Herma PLANCK-SZABO

The dominant female figure skater of the 1920s, Herma Planck-Szabo won five world titles (1922-1926) as well as the 1924 Olympic Games. Together with Ludwig Wrede, she also competed in pair skating, and won the 1925 and 1927 world title. She learned to skate on the ice rink of Eduard Engelmann, her uncle, who constructed the first outdoor artificial ice rink. The first female figure skater to compete with a short skirt, rather than ankle-length skirts worn by other skaters, Planck-Szabo competed in Chamonix together with her cousin, Helene Engelmann. Her reign as the world's best figure skater ended controversially in 1927, at the World Championships in Oslo. Pitted against Norwegian talent Sonja Henie, the Austrian led comfortably after the compulsory figures, yet was overtaken in the free skating. Three of the five judges ranked Henie in first place - all of them Norwegians. Planck-Szabo withdrew from the sport after this - in her eyes - unfair treatment.