Gillis Grafström
A figure skating pioneer who dominated the sport's early Olympic era with an artistic, free-flowing style he designed himself.
1893–1938 (age 45)·Swedish figure skater·Birthday: June 7·The Lost Generation
Biography
Gillis Grafström approached figure skating not just as an athlete, but as a poet on ice. In the sport's formative years, when routines were often stiff and technical, he introduced a sense of fluid, balletic movement that seemed to flow from the music. He won his first Olympic gold in 1920 at the Antwerp Summer Games—figure skating was then part of the Summer Olympics—defending his title at the first Winter Games in 1924 and again in 1928. His silver medal in 1932, at nearly 39 years old, was a testament to his enduring skill. Grafström was a true innovator; he created several spins and jumps, including the flying sit spin and the Grafström spiral. A man of diverse talents, he was also an accomplished architect and painter, designing his own skating costumes and even the house he lived in. His career bridged the sport's genteel origins and its modern competitive fervor, leaving a legacy of elegance that forever changed its aesthetic.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Gillis was born in 1893, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gillis Was Born
The biggest hits of 1893
Gillis's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1893Born
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1898Started school
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1906Became a teenager
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Could drive
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1911Could vote
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1914Turned 21
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Turned 30
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1933Turned 40
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1938Died at 45
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
Key Achievements
- Won three consecutive Olympic gold medals in figure skating (1920, 1924, 1928) and a silver medal in 1932.
- Captured three World Championship titles (1922, 1924, 1929).
- Invented several skating moves, including the Grafström spiral and a version of the flying sit spin.
- One of only a few athletes to compete in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
Did You Know?
He is one of the oldest individual gold medalists in Winter Olympics history, winning at age 34 in 1928.
He designed and built his own house in Potsdam, Germany.
A dispute over a patch of irregular ice caused him to fall during his 1932 free skate, likely costing him a fourth gold medal.
His Olympic medals were all won on different continents: Europe (1920), Europe (1924), Europe (1928), and North America (1932).
“The ice is my canvas, and the edges of my skates are my brushes.”
