Leo Freisinger, Olympic Medalist, Dies

Mission Viejo resident Leo Freisinger, a 1936 Olympic medalist and world-champion ice skater, was buried Saturday, three days after he died in his sleep.

Freisinger, 69, died early Thursday morning at Mission Community Hospital despite attempts by hospital personnel, and earlier by paramedics, to revive him, said his wife of 45 years, May Freisinger.

A bronze-medal winner in 500-meter speed skating during the 1936 Olympic winter games at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Freisinger remained active throughout his life and recently joined a bicycle club in Mission Viejo. His death came as a shock to his family.

‘Such a Good Athlete’

“He was in such good health. He was such a good athlete. He felt perfectly fine and had a physical about a week before (his death),” Mrs. Freisinger said.

Through the years, the Chicago native won six U.S. National Championships and three North American Championships. In 1938, he established the world record for 500-meter speed skating at 41.9 seconds--a record that was not broken for 18 years.

Between 1947 and 1954, Freisinger, along with his wife and young daughter, skated with Holiday on Ice.

An “all-around athlete,” Freisinger played baseball, among other sports, and was head speed-skating coach during the 1964 IX Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria.

When the Olympics came to California last year, Freisinger, a California resident for the past 30 years, joined in the activities through various functions for former Olympians. “So he got to do that one last time before his time was up. And that was nice,” Mrs. Freisinger said.

Donated Trophies

The day he died, Freisinger and his wife were scheduled to attend a Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee ceremony, featuring dignitaries such as Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. Freisinger had donated trophies to a number of athletic foundations, including several now in the possession of the LAOOC, his widow said.

Freisinger was buried Saturday at O’Connor Laguna Hills Mortuary. He is survived by his wife, his daughter, Joan Trompetto, two grandchildren, Brent and Tracy, and two sisters, Eleanor Roncketti and Kathryn Davis.