Ondrej Nepela
| Ondrej Nepela | |
|---|---|
Nepela in 1972
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| Personal information | |
| Country represented | Czechoslovakia |
| Born |
22 January 1951 Bratislava, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) |
| Died | 2 February 1989 (aged 38) Mannheim, West Germany |
| Former coach | Hilda Múdra |
| Skating club | Slovan Bratislava |
| Began skating | 1958 |
| Retired | 1973 |
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Medal record
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Ondrej Nepela (22 January 1951 – 2 February 1989) was a Slovak figure skater who represented Czechoslovakia. He was the 1972 Olympic champion, a three-time World champion (1971–73), and a five-time European champion (1969–73). Later in his career, he performed professionally and became a coach.
Nepela was born on 22 January 1951 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. His mother, a housewife and seamstress, and father, a chauffeur, were from central Slovakia.
Nepela became interested in skating after watching the 1958 European Championships on television — Karol Divín won the men's title for Czechoslovakia. In February 1958, his mother brought the seven-year-old to a Bratislava ice rink. After two weeks, she approached Hilda Múdra to complain that her son was being ignored by the instructors and Múdra agreed to teach him. She described him as a diligent and punctual student. Nepela trained at the Slovan Bratislava club.
At age 13, Nepela was assigned to his first major international event — the 1964 Winter Olympics. After placing 22nd in Innsbruck, Austria, he debuted at the World Championships and finished 17th.
In the 1965–66 season, Nepela stepped onto his first ISU Championship podium, winning the bronze medal at the 1966 European Championships in Bratislava. He then reached the top ten at the 1966 World Championships in Davos, Switzerland. Over the next two seasons, Nepela won two more European bronze medals and placed eighth at his second Olympics, in Grenoble, France.
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