Denise Biellmann
| Denise Biellmann | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Biellmann (center) in November 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented |
 Switzerland | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
December 11, 1962 Zurich, Switzerland | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach |
Heidi Biellmann (mother)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1981 (age 18) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Denise Biellmann (born December 11, 1962) is a Swiss professional figure skater. She was the European and World Champion in 1981 and won the Swiss Championships three times.
Career
Amateur career
Born in Zurich, Biellmann won her first international championship in Belgium at age eight, and at eleven, she won the Swiss junior figure skating championships.[2] At 14, she competed at the 1977 European Championships and placed second in the free skating portion of the competition.
At the age of 15, she was the first female skater to land the triple lutz in competition, which she performed for the first time at the 1978 European Championships.[3] At the same event, she became the first woman to receive a 6.0 in technical merit, receiving the score from British judge Pauline Borrajo.[3] She was 12th in figures, first in the free skate, and finished fourth overall.[3]
At the 1980 Winter Olympics, she performed poorly in compulsory figures, but she won the free skating event and placed fourth overall.
The Biellmann spin was named after her, although she did not invent the spin but popularized it. It was present in skating at least since the 1965 European Championships when Tamara Moskvina performed it. It remains the only figure skating spin to be officially named after a person in ISU regulations. Nevertheless, by the end of her ISU career, the spin was causing her back pain.[3]
Biellmann retired from amateur competition at age 18, shortly after her win at the 1981 World Championships.
Professional career
Biellmann remains involved in the international figure skating community as a participant in both professional shows and competitions.
She participated in Pro7 Season 1, partnered with television presenter Pierre Geisensetter, and in Season 2, partnered with actor Patrick Bach.
She participated in the Eurovision Dance Contest 2007 representing Switzerland with partner Sven Ninnemann.
Competitive highlights
| Event | 1972–73 | 1973–74 | 1974–75 | 1975–76 | 1976–77 | 1977–78 | 1978–79 | 1979–80 | 1980–81 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games | 4th | ||||||||
| World Championships | 15th | 10th | 5th | 5th | 6th | 1st | |||
| European Championships | 6th | 4th | 3rd | WD | 1st | ||||
| Swiss Championships | 5th J. | 1st J. | 11th | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| NHK Trophy | 1st | ||||||||
| Richmond Trophy | 3rd |
- J = Junior level; WD = Withdrew
References
- ↑ http://www.members.shaw.ca/ingridg2/history.html
- ↑ http://www.denisebiellmann.com/dbi.html Denise Biellmann website
- 1 2 3 4 Stevenson, Alexandra (2011). "2011 European Championships Preview". IceSkatingIntnl.com. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Denise Biellmann. |
- Official website (German) (English)
- Denise Biellmann at Sports Reference
- YouTube video - 1980 Winter Olympics
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Cornelia Bürki |
Swiss Sportswoman of the Year 1979 |
Succeeded by Ruth Keller |
| Preceded by Ruth Keller |
Swiss Sportswoman of the Year 1981 |
Succeeded by Erika Hess |