Alena "Ája" Vrzáňová was a Czechoslovakian figure skater who represented Czechoslovakia in competition.
Background
Vrzáňová was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1931. After spending the winter of 1949 at home in Czechoslovakia, her father advised her not to come back from the upcoming World Championships and she agreed. Her mother followed her in March under dramatic circumstances – her plane was hijacked.
Her father, a professional cello player, visited them several times, but decided not to leave his country permanently.
Education
In addition to figure skating, she also played piano and attended ballet school.
Career
They spent each winter in the Krkonoše mountains. This tradition was interrupted during the Second World War, and then Vrzáňová started figure skating. The conditions for training were difficult, as she had to train in early winter mornings.
Her training sessions were held in darkness because of the dim-out regulations.
The sessions took place in the open Štvanice Stadium before the sessions for hockey players, or in the CLTK club tennis courts, which were flooded with water and frozen. In early 1947, she moved to Richmond, London to be coached by Arnold Gerschwiler.
Vrzáňová represented Czechoslovakia at the 1948 Winter Olympics. She placed fifth in the event, finishing fifth behind compatriot Jiřina Nekolová.
At the championship, she was credited as being the first woman to land a double lutz.
After this, she went on the European tour instead of going home. Following her competitive career, Vrzáňová moved to the United States and performed for the traveling show Ice Follies for three years under the name "Aja Zanova" then joined the Ice Capades. She also participated in television ads and other shows.
After her husband"s death, Vrzáňová worked for the Ice Capades and led New York City"s largest public ice rink, the Wollman Rink.
She was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2009. In 2009, Vrzáňová received the title of the Sports Legend of the Czechoslovakian Republic.
In 2012, Czechoslovakian Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg presented to her the 16th annual Gratias Agit Awards in recognition of those who promote the good name of the Czechoslovakian Republic abroad.