Erle Reiter Dies at 91

Erle Reiter, figure skater in the 1936 Olympics, died recently at 91 years of age, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He won three silver medals in the U.S. Nationals.

Reiter had a congenital eye problem, so the snowstorms at the outdoor Olympic rink made it difficult for him to see.

"He said he was very nervous skating there. He was only 19," said his son Bruce of Edina.

Adding to the tension, German Army troops patrolled the venue, and the Nazis demanded that competitors give the Nazi salute to Adolf Hitler, who presided over the games.

"The Americans and others refused," Bruce Reiter said.

Reiter became a professional skater, and later went on to be a businessman and sailor.