At the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics, Dorothy Hamill became America’s darling with her beautiful skating, her new hairdo, and her button-cute squint as she tried to read her scores. The hairdo was a new creation and made a household word as women everywhere asked for a “Hamill Cut.” The squint was the result of not wearing her glasses or contact lenses while skating. The skating, however, was the result of many years of hard work, usually up to seven hours a day on the ice. Her first U.S. title came at the 1969 Novice Championship but she later won the Senior title in 1974, 1975 and 1976. She was not favored at the 1976 Olympics, as she had never won the World Championships, but her best-ever school figures and a steady free skating performance enabled her to defeat Dianne de Leeuw for the gold. Immediately after the Olympics, Hamill signed a lucrative professional contract with the Ice Capades. She has also been seen regularly on television, in specials, in commercials, and professional skating competitions. She was briefly married to Dean-Paul Martin, the son of actor Dean Martin.
United States