FIGURE SKATING
Sonja Henie (1912 – 1969)
Sonja Henie (aged 57 plane crash) was a prolific figure skater and film star and one of the most successful women in the world in her time. A three-time Olympic champion (1928, 1932, 1936) in women’s singles, a x10 World champion (1927–1936) and x6 European champion (1931–1936). In 1938, at age 25, the youngest person to be made a knight first class of The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. Henie has won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies’ figure skater, her six European titles has only been matched by Katarina Witt. Henie at age 10 in 1923 won her first major figure skating competition, the senior Norwegian championships. Age 11 she placed eighth in a field of eight at the 1924 Winter Olympics. In 1927 age 14 Henie won the first World Figure Skating Championships Henie went on to win first of her three Olympic gold medals the following year, becoming one of the youngest figure skating Olympic champions. She defended her Olympic titles in 1932 and in 1936, and her annual world titles until 1936. In Hollywood she starred in a series of box-office hits, including Thin Ice (1937), Happy Landing, My Lucky Star (1938), Second Fiddle (1939) and Sun Valley Serenade (1941). Her first film, One in a Million (1936) and skating in her films such as Second Fiddle (1939), Sun Valley Serenade (1941) with Glenn Miller, John Payne her movies grossed over $100 million.
Happy Landing (1938) was her biggest box office hit. 1938- 1943 Henie produced the touring ice show “Hollywood Ice Revue” including a lavish theatrical musical ice skating shows which sold millions of tickets at Rockefeller Center’s Center Theatre. 1950 “Sonja Henie Ice Revue, 1953, European Holiday On Ice tour, was a great success followed by her shows at the Roxy Theatre in New York in1956. Before passing, in a plane flying from Paris to Oslo, Henie was planning a television comeback which would have aired in 1970 dancing to “Lara’s Theme” from Doctor Zhivago.1976 Inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame1982. Inducted into the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Sonja was skating for all! …w2
Copyright: Willis Whiteside 2023 All Rights Reserved.
REFERENCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonja_Henie