Gretchen Merrill (November 2, 1925 – April 22, 1965)[1] was an American figure skater. Gretchen was a six-time (1943–1948) U.S. national champion and thrice placed second in 1941, 1942 and 1949. She was the 1947 European silver medalist and World bronze medalist, winning those medals in the first World and Europeans Championships to be held since 1939. She was the second and last American woman to win a medal at the European Championships; following 1948, the competition was restricted to skaters representing European countries. Merrill placed 8th at the 1948 Winter Olympics.

Gretchen Merrill
Other namesQueenie
Born(1925-11-02)November 2, 1925
Boston, Massachusetts
DiedApril 22, 1965(1965-04-22) (aged 39)
Windsor, Connecticut
Figure skating career
Country United States
Skating clubSkating Club of Boston
Medal record
Representing the  United States
Ladies' Figure skating
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1947 Stockholm Ladies' singles
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1947 Davos Ladies' singles
North American Championships
Silver medal – second place 1945 New York Ladies' singles

She was married to William O. Gay[2] and died in 1965. She was inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2000.[3]

Results

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Event 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
Winter Olympics 8th
World Championships 3rd
European Championships 2nd
North American Championships 2nd
U.S. Championships 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 2nd

References

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  1. ^ "Milestones: Apr. 30, 1965". Time. April 30, 1965.
  2. ^ "Gretchen Merrill, broker to be wed". The New York Times. August 10, 1952. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  3. ^ Official Site World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame Archived September 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
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