 Hedy Stenuf in 1936 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1922-07-18)July 18, 1922 | |||||||||||||||||
| Died | November 7, 2010(2010-11-07) (aged 88) | |||||||||||||||||
| Figure skating career | ||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Austria France United States | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Hedy Stenuf Byram (July 18, 1922 – November 7, 2010) was an Austrian figure skater who later competed for France and the United States. Representing the United States, she became a two-time World medalist.
Life and career
Stenuf was born in Vienna with the name Hedwig Stenuf.[1] Her father Joseph Stenuf moved to Rochester where he worked as an accountant before he was joined by Stenuf, her mother Caroline and younger brother Theodore in 1937.[2]
She first became known in the United States in 1934, when as an eleven-year-old she accompanied the Austrian champion Karl Schäfer on an exhibition tour in North America. The following season, she began appearing at major international competitions, placing 7th at the 1935 European Championships and fourth at the 1935 World Championships, which were held in her hometown of Vienna. She was considered a strong challenger to reigning champion Sonja Henie.[3]
At the 1936 Winter Olympics, Stenuf finished sixth in the singles competition.[4]
Later in 1937, she switched to competing for France, and then in 1938, to the United States. She won bronze and silver medals at the World Championships in 1938 and 1939, respectively. In addition to her accomplishments in single skating, she also competed in pair skating with partner Skippy Baxter; the pair won silver at the 1940 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
In 1943 Stenuf married Dixon Beale Perry-Smith (1922–1989), the third son of Oliver Perry-Smith.[5][1] At her death she went by the name Hedy Stenuf Byram.[6][1]
Competitive highlights
Ladies' singles
| International | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 |
| Winter Olympics | 6th1 | |||||
| World Championships | 4th1 | 4th2 | 3rd3 | 2nd3 | ||
| European Championships | 7th1 | 6th1 | 4th2 | |||
| National | ||||||
| U.S. Championships | 2nd | |||||
| Austrian Championships | 3rd | 2nd | ||||
| Representing 1 Austria, 2 France, 3 the United States | ||||||
Pairs with Baxter
| National | |
|---|---|
| Event | 1940 |
| U.S. Championships | 2nd |
References
- ^ a b c "Hedy Stenuf". Olympedia. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
- ^ "Youthful Olympic Skater Comes to Live with Father" (PDF). The Democrat and Chronicle. 24 March 1937.
- ^ Strait, Raymond; Henie, Leif (1990). Queen of Ice, Queen of Shadows: The Unsuspected Life of Sonja Henie. Scarborough House. ISBN 0-8128-8518-X.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Hedy Stenuf". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20.
- ^ "Heddy Stenuf Married; Figure Skater Is Bride of Dixon Perry-Smith at Lake Placid". New York Times. 20 October 1943. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ "Hedy Byram Obituary". Legacy.com.
External links
- Hedy Stenuf at Olympedia
- Skatabase
- U.S. Figure Skating media guide
