[2] Nepela became interested in skating after watching the 1958 European Championships on television[3][4] — Karol Divín won the men's title for Czechoslovakia.

Over the next two seasons, Nepela won two more European bronze medals and placed eighth at his second Olympics, in Grenoble, France.

After becoming the European champion for the fourth consecutive year in Gothenburg (Sweden), Nepela traveled to Sapporo, Japan to compete at his third Olympics.

Placing first in the compulsory figures and fourth in the free skate, he finished first overall ahead of the Soviet Union's Sergei Chetverukhin and won the gold medal at the 1972 Winter Olympics, became one of the youngest male figure skating Olympic champions.

Nepela wanted to retire from competition after the 1971–72 season, but agreed to continue one more year because the 1973 World Championships were to be held in Bratislava.

[9] Since 1993, the Slovak Figure Skating Association has held a competition each autumn called the Ondrej Nepela Memorial.