Top 10 Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time | 2024 Updates (2024)

Legendary Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie is undoubtedly the greatest female figure skater the world has ever seen. She is the only athlete in the figure skating world to achieve the Olympic gold medal a record 3 times. Besides, he also achieved European titles a record 6 times. Retired German figure skater Katarina Witt and legendary American athlete Carol Heiss also deserve their mentions among the greatest female figure skaters of all time.

There are four events in figure skating, which are men skating, women skating, pair skating, and ice dancing. This sport requires a high level of balance and being nimble on the feet. Here we count down the top 10 greatest female figure skaters of all time.

Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time | 2024 Updates

Figure Skating is a sport where individuals, duos, or groups perform on figure skates on ice, and it was also the first winter sport to be included in the Olympics. And now, it’s time to learn about the greatest female figure skaters ever.

10. Janet Lynn

Top 10 Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time | 2024 Updates (1)

At number 10 in the top 10 greatest female figure skaters of all time is Janet Lynn from the USA. Janet was one of the best free skaters who had both the basics and the style nailed down.

She has won a bronze at the Olympics, silver, and bronze at World Championships, and won North America Championships. She had a great personality and is still remembered for smiling despite falling during the 1972 Sapporo games.

9. Midori Ito

Top 10 Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time | 2024 Updates (2)

At number 9, we have Midori Ito from Japan. She is the 1989 World Champion and 1992 Olympic silver medalist. But she is more fondly remembered for being the first female skater to land the triple combination while being only 12.

She was also the first to land the triple axle, both of them during a competition (1992 Olympics).

8. Kristi Yamaguchi

At number 8 in the list of the top 10 greatest female figure skaters of all time is Kristi Yamaguchi from the USA. She won the gold medal in the 1992 Olympics, two World Championships, and the 1992 US Championships.

Paired with Rudy Galindo, she also won World Junior Championships. In 2005, she was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame.

7. Tara Lipinski

Top 10 Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time | 2024 Updates (4)

At number 7, we have Tara Lipinski from the USA. She is the youngest to win gold at the Olympics in ladies’ figure skating and is also the youngest to win the World Figure Skating Championship. Lipinski is also two times Grand Prix Final Champion and the 1997 US Champion.

She definitely deserves her mention in the top 10 greatest female figure skaters of all time.

6. Michelle Kwan

Top 10 Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time | 2024 Updates (5)

At number 6 in the top 10 greatest female figure skaters of all time is Michelle Kwan from the USA. She is regarded as one of the greatest skaters of all time and also the most decorated skater to have never won an Olympic gold medal.

She has won silver and bronze at the Olympics, been a World Champion five times, and US National Champion for a record nine times. On the ice, she is known for her artistry, consistency, and expressions; she has been one of the highest-paid skaters in the US.

5. Peggy Fleming

Top 10 Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time | 2024 Updates (6)

At number 5 in the top 10 greatest female figure skaters of all time is Peggy Fleming from the USA. She was an icon for several generations of figure skaters due to her beautiful skating.

Peggy won the 1968 Olympic gold and was the World Champion three times. She also won the 1967 North American Championships.

4. Oksana Baiul

Top 10 Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time | 2024 Updates (7)

At number 4 is Oksana Baiul from Ukraine. She is the first skater to win gold and the first Olympic champion to represent independent Ukraine.

Osana is still remembered for her graceful skating, expressions, and ballet-inspired movement. She also won the World Champions on her first try in 1993.

3. Carol Heiss

Top 10 Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time | 2024 Updates (8)

At number 3 in the list of the top 10 greatest female figure skaters of all time is Carol Heiss from the USA. Apart from being a figure skater, she was also an actress, and she combined her athleticism and gracefulness why skating.

She was also the first female skater to perform a double Axel. Carol won gold in the 1960 Olympics and silver in 1956. She has also been World Champion five times.

2. Katarina Witt

Top 10 Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time | 2024 Updates (9)

At number 2 in the top 10 greatest female figure skaters of all time is Katarina Witt from Germany. One of the most successful figure skaters of all time, she has won two Olympic gold medals.

Besides, she has also won four World Championships, was runner-up in two, and won six consecutive European Championships (equaling the feat of Sonja Henie).

1. Sonja Henie

Top 10 Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time | 2024 Updates (10)

At number 1 in the top 10 greatest female figure skaters of all time is Sonja Henie from Norway. She is the greatest female figure skater ever and is the only one to win three Olympic gold, and that too consecutively. Sonja has also won ten World Championships and six European Championships consecutively.

She glamorized the sport by introducing short dance routines and skirts. Besides, she also holds her place among the hottest athletes in Olympic Games.

Conclusion

We hope you are satisfied with our ranking of the top 10 greatest female figure skaters of all time. Don’t forget to send us your opinion in the comment box below.

