Florence Madeline "Madge" Syers (née Cave, 16 September 1881 – 9 September 1917) was a British figure skater. She became the first woman to compete at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1902 by entering what was previously an all-male event and won the silver medal, which prompted the International Skating Union (ISU) to create a separate ladies' championship. Syers was the winner of the first two ladies' events in 1906 and 1907 and went on to become the Olympic champion at the 1908 Summer Olympics, the first Olympic Games to include figure skating. She also competed as a pairs skater with her husband Edgar Syers, winning the bronze medal at the 1908 Olympics.
Personal life
Florence Madeline Cave was born on 16 September 1881 in Kensington, London, one of 15 children of Edward Jarvis Cave, a builder, and his wife Elizabeth Ann. She was a proficient figure skater, as well as a gifted swimmer and equestrienne. Madge became a regular at the Prince's Skating Club in Knightsbridge,
In 1899, Madge met her future husband Edgar Syers, a figure skater and coach who was 18 years her senior.
Career
1902 World championships
The World Figure Skating Championships, first contested in 1896, was regarded as an all-male event since competitive skating was generally viewed as a male activity, but there was no regulation barring women, enabling Syers to enter and compete at the 1902 Championships in London.
Syers' entry into the World Championships prompted the ISU to discuss the subject of women competing against men at their next Congress in 1903. The concerns raised were that "(1) the dress prevents the judges from seeing the feet; (2) a judge might judge a girl to whom he was attached; and (3) it is difficult to compare women with men." To address the concerns of the ISU, Syers started the trend of wearing calf-length skirts so judges could see her foot work. The Congress voted six to three in favour of barring women from the championships.
1903–1907
Syers continued to compete elsewhere and, in 1903, won the inaugural British Figure Skating Championships, which began as a mixed competition. She won again the following year, beating her husband, who won the silver medal.
The 1905 ISU Congress established a separate ladies' event, which was supported by strong lobbying from the National Ice Skating Association. The event was known at the time as the Ladies' Championship of the ISU rather than a World Championship,
Later life
Syers retired from competitive skating after the Olympics due to fading health. She died of heart failure caused by acute endocarditis on 9 September 1917 at her home in Weybridge, Surrey, seven days shy of her 36th birthday.
Results
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Ladies' singles
|-
! scope="col" | Event
! scope="col" | 1906
! scope="col" | 1907
! scope="col" | 1908
|-
! scope="row" | Olympics
|
|
| align="centr" bgcolor="gold" | 1st
|-
! scope="row" | World Championships
| align="centr" bgcolor="gold" | 1st
| align="centr" bgcolor="gold" | 1st
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Open singles
|-
! scope="col" | Event
! scope="col" | 1902
! scope="col" | 1903
! scope="col" | 1904
|-
! scope="row" | World Championships
| align="centr" bgcolor="silver" | 2nd
|
|
|-
! scope="row"| British Championships
|
| align="centr" bgcolor="gold" | 1st
| align="centr" bgcolor="gold" | 1st
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Pairs
|-
! scope="col" | Event
! scope="col" | 1908
|-
! scope="row"| Olympics
| align="centr" bgcolor="cc9966" | 3rd
|}