Denise Biellmann

Biellmann (center) in 1980.
Personal Information
Country represented:	Switzerland
Date of birth:	December 11, 1962 (1962-12-11) (age 46)
Height:	1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Retired:	1981

Denise Biellmann (born December 11, 1962) is a Swiss professional figure skater. She is the 1981 European and World Champion. She won the Swiss Figure Skating Championships three times.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Amateur career 1.2 Professional career 2 Competitive highlights 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Amateur career

Denise Biellmann was born in Zurich. At age eleven, she won the Swiss junior figure skating championships. At 14, she competed at the 1977 European Figure Skating Championships and placed second in the free skating portion of the competition.

She was the first female skater to land the triple lutz in competition, which she performed for the first time at the 1978 European Championships. At the 1980 Winter Olympics, she won the free skating event and placed fourth overall.

Biellmann's signature spin was later named the Biellmann spin after her. She did not invent the spin, but she was the one to popularize it. It remains the only figure skating spin to be officially named after a person in ISU regulations.

Biellmann retired from amateur competition shortly after her World Championship win in 1981.

[edit] Professional career

She skates professionally in shows. She has continued to remain involved in the international figure skating community as a participant in both professional shows and competitions.

She participated in Pro7 Season 1, partnered with television presenter Pierre Geisensetter, and in Season 2, partnered with actor Patrick Bach.

She participated in the Eurovision Dance Contest 2007 representing Switzerland with partner Sven Ninnemann.

[edit] Competitive highlights

Event	1972-1973	1973-1974	1974-1975	1975-1976	1976-1977	1977-1978	1978-1979	1979-1980	1980-1981
Winter Olympic Games								4th
World Championships				15th	10th	5th	5th	6th	1st
European Championships					6th	4th	3rd	WD	1st
Swiss Championships	5th J.	1st J.	11th	3rd	2nd	2nd	1st	1st	1st
NHK Trophy									1st

• J = Junior level; WD = Withdrew

[edit] References

• Sports-reference profile

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Denise Biellmann

• Official website (English) (French)

v • d • e World champions in figure skating – Ladies' singles 1906–07: Madge Syers-Cave • 1908–11: Lily Kronberger • 1912–14: Opika von Méray Horváth • 1922–26: Herma Szabo • 1927–36: Sonja Henie • 1937: Cecilia Colledge • 1938–39: Megan Taylor • 1947–48: Barbara Ann Scott • 1949–50: Alena Vrzáňová • 1951: Jeannette Altwegg • 1952: Jacqueline du Bief • 1953: Tenley Albright • 1954: Gundi Busch • 1955: Tenley Albright • 1956–60: Carol Heiss • 1962–64: Sjoukje Dijkstra • 1965: Petra Burka • 1966–68: Peggy Fleming • 1969–70: Gabriele Seyfert • 1971–72: Beatrix Schuba • 1973: Karen Magnussen • 1974: Christine Errath • 1975: Dianne de Leeuw • 1976: Dorothy Hamill • 1977: Linda Fratianne • 1978: Anett Pötzsch • 1979: Linda Fratianne • 1980: Anett Pötzsch • 1981: Denise Biellmann • 1982: Elaine Zayak • 1983: Rosalynn Sumners • 1984–85: Katarina Witt • 1986: Debi Thomas • 1987–88: Katarina Witt • 1989: Midori Ito • 1990: Jill Trenary • 1991–92: Kristi Yamaguchi • 1993: Oksana Baiul • 1994: Yuka Sato • 1995: Chen Lu • 1996: Michelle Kwan • 1997: Tara Lipinski • 1998: Michelle Kwan • 1999: Maria Butyrskaya • 2000–01: Michelle Kwan • 2002: Irina Slutskaya • 2003: Michelle Kwan • 2004: Shizuka Arakawa • 2005: Irina Slutskaya • 2006: Kimmie Meissner • 2007: Miki Ando • 2008: Mao Asada • 2009: Kim Yu-Na

v • d • e European champions in figure skating – Ladies' singles 1930: Fritzi Burger · 1931–1936: Sonja Henie · 1937–1939: Cecilia Colledge · 1947–1948: Barbara Ann Scott · 1949: Eva Pawlik · 1950: Alena Vrzáňová · 1951: Jeannette Altwegg · 1952: Jeannette Altwegg · 1953: Valda Osborn · 1954: Gundi Busch · 1955: Hanna Eigel · 1956: Ingrid Wendl · 1957: Hanna Eigel · 1958: Ingrid Wendl · 1959: Hanna Walter · 1960–1964: Sjoukje Dijkstra · 1965–1966: Regine Heitzer · 1967: Gabriele Seyfert · 1968: Hana Mašková · 1969–1970: Gabriele Seyfert · 1971–1972: Beatrix Schuba · 1973–1975: Christine Errath · 1976: Dianne de Leeuw · 1977–1980: Anett Pötzsch · 1981: Denise Biellmann · 1982: Claudia Kristofics-Binder · 1983–1988: Katarina Witt · 1989: Claudia Leistner · 1990: Evelyn Großmann · 1991–1995: Surya Bonaly · 1996–1997: Irina Slutskaya · 1998–1999: Maria Butyrskaya · 2000–2001: Irina Slutskaya · 2002: Maria Butyrskaya · 2003: Irina Slutskaya · 2004: Júlia Sebestyén · 2005–2006: Irina Slutskaya · 2007–2008: Carolina Kostner · 2009: Laura Lepistö

v • d • e Swiss national champions in figure skating – Ladies' Singles 1931–1932: Edith Gautschi · 1933–1934: Guldborg Sjuresen · 1935–1937: Angela Anderes · 1938: Inge Manger · 1939–1940: Angela Anderes · 1941: Ilse Schottlander · 1942: Ursula Arnold · 1943: Doris Blanc · 1944: Ursula Arnold · 1945–1950: Maja Hug · 1951: Yolande Jobin · 1952: Susi Wirz · 1953: Doris Zerbe · 1954–1955: Georgette Fischer · 1956–1957: Alice Fischer · 1958: Rita Müller · 1959–1960: Liliane Crosa · 1961–1962: Fränzi Schmidt · 1963: Dorette Bek · 1964: Fränzi Schmidt · 1965–1967: Pia Zürcher · 1968–1972: Charlotte Walter · 1973–1975: Karin Iten · 1976–1978: Danielle Rieder · 1979–1981: Denise Biellmann · 1982: Myriam Oberwiler · 1983: Sandra Cariboni · 1984: Myriam Oberwiler · 1985–1987: Claudia Villiger · 1988–1989: Stéfanie Schmid · 1990: Michèle Claret · 1991: Sabrina Tschudi · 1992: Nicole Skoda · 1993–1994: Nathalie Krieg · 1995: Janine Bur · 1996: Lucinda Ruh · 1997–1998: Anina Fivian · 1999: Christel Borghi · 2000–2001: Sarah Meier · 2002: Kimena Brog-Meier · 2003: Sarah Meier · 2004: Cindy Carquillat · 2005–2008: Sarah Meier · 2009: Nicole Graf

Awards
Preceded by Cornelia Bürki	Swiss Sportswoman of the Year 1979	Succeeded by Ruth Keller
Preceded by Ruth Keller	Swiss Sportswoman of the Year 1981	Succeeded by Erika Hess