Figure skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics — 1960 edition of the figure skating competitions during the Olympic Winter Games
The 1960 Winter Olympics figure skating events were the last held in a covered but open-air rink, and the U.S. team was later devastated by the 1961 Sabena crash.
Key Facts
- Venue
- Blyth Arena, Squaw Valley, California
- Events contested
- 3 (men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs)
- Start date
- February 1, 1960
- Last open-air rink Olympics
- Final Winter Olympics in a covered but not enclosed rink
- Sabena Flight 548 crash
- February 15, 1961 — entire U.S. figure skating team killed
- Impact of crash
- 1961 World Championships cancelled; U.S. program rebuilt
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 1960 Winter Olympic Games were held in Squaw Valley, California, providing the occasion for international figure skating competition. Blyth Arena, a covered but not enclosed facility, was selected as the venue, marking a transitional moment in how Olympic skating venues were constructed and regulated.
Three figure skating disciplines — men's singles, ladies' singles, and pair skating — were contested at Blyth Arena during the 1960 Winter Olympics. The competition represented the final instance of Olympic figure skating being held in a covered rink that was not fully enclosed, distinguishing it from all subsequent Winter Olympic skating venues.
Following the 1960 Games, the entire United States figure skating team, along with coaches, family members, and officials, perished when Sabena Flight 548 crashed near Brussels on February 15, 1961. The disaster forced cancellation of the 1961 World Championships and compelled the United States to rebuild its figure skating program from the ground up.
Result
at Blyth Arena, Squaw Valley, California