The dick button was more than the most skilled man's figure skater. He was one of his largest innovators and promoters in his sports.
The button, the winner of the two Olympics and the five consecutive world championships, died on Thursday, and his son, Edward, did not provide a cause. He was 95 years old.
As an entrepreneur and broadcasting station, the buttons have advertised skating and their athletes, and have turned niche sports into a daily Olympic exhibition.
“Dick was one of the most important people in our sports,” said Scott Hamilton. “There was no skater after Dick, who couldn't help him in some way.”
The influence of the button began after World War II. He was the first US men's champion when his competition returned in 1946 and was the youngest in his country at the age of 16. Two years later, he won the title at the St. Moritz Olympics competing outdoors. He played the first double accelerator in every tournament and became the first American who won the men's event.
“By the way, there was a cheat in the jump,” said the button on the Olympic Committee website. “But I heard, I did it, and that was the count.”
It has begun to control his international skating and American amateur sports. He was the first figure skater to won the honorary Sullivan Award in 1949. Until Michelle Kwan in 2001, other figure skaters did not get it.
In 1952, he, a student at Harvard University, gained the second largest in the Oslo game and made more history with the first triple jump (loop) in competition. Immediately afterwards, he won the fifth world title and gave up his qualification as an amateur. All Olympic sports were subject to amateur/professional departments at the time.
A button, who got a legal degree at Harvard University in 1956, said, “I have achieved everything I dreamed of as a skater.” It was very important for me. “
With the Emmy Award -winning buttons as a TV analyst, viewers have learned not only the basics but also foreign nuances for many people. He has become an ABC's “wide sports world” as much as Jim McKay and unfortunate ski jumper are rolling on the slope.
“Dick button is an administrator of figure skating history and its typical voice,” said Brian Boytano, 1988 Olympic champion Brian Boatano. “He has created the words” Lutz “and” Salsho “in our daily vocabulary. “
After the crash drop of the airplane in 1961, the button that was later canceled after the whole US figure skating team died on the way to the World Championships, and the 1962 event was “Wide,” It was broadcast on “World”. That's when he participated in the network as a commentator.
The button death matched another tragedy in the skating world. An American Airlines flight on Wednesday night collided with the Army helicopter, plunged into the Potomac River outside the Washington DC, and everyone on board died. Two teenage skaters, mothers, and two former world champions, coached at a Boston skate club, were among 14 killed by the skate community.
I skated for the Boston Club and remained near the Boston Club during the rest of his life. The club's trophy room was named in his honor.
He also provided the opportunity for skaters to make money after a fierce career in competition. He held a professional event for many years and attracted many top names in sports, including Hamilton, Tebill, Dean, Christian Maguchi, Catarian Wit, and Catalyan Wits.
The Candid Productions of Button, established in 1959, also created TV programs such as “Battle of the Network Stars”. He also started acting, but the link was his area.
“The Dick button has created an open space for figure skating broadcasting, which is not on -site for topics and moments,” said Johnny Wear, the current NBC Sports Figure Skating Analyst in the US champion. Masu. “He said, even when his opinion was not popular, he said. When I performed for him, his ginger was always in my heart, and I did him. I wanted to be as happy and proud as my coach.
“I think it's a very special thing about commenting on figure skating. As an athlete, we rarely have the opportunity to talk, we rely on television voices for us. I couldn't do it like Mr. button.
