HEISS, CAROL

born Jan. 20, 1940, New York, N.Y., U.S. in full Carol Elizabeth Heiss leading American figure skater from 1956 through 1960, when she retired from amateur competition. In 1961 she married Hayes Alan Jenkins, a former U.S. Olympic skater, and began a professional skating career. Heiss began to skate at age 4 or 5, and at 11 she won the U.S. novice women's championship. After finishing second in the world championship competition in 1955, she won the world title for each of the next five years. She also captured the North American championship in 1957 and 1959 and the United States championship from 1957 through 1960. Although narrowly defeated by Tenley Albright of the United States at the 1956 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, she won the gold medal for women's figure skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, U.S.