Dick Button, 2-Time Olympic Champion, Dies at 95, Less Than 24 Hours After Figure Skating Community Mourns D.C. Plane Crash Deaths

Richard "Dick" Button was the first man to win two Olympic gold medals in figure skating

Figure skating legend Dick Button, a two-time Olympic champion, has died at age 95.

U.S. Figure Skating confirmed Button's passing in an X post on Thursday, Jan. 30.

"U.S. Figure Skating mourns the loss of the legendary Dick Button. The two-time Olympic champion's pioneering style & award-winning commentary revolutionized figure skating. His legacy will live on forever. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones," the post read. A cause of death was not immediately announced.

Born Richard Totten Button in July 1929, Button is widely credited with bringing new levels of athleticism to the sport. He was the first person to land a double Axel in competition at the 1948 Olympics, which he won at age 18. He landed the first triple jump - a triple loop – at the 1952 Olympic Games on his way to winning his second gold medal. He also invented the flying camel spin.

In addition, he won seven consecutive U.S. Championships, five World Championships and also won the European Champions in 1948 (during a brief period when American skaters were allowed in the event).

He became known as the "voice of figure skating," serving as a commentator on ABC Sports and later NBC Sports from 1960-2010. At the 2006 Olympics, he earned a new generation of fans for his segment "Push Dick's Button," which would also become the name of his 2013 biography.

In 1981, he won the Emmy for Outstanding Sports Personality.

Button also founded the World Professional Figure Skating Championships, a televised competition for skaters who no longer competed in the eligible ranks.

His death comes one day after several figure skaters were killed in a plane crash in Washington D.C., including six members affiliated with his home club, the Skating Club of Boston.

More to come...