1925 World Figure Skating Medal: The Bronze Age.

Last Updated on December 28, 2024 by Netropolitan Museum

Austria’s home-ice triumphs on the world figure skating stage

To mark the occasion of the 1925 World Figure Skating Championships in Vienna, Austria, competitors were awarded a beautifully crafted bronze participation medal, produced by the renowned Austrian sculptor Josef Prinz, whose work is still sought out and collected today. Signed “Jos Prinz” in the lower right corner, this medal exemplifies the high standard of craftsmanship that defined commemorative pieces of the era. Encased in a custom presentation box embossed with the distinctive logo of the Wiener Eislauf Verein (“WEV,” or Vienna Ice Skating Club), the medal exudes both elegance and prestige.

Medal Gallery: 1925 World Figure Skating Championships

A striking central figure, poised with grace and authority, stands atop a skate blade, bearing a laurel wreath with an elegant cascading ribbon. The laurel wreath, a timeless symbol of triumph and athletic achievement, is closely tied to Apollo, the Olympian god and patron of sport (among other things) in both Greek and Roman mythology. It’s likely that this figure is meant to evoke Apollo himself. Beneath the figure rests the iconic logo of Wiener Eislauf Verein, with its stylized letter “E” gracefully entwined with curled-toe, strap-on skate blades. Only a select few of these medals—likely no more than 30 to 40—were minted for the 1925 World Championships, making each a rare and prized souvenir of the championship.

The 1925 event, held in February of that year, proved to be a triumphant occasion for the host nation. Austrian skaters dominated both the men’s and pairs’ events, capturing gold in each discipline. But Austria’s sweep of the top spot on the world figure skating podium didn’t end there. Austrian men also claimed silver and bronze, completing a podium sweep, while a talented pair team earned the bronze in their event. And earlier in the year, at the women’s competition held in Davos, Switzerland, it was once again an Austrian skater who claimed the top spot, further cementing Austria’s prowess in the world of figure skating during that era.

As striking and impressive now as it must have been a century ago, this substantial and enduring medal serves as a remarkable memento of an early period in the history of world figure skating. That’s this week’s figure skating pin blog: 1925 World Figure Skating Medal: Bronze Age.

This blog was originally published at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins on August 22, 2020, and has been updated with new and expanded information.

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