Whatever Happened To Figure Skater Katarina Witt?
With her two wins in the 1980s, German figure skater Katarina Witt is the only woman to win back-to-back singles figure skating Olympic gold medals in the past 80 years, according to Britannica. The only other woman to achieve that feat was Sonja Henie in the 1930s — back when the sport centered around simple spins and single jumps (via Slate). Witt dominated the sport with four world titles and six European championships, before retiring in 1988.
Witt went on to star in the television special "Carmen on Ice," winning a Primetime Emmy in the process (per IMDb). She participated in several nationally touring shows, including one that she co-headlined with American skating star Brian Boitano (via Britannica), and returned to amateur competition in 1994 for her third Olympics. Though she didn't end up on the podium at Lillehammer, she placed seventh, and was inducted in the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame the following year, according to the Olympics website.
But what is the skating superstar up to these days?
Katarina Witt has taken on acting and broadcasting jobs
Katarina Witt's long professional career saw her creating ice shows with her production company WITH WITT Sports & Entertainment GmbH, according to Biography. But in addition to her performances on the ice, Witt has occasionally acted on screen, including bit parts in "Jerry Maguire" and 1998's "Ronin." Around this time, Witt also appeared nude in the pages of a wildly successful issue of Playboy. It was reportedly the second issue in the magazine's history to sell out — the first was the magazine's debut issue, with its racy photos of Marilyn Monroe.
Witt published her autobiography, "Only With Passion," in 2005, and founded the Katarina Witt Foundation to work with disabled youth. She is also a reality show host. In her native Germany she hosted "Stars auf Eis" ("Stars on Ice"); while in Britain she judged the similar competition show called "Dancing On Ice" (via IMDb). As a broadcaster, she continues to provide figure skating commentary for the Olympics, most recently in 2018 for the German broadcasters ARD, according to her website.