Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did Madge Syers compete in the menâs world figure-skating championship in 1902?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
figure skating
Katarina Witt, competing for East Germany, became the first woman since Norway's Sonja Henie (1928, 1932, and 1936) to win consecutive Olympic gold medals, doing so in 1984 and 1988.
Madge Syers was able to compete in the 1902 world figure skating championship because the competition rules at the time did not specify the sex or gender of the participants.12
Upon discovering this oversight, Syers entered the event held in London and finished in second place behind Ulrich Salchow. Her participation prompted officials to change the rules the following year to explicitly exclude women from the event, though a separate womenâs category was established three years later.12