Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Kilius started her successful national career at the age of nine with her partner Franz Nigel at the German championships in 1952. With him she became the first German youth champion in pair skating. Two years later, the ice pair won the title of runner-up at the German championships. In 1955 the German championship was successful; Marika Kilius, just thirteen years old, took first place with her partner. In the following two years she continued to dominate the German scene in this discipline. They won the championship title again in a row in 1956 and 1957.

In 1955, the young Marika Kilius took part in the European Championships and immediately took third place in pair skating. This made it one of the best in Europe. She repeated this success the following year. In the same year, 1956, she achieved a double triumph as she also came third at the World Championships. The following year she changed her skating partner. In 1957 she ran with Hans-Jürgen Bäumler, with whom she was to have even more success. Above all, the couple won their way into the hearts of the German audience. They were often referred to as the German dream couple on the ice. Kilius continued her series of sporting successes with her new partner Bäumler in 1959.

She became German champion with him. In the same year she was able to celebrate another title, becoming European champion in pair skating for the first time. The couple also presented themselves with the best quality of performance in the period that followed. By 1964, Marika Kilius and Hans-Jürgen Bäumler, the German ice skating dream couple, had become German and European champions six times in a row. In 1960 they took part in the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. They immediately won silver at this international competition. At the World Championships in the same year, Marika Kilius came third in pair skating.

They repeated this title success at the next Winter Olympics in 1964 in Innsbruck, Austria. In 1966 they voluntarily returned this medal because of the questioned amateur status. Their big competitors from the Soviet Union, the pair Belusova and Protopopov, became world champions. Marika Kilius and her partner Bäumler had long been among the world's best and in Germany she became the sports idol of the 1960s. They crowned their successful sporting year in 1964 with a brilliant victory at the World Championships in Dortmund. And the year before, at the World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, they won the title of the world's best figure skating pair for the first time.

Marika Kilius and her partner switched to professional sports after 1964 and had numerous appearances in various ice revues such as "Holliday on Ice", "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1968), "Im Weißen Rößl" (1969) or " "The Mask in Blue" (1970). Marika Kilius and her partner also made ice skating films such as "The Great Freestyle" and the film "The Great Happiness". In 1982, Marika Kilius and her partner Bäumler ended their active careers in figure skating. Kilius was still active as a successful figure skater in show business and worked as a singer. For example, in 1964 she sang the title "When the Cowboys Dream" and came third in the top ten in Germany. After her active sports career, Marika Kilius works as a real estate agent.

Peter Alexander präsentiert Spezialitäten

Her first marriage with the son of a factory owner, Werner Zahn, became
a &quot;national tragedy&quot; because the German public had expected her to
marry her skating partner (1964).

One of Germany&#39;s most successful figure skaters in the pairs&#39;
competition. In 1957, she teamed up with <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0126673/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">Hans-Jürgen Bäumler</a>.

Started a singing career and released several successful records. Her
biggest hit, a duet (again) with <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0126673/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">Hans-Jürgen Bäumler</a>, was &quot;Honeymoon in St.Tropez&quot;
(1964).

Winner of the World Championships in 1963 and 1964, Olympic silver
medalist in 1960 and 1964. She and her partner were stripped of the
1964 silver medal because they were alleged to have signed a
professional skating contract, but finally rehabilitated by the IOC in
1987.

Has two children, Sascha Zahn and Melanie Schäfer.

Trivia

Marika Kilius

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