Maribel Vinson

Maribel Vinson
Personal information
Full name	Maribel Yerxa Vinson-Owen
Country represented	United States
Born	(1911-10-12)October 12, 1911 Winchester, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	February 15, 1961(1961-02-15) (aged 49) Berg, Belgium, Belgium
Former partner	George Hill Thornton Coolidge
Skating club	SC of Boston
Retired	1937
Medal record Representing the  United States Ladies' figure skating Olympic Games 1932 Lake Placid Ladies' singles World Championships 1930 New York Ladies' singles 1928 London Ladies' singles European Championships 1934 Prague Ladies' singles North American Championships 1937 Boston Ladies' singles 1935 Montreal Ladies' singles 1929 Boston Ladies' singles Pairs figure skating North American Championships 1937 Boston Pairs 1935 Montreal Pairs 1929 Boston Pairs

Maribel Yerxa Vinson-Owen (October 12, 1911 – February 15, 1961) was an American figure skater and coach. She competed in the disciplines of ladies' singles and pair skating. As a single skater, she was the 1932 Olympic bronze medalist, a two-time World medalist (1928 silver, 1930 bronze), the 1937 North American champion, and a nine-time U.S. national champion. As a pair skater, she was the 1935 North American champion and four-time national champion with George Hill. She also won two national titles with Thornton Coolidge.

Vinson-Owen is tied with Michelle Kwan for the record in U.S. ladies' figure skating titles.

Maribel Vinson was the daughter of Thomas and Gertrude Vinson of Winchester, Massachusetts. Both of her parents were figure skaters and Maribel was made an honorary member of the Cambridge Skating Club at birth.

A good student, Vinson studied at Radcliffe College while pursuing an interest in ice skating. She married Canadian skater Guy Owen and they had two daughters, Maribel Yerxa Owen (1940) and Laurence Rochon Owen (1944). They divorced in 1949, and Guy Owen died three years later at age 38. Following her father's death, also in 1952, she and her daughters moved back east to Winchester and lived with her mother. In February 1961, Maribel Vinson-Owen was killed along with both daughters in the Sabena Flight 548 crash in Belgium.

Vinson began to take lessons with coach Willie Frick at the Boston Arena at the age of nine. She won the U.S. junior ladies' title at the age of 12.

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