Beatrix SCHUBA

Trixi Schuba started skating at the age of four. Her parents owned a wood business in Vienna, but at the age of 11, she lost her father and helped her mother early on with the business. She also continued her studies in accounting in the afternoon, while she did her skating training in the morning. Schuba was Austrian champion in ladies’ figure skating from 1967-72. At the European Championships, she won the bronze medal in 1968 and 1969, the silver medal in 1970, and in 1971 and in 1972, after the retirement of Gabriele Seyfert, Schuba became European Champion. At World Championships, Schuba was runner-up in 1969-70 behind Seyfert, but won the title in 1971 and 1972. Schuba was very strong in compulsory figures, which figured highly in the final result at that time, but was a relatively weak free skater.

After her Olympic victory in 1972, Schuba left amateur competition prior to the introduction of the short program, which would have reduced her podium chances, joining the American ice shows Ice Follies and Holiday on Ice for the next six years. After the end of her professional career in 1979, Schuba worked for the Vienna Insurance Group attending to diplomats and employees of the United Nations in Vienna. In 1996, she received the Golden Medal for Services to the Republic of Austria. From 2002-06 she was president of the Austrian Figure Skating Association and from 2004-09 was a member of the Austrian Olympic Committee. She also worked as an Olympic ambassador for the city of Salzburg’s unsuccessful bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Since 2010 Schuba has been vice-president of the Graz Skating Association and one of the organizers of the IceChallenge, Europe's major skating event.