Maxi Herber

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Olympic medal record
Figure skating
Gold 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Pairs

Maxi Herber (October 8, 1920 - October 20, 2006) was a German figure skater who became Olympic pair champion with Ernst Baier at the 1936 Winter Olympics. The duo revolutionized pair skating, becoming the first team to perform jumps side by side.[citation needed]

Born in Munich, Herber was also an accomplished single skater, winning the German nationals three times, from 1933 to 1935. She skated for the Münchner EV (Munich EV) club.

Herber and Baier married after their skating career ended in 1940. They had 3 children. After World War II they skated in ice shows. Later the couple owned a business. In 1964 they were divorced. As a result of the divorce, she had to depend on social services to survive.[citation needed] Supported by the “Deutsche Sporthilfe” (German Sport help organisation) she moved to Oberau near Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria. Some years later Herber and Baier remarried, but were divorced again.

Herber suffered from Parkinson's disease. In 2000 she moved to the Lenzheim retirement home in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Soon afterwards she had an exhibition of her watercolor paintings there. She died at age 86 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen; Herber had been Germany's oldest living female Olympic champion.[citation needed]

[edit] Results in pair skating

(with Ernst Baier)

Event 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
Winter Olympic Games 1st
World Championships 3rd 1st 1st 1st 1st
European Championships 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st
German Championships 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st


[edit] Results in singles skating

Event 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938
World Championships 7th
European Championships 4th 7th 4th
German Championships 1st 1st 1st


Persondata
NAME Herber, Maxi
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Baier, Maxi
SHORT DESCRIPTION German pair skater
DATE OF BIRTH October 8, 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH Munich, Bavaria, Germany
DATE OF DEATH October 20, 2006
PLACE OF DEATH Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany