Alain Calmat

Alain Calmat
OLY[1]
Alain Calmat at the 1964 World Championships
Born (1940-08-31) 31 August 1940 (age 84)
Paris, France
Figure skating career
CountryFrance
Retired1965
Medal record
Representing  France
Men's figure skating
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1964 Innsbruck Men's singles
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1965 Colorado Springs Men's singles
Silver medal – second place 1964 Dortmund Men's singles
Silver medal – second place 1963 Cortina d'Ampezzo Men's singles
Bronze medal – third place 1962 Prague Men's singles
Bronze medal – third place 1960 Vancouver Men's singles
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1965 Moscow Men's singles
Gold medal – first place 1964 Grenoble Men's singles
Gold medal – first place 1963 Budapest Men's singles
Gold medal – first place 1962 Geneva Men's singles
Silver medal – second place 1961 Berlin Men's singles
Bronze medal – third place 1958 Bratislava Men's singles

Alain Calmat (born 31 August 1940) is a French former competitive figure skater, surgeon, and politician. He is the 1964 Olympic silver medalist, the 1965 World champion, the 1962–1964 European champion, and the 1958 & 1962–1965 French national champion.

Career

Alain Calmat 1963 in East Berlin
Calmat at the 1968 Olympics

Calmat attended the Cours Hattemer, a private school.[2] He started skating at the age of nine.[citation needed] He had one of the longest figure skating careers in postwar skating, competing in every European, World, and Olympic competition for twelve years.[3] He won the silver medal at the French Figure Skating Championships in 1954 and would go on to win twelve medals at nationals before retiring: seven silver and five gold. He placed ninth at the 1956 Winter Olympics[3] and won the bronze medal at the 1958 European Championships. At the 1960 Winter Olympics, he moved up to sixth place[3] and won the bronze medal at the 1960 World Championships.

The following year, Calmat won the silver medal at the 1961 European Championships. He became European champion for three consecutive years from 1962 to 1964.[3] During that period, Calmat was awarded one bronze and two silver medals at Worlds.

At the 1964 Winter Olympics, Calmat won the silver medal and went on to win his second consecutive silver medal at Worlds. He stayed in one more season and retired as the 1965 World champion.[3]

Calmat carried the torch and lit the Olympic flame at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. He also served as a world judge.[4]

Competitive highlights

International[5][6][7]
Event 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965
Olympics 9th 6th 2nd
Worlds 11th 9th 7th 9th 5th 7th 3rd * 3rd 2nd 2nd 1st
Europeans 5th 5th 4th 4th 3rd 4th 4th 2nd 1st 1st 1st 2nd
Universiade 1st
National[8]
French 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st
* Championships cancelled due to Sabena Flight 548 crash.

After skating

Calmat later studied medicine, and became a surgeon.

A socialist, he started in a political career. He was minister of Youth Affairs and Sports between 1984 and 1986 when Laurent Fabius was prime minister. He was elected deputy of the département of Cher from 1986 until 1993. In 1995, he became the mayor of Livry-Gargan. In 1997 he became a deputy in the French National Assembly.

Calmat was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.[9]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alain Calmat.

References

  1. ^ Olympians: Olympians for Life – website of the WOA
  2. ^ "Quelques Anciens Celebres". Hattemar. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e Hines, James R. (2011). Historical Dictionary of Figure Skating. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-8108-6859-5.
  4. ^ Hines (2011), p. 52
  5. ^ "World Figure Skating Championships Results: Men" (PDF). International Skating Union. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 November 2012.
  6. ^ "European Figure Skating Championships Results: Men" (PDF). International Skating Union. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Alain Calmat". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Titres Francais Messieurs" [French Nationals Results]. Francais Volants (in French). Archived from the original on 20 June 2008.
  9. ^ "Elected members: Alain Calmat". Jewishsports.net. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
Olympic Games
Preceded by Final Olympic torchbearer
Grenoble 1968 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Final Winter Olympic torchbearer
Grenoble 1968 		Succeeded by
Hideo Takada