Because of the years of war , Europe fell behind North America in terms of figure skating dominance . Many of the new top competitors came from the United States and Canada , bringing with them a style that emphasized speed , endurance , and dynamic movements . They included Americans Richard Button ( who was the first skater to complete both the double axel jump and a loop jump with three rotations ) , Hayes Alan Jenkins , David Jenkins , Tenley Albright , and Carol Heiss ; and Canadians Barbara Ann Scott and Donald Jackson . In 1961 , the crash of Sabena Flight 548 claimed the lives of the entire United States figure skating team and their coaches . The event sharply reduced American strength in the sport for a period but by the late 1960s the country began a resurgence led by Peggy Fleming
Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548
History of figure skating