Scott Hamilton turns 68 today, capping a career that took him from a childhood health scare to the top of the Olympic podium.
Hamilton was adopted as an infant and, as a toddler, developed a mysterious condition that stalled his growth for years. Doctors couldn’t pinpoint a cause, but skating became part of his recovery, and he never left the ice. He broke through at the 1981 U.S. Championships with a performance strong enough to earn a standing ovation before he’d even finished, and he didn’t lose another amateur competition for the rest of his career.
That run culminated at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, where Hamilton won gold in men’s figure skating. It was the first Olympic gold medal for an American man in the sport since David Jenkins won in 1960, ending a 24-year drought. Hamilton clinched the title on the strength of his compulsory figures and short program, even though Canada’s Brian Orser edged him in the free skate.
By the time he turned professional later that year, Hamilton had already racked up four consecutive U.S. titles and four consecutive World Championships. He spent two years touring with Ice Capades before co-founding Stars on Ice, the touring show he helped run for 15 years. He also became known for his signature backflip, a move so difficult it was actually against International Skating Union rules for most of his career, though he still performed it in exhibitions.
After retiring from performing, Hamilton built a second career as a broadcaster, calling figure skating for CBS and later NBC across multiple Olympic Games. He’s also spent decades as a cancer survivor and advocate, founding the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation to support cancer research and patients.
Nearly 42 years after his gold medal moment in Sarajevo, Hamilton is still one of the most recognizable figures in American figure skating history.
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