Dorothy Hamil 1976 Worlds Short Program

[zamusicza]

If I ever have a baby boy I'm going to name him Chalmers....anyway bring back this type of skating...and compulsories. I'm so sick of it just being about jumps and setting up for the jumps. Can't remember the last time I saw a clean program.

[huntingking17]

I was so lucky as a fifth grader. My girlfriend was an eighth grader and she looked just like Dorothy Hamill.

[shalom968]

It's amazing how far this sport has come. Back then you could win Worlds with just doubles. Now kids have to waste their entire childhood to practicing too many hours, just to make it to the Olympics where the field is flooded with other athletes who have done the same thing.

[Jembeth1]

Great skater!

[mlc2005]

How was Dorothy able to get away with her seemingly low technical content. I mean, Janet Lynn came before her and was doing harder combos and moves, and I read that Hamill was the last Olympic/world champ never to do even a single triple.

I admire her talent, but she could have pushed the sport further a bit more than she did. She didn't advance it like some of the other legends.

[grafgirl27]

@mlc2005 she didnt have too. She had very weak competition with people like Diane DeLeeuw and Christine Errath as her main rivals. 74-80 was a giant hole with almost no talented skaters except for Hamill, and a young Voderezova and Biellmann.

[faeryquene]

@mlc2005 Apparently the other women (and the men also) weren't doing much more than doubles. John Curry did no triples in his gold medal winning Olympic FS in 1976. And the SP for the women one of the requirements was just a single axel! Dorothy just happened to be the best overall of her time at the Olympics.

[mlc2005]

@faeryquene: John Curry did not do triples in his gold medal free skate??? Go back and watch it. He did a triple toe, triple loop, and a triple salchow.

[firmingitup]

Is there anyone in the world cuter than Dorothy Hamill?

[dsfddsgh]

How annoying was it for skaters to be interviewed right after they skated in the k&c? I'm glad they ended that practice.

[lolabrigida4u]

You'll never see a layback spin last that long in this day and age. That's what's so sad about today's skating!

Dorothy's spins were amazing, fast, and centered. Gus Lussi, her spin coach knew his stuff.

[utubuser10]

her mercurial nature reminds me a bit of present day darling, mirai nagasu.

[benedictcy]

Dorothy is a light of sunshine i wasnt even borne when she won the gold but i have

wached her for all the time that i have been around she takes my breath away everytime i see her do a spin. She make it look so easy : )

[snoops71]

I was a big fan of Dorothy in those days. She was the only reason I watched the Olympics that year. She was adorable, and her haircut was hugely popular.

[rickram1961]

Simply "Brilliant"!

[flarbton]

she was a cute lady, but as a skater had all the grace of a camel.

[rearendlover]

@flarbton Camel Hammil

[brabon1]

poll question

who is more irritating...dick buttons or scott hamilton?

[AllanRasco]

you.

[HattieLovesCattie]

Scott.I met him in 1980 when he was not famous,he was very friendly.I met him again in the early 1990's at the Sun Valley lodge.He was alone,I was the only person asking politely for an autograph.He was rude and gave me a glare.

[koolaidnhemlock]

@brabon1

scott for sure. he screams every time someone jumps

[normthedoorman]

You can call for figures to be brought back in the hope that it will change the level of artistic skating, but it is still up to the individual coaches to TEACH and demand great edge work from their skaters. I took lessons for a while from the Makarovs whose daughter Knesia just finished in 10th place. They were brutal about edges and it shows in their students skating.

[brabon1]

ok....maybe you know

why did the makarovs choose to have ksenia skate for russia

[123pumpupjam]

No ones plays Korngold any more! Why? He was one of the Golden Age of Hollywood greatest music scorers. He also wrote opera, but his music is in Films with Errol Flynn. The Sea Hawk, Robin Hood, all such great films. Dorothy danced to his music in 76, and WON GOLD!

[mca1218]

Amazingly, Ms. Hamill used to say in interviews that when she began competing, her main onus was finding a style that would distinguish her from the more refined Peggy Fleming, because she would never look like Fleming- as if Peggy were the prettier, more popular sister. Can you imagine? And here, at 19, with her natural sweetness, sporty haircut, charming nearsightedness and killer figure, she makes us fall in love with her all on her own merit. As Dick Button would say, "good girl."

[PLISKEN12]

babe a licious !

[TheFigrsk8er]

oh my goodness, the rules back then were no where NEAR as strict as they are in today's figure skating world! only a single axel required at Worlds? wow, i wish that was like this now. But it's obviously because they didn't have the most progressed figure skates back then.

[malfada22]

Back then they may have only to complete a single axel but there edging was so much more beautiful than the skaters today who are not required to do school figures. Also, watch Ms. Hamill's spins, she does not travel. The skaters today are all over the place but then we do not have Mr. Lussi to train them.