Greatest Female Figure Skaters | Infographics

Top 10 Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time | 2024 Updates (11)

FAQs RegardingGreatest Female Figure Skaters

Q. Who is the greatest female figure skater of all time?

Norway’s Henie is often considered the greatest figure skater in the history of the sport – male or female – winning three Olympic golds in ladies’ singles (1928, 1932, 1936) and a record 10 consecutive world titles from 1927-36. Female athletes have won more combined championships than any other.

Q. Who is the most famous female ice skater?

The most decorated figure skater in American history, Michelle Kwan, won Olympic medals in 1998 and 2002, was a five-time world champion, and won nine times in the U.S. championships.

Q. Which female figure skater has 5 Olympic gold medals?

Among the five Olympic medals won by Canadian figure skaters, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir have three golds and two silvers. Scott Moir and Virtue Moir began skating together in 1997, having been paired together by Moir’s aunt, Carol Moir, who coached both of them at the time.

Q. Who has the best female figure in the world?

According to scientists, Kelly Brook is still the world’s most perfect woman. According to scientists, Kelly Brook has the world’s most perfect body. N.J. is credited with having the world’s perfect body, according to the University of Texas.

Last Updated On: April 2024

Top 10 Greatest Female Figure Skaters of All Time | 2024 Updates (2024)

FAQs

Who is the greatest women's figure skater of all time? ›

The only ladies' singles skater with more world titles or medals is Sonia Henie of Norway. Kwan won nine U.S. Championships (1996, 1998–2005), tying the record for most wins set by Maribel Vinson-Owen (1928–1933, 1935–1937).

Who is the number one female figure skater in the world? ›

Kaori Sakamoto of Japan claims gold in the women's competition at the World Figure Skating Championships. Sakamoto is the first woman to win three straight world titles since Peggy Fleming in 1968.

Who is the best female figure skater right now? ›

Sakamoto Kaori is currently the best female figure skater in the world.

Who was the famous female ice skater from the 80s? ›

Katarina Witt (born December 3, 1965, Karl-Marx-Stadt, East Germany [now Chemnitz, Germany]) is a German figure skater who was the first woman to win consecutive Olympic gold medals (1984 and 1988) in singles figure skating since Sonja Henie in 1936.

Who is the most beautiful woman speed skater? ›

Jutta Monica Leerdam (born 30 December 1998) is a Dutch speed skater specializing in the sprint events.

Who was the famous female ice skater? ›

Theresa Weld Blanchard earned 21 U.S. titles, the most in U.S. Figure Skating history. She won six ladies, nine pairs (with Nathaniel Niles) and six ice dance titles (with Niles).

Who is the oldest female figure skater? ›

A 40-year-old just became the oldest woman to win a World Figure Skating Championship. What she wants non-athletes to know. Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps perform an overhead rotational lift during their short program at the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships.

Who is the famous female Olympic speed skater? ›

Speedskater Bonnie Blair was well known for her throng of family and friends and she gave them plenty to cheer about, winning five gold medals and one bronze over four Olympic Winter Games.

Who won ladies figure skating in 2024? ›

2024 ISU World Figure Skating Championships - Montreal: All results and scores - Full list. Sakamoto Kaori claimed her third consecutive title as Ilia Malinin - the 'quad God' - won his first. Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps took the pairs gold in front of the home crowd.

Who are the top women's figure skaters? ›

Short program
Pl.NameNation
1Anna ShcherbakovaROC
2Kaori SakamotoJapan
3Alexandra TrusovaROC
4Wakaba HiguchiJapan
25 more rows

Who was the 70s female skater? ›

Dorothy Hamill

Hamill hit her stride in the mid-1970s, capping off her career in 1976 by winning the U.S., World and Olympic titles. She also earned the World silver medal in 1974 and 1975.

What famous ice skater female got attacked? ›

On Jan. 6, 1994, Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked at the U.S. Figure Skating Championship. An unknown assailant attacked Kerrigan as she left skating practice, hitting her with a metal pipe or baton, targeting the knee on her landing leg in an apparent attempt to knock her out of the competition.

Who are considered the best ice dancers of all time? ›

“It's almost impossible to give an entirely objective answer to that question because of the artistic quality of the sport — which, by the way, is also what I love most about it — but some of the biggest names in ice dance history are Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Tessa ...

Who is the best female figure skater in Japan? ›

Japan's Sakamoto three-peats as women's figure skating world champion. MONTREAL (AP) — Kaori Sakamoto of Japan is the first women's figure skater to three-peat as world champion since American Peggy Fleming from 1966 to 1968.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Velia Krajcik

Last Updated:

Views: 6342

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (74 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Velia Krajcik

Birthday: 1996-07-27

Address: 520 Balistreri Mount, South Armand, OR 60528

Phone: +466880739437

Job: Future Retail Associate

Hobby: Polo, Scouting, Worldbuilding, Cosplaying, Photography, Rowing, Nordic skating

Introduction: My name is Velia Krajcik, I am a handsome, clean, lucky, gleaming, magnificent, proud, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.