QUEEN OF THE ICE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 159, 18 April 1936, Page 8

QUEEN OF THE ICE.

LONDON GIRL’S BID FOR TITLE.

Cecilia Colledge, the fifteen-year-old London girl, blonde, blue-eyed, beautiful, who was cheered frenziedly by 10,000 spectators at Garmisch-Parten-kinkirchen, in February, just failed, through a single slip in the figure skating, when, her hand barely' touched the ice, to win the championship and the Olympic gold medal. It was won by Sonja Heme, the twenty - three - year - old Norwegian blonde, who succeeded in a last desperate effort to retain the crown of “Queen of the Ice” which she has worn for years. Never before has she had to meet such dangerous competition. The final results were: —1, Sonja Henie, 424.5; 2, Cecilia Colledge, 418; 3, Vivi-Anne Hulten (Sweden), 394. Cecilia, sure of herself, her cheeks red with excitement, danced, waltzed, sprang into the air, spun like a top and pirouetted gracefully amid a storm of applause. Dressed in shimmering silver material she looked like a moon fairy as she flitted over the ice. Sonja, whose programme was not so varied, watched her. Wearing a dress made to look like an orchid, Sonja tripped across like a flower shaken in the wind, and dancing with the invisible halo of “Queen of the Ice” fame hovering over her, she duly impressed the judges. They decided that she was the better.

Cecilia’s comment was: “I thought Miss Henie skated an easy programme exquisitely.” But it is said to be Sonja’s swan song. She will not .compete at the next Olympic Games four years hence. After the international figure skating competition in Paris, which followed, reports said that she would most likely retire from such competitions. Cecilia, worn out by the strain of the competition, was in bed by eight o’clock that night. “After all, she is still just a child, and has to go to sleep early,” Mr Richardson, the non-playing captain of the English team, stated.

“Although placed second she skated wonderfully. In the difficult programme which she undertook she made only' one mistake. She will do great things in the future. lam delighted with her and with the other British girls.”