The Greatest American Figure Skaters of All Time

This is a list of the greatest American figure skaters of all time, including both retired and active skaters, alive or not, male and female. This list contains the best American figure skaters ever, those who’ve left an impact on the sport and those who are continuing to do so; these are the skaters who’ve been household names during the greatest Winter Olympic games over the years.

Even those who aren’t intimately familiar with the sport are probably familiar with a few of these great American figure skaters. One of the most famous ice dancers in USA women's figure skating is Michelle Kwan, who became so well known after winning two Olympic medals and nine titles as champion at the U. S. Figure Skating Championships that she appeared as an animated version of herself in The Simpsons. Tara Lipinski also stole America’s heart when she became an Olympic gold medalist at only 15 years old. Other medalists from the United States include ladies' singles and pairs gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, Scott Hamilton, and Dorothy Hamill.

Some of the top American figure skaters in history have become household names not only due to their amazing figure skating, but also because of scandals. The quintessential example of this type of infamy is Tonya Harding and her alleged part in the assault on competitor Nancy Kerrigan. While this incident overshadows Harding’s career, she was an extremely talented American figure skater -- and the second woman in the history of the sport to successfully land a triple axel in a competition setting.

Whether known only because of their figure skating or for other reasons, these are the most amazing American figure skaters the sport has seen. From Dick Button to Brian Boitano and  Peggy Fleming, you’ll find a comprehensive accounting of the greatest American figure skaters here.