Pierre Brunet (figure skater)

Pierre Émile Ernest Brunet (28 June 1902 – 27 July 1991) was a figure skater. Together with his wife Andrée Brunet he won Olympic medals in 1924, 1928 and 1932, as well as four world titles between 1926 and 1932 in pair skating. He also competed in singles, winning the national title in 1924–1931 and finishing seventh-eighth at the 1924 and 1928 Winter Olympics.^[1][2]

Pierre Brunet
Pierre and Andrée Brunet on their marriage day in 1929
Born	(1902-06-28)28 June 1902
Died	27 July 1991(1991-07-27) (aged 89)
Height	168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Figure skating career
Partner	Andrée Joly
Retired	1936
Medal record Representing  France Pairs figure skating Olympic Games 1932 Lake Placid Pairs 1928 St. Moritz Pairs 1924 Chamonix Pairs World Championships 1932 Montreal Pairs 1930 New York Pairs 1928 London Pairs 1926 Berlin Pairs 1925 Vienna Pairs European Championships 1932 Paris Pairs

Biography

Brunet was born in Paris, France. He and his partner Andrée Joly were the French national champions from 1924 until 1935, and won three Olympic medals. They refused to defend their title at the 1936 Winter Olympics, however, in protest over Nazi Germany.^{[citation needed]} The pair won four World Championships, competing in alternate years.

Joly and Brunet were the first French skaters to win gold medals in World, European, and Olympic competitions. They won bronze medals at the 1924 Olympic Winter Games.^[3] At the 1925 World Championships, they came in second place behind Herma Szabo and Ludwig Wrede from Austria, in what figure skating historian James M. Hines calls "one of the closest contests in pair skating history".^[3] They won every competition they entered after that: the 1932 European Championships; the World Championships in 1926, 1928, 1930, and 1932; and two Olympic titles in 1928 and 1932.^[3]

As a single skater, Brunet won ten national titles. He placed 8th (last) as a single skater at the 1924 Winter Olympics and 7th at the 1928 Winter Olympics.^[1]

Brunet and Joly were married in 1929. They had a son, Jean-Pierre, who went on to compete for the United States.^[1] He died at age 19 in an auto accident.

In 1936 they turned professional and toured Europe and Canada. In 1940 they emigrated to New York.^[3] They then became coaches, and trained future Olympic champions Carol Heiss and Scott Hamilton. They coached in New York, Illinois, and Michigan until retiring in 1979.^[4][5] Andrée Joly Brunet and Pierre Brunet were inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1976, as part of the first class of inductees.^[6]

Pierre Brunet died in Boyne City, Michigan.

Results

Men's singles

Event	1924	1925	1926	1927	1928	1929	1930	1931
Winter Olympic Games	8th				7th
World Championships								9th
French Championships	1st	1st		1st	1st	1st	1st	1st

Pairs (with Andrée Joly)

Event	1924	1925	1926	1927	1928	1929	1930	1931	1932	1933	1934	1935
Winter Olympic Games	3rd				1st				1st
World Championships		2nd	1st		1st		1st		1st
European Championships									1st
French Championships	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st		1st

References

1. Pierre Brunet. sports-reference.com
2. Andrée Brunet and Pierre Brunet. Encyclopædia Britannica.
3. Hines, James R. (2011). Historical Dictionary of Figure Skating. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-8108-6859-5.
4. Andrée Brunet-Joly. sports-reference.com
5. Hines, pp. 45-46
6. Hines, p. 46

External links

• Skatabase: 1920s Olympics: Singles Results
• Skatabase: 1920s Olympics: Pairs Results
• Skatabase: 1920s Olympics: Pairs Results
• Pairs on Ice: Andrée Joly & Pierre Brunet