Ernst Baier

Thirty-year-old Berlin figure skater Ernst Baier and his 15-year-old protégée, Maxi Herber, were early models of "shadow skating" in which both skaters perform the exact same moves without touching. In an unusual reversal of normal procedure, the German government made a film of Baier and Herber's routine and commissioned a composer to create a piece to match their moves. At the 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Olympic Winter Games in Germany, Baier and Herber received first place votes from seven of the nine judges and won gold medals in the pairs event. The next day, Baier competed in the singles event and earned a silver medal behind Karl Schäfer of Austria. Baier is the only male skater to win Olympic medals in both pairs and singles competitions. He and Herber went on to win three consecutive pairs World Championships after which their winning streak was ended by World War II. The two turned professional in 1941.