Retrospective: The 1960 Olympics

[Nours]

That's not correct. Skier, Giorgio Rocca, took the Olympic Oath at those games. Kostner's role during the opening ceremony was as flag bearer for the Italian team.

You're right, my memory failed me. Should be because we saw her a lot on the screen that night, including maybe during the speech.

[Maofan7]

This is my first memory of seeing anything related to skating on television.
I was six years old. It made me an Olympic - and skating - "junkie", thereafter.
The passion, begun that day, has never left me.

The 1960 Olympics took place well before I was even born. I think the 1956 Olympics were the first to be televised and that CBS had the TV rights in the United States for the 1960 Winter Olympics. When watching the 1960 Winter Olympics, did you get to see the figure skating events live on TV, or were they broadcast after the event?

[floskate]

That CBS footage exists somewhere. I know that Bob Paul has a copy on DVD (I think he mentioned it on his skatecast with Manleywoman), and he had to wait a long time to get hold of it. Hoping one day I'll be able to find it

[skatesindreams]

I've been hoping to find it, as well!

[aliceanne]

I love they way they skated with such abandon. Their posture and extension is very sloppy by today's standards, but they really fly around the ice and it looks so spontaneous.

[manleywoman]

That CBS footage exists somewhere. I know that Bob Paul has a copy on DVD (I think he mentioned it on his skatecast with Manleywoman), and he had to wait a long time to get hold of it. Hoping one day I'll be able to find it

All these older skaters have a lot of this stuff. They just need time to go through it. Carol Heiss told me she has pictures of her with Elvis Presley since she met him on the Snow White set. I BEGGED her to find them and post on Facebook! She said, yes, I really do need to go through those boxes and find that stuff.

[skatesindreams]

I hope that these legends of the sport know how much we would appreciate seeing some of these historic treasures -- video and otherwise --before they are locked in a vault, away from public view.

[NadineWhite]

Great thread, Maofan7, now if only Mao herself can replicate Carol Heiss's follow-up Olympic Gold Medal in 1960. Btw, it's the only Olympics Sonja Henie ever attended, besides her own of course; she thought everybody forgot her, sadly, surprised to see that the public still remembered.

As it stands now Mao shares a lot in common with Carol, silver medal at their first Olympics, and their mothers' having passed thereafter...

[floskate]

All these older skaters have a lot of this stuff. They just need time to go through it. Carol Heiss told me she has pictures of her with Elvis Presley since she met him on the Snow White set. I BEGGED her to find them and post on Facebook! She said, yes, I really do need to go through those boxes and find that stuff.

Yes many of them do, but sadly, just as many have no real record of their competitive careers. I know, I've sent them DVD's! It's a real shame that not all skaters have that kind of archive.

[skatesindreams]

I've done the same.
It saddens me that we collectors of video footage often have more "historic" material available than they do.
I continue to search, and share what I can.

[Maofan7]

That CBS footage exists somewhere. I know that Bob Paul has a copy on DVD (I think he mentioned it on his skatecast with Manleywoman), and he had to wait a long time to get hold of it. Hoping one day I'll be able to find it

I think we should all write letters to ESPN to get them to acquire the rights to show the figure skating events from those Olympics that have never been re-televised, on ESPN Classic. I would especially like to see full coverage of the 1972 Olympics, as well as the 1960 Olympics.

[Maofan7]

Here is another video which features both an interview with Carol Heiss on her 1960 Olympic win + some CBS footage of her performance. It also includes footage of the New York ticker tape parade she went on to mark her victory, which is also featured in this video here as well.

[floskate]

I think we should all write letters to ESPN to get them to acquire the rights to show the figure skating events from those Olympics that have never been re-televised, on ESPN Classic. I would especially like to see full coverage of the 1972 Olympics, as well as the 1960 Olympics.

I believe NBC aired the 1972 Sapporo Olympics in the US. I did try to get hold of some footage years ago with ITV but they never aired it apparently. The BBC will have it which, as we all know means that it will never see the light of day again

[skatesindreams]

^^^
That's infuriating, and sad!

[Maofan7]

The BBC will have it which, as we all know means that it will never see the light of day again

They will probably have wiped the footage (known as "junking"), along with countless episodes of Doctor Who, Z-Cars, Dads Army, and many other shows from the 1950's - 1970's. The managers responsible for the policy, should have been charged with cultural vandalism.

I believe NBC aired the 1972 Sapporo Olympics in the US. I did try to get hold of some footage years ago with ITV but they never aired it apparently.

My gut instinct is that the most likely manner in which footage of the 1960 and 1972 Olympics will finally surface is that it will be shown by Russian TV, which was what happened recently with footage from the 1968 Olympics: Ladies, Men's, & Pairs. Maybe Russian FSU members could write to the TV station concerned requesting that they do something similar with the 1956, 1960 1964, and 1972 Olympics

[skatesindreams]

Is there a Russian, or Russian speaking, member of FSU who would be willing to contact that channel for us?

[gkelly]

Here are some videos in relation to the medal winning performances:-

Thanks for finding all these!

Silver: Sjoukje Dijkstra (Netherlands)

No Video Available. However, here is a feature on her win at the 1960 European Championships, which took place just a few weeks prior to the 1960 Olympics

I like the opposite-direction split jump straight into single axel at 3 minutes in.

[floskate]

They will probably have wiped the footage (known as "junking"), along with countless episodes of Doctor Who, Z-Cars, Dads Army, and many other shows from the 1950's - 1970's. The managers responsible for the policy, should have been charged with cultural vandalism.



My gut instinct is that the most likely manner in which footage of the 1960 and 1972 Olympics will finally surface is that it will be shown by Russian TV, which was what happened recently with footage from the 1968 Olympics: Ladies, Men's, & Pairs. Maybe Russian FSU members could write to the TV station concerned requesting that they do something similar with the 1956, 1960 1964, and 1972 Olympics

I doubt the Olympics have been wiped considering the money they would have had to shell out for broadcast rights. Besides they still have footage of Europeans and Worlds going back to the 1950's which have been seen in small clips over the years - mainly of Courtney Jones and his partners. There is always http://www.otab.com/, but they are very strict and very expensive. I tried years ago to get hold of some select performances from 1972 and they refused because they found I had a youtube account The IOC also seems to be stepping up its campaign to remove footage from the internet. In the last two days, two of my John Curry videos (a montage and part of a documentary) have been removed due to the IOC.

[skatesindreams]

I tried years ago to get hold of some select performances from 1972 and they refused because they found I had a youtube account The IOC also seems to be stepping up its campaign to remove footage from the internet. In the last two days, two of my John Curry videos (a montage and part of a documentary) have been removed due to the IOC.

I'm sorry to hear that, floskate.
Actions such as that won't help to increase interest in the Olympics!

[Maofan7]

The IOC also seems to be stepping up its campaign to remove footage from the internet. In the last two days, two of my John Curry videos (a montage and part of a documentary) have been removed due to the IOC.

That's absolutely terrible. Simply damages the take up of and interest in sport in the long term. If the footage is not readily accessible to be seen (i.e. such as on YouTube), then its not around to inspire. If it were not for YouTube, most historical footage would simply rot away in a vault until the end of time, never to be seen again. If it has commercial value, then fair enough. In which case, release it on to a commercially available DVD and/or allow it to be televised by a company that is willing to pay for the rights. However, if it has no commercial value, then there is no excuse. It should be allowed to enter the public domain and be readily accessible on video sites like YouTube.