Cecil Smith (figure skater)
Canadian figure skater (1908–1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cecil Elaine Eustace Smith, later Gooderham, then Hedstrom (September 14, 1908 – November 9, 1997), was a Canadian figure skater. In 1924 she became the first female figure skater to represent Canada at Winter Olympics;[3] she placed sixth individually and seventh in pairs, together with Melville Rogers. At the 1928 Winter Olympics she finished fifth individually. In 1930, she won the silver medal at the World Figure Skating Championships in singles.
Smith in 1938 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cecil Elaine Eustace Smith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | September 14, 1908 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | November 9, 1997 (aged 89)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Figure skating career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Partner | Melville Rogers Stewart Reburn (former) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skating club | Toronto Skating Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Biography
In 1922, Smith won the national junior title, and next year was a runner-up as a senior. Aged 15, she participated in the 1924 Winter Olympic Games, held in Chamonix, France.[4] In the women's singles, she finished sixth, two places ahead of Sonja Henie. In the pairs competition, she placed seventh.[1]
Smith won the Canadian championship in 1925 and 1926. In 1928, she competed in her second Olympics and place fifth in the women's singles (Sonja Henie claimed the gold). In 1930, she became the first Canadian to win a World championship figure skating medal, earning a silver medal in New York City.[4] In 1991 she was inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame.[5]
Smith changed her last name twice, first to Gooderham, then to Hedstrom. Around 1935 she gave birth to a son named Edward Douglas Gooderham.[2] She had an elder sister Maude, who also competed at the 1928 Olympics, but in pairs. Their mother, Maude Delano-Osborne, won the 1892 Canadian tennis championship.[4]
Competitive highlights
Ladies' singles
| Event | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics | 6th | 5th | |||||||||
| World Championships | 2nd | ||||||||||
| North American Championships | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | ||||||||
| Canadian Championships | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd |
Pairs
(with Rogers)
| Event | 1923 | 1924 |
|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics | 7th | |
| Canadian Championships | 3rd |
(with Reburn)
| Event | 1931 |
|---|---|
| Canadian Championships | 1st |
Fours
(with Jack Eastwood, Maude Smith, and Montgomery Wilson)
| International | ||
|---|---|---|
| Event | 1926 | 1927 |
| Canadian Championships | 1st | 1st |
(with Jack Eastwood, Maude Smith, and H.W.D. Foster)
| International | |
|---|---|
| Event | 1929 |
| Canadian Championships | 3rd |
(with Jack Eastwood, Maude Smith, and Stewart Reburn)
| International | |
|---|---|
| Event | 1931 |
| Canadian Championships | 2nd |
(with Jack Eastwood, Maude Smith, and Osborne Colson)
| International | |
|---|---|
| Event | 1934 |
| Canadian Championships | 3rd |
