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Felix Kaspar

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Felix Kaspar
World Champion Felix Kaspar together with child prodigy and later European Champion Eva Pawlik ("The Fairy Tale Of The Steady Tin Soldier", Vienna 1937)
Born(1915-01-14)January 14, 1915
DiedDecember 5, 2003(2003-12-05) (aged 88)
Figure skating career
Country Austria
Medal record
Representing  Austria
Men's Figure skating
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Singles
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1937 London Singles
Gold medal – first place 1938 Berlin Singles
Bronze medal – third place 1936 Paris Singles
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1937 Prague Singles
Gold medal – first place 1938 St. Moritz Singles
Silver medal – second place 1935 St. Moritz Singles

Felix Kaspar (January 14, 1915 in Vienna, Austria – December 5, 2003 in Bradenton, Florida, U.S.) was an Austrian figure skater, a twice World champion, and the bronze medalist in 1936.

Kaspar began figure skating at the age of 9. He trained on the artificial ice rink of Eduard Engelmann Jr. Kaspar was renowned for his impressive high jumps.

At the outset of World War II, Kaspar was in Australia, where he met his future wife, June. The couple remained married for 54 years and had one daughter named Cherie. Kaspar spent the entirety of World War II in Australia.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Kaspar taught in Hershey, Pennsylvania. In 1965, he relocated with his family to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and worked as a coach at the figure skating center in Golden Valley within the Twin Cities. Among others, he coached the Japanese skater Emi Watanabe during his time there.

In 1977, he and his family moved to Pasadena, California, where he continued to work as a figure skating coach.

In 1998, Kaspar was admitted to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame. [1]

In 1989, Kaspar and his wife retired to Florida. Felix Kaspar died at the age of 88 while battling Alzheimer's disease.

Results

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International
Event 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938
Winter Olympics 3rd
World Championships 3rd 1st 1st
European Championships 7th 2nd 4th 1st 1st
National
Austrian Championships 1st 1st 1st

See also

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