Two-time Olympic champion Richard “Dick” Button, whose innovative style and acclaimed television commentary transformed figure skating, passed away on Jan. 30 in North Salem, N.Y., at the age of 95.
Born Richard Totten Button on July 18, 1929, in Englewood, New Jersey, he was inducted into the inaugural classes of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame and the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1976, as well as the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983.
Renowned as “The Voice of Figure Skating” from 1960 to 2010, Button was honored by the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2015. During his tenure with ABC, his sharp analysis and candid commentary earned him the first-ever Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality in 1981.
A dominant competitor, Button won back-to-back Olympic gold medals (1948, 1952), five consecutive World titles (1948–52), three North American titles (1947, 1949, 1951), seven U.S. national titles (1947–52), and a rare European Championship (1948), making him the only man to hold all these titles simultaneously. After he and Canadian Barbara Ann Scott triumphed at the European Championships in Prague, North Americans were excluded from future competitions.
His only career loss came at the 1947 World Championships, where he placed second behind Switzerland’s Hans Gerschwiler. His coach, Gustave Lussi, criticized the judges for failing to properly score Button’s groundbreaking jumps.
Button was a trailblazer in technical innovation, becoming the first skater to land a double Axel in competition (1948 Olympics, St. Moritz) and the first to land a triple jump (loop) in competition (1952 Olympics, Oslo). He also introduced the “Button camel,” now known as the flying camel spin.
A dedicated student, Button attended Harvard University while competing internationally, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1952 before graduating from Harvard Law School in 1956. After retiring from amateur skating in 1952, he performed professionally with Ice Capades and Holiday on Ice.
In 1959, Button co-founded Candid Productions with Paul Feigay, producing popular television events such as the World Professional Figure Skating Championships (1973–2002) and the World Challenge of Champions (1985–1998). He also conceptualized ABC’s “The Superstars,” a hit series in the 1970s and ’80s that featured elite athletes competing in various sports.
In 1949, he became the first figure skater to receive the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award, recognizing the top American amateur athlete.
Button is survived by his longtime partner and spouse, Dennis Grimaldi, as well as his two children, Edward and Emily Button.
A retrospective on his extraordinary career will be featured in the Spring issue of SKATING magazine.
The post Dick Button Death-Obituary; Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist And Five-Time World Champion Passed Away first appeared on Trusted and Verified USA News.
