Katarina WITT

Katarina Witt was an enchanting and skilful figure skating champion who dominated her sport for nearly a decade.

Early starter

Katarina Witt started ice skating at the age of five. Her talent soon became obvious, and she gained entry to a special school for children with a talent for sport in Karl-Marx-Stadt. It was here that she met her coach Jutta Müller.

Breakthrough year

Witt’s breakthrough came in 1982 when she finished second at the World Championships in Copenhagen. Her grace and elegance captured everybody’s eye, and from that point forward she began to dominate the sport.

Olympic success

At the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Games, Katarina Witt came through a closely fought contest to win the women's figure skating gold medal.  Four years later, she won an even tighter contest. She actually lost the free skating competition, but earned the gold medal based on her performances in the compulsory figures and the short programme. Witt was the first repeat winner in women's figure skating since Sonja Henie.

Hall of Fame

After enjoying success as an actress, Witt returned to the sport to compete at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Games. She placed seventh but enchanted the crowd despite not winning a medal. In 1995, Witt was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.