The Lou Marsh Legacy - Honouring Canada's Top Athletes

Canada's first World Figure Skating Champion

Lucky 13, whirls gracefully to victory…
1947 World Figure Skating Championships, February 16, 1947, Stockholm, Sweden

She was the 13th skater to go on the ice for her final five minute free skate. She chose her favorite music from “Showboat” by Jerome Kern to give her a lift and to calm her nerves. As soon as she finished her astonishing performance the crowd of 15,000 broke into spontaneous applause with an overwhelming ovation. Eight of the nine judges placed her first and she received two perfect scores of six. She became the first North American to bring home the world skating crown. For good measure she also brought home the European Championship which she captured in Davos Platz, Switzerland, a few weeks earlier. Barbara Ann Scott had now fully caught the attention of the international skating world. Many critics believe there is nothing any other skater can do on ice that she cannot do as well or better.

For Barbara Ann, the look on her mother's face when the judges posted her scores made it all worthwhile. Her mother had been her trusted companion and confidant throughout her skating journey and to share this championship with her was the ultimate reward.

Barbara Ann Scott came home to the adulation of a nation. She arrived in Ottawa to a twelve block parade and a civic reception in which she was presented a canary yellow convertible. Sadly, some time later, Avery Brundage, the controversial International Olympic Committee official, suggested the gift might threaten Barbara Ann's amateur status. It was returned and became an instant tourist attraction in an Ottawa Automobile dealer's showroom!

Barbara Ann deflected repeated media questions about turning professional. Perhaps they underestimated how deeply and how long Barbara's Olympic dream had been burning. Nothing was going to stop her from getting to the 1948 Olympics. It was the last missing piece in her amateur world.

Barbara went back to work with her innovative new coach, Sheldon Galbraith.

BARBARA ANN WILL RECEIVE LOU MARSH TROPHY TONIGHT Adobe PDF,