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

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

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, with its introduction occurring at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic d ...

. He won the gold medal at the 1963

U.S. Figure Skating Championships The U.S. Figure Skating Championships are an annual figure skating competition organized by U.S. Figure Skating to crown the national champions of the United States. The first U.S. Championships were held in 1914 in New Haven, Connecticut, a ...

and placed sixth at the 1964

Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, 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 held i ...

. 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 are an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU). The first World Championships were held in 1896 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and they have been held e ...

. 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' sin ...

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 Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, Essex County, New York (state), New York, United States. In 2020, its population was 2,205. The village of Lake Placid ...

Results

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