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Karol Divín

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Full name
  
Karol Emil Divin

Role
  
Olympic athlete

Alternative names
  
Finster

Retired
  
1964

Name
  
Karol Divin


Karol Divin httpswwwolympicskimagesphotosdivin20s20m

Born
  
22 February 1936 (age 88) (
1936-02-22
)
Budapest, Hungary

Olympic medals
  
Figure Skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics - Men\'s Singles

Former coach
  
Ivan Mauer Anton Divin

Country represented
  
Czechoslovakia

Karol div n spom na na me v roku 1958


Karol "Karcsi" Emil Divín, born Finster, (born 22 February 1936) is a former competitive figure skater who represented Czechoslovakia. He is the 1960 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time European champion (1958–59), and a two-time World medalist (silver in 1962, bronze in 1964).

Contents

Karol Divín Karol Divn Trnoval pri lampe v rohu zimku sportsmesk

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Early life

Karol Divín Karol Divn Trnoval pri lampe v rohu zimku sportsmesk

Divín was born 22 February 1936 in Budapest. His mother, Irma, was Czech, his father, Anton Finster, a Hungarian of German descent, and one of his grandmothers a Slovak. After World War II, the family adopted his grandmother's surname, Divín. They moved to Bratislava in 1946. In early childhood, Divín was interested in soccer and tennis.

Career

Divín was introduced to figure skating by his father, who was also his first coach.

Karol Divín Legendrny krasokoruliar a strieborn olympionik Karol Divn

At the 1954 European Championships in Bolzano, Italy, Divín stepped onto a major international podium for the first time, taking the bronze medal. He placed fifth at the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Following three consecutive years as European bronze medalist, he won the silver medal at the 1957 European Championships in Vienna, Austria.

Karol Divín Krasokoruliarska legenda Karol Divn Zlato zo ampiontu mu ukradli

Divín won gold at the 1958 European Championships in Bratislava and defended his European title at the 1959 European Championships in Davos, Switzerland. Ivan Mauer became his coach in 1959.

Karol Divín Miloval aj hokej Divn sa vak stal krom povinnch figr Zimn

In preparation for the Olympics, Divín practiced a triple loop but tore a muscle and was forced to withdraw from the 1960 Europeans. He was sent to the 1960 Winter Olympics after promising that he would finish the competition. Placing second to American David Jenkins and ahead of Canada's Donald Jackson, he won the silver medal in Squaw Valley, California.

Karol Divín Karol Divin Alchetron The Free Social Encyclopedia

Divín won silver at the 1962 European Championships in Geneva, Switzerland, and at the 1962 World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. He was the bronze medalist at the 1964 European Championships in Grenoble, France, and placed fourth at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. He retired from competition after winning the bronze medal at the 1964 World Championships in Dortmund, Germany.

Karol Divín spen krasokoruliar Divn oslavuje 75 rokov portkysk

After ending his competitive career, Divín began coaching in Finland. He was later based in North Bay, Ontario, Canada for many years. He coached Dough Leigh in the late 1960s and worked with Brian Orser on compulsory figures from 1983 to 1987. In the 2000s, he worked with Michal Březina in Brno.

Personal life

In the 1960s, Divín married Olga Reinišová, a Czech pair skater. They have a son, Peter, who lives in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada with his wife, Outi, and four children Benjamin, Stephanie, Martina and Jack. In 1984, Divín married his second wife, Mirka. From this marriage, he has two stepdaughters, Renata and Jana. He alternates his residency between Surrey and Brno, Czech Republic.

References

Karol Divín Wikipedia