14 Facts About Karen Magnussen

Karen Magnussen is the 1972 Olympic silver medallist and 1973 World champion.

Karen Magnussen was Canada's Female Athlete of the Year in 1971 and 1972, and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1973.

Karen Magnussen was born on April 4,1952 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Karen Magnussen grew up in a middle-class family with a Swedish mother and Norwegian father.

Karen Magnussen has two sisters, Lori, three years younger, and Judy, six years younger.

Karen Magnussen was sent to the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, and placed seventh.

In 1969, Karen Magnussen lost her Canadian title to Linda Carbonetto.

Karen Magnussen was diagnosed with stress fractures in both legs in February 1969, spent three months in a wheelchair, and returned to the ice in mid-May.

Karen Magnussen was granted free early morning ice time at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum before the hockey players arrived.

Schuba's strength in figures allowed her to win the gold at the 1972 Winter Olympics despite placing seventh in the free skating segment, while Lynn and Karen Magnussen took bronze and silver, respectively.

At the 1973 World Figure Skating Championships, the first under the new judging system, Karen Magnussen produced a strong short program that included a double Axel.

Karen Magnussen coached for eleven years in Boston before returning to the North Shore Winter Club in North Vancouver, British Columbia.

Karen Magnussen was the last Canadian woman to win the World title until Kaetlyn Osmond in 2018,45 years later.

On November 28,2011, an ammonia leak occurred at the North Shore Winter Club where Karen Magnussen was working; she said it caused her breathing problems, hampered her ability to speak, impaired her vision, and left her chronically fatigued.