Skating in Slovakia during the World War II (1941-1942) - ISU Archives

To license ISU footage: https://bit.ly/3M7bcaF We dusted off the skating archive to show you some of our sports greatest legends.

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Figure Skating is among the oldest sports in Slovakia and it is also one of the most successful. The history of skating in the country began several millennia ago, documented by more than 100 artefacts identified as bone skates which have been found in Slovakia. The best-preserved bone skate was found in Vesele near Piestany. It is estimated to be about 5 thousand years old. The skate was identified by G.V.Childe, a British archaeologist, and J. Dulka, a Slovak specialist and it is housed in the Spa Museum in Piestany.

The Figure Skating Club was founded in Bratislava in 1871. The regular training process started only after the artificial ice rink was built in 1941. Jozef Sturm was a devoted official and teacher of Figure Skating. He won the Slovak national championship in 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1944. The first generation of slovak Figure Skaters grew under his leadership: Skákala, Mauer, Lojkovic, Landl and many others.

And the famous era of Bratislava Figure Skating Began. Such Skaters as Mr. Divin, Nepela, Filc, Sabovcik, miss Golonkova, Grozajova, Drakova and Bezakova or Dancers brother and sister Skotnicki and Pair Wlachowska grew up there. Miss Kramperova, Docekalova and Pair Suchankova-Dolezal and many other practiced there as well. These Skaters won altogether 14 gold medals from World or European Championships, many silver and bronze medals and three Olympic medals.