Alain Calmat, (born 31 August 1940) is a French former competitive figure skater, surgeon, and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

. He is the 1964 Olympic silver medalist, the 1965 World champion, the 1962–1964 European champion, and the 1958 & 1962–1965 French national champion.

Career

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B1014-0012-002, Alain Calmat

Calmat attended the

Cours Hattemer Cours Hattemer is a French private, secular school. It is independent of the state, and can follow its own teaching approach, which is structured and places great stress on repetition to drive home what has been learned. The school has many well-kn ...

, a private school. He started skating at the age of nine. He won the silver medal at the

French Figure Skating Championships The French Figure Skating Championships (french: Championnat de France Elite) are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of France. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' ...

in 1954 and would go on to win twelve medals at nationals before retiring: seven silver and five gold. He placed 9th at the 1956 Winter Olympics and won the bronze medal at the 1958 European Championships. At the 1960 Winter Olympics, he moved up to sixth place and won the bronze medal at the 1960 World Championships. The following year, Calmat won the silver medal at the 1961 European Championships. He became European champion for three consecutive years from 1962 to 1964. During that period, Calmat was awarded one bronze and two silver medals at Worlds. At the

1964 Winter Olympics The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games (german: IX. Olympische Winterspiele) and commonly known as Innsbruck 1964 ( bar, Innschbruck 1964, label=Austro-Bavarian), was a winter multi-sport event which was celebr ...

, Calmat won the silver medal and went on to win his second consecutive silver medal at Worlds. He stayed in one more season and retired as the 1965 World champion. Calmat carried the torch and lit the Olympic flame at the

1968 Winter Olympics The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games (french: Les Xes Jeux olympiques d'hiver), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 18 February 1968 in Grenoble, France. Thirty-seven countries participated. Frenchm ...

Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...

, France.

Competitive highlights

After skating

Calmat later studied

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

, and became a surgeon. A

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

, he started in a political career. He was minister of Youth Affairs and Sports between 1984 and 1986 when

Laurent Fabius Laurent Fabius (; born 20 August 1946) is a French politician serving as President of the Constitutional Council since 8 March 2016. A member of the Socialist Party, he previously served as Prime Minister of France from 17 July 1984 to 20 Mar ...

was prime minister. He was elected deputy of the

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...

of Cher from 1986 until 1993. In 1995, he became the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Livry-Gargan Livry-Gargan () is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. History On 20 May, 1869, a part of the territory of Livry-Gargan was detached and merged with a part of the territory of Clich ...

. In 1997 he became a deputy in the French National Assembly. Calmat was inducted into the

International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame ( he, יד לאיש הספורט היהודי, translit=Yad Le'ish HaSport HaYehudi) was opened July 7, 1981 in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere arou ...

in 1987.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calmat, Alain 1940 births Living people Jewish French sportspeople French male single skaters Figure skaters at the 1956 Winter Olympics Figure skaters at the 1960 Winter Olympics Figure skaters at the 1964 Winter Olympics Figure skaters from Paris Olympic figure skaters of France Olympic silver medalists for France Commanders of the Ordre national du Mérite Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Olympic medalists in figure skating World Figure Skating Championships medalists European Figure Skating Championships medalists Medalists at the 1964 Winter Olympics Olympic cauldron lighters Universiade medalists in figure skating Universiade gold medalists for France Competitors at the 1960 Winter Universiade French sportsperson-politicians

Career

Competitive highlights

After skating

See also

References