Activities Sports & Athletics Janet Lynn Profile U.S. Figure Skating Champion and Olympic Medalist Print Bettmann Archive / Getty Images Sports & Athletics Skating Famous Skaters Basics Lessons Inline Skating Baseball Bicycling Billiards Bodybuilding Bowling Boxing Car Racing Cheerleading Extreme Sports Football Golf Gymnastics Ice Hockey Martial Arts Professional Wrestling Skateboarding Paintball Soccer Swimming & Diving Table Tennis Tennis Track & Field Volleyball Other Activities Learn More By Jo Ann Schneider Farris Jo Ann Schneider Farris Jo Ann Schneider Farris was a silver medalist in junior ice dancing at the 1975 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships and is the author of two books on skating Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 03/02/19 Janet Lynn was the United States National Figure Skating Champion from 1969 through 1973. She won an Olympic bronze medal in 1972. She is remembered for being both athletic and graceful. She is considered one of the best freeskaters of all time. She was one of the first women to land triple jumps in competition. Janet Lynn Nowicki was born April 6, 1953, in Chicago, Illinois. When she decided to become serious about figure skating, she stopped using the last name "Nowicki" and went by the name "Janet Lynn." Lynn was and is known for her strong Christian faith. Before every performance, she would close her eyes and give thanks and praise to God. She believed that God had given her the gift of skating and, in each performance, she worked to glorify God. Lynn married Rick Salomon. She spent many years away from figure skating and is the mother of five sons. Considered One of the Greatest Freeskaters of All Time Lynn was coached by Slavka Kohout at the Wagon Wheel Skating Center in Rockton, Illinois. It is said that her weakness in compulsory figures was the reason she did not win gold at the Winter Olympic Games or at the World Figure Skating Championships. Eventually, the value of compulsory figures was decreased and more credit was given for freestyle. Many say that the sport of figure skating changed because of Lynn. In the early 1990s, compulsory figures were eliminated from ice skating competitions. Competition Highlights 1972 - Olympics Bronze Medalist1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 - U.S. National Figure Skating Champion1972 - World Figure Skating Championships Bronze Medalist1973 - World Figure Skating Championships Silver Medalist1969 - North American Figure Skating Champion1968 - U.S. National Figure Skating Championships Bronze Medalist1968 - Olympic Competitor Professional Career Ice Follies offered Lynn a three-year contract for $1,455,000. She became the highest-paid female professional athlete at the time. In 1974 Lynn became the World Professional Champion. That competition was actually created by Dick Button to showcase Lynn's talents. In the early 1980s, she performed with 1976 Olympic Champion, John Curry, in the ice ballet, "The Snow Queen." Author Peace and Love by Janet Lynn is a book that tells the story of Lynn's life. She spends much of the book sharing about her skating and her faith. The book was published in 1973 by Creation House Publishers.