On Monday, iconic figure skating coach Hilda Múdra passed away. During her career, Múdra coached numerous Slovak and international athletes, including Ondrej Nepela, the best figure skater in Slovakia’s history. She led him on to win ten gold medals at top events – including the World and European Championships as well as a victory in the 1972 Olympic Games in Sapporo. Moreover, she is the only Slovak to have received the Pierre de Coubertin medal, which is awarded by the International Olympic Committee.
Múdra, a native of Austria, was born on January 1, 1926 in the Josefstadt district of Vienna named Hildegard Klimpel. However, after marrying Slovak Jozef Múdry in 1947 she wrote the name Hilda into her documents on her husband’s advice.
Mojmír Procházka, Photo: TASR
