Sonja Henie

Three consecutive Olympic gold medals — the figure skater who turned the sport into show business.

Sonja Henie was born in Oslo, Norway in 1912. She won three consecutive Olympic gold medals (1928, 1932, 1936) and ten World Championships. She transformed figure skating from a technical sport into an entertainment form — her show skating tours after the 1936 Olympics generated more revenue than any athlete had previously earned from touring. She became a Hollywood film star, appearing in numerous films. She was one of the wealthiest self-made women in the world by 1940. She died from leukaemia on a flight from Paris to Oslo in 1969. She is the most influential figure skater in the sport's history.

• Olympic Gold 3x (1928,1932,1936)
• World Champion 10x
• Hollywood film star