Over the past weeks, we have explored the hockey greats that have graced the ice at Bowling Green State University. These hockey legends are not the only prominent names to have roots here in bowling green, no there are others. In order to find these individuals, we must look to another sport, the sport of Figure Skating.
Scott Hamilton is pretty much a household name when it comes to figure skating but did you know he was raised here in Bowling Green Ohio and skated at the BGSU Ice Arena for many years? At the age of 13 Scott began training with Olympic coach Pierre Brunet however he was almost forced to quite in 1976 due to the high cost of training. He was encouraged to keep training through financial assistance from Helen and Frank McLoraine.
Alissa Czisny began skating at the age of 1 ½ here at BGSU’s Ice Arena and quickly showed that she had a gift on the ice. Her and her sister Amber created quite a tandem on the ice over the next years as they competed throughout the country at different competitions. In 2010, Alissa was ranked #1 in the world for the ISU Grand Prix season.
Now let’s take a look at their impressive resumes;
Scott Hamilton
- 4 consecutive U.S. Championships (1981-1984)
- 4 Consecutive World Championships (1981-1984)
- Gold Medal – 1984 Olympics
- Inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame – 1990
Alissa Czisny
- 2010-2011 Gran Prix Final Champion
- 2 time U.S. National Champion (2009,2011)
- 2007 Bronze Medalist
- 2 time Skate Canada Champion (2005,2010)
- Ranked 11th in the World by the International Skating Union
