Squaw Valley, February 1960: American Carol HEISS, 1st, in action in the individual figure skating event during the VIII Olympic Winter Games. Credit: IOC Olympic Museum CollectionsBorn: 20 January 1940
Birthplace: New York (United States)
Nationality: United States
Sport: Skating
ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956
Squaw Valley 1960
AWARDS
Olympic medals:
Gold: 1
Silver: 1
Other results:
World Championships
Gold: 5 (56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
Silver: 1 (55)
Honouring Her Mother With Gold
In 1956, 16-year-old Carol Heiss traveled to the Cortina Olympics with her mother, who was dying of cancer. She gained a silver medal and then, two weeks later, she defeated Tenley Albright for the first time to win the world championship in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
In October her mother died, but Carol Heiss took a vow to win an Olympic gold medal in her honour. This she did with extraordinary ease in 1960, earning the first-place votes of all nine judges. After the Olympics, Heiss attempted a Hollywood career, but lost interest after making one film : "Snow White and the Three Stooges".
