Beatrice Huştiu ROM - 1968 Grenoble OG LP

In 1932 two British girls competed at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. Both Cecilia Colledge and Megan Taylor were 11 years old, with Cecilia holding the record by virtue of being some 30+ days older than Megan. To this day, they remain the two youngest ever female Winter Olympians. In third place on that list is not Sonja Henie in 1924, but this little lady; Beatrice Huştiu of Romania who competed at the 1968 Winter Games aged 11 years and 159 days.



She only ever competed twice more, at the 1970 and 1971 Europeans and disappeared entirely from skating in 1971. Tragically she lost her Mother and Father while in her teens. After the collapse of communism in 1989, Beatrice coached in Denmark and eventually relocated to Vienna to teach.



She is so tiny here but clearly was the media darling of these games. The crowd adores her and she has charisma to spare. Look at her at the end, working the crowd like an absolute veteran. We are almost immune to child prodigies these days but in the era of figures, while not unheard of, it took them longer to ascend the ranks. And while the jump technique is questionable, she is incredibly musical and an absolute delight to watch. I hope you enjoy this very rare glimpse at a skater who holds a special place in history despite such a short international career.