Witt, Katarina

Witt, Katarina
born Dec. 3, 1965, Karl-Marx-Stadt, E.Ger.

German figure skater.

She won the first of six European championships in 1983 and went on to win two Olympic gold medals (1984, 1988) and four World Championships (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988). She was popular with audiences, who prized her grace and elegance as much as her technical abilities. She turned professional in 1988.

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▪ German figure skater
born December 3, 1965, Karl-Marx-Stadt, East Germany [now Chemnitz, Germany]

      German figure skater (figure skating) who was the first woman to win consecutive Olympic gold medals (1984 and 1988) in singles figure skating since Sonja Henie (Henie, Sonja) in 1936. The charismatic Witt defined the sport in the 1980s with her flirtatious and graceful performances. She won four world titles (1984–85 and 1987–88) and six European championships (1983–88).

      Witt began skating at age five and soon attracted the attention of East German sports officials, who placed her in the country's special training program. She practiced with Jutta Müller, one of the world's premier figure-skating coaches, who encouraged Witt to express her engaging personality on the ice. In 1981 Witt won her first major competition, capturing the East German national championship, a title she would hold for the next seven years.

      Witt entered the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now in Bosnia and Herzegovina), as a favourite to medal even though she had never won a world title. Coming from behind during her forte, the long program, Witt defeated American Rosalynn Sumners by only 0.1 point to capture the gold. At the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Witt faced the only skater to have defeated her in five years, American Debi Thomas. Both women skated to music from Georges Bizet's opera Carmen in the long program, but Witt's masterly interpretation of the heroine brought a new style of sensual grace and theatre to the ice, and she retained the Olympic title.

      After winning her final world championship in 1988, Witt retired from amateur skating. In 1990 she starred in the television special Carmen on Ice, a performance that garnered her an Emmy Award. In the same year, Witt and Brian Boitano (Boitano, Brian) developed a skating show that toured the United States. She also toured with Stars on Ice and Champions on Ice. A change in Olympic rules allowed Witt to return to the ice at the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway, where she placed seventh. She then returned to her touring schedule and entered many professional competitions. She also worked as a commentator at various national and international skating events.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Witt, Katarina — (n. 3 dic. 1965, Karl Marx Stadt, Alemania Oriental). Patinadora artística alemana. Ganó el primero de sus seis títulos europeos en 1983, y posteriormente obtuvo dos medallas de oro olímpicas (1984 y 1988) y cuatro campeonatos del mundo (1984,… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Katarina Witt — Katarina Witt …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Katarina witt — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Witt. Katarina Witt …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Katarina Witt — (2009) …   Wikipedia Español

  • WITT (K.) — WITT KATARINA (1965 ) Née à Karl Marx Stadt (aujourd’hui Chemnitz), Katarina Witt s’initie au patinage artistique sous la direction de l’entraîneuse est allemande Jutta Muller, qui a déjà formé Gabrielle Seyfert et Anett Poetsch. Championne… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

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  • Katarina Witt — Infobox Figure skater title= Katarina Witt caption= Katarina Witt country= DDR dateofbirth= birth date and age|1965|12|3 residence= height= convert|166|cm|ftin|abbr=on weight= coach= formercoach=Jutta Muller skating club= SC Karl Marx Stadt… …   Wikipedia

  • Katarina Witt — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Witt. Katarina Witt …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Witt — bezeichnet: Witt (Illinois), Stadt im US Bundesstaat Illinois (2732) Witt, Asteroid Witt Weiden (Josef Witt GmbH), Textilherstellungs und Versandunternehmen Museum Witt, weltweit größtes Museum für Nachtfalter in München Witt ist der Familienname …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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