Carol Elizabeth Heiss Jenkins (born January 20, 1940) is an American former figure skater and actress.

Carol Elizabeth Heiss was born January 20, 1940 in New York City, and grew up in Ozone Park, Queens.

[6] After some early victories in regional youth skating, she came to national prominence in 1951, when she won the U.S. novice ladies' title at age 11.

[7][8] Coached by Pierre Brunet, she won the junior women's singles title at the national championships in 1952.

But her mother, Marie Heiss, was quite ill with cancer at the time, and before her death in October 1956, she asked Carol to win a gold medal for her.

She was the World and U.S. Champion each year, and at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, Heiss captured the gold medal, being ranked first by all nine judges.

[20] In 1961, she married American figure skater Hayes Alan Jenkins, who had won the 1956 Olympic gold medal.