| Alena Vrzáňová | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Vrzáňová in 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Alena Vrzáňová | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other names | Ája Zanová | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1931-05-16)16 May 1931 Prague, Czechoslovakia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 30 July 2015(2015-07-30) (aged 84) New York City, US | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Figure skating career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Czechoslovakia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Arnold Gerschwiler (former) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skating club | VŠ Praha | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1950 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Alena "Ája" Vrzáňová (Czech pronunciation:[ˈalɛnaˈaːjaˈvr̩zaːɲovaː], alsoZanová,married name: Steindler; 16 May 1931 – 30 July 2015) was a Czechfigure skater who representedCzechoslovakia in competition. Vrzáňová is the 1949 & 1950World champion and 1950European champion.
Vrzáňová was born inPrague,Czechoslovakia, in 1931. In addition to figure skating, she also played piano and attended ballet school.[1]
Vrzáňová started sports at the age of three when her parents bought her skis. They spent each winter in theKrkonoše mountains. After this tradition was interrupted duringWorld War II, Vrzáňová started figure skating. The training conditions were difficult, as she had to skate in early winter mornings.[1] Her training sessions were held in darkness because of the dim-out regulations. She skated at the openŠtvanice Stadium before the sessions for hockey players, or at the CLTK club tennis courts, which were flooded with water and frozen.
In 1946, Vrzáňová became the Czechoslovak junior national champion. In early 1947, she moved toRichmond, London to be coached byArnold Gerschwiler.[1] In 1947, she won the Czechoslovak national championships and placed 7th at the1947 World Figure Skating Championships.
Vrzáňová representedCzechoslovakia at the 1948 Winter Olympics. She placedfifth in the event, finishing behind compatriotJiřina Nekolová.[2]
In 1949, Vrzáňová was awarded the silver medal at theEuropean Championships in Milan and won her firstWorld title inParis. She seized her chance to win the gold medal as the Olympic runner-up and reigning European championEva Pawlik of Austria had dropped out because of a broken boot heel just before the free program.[3][4][5] At the event, she was credited as being the first woman to land a doubleLutz jump.[6]
After winning the1950 European Championships, she won a second world title at the1950 World Championships. She then went on a European tour instead of returning home. She eventually moved to the United States and performed for the traveling showIce Follies for three years under the name "Aja Zanova" before joining theIce Capades. She also participated in television ads and other shows. After her husband's death, she worked for theIce Capades and led New York City's largest public ice rink, theWollman Rink.
In February 1948 communistsseized power in Czechoslovakia. After spending the winter of 1949 at home in Czechoslovakia, her father advised her not to come back from the upcoming World Championships and she agreed. She defected[7] from Czechoslovakia during the1950 World Championships inLondon and was eventually offeredpolitical asylum. Her mother followed her in March under dramatic circumstances – her plane was hijacked.[1] Her father, a professional cello player, visited them several times, but decided not to leave his country permanently. He was held as a political prisoner for 13 years and forced to work in a coal mine.[8] His daughter did not return to Prague until 1990, after theVelvet Revolution.[7]
In 1969, Vrzáňová married Czech-born innkeeper Pavel Steindler;[9] they adopted two children. They ran the Duck Joint restaurant in New York City, and later the Czech Pavilion. She died on 30 July 2015 at the age of 84 while living inNew York City.[8][10]
Vrzáňová was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2009.[6] In 2009, she also received the title of theSports Legend of the Czech Republic. In 2012, Czech Foreign MinisterKarel Schwarzenberg presented to her the 16th annualGratias Agit Awards in recognition of those who promote the good name of the Czech Republic abroad.[11]
| International | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 |
| Winter Olympics | 5th | ||||
| World Champ. | 7th | 5th | 1st | 1st | |
| European Champ. | 6th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | |
| National | |||||
| Czechoslovak Champ. | 1st J. | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| J. = Junior level | |||||
Full name: Alena "Ája" Vrzáňová (-Zanová, -Steindler)
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| National | |
| People | |
