Valda Osborn

Valda Rosemary Foggin (née Osborn; 17 September 1934 – 28 December 2022) was a British figure skater. She was the 1953 European champion and World bronze medalist. Osborn represented her country at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway, where she placed 11th.

Valda Osborn
Full nameValda Rosemary Osborn
Other namesValda Foggin
Born(1934-09-17)17 September 1934
Wembley, Middlesex, England
Died28 December 2022(2022-12-28) (aged 88)
Horsham, West Sussex, England
Figure skating career
Country Great Britain
Retired1953
Medal record
Representing  Great Britain
Ladies' Figure skating
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place1953 DavosLadies' singles
European Championships
Gold medal – first place1953 DortmundLadies' singles

Early life

Osborn was born in Wembley, Middlesex on 17 September 1934. During the Second World War, she moved to Richmond (then in Surrey), and lived close to Richmond Bridge, a short walk to Richmond Ice Rink. She had private tutors for her schooling.

Career

Osborn started skating, aged 2½, at Wembley Ice Rink. She was taught by Arnold Gerschwiler,[1] who was her only coach during her entire amateur career. At age 5, Osborn won her first competition for "Under Sixes". During the Second World War, the Wembley rink was closed to save electricity. She moved to the Richmond Ice Rink, the only rink left open during the war. At 9½ years she passed the NSA gold medal at Richmond Ice Rink on 6 June 1944 (D-Day). She was the youngest skater to pass her Gold and continues to hold the record.

Osborn continued skating at Richmond during and after the war. She became the British national champion in 1952 and was selected for the 1952 Winter Olympics, where she finished 11th.[2] In 1953, Osborn won her second national title and went on to win gold at the European Championships in Dortmund.[3] After her victory in Germany, she was awarded the Harry E. Radix skating pin. Osborn remains the last British skater to win the European title in ladies' singles. Later in 1953, she won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Davos, Switzerland.

During her amateur career, Osborn was featured in British magazines such as Everybody's Weekly (20 December 1947) and Weekly Illustrated (26 January 1952). She was also interviewed on the BBC radio show In Town Tonight.

Osborn turned professional in 1953. She starred in Tom Arnold's Ice Circus in Brighton and Tom Arnold's Robinson Crusoe on Ice in the winter of 1953 at the Grand Theatre, Leeds. Osborn then turned to coaching ice skaters in Manchester, Whitley Bay, Brighton and finally in Richmond. When Richmond Ice Rink closed down and the property was redeveloped, she retired.

Personal life

After turning professional in 1953, Osborn resided in Brighton, Whitley Bay, Manchester and Feltham. Following the end of her performing career, she travelled around Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. She spent thirteen years in Northern Cyprus and then settled in Rustington, West Sussex, on the English south coast.

Osborn died in Horsham, West Sussex on 28 December 2022, at the age of 88.[4]

Results
International
Event 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953
Winter Olympics11th
World Championships12th13th9th8th3rd
European Championships9th4th5th1st
National
British Championships1st1st

References
  1. "Arnold Gerschwiler: Ice-skating coach who spent 60 years training Olympic competitors and film stars at Richmond Ice Rink". The Times. 17 September 2003. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  2. "Valda Osborn". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020.
  3. "European Figure Skating Championships - Ladies" (PDF). International Skating Union. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2013.
  4. "Valda Osborn". British Ice Skating. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
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