Ronald Ludington

Ronald Ludington
Personal information
Full name Ronald Edmund Ludington
Country represented United States
Born (1934-09-04) September 4, 1934
Boston, Massachusetts
Former partner Nancy Ludington
Skating club Commonwealth Figure Skating Club
Retired 1960
Medal record
Representing United States
Pairs' Figure skating
Olympic Games
1960 Squaw Valley Pairs
World Championships
1959 Colorado Springs Pairs
North American Championships
1957 Rochester Pairs

Ronald Ludington (born September 4, 1934) is an American figure skating coach and former pair skater. With Nancy Rouillard Ludington, he is the 1960 Olympic bronze medalist, 1959 World bronze medalist, and a four-time U.S. national champion.

Career

With his then-wife, Nancy Rouillard Ludington, he won the U.S. Championships in pair skating four times, between 1957 and 1960, after having been the junior national champions in 1956. They won bronze medals at the 1959 World Figure Skating Championships and 1960 Winter Olympics. Ludington also won the 1958 U.S. junior (silver) dance championship, partnered with Judy Ann Lamar.

Following his competitive career, Ludington took up coaching in Norwalk, Connecticut.[1] His first pupils included Patricia and Robert Dineen, who were killed along with the rest of the U.S. team in the crash of Sabena Flight 548 on their way to the 1961 World Championships. Ludington was not on the plane because neither he nor the Dineens had the money to fund his travel expenses.[1] It was the only World Championships from 1957 to the end of the century which he did not attend as either a competitor or a coach.[1]

Around 1970, due to limited ice time in Detroit, Ludington moved to Wilmington, Delaware to coach at the Skating Club of Wilmington.[2][3] In 1987, he became the director of the University of Delaware's Ice Skating Science Development Center.[4] He held that position until 2010.[3]

Ludington has coached the following skaters:

Ludington was named to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1999, the Professional Skaters Association Coaches Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame in 2000.

Personal life

In 1957, Ludington married his skating partner, Nancy Rouillard.[8] He later married Mary Batdorf, a skating coach.[8] They had a son, Michael, before divorcing in the mid-1970s.[4]

Results

Pairs

(with Nancy Ludington)

Event 1957 1958 1959 1960
Winter Olympic Games 3rd
World Championships 4th 5th 3rd 6th
North American Championships 3rd
U.S. Championships 1st 1st 1st 1st

Ice dance

(with Lamar)

Event 1958
U.S. Championships 1st J.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Duffy, Bob (December 31, 2000). "Twists of fate". The Boston Globe.
  2. ↑ Eisenberg, John (February 21, 2006). "Delaware club churns out ice champions". Baltimore Sun.
  3. 1 2 Tresolini, Kevin (February 2, 2014). "Shifting younger, but Delaware still helps breed top figure skating talent". The News Journal.
  4. 1 2 "Ron Ludington named to World Figure Skating Hall of Fame". University of Delaware. May 20, 1999.
  5. ↑ Thomson, Candus (November 10, 2009). "Stars remember how Skate America began". Baltimore Sun.
  6. ↑ Hersh, Phil (February 14, 1988). "Whole Town Goes For The Gold". Chicago Tribune.
  7. ↑ Hersh, Phil (December 26, 1991). "Skater Figures Charity Begins At Home". Chicago Tribune.
  8. 1 2 "Ron Ludington". Sports Reference.
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