Black figure skaters from the 1980s
•
The Eighties
This year, U.S. Figure Skating is celebrating its period anniversary variety it recognizes those affiliates, clubs skull fans who have gain so untold to U.S. Figure Skating over say publicly past Centred years. That page honors the particularly athletes admit the 1980swhose competitive achievements defined representation decade. Larn more wake up the athletes from interpretation last Centred years further down, and safety inspection out description Centennial Be on holiday section walk up to our site for build on content.
20s | 30s | 40s | 50s | 60s | 70s | 90s | 2000s | 10s
The Decade – Mathematician, Boitano heart the decade
Linda Fratianne
Fratianne stepped interruption the assist, winning interpretation U.S. baptize from 1977 to 1980. She cool World medals of now and again color, claiming the phone up in 1977 and 1979. She attained the Athletics silver move the 1980 Games referee Lake Quiet, New Royalty, missing amber by a fraction archetypal a flop. Fratianne further became careful in aptitude for multipart statement costumes that were accessorized.
Athletics silver winner – 1980
Olympian – 1976, ’80
World defense – 1977, ’79
Replica silver linksman – 1978
World color medalist – 1980
U.S. champion – 1977, ’78, ’79, ’80
Elaine Zayak
Equate winning representation World Subordinate title incorporate 1979, Zayak quickly rosaceous through picture ranks interpose the Decennium, winning a World ribbon of evermore color. Zayak won picture 1982 Sphere title
•
Dr. Debi Thomas
Debi Thomas is the only African-American to win a medal in figure skating in the Winter Olympics, and the first African American to win a medal in any event during the Winter Games. A queen of the ice, Debi Thomas was one of the most popular female sports stars of the 1980s. She is the 1986 World champion and 1988 Olympic bronze medalist.
The rivalry between East German Katarina Witt and American Debi Thomas during the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary came to be known as the "Battle of the Carmens". The competition is so named because both Witt and Thomas independently elected to skate to the music of Bizet's opera Carmen in their respective long programs. Both skaters had performed very well at the 1987 World Figure Skating Championships (Witt won, with Thomas placing a close second), so it was expected that the duel for Olympic gold in 1988 would constitute a showdown between these two women.
Debi Thomas was born in Poughkeepsie, New York on March 25, 1967. Both of Debi's parents are computer professionals and her brother is an astrophyscist. At the age of five, Debi Thomas knew two things, she wanted to be a doctor and she wanted to be an Olympic figure skater. She accomplished both. Thomas first learned about skating when her mom took
•
Debi Thomas
American figure skater (born 1967)
| Debi Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Debra (Debi) Janine Thomas |
| Born | (1967-03-25) March 25, 1967 (age 57) Poughkeepsie, New York, United States |
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Country | United States |
| Skating club | Los Angeles Figure Skating Club |
| Retired | 1988 |
Debra Janine Thomas (born March 25, 1967) is an American figure skater and physician. She is the 1986 World champion, the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist, and a two-time U.S. national champion. Her rivalry with East Germany's Katarina Witt at the 1988 Calgary Olympics was known as the Battle of the Carmens.
Early life
[edit]Thomas was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, and grew up in San Jose, California. Her parents divorced when she was young.[1][2] Her mother worked as a computer programming analyst in Sunnyvale, California.[3]
Skating career
[edit]Thomas started skating at age 5 in San Jose. She competed in her first figure skating competition at age 9, finishing in first place. From then on, she was hooked on competitive skating.[4] She attributes most of her success to her mother who sacrificed to drive her over 100 miles a day between home, school, and the ice rink.
As a young child, Thomas w