{{Short description|American figure skater}} {{Multiple issues| {{More footnotes needed|date=January 2012}} {{COI|date=December 2018}} }} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox figure skater | name = Rory Flack | image = Nurnberg Gala 2007 12.jpg | caption = Flack at the 2007 Nurnberg Gala | fullname = Ellen "Rory" Flack | altname = | country = {{USA}} | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|4|28}} | birth_place = Belleville, Illinois | hometown = San Diego, California | skating club = Color of Ice Academy | retired = 1991 (competitive skating) }} '''Rory Flack''' (born April 28, 1969) is a professional figure skater and former competitor. She is the first African American woman to perform a back flip on the ice in 1991. In 1994 she became the first African-American woman to win the US Open Professional Figure Skating Championships.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}
==Personal life== Rory Flack was born in Belleville, Illinois. She is the daughter of Dorothy Jackson and William Flack, and is the niece of Roberta Flack.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Culture/roberta-flack-enduring-songstress-dies-age-88/story?id=103253751|title=Roberta Flack, enduring songstress, dies at the age of 88|first=Meredith|last=Deliso|publisher=ABC News|date=February 24, 2025|access-date=February 27, 2025}}</ref> Raised in Phoenix, Arizona, until the age of 10, then until she was 21 in San Diego, California, she later resided for 15 years in Wasilla, Alaska.<ref name=IN090702/> She was married to 8X Austrian National Champion & 1992 Olympian Ralph Burghart from 1992 to 2007,<ref name=IN090702/><ref name=CT921210/> with whom she has two sons, Rendell Burghart, born September 28, 1993, and Remington Burghart, born January 17, 1997. Rendell played tennis for Eastern Washington University and Graduated on the Deans List majoring in Film. Remington is a 2011 United States National Juvenile Bronze Pairs Medalist.<ref name=IN090702/> and competed 2017 to COVID-19 Internationally for club ESI-Skating, SkateAustria International Competitive Team.
Flack married Roi Mitchell Sr. on April 6, 2015, in Washington, D.C..<ref name=Fox150406/><ref>https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1702691609968005 Fox5 DC recording</ref>
==Skating career== {{BLP sources section|date=January 2016}} Flack began skating at the age of five. When she was 13, she met the pioneer for African Americans in figure skating, Mabel Fairbanks. Fairbanks inspired Flack to continue skating after wanting to stop at an early age due to racism.<ref name=DN980109/>
==Results==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! style="background-color: #ffdead; " colspan=4 align=center | International |- ! Event ! 1985–86 ! 1986–87 ! 1987–88 |- | align=left | Grand Prix International St. Gervais || || || bgcolor=silver | 2nd |- ! style="background-color: #ffdead; " colspan=4 align=center | National |- | align=left | U.S. Championships || 3rd J || 12th || 15th |- | align=left | Pacific Coast Sectionals || 1st J || || |- | colspan=4 align=center | <small> J = Junior level </small> |}
==References== {{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=DN980109>{{cite news |url= http://articles.philly.com/1998-01-09/news/25750375_1_figure-skating-world-rory-flack-derrick-delmore |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141218193141/http://articles.philly.com/1998-01-09/news/25750375_1_figure-skating-world-rory-flack-derrick-delmore |url-status= dead |archive-date= December 18, 2014 |title= They're Working Hard To Cut Through Ice Ceiling |first= Marcus |last= Hayes |work= Philadelphia Daily News |date= January 9, 1998 }}</ref>
<ref name=IN090702>{{cite news |url= http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090702&content_id=5657074&vkey=ice_news |title= Rory Flack-Burghart takes life on the road |first= Lois |last= Elfman |work= IceNetwork.com |date= July 2, 2009 }}</ref>
<ref name=CT921210>{{cite news |url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/12/10/watch-for-the-movie-want-a/ |title= Watch for the movie: Want a sports story with show biz... |first= Mike |last= Conklin |work= Chicago Tribune |date= December 10, 1992 }}</ref>
<ref name=Fox150406>{{cite news |url= http://www.fox5dc.com/news/1771180-story |title= Couple gets married in the middle of street of busy DC intersection |first= Rick |last= Boone |website= fox5dc.com |date= April 6, 2015 }}</ref>
}}
== External links == * [http://web.mac.com/rogueelement/iWeb/skatecast/Podcast/3D6527A3-6E14-496A-9E21-27E6D847C992.html In depth oral history interview] * {{IMDb name|0121394}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flack, Rory}} Category:20th-century African-American sportswomen Category:20th-century American sportswomen Category:1971 births Category:American female single skaters Category:American figure skating coaches Category:Figure skating choreographers Category:Living people Category:People from Wasilla, Alaska Category:Sportspeople from Belleville, Illinois Category:Sportspeople from Phoenix, Arizona Category:Sportspeople from San Diego Category:Black figure skaters