[npe1]

Oh how true malfada22. Is it not just so typical of a younger skater like TheFigrs8er to make a comment based solely on what jumps a skater does? The skaters of today have no edges or finesse compared to the skaters of yesteryear. I think they should rename the sport "Ice Jumping", because that is all it is. I never thought I would say the following: BRING BACK FIGURES!

[libralady1010]

What we're seeing is a generation now that never had to control edging with School Figures. Now it's all jump,jump,jump,...oh and the requisite catch foot! Boring. Everyone does the same thing. The only thing that's different might be-MIGHT BE-the selection of music.

[bd001217]

It was impossible not to fall in love with this girl. Dorothy is amazing.

[axron27]

The nice thing about American sweethearts of the past like Dorothy, is those of us who were enchanted by her didn't have to be disappointed by the exploitive follow up nude photo shoots. Since then such romance has been spoiled by the pornographer's lens and the childish Gen X mentality. America's sweethearts were true sweethearts. Where have the good girls gone? I hope Dorothy recovers from her cancer.

[axron27]

I was about 13 when I first saw Dorothy win the gold medal. Being a red blooded boy I really had no interest in figure skating, still don't, I was more into hockey but the US teams performance was disappointing. Regardless, I happened to be tuning in at the time. as she squinted at her score after her performance, I was smitten. She resembled a girl that I knew from school who up to till then I hardly noticed. At that point I was madly in love with both of them. It was a magical time in my life.

[suziestew]

....I remember this night...

sitting in front of my tv at my grandmothers...

and, my aunt photographed her on her return to the states in Greenwich, CT the parade after to olympics....

and my idol...

dorothy....

xxx

[GeminiNightOwl]

I agree gyro - classy, brillant athlete and adorable! Represented us with class...

[pocketnunu]

Whoa. Is it my imagination or is she really moving fast? What a great, great skater!

[gyro62]

I had such a crush on her back in the day. She still looks fantastic ! Legendary skater,Classy lady,doesn't get any better.

[dvdneely]

lovely! the layback is more and more of a lost art these days. Dorothy will always be a true legend of the ice!

[Aldobrandini]

That really was possibly the best-ever layback. Dorothy did some good ones, but this one takes first-prize. It really is a lost art. As I've said before, a first-rate layback like this one here is worth any triple jump. They're so difficult, though -- no wonder nobody bothers anymore. (Check out Peggy's at the '68 Nationals, too -- excellent.)

[abharo11]

@Aldobrandini, Ohhh i watched Peggy's, and she was exellent as well! soo amazing both girlsss

[snofagun1814]

whoa that layback is the best i've ever seen... ever! holy back position

[lukezclay]

It's very very good, you're right. You might also check out Tonia Kwiatkowski and Angela Nikodinov. And if you're interested in seeing an arch in the back, check out Lucinda Ruh.

[barkingtree88]

There is nowadays, but back in the 70's they didn't even know what a "thong" was... unless it was for sandals.

[dvdneely]

Beautiful layback!  Go Dorothy!

[NikkiTheCritic]

wow! those marks are sooooooo high!

i might get a coach that used to coach dorothy hamill. but he isnt this guy that was on camera, another dude back in the way early days.

[barkingtree88]

You might be mixing up names... both Gus Lussi and Carlo Fassi have since passed away.

[NikkiTheCritic]

yeah i know my coach is VEEEEERRRRRYY. old. very.

[kitkat42680643]

LOL :)

[firmingitup]

Wow, back in those days, there was no "kiss and cry" area, no time to absorb what happened during the performance. It was just right from the ice into the camera and a microphone shoved in your face.

[barkingtree88]

Hahahah... Awkward interview at 4:00.

[miloandtock1]

All world class skaters of today need to watch this - this is absolutely lovely and so well put together and wonderfully delivered. The layback is a 6.0 a million times over and the top girls today are nowhere close. The position of her spins - gosh I love her back in the sitspins, no one today is that good. Excellent footwork sequence, nice height on double axel and flying sitspin too. Dorothy - you are truly a classic.

Thanks northtexasdude for posting this! :-)

[iviewer855]

Amen...

[outofdebt4ever]

wow...she was my first boyhood crush...I still want her

[visceraltuning]

This Original Program is great.

Too bad her freeskating was so boring in 1976. I liked it so much better in 1974.

[DanielRidener]

Dorothy was and is so beautiful and talented. I've been in love with her for 32 years. She made her mark at Innsbruck in '76 and is still the epitome of class. I understand she has been diagnosed with breast cancer recently. Pray for her recovery. She is America's sweetheart.

[rickram1961]

By far one of the best figure skaters in Ladies US & World Ladies Figure Skating History.

[kamwrites]

See, she has what skaters lack today. Poise.

[lukezclay]

Hmm... Not sure I agree. I think many young skaters today have poise. Kimmie, for sure. Some almost have too much poise for their age. They're like little adults at 12.

[metsdudenj]

Kimmie is a has been who had one lucky competition, nothing like Dorothy

[k9henrydog]

Gosh, I must be the first to see this! Terrific......