Arnold Gerschwiler
Arnold Gerschwiler OBE was a Swiss figure skating coach.Personal life
Gerschwiler was born in Arbon, Switzerland. He was the half-brother of Jacques Gerschwiler and the uncle of Hans Gerschwiler. At the encouragement of Jacques, he moved to London, England. He married Violet Blundell in August 1941. They had two daughters, Stella and Claire, two grandsons and two granddaughters.
Gerschwiler lived in Ailsa Road, St Margarets, Twickenham for 53 years. He died on 22 August 2003 at St Anthony's Hospital, Cheam at the age of 89.Career
Gerschwiler joined the staff of the Richmond Ice Rink in 1937. He was head coach there from 1938, and served as director in 1964 until the facility was demolished in 1992. He coached the Czech skater Alena Vrzanova, world champion in 1949 and 1950, as well as his own nephew Hans Gerschwiler, the 1948 Olympic silver medallist.
He also coached the British skaters John Curry, 1976 Olympic and world champion, and Valda Osborn, British champion in 1952 and 1953 and European champion in 1953. Other European top skaters he coached included Ladislav Čáp, Helmut Seibt, Michael Booker, Daphne Walker, Hanna Eigel, Sjoukje Dijkstra, Patricia Dodd, and Joan Haanappel.
Gerschwiler was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1997. He and his brother Jacques were inducted into the Professional Skaters Association's Coaches Hall of Fame in 2004.
