Karol Divín won a figure skating silver at 1960 Winter Olympics ©IOC/ISU

Figure skater and 1960 Winter Olympic silver medallist Karol Emil Divín has died aged 86.

Divín represented Czechoslovakia throughout his career and participated in three Olympic Winter Games.

He finished fifth in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956 and fourth at Innsbruck 1964.

At the 1960 Games in Squaw Valley - now Palisades Tahoe - Divín came second in the men's singles.

Apart from the Olympic medal, Divín was a European champion in 1958 and 1959 and won silver at the 1962 World Figure Skating Championships in Prague. 

He also earned five European Championship bronze medals and one at the World Championships in 1964.

"I will always have it in my head as I watched it at various championships on television," recalled Jiří Daler, Olympic cycling champion and member of the Czech Olympic Committee Board.

Karol Emil Divín coached two-time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser, left, of Canada ©Getty Images
Karol Emil Divín coached two-time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser, left, of Canada ©Getty Images

"The crescent that rode stuck in my memory the most.

"We met at various events, announcing the best athletes and the like.

"He was always nice to meet him.

"But lately he has been bad at it."

After retiring from skating, Divín pursued coaching in Finland and Canada for several years.

Two-time Olympic silver medallist Brian Orser of Canada and 2013 European Championship bronze medallist Michal Březina of the Czech Republic were among the athletes he coached.