Sonia Henie Breaks Through

Sonia Henie was 11 years old when she competed in the 1924 Olympics. Before then, figure skaters did one move at a time. During the competition, Henie put the different skating moves together and performed them to music. She did jumps and spins. She was athletic. Henie impressed the judges and shocked the public.

Although she didn’t win a medal in 1924, Henie won gold medals in figure skating in 1928, 1932, and 1936. She also won ten world championships. Her athletic style changed the sport of figure skating. In the process, she helped change people’s minds about what female athletes could do.

Figure skater Sonia Henie showed that women could be great athletes.