Ernst Baier

Ernst Baier (27 September 1905 in Zittau, Saxony, Germany – 8 July 2001 in Garmisch, Bavaria, Germany) was a German figure skater who competed in pair skating and single skating. He became Olympic pair champion in 1936 together with Maxi Herber. The duo also won several World and European championships.

Ernst Baier skated for the club Berliner SC. He also enjoyed success as a single skater and won silvers at the European, World and Olympic games in singles. He competed at the European Championships in 1929, coming in seventh place, and again in 1930, coming in fifth place. He competed at the World Championships four times, between 1931 and 1934, and won two bronze medals and two silver medals.

Skating with Herber, he won seven national titles, five European titles, and four World titles, in addition to their Olympic gold. The pair performed several side-by-side jumps, including side-by-side Axel jumps at the 1934 Championships, when they won a bronze medal, likely the first side-by-side Axels competed by a pair at an ISU championship. They also developed a 'Baier lift', which was similar to a twist lift but lacking a release of Herber into the air. They did not compete in 1935 due to an injury, but returned in 1936 and as figure skating historian James R. Hines put, "were unbeatable for the remainder of the prewar period". They won the gold medal at the Winter Olympics in 1936.

Herber and Baier married after their skating career ended in 1940. They had three children and divorced in 1964. After World War II they skated in ice shows; they created their own, which was later sold to Holiday on Ice. He also worked as an architect and coach. They were elected to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1979.

On 15 May 1965 he married the Swedish figure skater Birgitta Wennström (born 10 November 1935 in Enskede, Stockholm, Sweden) known by the stage name "Topsy" from Holiday on Ice together with her partner Steve. They had a daughter in 1968, but divorced in 1973.

Some years later he remarried Maxi Herber, but they later divorced again. Provided by Wikipedia