Dick Button Death: Daredevil ‘Godfather’ of art skating and Emmy-winning commentator dies at 95

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Dick Button, the two-time Olympic champion who revolutionized art skating and literally took the sport to new heights, died Thursday, US art skating said. He was 95 years old.

The button died hours after a disastrous plane crash killed skaters representing the sport’s past, present and future. The tragedy stirred memories of the 1961 aircraft accident that killed the entire US world figure skating, including many of Button’s peers.

Born Richard Totten Button on July 18, 1929, Daredevil -Athlet defied both gravity and expectations during his career.

At the age of 12, the button got to know He would never be a good skater. So he doubled on his training. And only four years later, 16 years old, he became US Champion.

It was just the beginning of his meteoric climb. Over the next few years, button tried trials on dangerous feats that seemed inevitable at the time, but now is the routine of elite skaters.

By winter -ol in 1948, Button became the first skater to land a double axel jump in competition. The 18-year-old won gold and became the first American Olympic art skating.

He also became the youngest man to ever won Olympic Art Skating – a distinction that remains unmatched more than 70 years later.

Button’s penchant for taking risks included his debut of “Flying Camel” spin. It is a trait where a skater turning on one leg throws himself into the air, lands on the other foot and continues spin, which goes back with both the upper body and the free leg parallel to the ice. The move is sometimes known as button chamel.

After his first Olympic gold enrolled at Harvard University – yet still managed to Win the World’s Art Skating Championship every year he was a student There according to Harvard Crimson.

At the next Olympics, Harvard Senior became the first athlete to land a triple jump of all kinds – a triple loop – on the 1952 matches. He also won the Olympic title.

Hardly a well -known art skating commentator was both admired and feared by skaters, which he criticized.

“No other figurine skater embodies the sport as much as the Dick button. He is and will always be, the godfather of this sport, ”1998 Olympic Master Said Tara LipinskiAccording to the Sports Video group.

“With the help of his Vidd, passion and unfiltered honesty, Dick pulled in ever -increasing television audience, whether they were new viewers or dedicated fans.”

Even the 1984 Olympic champion Scott Hamilton – who himself became a legendary skating commentator – said he always felt the need to prove himself under Button’s waking eye.

“Basically, I spent the last five years of my amateur career doing everything I can to close him,” Said Hamilton with a laughter.

“He was up there not to be a cheerleader, but to be an analyst, and therefore his criticism – to me – was very inspiring and very informative.”

Button’s unique comment led to An Emmy Award from 1981 For excellent sports personality.

He criticized not only the technical elements of skating, but also the artistic side – and skaters he thought came short in both categories.

At the 2018 Olympics, Button described a skater whose connection to the music seemed wrong: “She has the opportunity to smell on the ice, but her ice skating and music mean nothing to each other,” he said. Slate.com.

But another athlete received an interesting praise: “(Satoko) Miyahara does not have worthless arm movement,” BUTTON said.

More than 50 years after his first Olympic gold, Button took the ice again – but fell and suffered a traumatic brain injury.

“What happened was that I must have tried a leap and I fell,” BUTTON remembered in 2003.

“All I know is that the blood came out of my ear. I had a concussion and I lost the hearing in (one) ear. ”

Button said he didn’t even remember his first month of recovery.

“I am told that I should be put in a strait jacket for the first five days because I was so violent, which is a reflection of having really damaged your brain,” he said.

But once again, barely expected expectations. After extensive rehabilitation, he revered how to go and became a national spokesman for the Brain Injury Association of America.

In 2006, Button was back in commentators’ stand for winter -ol in Turin and delivered his refreshing blunt analyzes.

His sense of humor was still intact too. After his life -threatening injury, Button allegedly said, “I’m doing well. I’m here, And I am ruining as usual. ”