November 12: Lili on Skates

Lili Kronberger, the first figure skater to use musical accompaniment through an entire competitive presentation, was born in Budapest on this date in 1890. Kronberger won a bronze medal in 1906 at the first official World Figure Skating Championship that included a women’s event. She won bronze again in 1907, and four gold medals between 1908 to 1911. Kronberger, who died in 1974, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1983 and the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1997. Other Jewish champion figure skaters include Friederike “Fritzi” Burger, who won the first European Championships in 1930; Oksana Baiul, the 1993 World Champion; Sasha Cohen, an Olympic silver medalist in 2006; and quite a few others!

“I had two husbands. She even beat me at that. She had three.” -- Fritzi Burger speaking of her rival, the great Sonja Henie