By: HISTORY.com Editors
Polio survivor becomes first female U.S. figure skater to win world title
On February 15, 1953, Tenley Albright, a 17-year-old from Boston, becomes the first American female to win the world figure skating championship. All seven judges at the event at an outdoor rink in Davos, Switzerland give her a first-place vote. Albright, who contracted polio six years earlier, calls the performance her "best."
"Dressed in a light cherry-colored costume with spangles that glinted in the sun, Tenley whirled and spun around the rink, executing with disarming ease all the difficult skating manevuers in the book and some more of her own," the Associated Press reported.
The Olympic Games: Fast Facts
Historian Yohuru Williams dives into the history of the Olympic Games.
Albright performed a double axel, double loop, double rittbereer and double solchow before a sellout crowd of 4,000. "Such combinations never have been seen performed before by a woman," a Swiss skating expert said.
After Albright's performance, her father, a surgeon, squashed thoughts of her becoming a professional skater. "Tenley has to go to college and is too young to become a professional star," he said.
Said Albright: "I love skating for skating. I want to continue as an amateur."
Three years later, at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Tenley became America's first female skating gold medalist, overcoming an injury to her right ankle suffered less than two weeks earlier. "I was in great pain, but I figured for four minutes I could put up with anything," she said afterward.
After the Olympics, Albright retired and attended Harvard Medical School—one of five women in a class of 135. She became a noted surgeon.
Also on This Day in History
Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on February 15th
Related
Sports
31 videos
In 1919, Chicago White Sox players allegedly threw the World Series. It remains one of professional baseball’s most notorious scandals.
During the mid-20th century, standout college players and Super Bowl champions faced off in a charity game series.
About the author
HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Christian Zapata, Cristiana Lombardo and Adrienne Donica.
Fact Check
We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.
Citation Information
- Article Title
- Polio survivor becomes first female U.S. figure skater to win world title
- Author
- HISTORY.com Editors
- Website Name
- History
- Date Accessed
- October 21, 2026
- Publisher
- A&E Television Networks
- Last Updated
- May 27, 2025
- Original Published Date
- December 17, 2021
