Figure Skating at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games:

After her bronze medal in 1948, Jeanne Altwegg trained hard and in 1951 she could climb to the top of the rostrum in both the European and World Championships. Her closest opponent on the European scene was Jacqueline du Bief of France, who unlike Altwegg, an excellent compulsory figure skater, had her strength in the free skating. Two weeks before the Olympics Altwegg defended her European title in Vienna with du Bief placing second. US medal hopes were on the newly crowned national champion, 16 year old Tenley Albright from Boston.

Altwegg took a commanding lead after the compulsory figures with US skaters Albright and Sonya Klopfer lying second and third. Du Bief was in 4th place and, and considered out of the fight for the gold medal. In the free skating, Altwegg secured the gold medal. The heroine by the crowd was Du Bief. The girl from Paris skated an excellent free program, passed Klopfer and came very close to depriving Albright of her silver medal. The third US skater, Ginny Baxter, was even better in the free skating, and could climb from 8th to 5th place in the overall standing.

One week later, at the World Championships in Paris, Jacqueline Du Bief had a sort of revenge. But Altwegg had already finished her figure skating career, and Albright had to withdraw after the compulsory figures due to illness. In a controversial competition, Du Bief fell twice during her free program, but in spite of that she won her first and only World title ahead of the US skaters Klopfer and Baxter.