From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Scott Scovell Hamilton (born August 28, 1958) is a retired American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist. He won four consecutive U.S. championships (1981–84), four consecutive World Championships (1981–84), and a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. His signature move is a backflip, a feat that few other figure skaters could perform that is against U.S. Figure Skating and Olympic competition rules, but he included in his exhibition routines as an amateur to please the crowd and in his professional competition routines. He is also recognized for his innovative footwork sequences. In retirement, he has been involved in charitable work and is the author of three books.