Watch the US Nationals, worlds or any pro competition featuring the likes of Michelle Kwan or Yuka Sato. Often, expert commentators will compare these two skaters to Janet Lynn.

Who was she?

As an eligible, Janet competed in the early 1970s, directly after Peggy Fleming and immediately before Dorothy Hamill.

She won the United States championship 5 times, from 1969 until 1973. Known for her extraordinary ice presence, Janet dazzled audiences and judges alike with unsurpassed artistry and seamless flow. Where other skaters appeared choreographed, she seemed to skate in the moment

Janet's nemesis, the compulsory figures, often cost her international podium placements. At the time, figures accounted for fifty percent of the total score. Her chances weren't helped, thanks to rival athlete, Beatrix 'Trixi' Schuba of Austria, being considered the best school figure skater ever. Trixi was so far ahead after that portion of the competition, she proved impossible for Janet to catch. Always.

Television audiences, tuning in to watch the free skating event from worlds or the Olympics, were often left confused by the final result. How could Trixi, who was an average skater by comparison, win? This scenario is thought to be responsible for the creation of the short program, shifting the emphasis slowly away from figures.

At the 2003 World Figure Skating Championships in Washington D.C., Janet was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.