Hamill, Dorothy (1956-…), is a champion American figure skater. In 1976, Hamill won the gold medal in women’s singles figure skating at the Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria. Soon after her Olympics victory, Hamill won the World Championship women’s singles title in Göteborg, Sweden. Hamill’s grace as a skater and her warm personality made her one of the most popular American athletes of her time. She became especially known for a distinctive short hairstyle that was widely imitated by girls and young women.
Dorothy Stuart Hamill was born in Chicago on July 26, 1956. She grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut. She began skating at the age of 8. Hamill’s first national success came in 1969, when she won the novice women’s title at the United States Championships at the age of 12. A novice is a beginner. Hamill was U.S. champion from 1974 through 1976.
Hamill made her breakthrough in international figure skating in 1974 when she won the silver medal in women’s singles competition at the World Championships in Munich, Germany. She won the silver medal again in 1975 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Hamill turned professional in 1976, starring in the Ice Capades touring ice show from 1977 to 1984. She has also produced and starred in her own traveling ice shows.
Hamill became active in several charities, including the American Cancer Society, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and the International Special Olympics. She has written two autobiographies, On and Off the Ice (1983) and A Skating Life: My Story (2007).
See also Ice skating.
