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Maria and Otto Jelinek skate at the 1961 Canadian Championships
Maria Jelinek, with her brother and professional partner, Otto, was an internationally known figure skater who achieved prominence in 1962 when the pair won the gold medal at the World Figure Skating Championships, held that year in their birthplace of Prague. The pair were the first to perform lifts with several rotations, and also performed side-by-side double jumps.
Born Marie Jelínková in Prague on November 16, 1942, she fled with her family to Canada from Czechoslovakia in 1948 at the beginning of the Cold War. While competing, the pair were warned not to return to Czechoslovakia for events, but chose to do so despite political and personal concerns.
[edit] Competitive highlights
(with Otto)
1957
- World Championships - 3rd
1958
- World Championships - 3rd
1960
- Olympics - 4th
- World Championships - 2nd
1961
- Canadian Championships - 1st
1962
- Canadian Championships - 1st
- World Championships - 1st
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