By James R. Hines

by James R. Hines n act of nature, the eruption of Vesuvius, the vol- called the International style, developed, the style ul- Acano in Campania on the Gulf of Naples, caused timately adopted by the International Skating Union.3 severe damage, leading the Italians, scheduled to host By the end of the nineteenth century, the rigid English the fourth holding of the modern Olympic Games, to style, characteristic of the Victorian era generally, was announce that for financial reasons associated with rapidly becoming passe. the costs of rebuilding they would be unable to host Skating in the British Isles through most of the the Games scheduled for Rome in 1908.1 Thus, an nineteenth century was primarily a sport for men, eleventh-hour decision was made to move the Games especially the nobility, the aristocracy, and the of the fourth Olympiad to London. Summer Games clergy. It was a recreational activity, one that was were not held in Italy until 1960, although the Winter purposely noncompetitive. By the 1870s, howev- Games were held in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956. er, women in England and elsewhere were skat- Moving the Games to London had an unexpect- ing in increasingly large numbers, and during the ed but direct effect on the development of winter 1890s, couple skating became exceedingly popular Olympic sports. It resulted in the inclusion of figure throughout the skating world. skating sixteen years before the first Winter Games As early as 1879, the National Skating Association were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. Figure skat- (NSA) in England called for an international governing, the only winter sport contested before World War ing organization for skating.4 Thirteen years later, I, was possible in London owing to the availability of in July 1892, the Nederlandsche Schaatsenrijders Bond indoor artificial ice. Presumably, such facilities were hosted the first ISU Congress, held at Scheveningen, 5 not available in Stockholm four years later. When the the Netherlands. Five countries participated; three 6 Games resumed following the war, at Antwerp in others sent letters of interest. The result was the 1920, artificial ice was available. Figure skating was formation of the Internationale Eislauf-Vereingung, again contested, and ice hockey was added. the oldest extant international organization for a London was an appropriate place for figure skat- winter sport. Its translation, the International Skating ing to become an Olympic sport because England was Union (ISU) has been employed since English was 7 the birthplace of figure skating.2 The United Kingdom adopted as the official language in 1947. can boast of publishing the first book on figure-skat- The first World Championship was held in ing, forming the first skating club, and establishing St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1896. Gilbert FUCHS of the first national governing body for the sport. But Germany, one of just four competitors, became 8 the style of skating developed there during the nine- the World Champion. No British skater competed teenth century, called the English style, was unlike in St. Petersburg, but two years later, in 1898, the that practiced on the Continent, in Scandinavia, or in North America, and it was in those countries that the Annie Hübler and Dr. Heinrich Burger (I.) and Madge and Edgar Syers (from: British Olympic Council, The Fourth sport as we know it today evolved. On the Continent, Olympiad Being the Official Report. The Olympic Games of especially in Vienna, a style of skating, soon to be 1908, London 1909, plates after p. 287) 12 JOURNAL OF OLYMPIC HISTORY 14(AUGUST 2006)NUMBER 2 Championship was held in London, and for the tion among skaters as well as officers and members first time a British skater, H. Charles Holt, compet- of the London Skating Club and the NSA soon after the ed and British judges officiated.9 British Olympic Association (BOA) accepted the offer One would presume that Great Britain's long to host the Games of 1908 in London. tradition of non-competitive English-style skating That offer came during the 1906 Games in Athens affected its skaters interest in and ability to compete following the announcement by Eugenio Brunetta successfully in the International style, but attitudes D'USSEAUX, the Italian member of the International were changing. By the early 1890s, British skaters Olympic Committee (IOC), that Italy would be un- were arguing the benefits of the International style, able to host the Games in 1908.17 Lord William and there were many converts. Among the most in- DESBOROUGH, the British member of the IOC and a fluential were two major writers on the sport, Edgar competitor in the épée team event, was immediately SYERS and Herbert YGLESIAS, both of whom were ac- approached regarding any interest England might tive members of the London Skating