Dick Button, 2-time Olympic champion, dies at 95, less than 24 hours after art skating

Figure skating legend Dick button, a two-time Olympic champion, has died at the age of 95.

American art skating confirmed the button passing in a X Post Thursday, January 30th.

“The US Art Skating takes care of the loss of the legendary dick button. The two-time Olympic Master’s groundbreaking style and award-winning comment revolutionized art skating. His heritage will live forever. We expand our deepest condolance to his family and dear,” The post read.

A cause of death was not immediately announced.

Born Richard Totten Button in July 1929, Button is widely credited to bring new levels of athletics to the sport. He was the first person to land a double axel in competition at the 1948 Olympics, which he won at the age of 18. He landed the first triple jump – a triple loop – at the 1952 Olympic Games on his way to win his Other gold medal. He also invented the flying camel spin.

In addition, he won seven consecutive US championships, five world championships, and also won European champions in 1948 (under a short window in which North American skaters were allowed in case).

After retiring from the sport, he became known as “Voice of Fount Skating”, which served as a commentator between 1960 and 2010 for ABC Sports and later NBC Sports. He is best known for his long -standing mating with the Olympic champion in 1968 Peggy Fleming and TV company Terry Gannon.

At the 2006 Olympics, he earned a new generation of fans for his question about questions and answers called “Push Dick’s Button”, which would also be the name of his 2013 biography.

In 1981 he won Emmy for excellent sports personality.

Button also founded the World Professional Figure Skating Championships, a television competition on skaters that no longer competed in the eligible ranks.

His death comes one day after several American figure cunters were killed in a plane crash in Washington DC, including six members affiliated with his home club, Skating Club of Boston. All 64 passengers aboard the American Airlines Flight 5342 were killed.

The button is survived by his long -time partner Dennis Grimaldi, and his children Emily and Edward with Skater Slavka Kohout.