Olympic figure skater, commentator Dick Button dies at 95 - ESPN

NEW YORK — Dick Button was more than the most accomplished men's figure skater in history. He was one of his sport's great innovators and promoters, the man responsible not only for inventing the flying camel spin but describing it to generations of fans.

He was an athlete and actor, a broadcaster and entrepreneur.

«Dick was one of the most important figures in our sport,» said Scott Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic champion. «There wasn't a skater after Dick who wasn't helped by him in some way.»

The winner of two Olympic gold medals and five consecutive world championships, Button died Thursday in North Salem, New York, at age 95. His death was confirmed by his son, Edward, who did not provide a cause, though Button had been in declining health.

«The two-time Olympic champion's pioneering style and award-winning television commentary revolutionized figure skating,» U.S. Figure Skating said. «His legacy will live on forever. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.

His death further shook a tight-knight figure skating community already reeling from Wednesday night's crash of an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter outside Washington, D.C., that killed everyone on board. Two teenage skaters, their mothers and two former world champions who were coaching at the Skating Club of Boston — where Button also skated and which he remained close to the rest of his life — were among the 14 people killed from the skating community.

The trophy room at the Skating Club of Boston is named in Button's honor, and the club has hosted the Dick Button Artistic Figure Skating Showcase, which is designed to promote the beauty and innovation of skating as an art form.

Button's impact on figure skating began after