilton performs during a Stars on Ice show

Even though Brian Orser won the long program, Scott Hamilton won the gold medal overall. This was because Orser was too far behind in the total scores after the compulsory figures. At that time, compulsory figures made up 30% of the total score. Scott's victory was very important. It ended a 24-year period without a gold medal for U.S. men in Olympic figure skating. Scott did not try the triple Axel jump, which is a harder jump that other skaters in the competition landed. After winning that year's World Championships, he became a professional skater in April 1984.

Life as a Professional Skater

After becoming a professional, Scott Hamilton toured with the Ice Capades for two years. Then, he created his own show called "Scott Hamilton's American Tour." This show was later renamed Stars on Ice. He helped create, produce, and perform in Stars on Ice for 15 years. He retired from the tour in 2001, but he still returns for special guest performances sometimes.

As a professional, Scott often performed his signature backflip. This move was not allowed in competitions governed by the International Skating Union (ISU) until 2024. Scott has received many awards for his skating. In 1988, he was the first solo male figure skater to receive the Jacques Favart Award. In 1990, he was inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.

Scott Hamilton's Personal Life

Family Life

On November 14, 2002, Scott Hamilton married Tracie Robinson, who is a nutritionist. They welcomed their first son in 2004 and a second son in 2008. In 2013, the couple adopted two brothers from Haiti who had lost their parents. The Hamilton family lives in Franklin, Tennessee.

His Faith

Scott Hamilton is a Christian. He has spoken about his faith, saying that a strong relationship with Jesus helps him get through anything. He believes that God guides him through tough times.

Health Challenges

..... He was worried he might not be able to have children after his treatment, but he later became a father to two sons. After his treatment, he returned to skating. His story was shared in magazines and on television.

On November 12, 2004, it was announced that Scott had a benign brain tumor. A benign tumor is one that is not cancerous. It was treated at the Cleveland Clinic. On June 23, 2010, Scott had brain surgery to prevent the tumor from returning. This type of tumor, called craniopharyngioma, could cause blindness if not treated. The surgery was successful. In November 2010, Scott was in the hospital again. During the tumor removal, a small blood vessel in his brain was nicked. The bleeding stopped, but an aneurysm formed days later. An aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel. Scott recovered well from this surgery too. In 2016, Scott announced that he had received his third brain tumor diagnosis. In March 2017, he shared that the tumor had shrunk without chemotherapy.

Charitable Work

Scott Hamilton is very involved in helping others. In 1990, the Make-A-Wish Foundation honored him as their first "Celebrity Wish Granter of the Year." This award recognized his work in helping grant wishes for children with critical illnesses.

He started the Scott Hamilton Cares Foundation to help support cancer patients. He has also volunteered for a long time with the Special Olympics. He currently serves as a Special Olympics Global Ambassador. Scott has also supported St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. He is an honorary board member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

Awards and Recognition

• 1985 – Scott Hamilton received the 1984 Most Courageous Athlete Award from the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association.
• 1993 - The Associated Press conducted a national sports study. Scott Hamilton was ranked as one of the top eight most popular athletes in America. He was ranked higher than many other famous sports stars.
• 1996 - Scott Hamilton received the United States Sports Academy's Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias Courage Award. This award recognized his brave actions in overcoming challenges to succeed in sports.
• 1996 - Scott Hamilton received the Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award.
• 2023 - Scott Hamilton received the Kurt Thomas Foundation Flair Award.
• 2025 - ISU Skating Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award.

Competition Results