How to see Janet Lynn when Olympic figure skater returns to Rockford

Most of Rockford’s greatest athletes moved away to pursue their careers. Janet Lynn is the one who specifically moved here to obtain her Olympic dreams. And now she is making a rare return trip to Rockford.

Here are the details:

Who is Janet Lynn?

Janet Lynn is a five-time U.S. National figure skating champion who won the bronze medal in the 1972 Olympics. She is probably the second-most famous athlete to ever come out of Rockford, trailing only NBA All-Star Fred VanVleet. To this day, she is regarded as a figure skating legend.

More: Feb. 6, 1968: Janet reaps big dividends from hard work, determination

Where and when can I see her?

On June 10 at Midway Village. Tickets are $7 for Midway Village members and $15 for non-members.

Why is she coming?

She was invited to do a Zoom call as part of the Museum’s honoring her 70th birthday (on April 6). Before museum officials could even ask, she volunteered to come in person. She will speak for roughly one hour, then take questions from the crowd.

Why is Janet Lynn so famous?

She is widely regarded — even today — as one of the greatest free skaters of all time. She was known for her grace and was also one of the first women to land triple jumps in competition. She was so good that figure skating changed its rules after she did not win the Olympic title. She was also, at one time, the highest-paid professional female athlete in the world.

Why didn’t she win Olympic gold?

In Lynn’s time, compulsory figures, where skaters traced clean, round circles on the ice, counted for at least half of a skater’s score, even though that competition wasn’t even shown on TV. In 1972, the gold medal winner finished 7th in the free skate, performing mostly single jumps. Lynn easily won the free skate, getting a perfect 6.0 from one judge.

How did Lynn change the rules?

Lynn was so popular at the 1972 Olympics that casual fans had a hard time understanding why she didn’t win. Compulsory figures soon after began to be phased out. By 1990, they were completely gone. Skaters are now judged on two free-skate performances, a short program of two minutes and 50 seconds and a long program of four minutes.

Why did she move to Rockford?

Nowicki showed great talent at a very young age. She skated her first exhibition at age 4 at Chicago Stadium, where the Bulls won their first three NBA titles. By age 7, she was living away from home part of the year to train with coach Slavka Kohout, who worked out of the Wagon Wheel Ice Palace in Rockton. The entire family then moved to Rockford.

What did she do as a young star?

At age 11, Lynn became the youngest skater to pass all eight tests by the Unitd States Figure Skating Association. At age 14, she finished 9th in the 1968 Olympics in France.

What was her life after the Olympics?

Lynn won one more U.S. title in 1973 and finished second in the World Championships that year. She then signed a three-year, $1.46 million contract with the Ice Follies. She married and had five boys and has led a quiet life out of the spotlight.

Contact: mtrowbridge@rrstar.com, @matttrowbridge or 815-987-1383. Matt Trowbridge has covered sports for the Rockford Register Star for over 30 years, after previous stints in North Dakota, Delaware, Vermont and Iowa City.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Figure skating legend Janet Lynn will make rare return to Rockford