Dick Button, a two-time Olympic figure skating champion, passed away at the age of 95.
U.S. Figure Skating confirmed Button’s death in an X post on Thursday, Jan. 30.
“US Figure Skating mourns the passing of the renowned Dick Button. The two-time Olympic champion’s pioneering style and award-winning commentary transformed figure skating. His legacy will last forever. “We send our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones,” the post said.
No one immediately revealed the cause of death.
Richard Totten Button, born in July 1929, is widely regarded as pioneering new levels of athleticism in the sport. He was the first person to land a double Axel in competition in the 1948 Olympics, and he won at the age of 18. At the 1952 Olympic Games, he won his second gold medal by landing the first triple jump, a triple loop. He also created the flying camel spin.
In addition, he won seven straight US Championships, five World Championships, and the European Championships in 1948 (during a brief period when North American skaters were permitted to compete).
After retiring from the sport, he rose to prominence as the “voice of figure skating,” commentating for ABC Sports and then NBC Sports from 1960 until 2010. He is well known for his long-term partnership with 1968 Olympic winner Peggy Fleming and broadcaster Terry Gannon.
At the 2006 Olympics, he gained a new generation of admirers with his Q&A section called “Push Dick’s Button,” which would also be the title of his 2013 book.
In 1981, he received the Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality.
Button also organized the World Professional Figure Skating Championships, a televised tournament for skaters who have previously skated in the eligible categories.
His death came just one day after seven American figure skaters were murdered in an aircraft crash in Washington, D.C., including six members of his home club, the Skating Club of Boston. American Airlines Flight 5342 claimed the lives of all 64 passengers.
Dennis Grimaldi, Button’s longtime companion, and his two children, Emily and Edward, along with skater Slavka Kohout, survive him.