Arnold Gerschwiler

Arnold Gerschwiler
Sjoukje Dijkstra and Arnold Gerschwiler (1963)
Born(1914-05-28)28 May 1914
Arbon, Switzerland
Died22 August 2003(2003-08-22) (aged 89)
Cheam, Surrey, United Kingdom

Arnold Gerschwiler OBE (28 May 1914 – 22 August 2003) was a Swiss (later, British) figure skating coach.

Personal life

Gerschwiler was born in Arbon, Switzerland. He was the half-brother of Jacques Gerschwiler and the uncle of Hans Gerschwiler.[1] At the encouragement of Jacques, he moved to London, England.[2] He married Violet Blundell in August 1941.[1] They had two daughters, Stella and Claire, two grandsons and two granddaughters.

Gerschwiler lived in Ailsa Road, St Margarets, Twickenham for 53 years.[2] He died, aged 89,[3] on 22 August 2003 at St Anthony's Hospital, North Cheam.[2]

Career

Gerschwiler competed in the British Open Ice-Skating Championships in 1935 and 1936[4] and joined the staff of the Richmond Ice Rink in 1937.[2] He was head coach there from 1938, and served as director in 1964[2] until the facility was demolished in 1992. He coached the Czech skater Alena Vrzanova (Aja Zanova),[2] world champion in 1949 and 1950, as well as his own nephew Hans Gerschwiler,[2] the 1948 Olympic silver medallist.

He also coached the British skaters John Curry, 1976 Olympic and world champion, and Valda Osborn,[2] British champion in 1952 and 1953 and European champion in 1953. Other European top skaters he coached included Michael Booker,[1] Ladislav Čáp, Sjoukje Dijkstra,[3] Patricia Dodd,[1] Hanna Eigel, Joan Haanappel, Helmut Seibt and Daphne Walker.[2]

Gerschwiler was appointed to the Order of the British Empire in 1997.[2][3] He and his brother Jacques were inducted into the Professional Skaters Association's Coaches Hall of Fame in 2004.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Bird, Dennis L. (6 September 2003). "Arnold Gerschwiler: Inspirational ice-skating coach". The Independent. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Adlam, James (12 September 2003). "A legendary figure in the world of ice skating". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "Arnold Gerschwiler: Ice-skating coach who spent 60 years training Olympic competitors and film stars at Richmond Ice Rink". The Times. 17 September 2003. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Richmond Ice Rink". Twickenham Museum. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  5. ^ "1st January 2004: Arnold Gerschwiler". PSA Coaches Hall of Fame. Professional Skaters Association. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2013.