Why they rank here
The most decorated men's skater of the 1930s and the technical bridge between compulsory figures and free skating. The Viennese won seven consecutive world titles from 1930 to 1936, eight consecutive European championships from 1929, and Olympic gold at Lake Placid 1932 and Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936, a men's Olympic double matched since only by Dick Button and Yuzuru Hanyu. He was exceptional at both halves of a sport that then split its marks between geometry and performance: a meticulous tracer of figures who also pushed free skating forward, credited with the one-foot Axel and with refining spin positions that became standard vocabulary. He was a national-class swimmer as well, and after retiring he coached and choreographed across Europe and the United States. Schäfer competed in the last era when compulsory figures could decide a championship outright, and his ability to win both phases is why his record survived the sport's eventual decision to abolish figures altogether.
Career profile
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