Thomas Litz (born March 14, 1945) is a retired American

figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are m ...

. He won the gold medal at the 1963

U.S. Figure Skating Championships The U.S. Figure Skating Championships is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often ...

and placed sixth at the 1964

Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...

. Litz is credited as being the first skater to land the triple toe loop jump, a feat he accomplished at the 1964

World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships (''"Worlds"'') is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the categories of men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. ...

. Litz had to withdraw from the

1963 World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. The 1963 competitions for men's singles, ladies' si ...

because of a sprained ankle."1963 North American, U.S., & Canadian Champions", ''Skating'' magazine, May 1963 He coaches figure skating in

Lake Placid, New York Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,303. The village of Lake Placid is near the center of the town of North Elba, southwest of Plattsbur ...

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* 1945 births Living people 20th-century American people 21st-century American people American male single skaters Figure skaters at the 1964 Winter Olympics Olympic figure skaters of the United States {{US-figure-skating-bio-stub