David Jenkins

Who is David Jenkins?

David Wilkinson Jenkins, is an American figure skater. He won the men's gold medal for figure skating during the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. David Jenkins had led the world in men's skating for four years, following the four-year lead of his older brother, figure skater Hayes Alan Jenkins.

Jenkins was known as an especially strong jumper for his time. There exists video of him performing a triple axel jump in a 1957 exhibition, 21 years before that jump was landed for the first time in competition.

Following the 1960 Olympics, Jenkins declined to compete at the 1960 World Figure Skating Championships. Instead, he turned professional, taking a leave of absence from his studies at Case Western Reserve Medical School to appear in Ice Follies. After graduating, he became a practicing physician.