Wilhelm Henie
{{short description|Norwegian sportsman and furrier (1872-1937)}}
{{Use dmy dates |date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Wilhelm Henie
| image = Wilhelm Henie.jpg
| caption = Wilhem Henie on bike
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| birth_date = {{Birth date |1872|9|7|df=y}}
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| death_date = {{Death date and age |1937|5|10|1872|9|7|df=y}}
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| nationality = Norwegian
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| occupation = sportsman and furrier
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| known_for = {{plainlist|
- World champion in track cycling
- Coach and manager for figure skater Sonja Henie
}}
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| children = Sonja Henie
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{{MedalTableTop }}
{{MedalSport|Men's track cycling}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}
{{MedalGold| 1894 Antwerp | 100 km motor-pace}}
{{MedalBronze| 1895 Cologne | 100 km motor-pace}}
{{MedalSilver| 1900 Paris | 100 km motor-pace}}
{{MedalBottom}}
Wilhelm Henie (7 September 1872 – 10 May 1937){{Cite web|url=http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/lexique/lexique_.php?l=H |title=Lexique des coureurs - H |accessdate=30 January 2009 |publisher=Mémoir du Cyclisme |language=French |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612050313/http://memoire-du-cyclisme.net/lexique/lexique_.php?l=H |archivedate=12 June 2010 }} was a Norwegian sportsman and furrier. He was track cycling World Champion in 1894, and competed at the European Speed Skating Championships in 1896. Henie was coach and manager for his daughter Sonja, who became a famous international figure skating champion and later a major American film star.
Cycling
Henie was an active track cyclist from 1889 to 1902.{{cite book | last= Thorstensen |first= Th. | title= Cycling (in Idrætsboken Bind IV) |language=Norwegian |year=1923 |publisher=H. Aschehoug & Co }} He represented the club Kristiania Velocipedklub. When he became World Champion in 1894, he was also the first Norwegian World Champion in any sport.
=Early efforts=
=International career=
Henie participated in 100 km motor pace at the 1894 Track Cycling World Championships for amateurs in Antwerp, and became World Champion.{{cite book | last= Vaage |first= Jakob | title= Vår første verdensmester (in "Store begivenheter i norsk idrett") |language=Norwegian |year=1951 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.bikecult.com/bikecultbook/sports_trackWorlds1.html |title=World Championship Track Cycling 1957 to 1893 |accessdate=30 January 2009 |publisher=Bike Cult |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228154742/http://www.bikecult.com/bikecultbook/sports_trackWorlds1.html |archivedate=28 December 2008 }} He did not have a motor pace as his hardest competitors, but was helped by Dutch tandem cyclists at the end of the race. Henie won the championship 13 rounds ahead of Green from England. He set two World Records in 1894, in two English miles and in ten English miles, both at the Herne Hill Velodrome in London. In 1895 he finished 3rd at the World Championships in Cologne, behind Mathieu Cordang and Witteveen. In 1900 he finished second at the World Championships in Paris, behind Bastien, with Hildebrand finishing third. He continued active cycling until 1902.
Speed skating
Henie was also a speed skater. He competed at the 1896 European Speed Skating Championships in Hamburg, where he finished second on 500m, third in 1500m, third in 5000m, and third in 10000m.{{Cite web |url=http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4844-171958-189176-100270-0-file,00.pdf |title=Medal Winners in European Championships |accessdate=30 January 2009|publisher=International Skating Union }}
Coach and manager for Sonja
Henie was married to Selma Lochmann-Nielsen (1888–1961). They had two children, Leif and Sonja. Sonja started taking ballet lessons from she was five years old, and got her own skates when she was six. The family lived close to Frogner Stadion in Kristiania, and Sonja found her way to the ice, where she liked to play and experiment with the skates. When Sonja was only six years old, she was discovered by Hjørdis Olsen, a figure skater and coach for the skating club.
When Henie learned that his daughter had extraordinary talent, he decided to give her the best possible training. He found professional coaches for her, and travelled to the best training sites in Europe. Among her early coaches were former Norwegian champion and professional coach Oscar Holthe, and Martin Stixrud (10 times national champion, and Olympic medalist in 1920).{{cite web | url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/martin-stixrud-1.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418035046/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/martin-stixrud-1.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=18 April 2020 | title=Profile: Martin Stixrud |publisher=sports-reference.com |accessdate=5 February 2009}} In addition to training sessions with professional coaches, Henie himself coached her daughter. In her book Mitt livs eventyr Sonja says she had "the world's best manager, promotor, coach, helper and father".{{cite book | last= Henie |first= Sonja | title= Mitt livs eventyr |language=Norwegian |origyear=1938|year=1953 |publisher=Gyldendal }} Later he also and arranged for performances at sports meetings. Sonja performed during intermissions at the large skating competitions in Oslo in 1921, 1922 and 1923, which gave her experience in performing in front of a large public.
Henie managed to get Sonja enrolled at the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix in 1924, and followed her to preparations in St. Moritz prior to the games. Sonja was then only eleven years old.{{cite web | url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/he/sonja-henie-1.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417061905/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/he/sonja-henie-1.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=17 April 2020 | title=Profile: Sonja Henie |publisher=sports-reference.com |accessdate=30 January 2009}} Henie and his wife Selma also designed Sonja's skating costumes.{{Cite web |url=http://www.hok.no/sonja-henie.198419-30713.html |title=Isens dronning - Sonja Henie |publisher=Henie-Onstad kunstsenter |accessdate=30 January 2009 |language=Norwegian}} Sonja became World Champion in figure skating first time in 1927, and from then on every year until 1936. She became Olympic Champion in 1928, and again in 1932 and in 1936. She was European champion in 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 and 1936, and several times national champion. During this period Henie devoted much of his time and energy on his daughter's career.
After three Olympic gold medals and ten World Championships, Sonja gave up her amateur status and headed for a film career in Hollywood. The family travelled to America in 1936, when Sonja was 25 years old. Henie hired the skating stadion "The Polar Palace" in Los Angeles for an ice show, arranged for promotion in newspapers, and invited important persons from Hollywood. Sonja signed a lucrative five years' contract with film maker Darryl F. Zanuck, and her first film, One In A Million was finished late 1936. Parallel to the film career, Sonja also performed in popular ice revues.
Henie died in 1937.{{cite encyclopedia|title=Wilhelm Henie |first=Rolf |last=Bryhn |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |editor-last=Bolstad | editor-first=Erik | editor-link= |publisher=Norsk nettleksikon |location=Oslo |url=https://snl.no/Wilhelm_Henie |language=Norwegian |accessdate=26 September 2018}}