Sissy Schwarz

Sissy Schwarz
Personal information
Full name Elisabeth Schwarz
Alternative names Schwarz-Bollenberger
Country represented Austria
Born (1936-05-19) 19 May 1936
Vienna, Austria
Former partner Kurt Oppelt
Medal record
Representing  Austria
Pairs' Figure skating
Olympic Games
1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Pairs
World Championships
1956 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Pairs
1955 Vienna Pairs
1954 Oslo Pairs
European Championships
1956 Paris Pairs
1954 Bolzano Pairs
1953 Davos Pairs

Elisabeth "Sissy" Schwarz (born 19 May 1936)[1] is an Austrian former figure skater who is best known for her career in pair skating. With Kurt Oppelt, she is the 1956 Olympic champion, the 1956 World champion, the 1956 European champion, and a five-time Austrian national champion (1952–56).

Skating career

Single skating

Schwarz competed in single skating for a few years. She took the silver medal at the 1952 Austrian Championships, placed 19th at the 1952 Winter Olympics, and finished ninth at the 1953 European Championships. She never competed at the World Championships as a singles skater.

Pair skating

Her partner in pair skating was Kurt Oppelt. In 1952, they won their first national title and were sent to their first European Championships, where they placed seventh. The pair then competed at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway, where they placed ninth, and at the 1952 World Championships, finishing seventh.

Schwarz/Oppelt stepped onto the European podium for the first time at the 1953 European Championships, where they won the bronze medal, and then placed sixth at the World Championships. In 1954, they became European silver medalists and went on to win their first World medal, bronze, at the 1954 World Championships. They followed it up with silver at the 1955 World Championships, finishing as close runners-up to Canada's Frances Dafoe / Norris Bowden, who took their second World title.

After winning the Austrian national title for the fifth consecutive year, Schwarz/Oppelt became the 1956 European champions. They then competed at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Skating to Banditenstreiche by Franz von Suppé,[2] they won the gold medal ahead of Dafoe/Bowden, who faltered on a lift, causing them to finish after their music ended. The judging panel was split 6 to 3 in favor of Schwarz/Oppelt.[3]

Schwarz/Oppelt went on to win the 1956 World title before retiring from competition. In the summer of 1956, they joined the Wiener Eisrevue and performed in ice shows for three or four years.[4]

Later years

In 1968, she decided to open a skating club in Wiener Neustadt and worked with Rudolf Lang to build a skating rink.[2]

Personal life

Schwarz married a lawyer and became known as Schwarz-Bollenberger.[4] She has three children and lives in Wiener Neustadt.[2]

Results

Pairs with Oppelt

International[1][5]
Event 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956
Winter Olympics 9th 1st
World Championships 7th 6th 3rd 2nd 1st
European Championships 7th 3rd 2nd 1st
National
Austrian Championships 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st

Single skating

International
Event 1952 1953
Winter Olympics 19th
European Championships 9th
National
Austrian Championships 2nd

References

  1. 1 2 "Sissy Schwarz und Kurt Oppelt - zwei Einzelsportler gemeinsam zu Gold" [Sissy Schwarz and Kurt Oppelt] (in German). Österreichisches Olympiamuseum. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Stockmann, Gabi (19 February 2010). "Die Goldene war damals nicht aus Gold" (in German). adaxas.net. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014.
  3. ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/history/1956cortinadampezzo.shtml
  4. 1 2 "Eiskunstlauf-Olympiasieger Oppelt wird 80" [Olympic figure skating champion Oppelt turns 80] (in German). Kurier.at. 16 March 2012. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014.
  5. ↑ "Schwartz and Oppelt competition record". pairsonice.net. Archived from the original on 20 May 2003.
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