Preparing for the Olympic competition, the Jelineks put together a complex and difficult routine involving several lifts, lasting five minutes.

That enabled them to complete their routine easily and perform it at Squaw Valley — at 6,200 feet (1,900 meters) elevation— without resorting to oxygen masks.

The pair had a bad fall a day before the North American Championships, resulting in a concussion to Otto and a large gash in Maria's thigh, however, they competed and won gold.

After the International Skating Union threatened to change the host, the Czechoslovak government resolved the dispute by stripping the pair's citizenship.

The Jelineks had planned to travel with the Americans to Prague but missed the flight because they were waiting for their coach, Bruce Hyland, whose wife was about to give birth.