![Ursula Wehrli in action. This jump was photographed for an autograph card.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/titelbild-ursula-wehrli-300x225.jpg)
The forgotten world champion
Today, very few people even know that in 1947 a young woman from Zurich became the first world champion in roller skating. High time, then, to roll out the story of Ursula Wehrli.
![Roller skating on a Saturday night at the Savoy Ballroom in Chicago, 1941.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/rollschuh-chicago-300x221.jpg)
![Ursula Wehrli in her element at the 1944 Swiss Championships in Zurich.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/rollschuh-spagat-300x234.jpg)
![Cover of US roller skating magazine “American Skater”, November 1947.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/cover-skater-roller-magazin-220x300.jpg)
![Ursula Wehrli competing in a speed-skating event in 1938.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/1938-uw-roll-schnelllauf-fo-8-170x300.jpg)
![In 1940 Ursula Wehrli was chosen for the Swiss national team.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/wehrli-jung-200x300.jpg)
Swiss newsreel of 10 January 1947 (in German). Swiss Federal Archives
![In the office, 1947.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/buro-300x300.jpg)
![As a trainer, Ursula Wehrli passed on her knowledge to the next generation of young talent. Photo dating from 1949.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/trainerin-1950-203x300.jpg)
![Constantly on the move on her roller skates. Ursula Wehrli in 1938.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/rollschuh-1938-300x169.jpg)
![Figure skating, 1943.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/eis-1943-slide-300x169.jpg)
![Roller skate training, 1939.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/rollschuh-1939-300x169.jpg)
![Queen of the air, 1944.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/eis-1944-300x169.jpg)
![Pirouettes... on other surfaces as well.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/rollschuh-slide-300x169.jpg)
![European Champion certificate, 1946.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/europameisterin-1946-300x169.jpg)
![World Champion medal from 1947.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/wm-medaille-300x169.jpg)