Dick Button, 2-Time Olympic Champion, Dies at 95, Less Than 24 Hours After Figure Skating Community Mourns D.C. Plane Crash Deaths
Richard "Dick" Button was the first man to win two Olympic gold medals in figure skating
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Dick Button commentating at the 1988 Calgary OlympicsFigure skating legend Dick Button, a two-time Olympic champion, has died at age 95.
U.S. Figure Skating confirmed Button's passing in an X post on Thursday, Jan. 30.
"U.S. Figure Skating mourns the loss of the legendary Dick Button. The two-time Olympic champion's pioneering style & award-winning commentary revolutionized figure skating. His legacy will live on forever. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones," the post read.
A cause of death was not immediately announced.
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Dick Button at the 1948 Winter Olympics in Saint-MoritzBorn Richard Totten Button in July 1929, Button is widely credited with bringing new levels of athleticism to the sport. He was the first person to land a double Axel in competition at the 1948 Olympics, which he won at age 18. He landed the first triple jump - a triple loop – at the 1952 Olympic Games on his way to winning his second gold medal. He also invented the flying camel spin.
In addition, he won seven consecutive U.S. Championships, five World Championships and also won the European Champions in 1948 (during a brief window when North American skaters were allowed in the event).
After retiring from the sport, he became known as the "voice of figure skating," serving as a commentator between 1960 and 2010 for ABC Sports and later NBC Sports. He is best known for his longtime pairing with 1968 Olympic champion Peggy Fleming and broadcaster Terry Gannon.
At the 2006 Olympics, he earned a new generation of fans for his Q&A segment called "Push Dick's Button," which would also become the name of his 2013 biography.
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Dick Button practicing at the 1952 Olympics in Oslo, NorwayIn 1981, he won the Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality.
Button also founded the World Professional Figure Skating Championships, a televised competition for skaters who no longer competed in the eligible ranks.
His death comes one day after several U.S. figure skaters were killed in a plane crash in Washington D.C., including six members affiliated with his home club, the Skating Club of Boston. All 64 passengers aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 were killed.
Button is survived by his longtime partner Dennis Grimaldi, and his children Emily and Edward with skater Slavka Kohout.
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