Club. Within a have in hosting the Games. King Edward VII, also in relatively short period of time, British skaters were attendance at the Games, was consulted, and his sup- practicing, and competing in the International style. port seemed probable. Upon returning to London, Some diehard English-style skaters made their dis- DESBOROUGH placed the proposal before the BOA, gust known, but they were in the minority.10 which then consulted with and received positive re- International competitions under ISU rules in- sponses from the governing bodies of various sports cluded two events, compulsory figures, commonly practiced in England. On November 19, 1906, seven called "school figures," and free skating.11 Greater months after the proposal had been made in Athens, emphasis was placed on compulsory figures, which the BOA sent a letter of acceptance to the IOC and counted sixty percent of the total score. Initially, appointed the British Olympic Council (BOC) to plan there was only one discipline, singles skating for for and manage the Games in London. men. No rule precluded women from competing, Minutes of a meeting of the BOC held on as it was beyond comprehension that a woman December 20,1906, just a month after its formation, would consider participating in a man's sport. But report that "a discussion took place regarding the pos- in 1902, Madge SYERS of Great Britain had the au- sibility of holding Olympic Skating Competitions in the dacity to enter the World Championship held that winter of 1907-8." It is the first mention of including year in London. She placed second to the legendary figure skating as an Olympic sport. One would sus- Ulrich SALCHOW of Sweden.12 pect that the genesis for the idea came from skat- Women in competition was a major topic of dis- ers who were competing internationally and that cussion at the biennial ISU Congress, held the fol- it would have been promoted by their established lowing year in Budapest, but because the subject organizations, specifically the London Skating Club had not been included on the agenda, no gender- locally and the NSA nationally, but that may have specific legislation could be enacted. Continuing happened only indirectly. her one-lady crusade, SYERS entered the European William Hayes FISHER (later Lord DOWNHAM), a Championship in 1904 but withdrew after the member of the BOC, was also the President of the compulsory figures owing to injury. At its next NSA. The first mention of Olympic skating in NSA Congress, held in Copenhagen in 1905, the ISU, minutes appears in a meeting of its Figure Skating under pressure from the NSA, established a sepa- Committee held on March 21,1907, a full three months rate championship for ladies. Becoming the World after it was discussed at the BOC meeting. Chaired by Champion, however, remained in the domain of Henry Eugene VANDERVELL, the "father of English fig- men as it does today.13 ure skating," a discussion took place regarding "the SYERS became in 1906 the first Lady World Figure suggestion of holding Figure Skating Meetings in connec- Skating Champion, and she repeated the following tion with the Olympic Games to be held in London during year.14 Her success must be viewed as an anomaly. the summer of 1908." Support in the resulting motion Only two other British ladies competed during the was worded cautiously: "The figure Departmental first six years of competition, and both placed last.15 Committee were in favor of holding figure Skating During that same six-year period, just three British Meetings in connection with the Olympic Games if such men competed in the World Championships, and Meetings could be arranged" Four days later, March they too placed last.16 Other than SYERS, British skat- 25, at an NSA Council meeting, FISHER stated that the ers, neither men nor women, had medal winning "committee of the Olympic Games which are to take place success in International competition prior to the in London next year were anxious that skating should be Olympic year and for several years thereafter, but en- included in them." A resolution adopted unanimously thusiasm among them existed in abundance. It seems required that "a small committee be appointed to co-op- probable that the possibility of including figure skat- erate with the British Olympic Games Committee in pro- ing as an Olympic sport was a hot topic of conversa- moting an International Skating Competition." FISHER JOURNAL OF OLYMPIC HISTORY 14(AUGUST 2006)NUMBER 2 13 was undoubtedly encouraged by others to champion the cause of including skating events at the London Games, but from the earliest BOC planning sessions, he appears to have been the primary protagonist. The term "skating," not "figure skating," is used consistently except in the minutes of the Figure Skating Committee. The NSA was established in 1879 specifically to regulate speed skating.

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