This is several years old -but I just found it and thought it was a good read. I admit I didn't know much about Tim Wood--except that he had been a World and National Champion in the late 60s and early 70s. Wow-what a heartbreaking story about the 1968 Olympics. That one puts 2002 in the shadow.
I thought someone else might enjoy reading it:
http://www.freep.com/sports/othersports/qwood3.htm
Originally Posted by 76olympics
I remember Tim Wood. I don't think his story is anymore heartbreaking than anyother skaters. How about Toller Cranston tossing his figure skates off a bridge because of the judging?
Judging controversies always add drama - the skaters know the true story and how they skated at that moment in time - that is what really matters.
It is a sad story for any skater to lose the gold because of some sort of administrative error. Skaters work hard on their sport and should be judged fairly.
What I don't understand is why the judge in question was doing the factoring. Isn't that done by the clerical staff?
Joe
Why wouldn't the referee let him change it?
Does anyone know how his venture to US Nationals resulted?
Wow I had no idea who he was, or that he lost Oly Gold due to such a mistake. I cannot believe the officials refused to correct it. Good for him for just moving on with his life!!
I too am curious how the adult / masters nationals went for him, and if he managed to complete that 3 Axel! Even if he didn't, his jump aresenal is mighty impressive for someone his age.
Did the training center go up, and is it still operating? Now I'm curious for more...
DG
I wasn't sure if Send it files were allowed to be posted here. I uploaded his 1968 Worlds LP for anyone interested at fsvids instead.
http://s44.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0...V1CAJBZF261101
It took Canadian Syncro Swimmer, Sylvie Frechette, about 2 years to have the swimming federation (FINA) and the IOC correct a scoring mistake that cost her the Gold medal the year computerized scoring was introduced at the Olympics. The Brazilian (?) judged immediately jumped up, started waving her arms around and announced she had "hit the wrong key" on her computer when entering Sylvie's score. She asked for help in how to go about correcting her typing error ... she was told she wasn't allowed to correct the mistake and the accidental score stood.
What is it about scorig athletes who work in/on water?!?
Like any coin, I think there are two sides. On the one hand, if a judge realizes immediately that they hit a wrong key, I believe like I would imagine everyone else believes it is unfair to the athletes not to correct it.
But since we are talking figure skating here which is not exactly knows for 100% above board and fair judging, where does the line get drawn? At what point might a judge realize "oops - I wish I would have given more points to my political favorite in this event" where judges changing scores after the fact might actually NOT be above board?
I'm not sure what the answer is here - just pointing out a potential problem, or possible explanation about why changes aren't allowed. But a straight math error? That seems rediculous if the numbers where right there on the paper, and the math was just done incorrectly.
2 more cents for today..
DG
http://www.usfigureskating.org/event...tersevents.htm
This seems like the event that he would have entered. If you continue to scroll down this link you get to the Masters mens events but his name isn't in any of the results. I hope he didn't get injured or anything. He sounded like he was amazing! Triples at fifty!
Thank you for posting this nice article about Tim Wood. I skated with Tim as a child at the Detroit Skating Club. He was a really nice guy and of course, a great skater.
I do remember a lot of the conversations surrounding his Olympic loss in '68 and the general feeling then was that he was not scored correctly (of course I was only 13 then, and it was quite a long time ago, but I still have recollections of some pretty angry conversations at our club). IIRC he "lost" overall by 0.1 point, and, although he won Worlds in '69 and '70, he never became as famous as skaters do now despite their never winning Olympic gold (think: MK -- man, she is a superstar!).
It would be fun to run into him sometime, and I am glad to hear that he is still skating (as am I -- no triples here, though). I am sure he never competed at AN because I'm sure we would have heard of someone doing triples (there have been only a few skaters doing any triples at AN -- ever-- and they are superstars in the AN community).
Tim was also an ice-dancer, and I believe he passed all of his Gold Dances. He took me through a dance test in Cleveland in 1966, and was so nice about it. I wish I had that on tape, just for posterity.
Again, thanks for the walk down memory lane. I wonder if he ever opened his Sports Complex? Think I'll go for a google.
and thanks for the link to his performance. The article made me want an update too to see what he is up to now. Ladskater, I am an uber-fan of Toller, have all of his books, many of his vids--so I was probably using over-extravagant language when I said "heartbreaking." There are so many stories like this in the history of figure skating. They are all moving to me.
But- I love to find out about skaters that I didn't know much about. I was a little too young to remember Tim Wood firsthand. He does sound like a very nice guy from the article and deserving of accolades for what he accomplished. That is awesome that you knew him personally, Icedancer2. That story of him abandoned in the building after winning Nationals is priceless. You can't picture Michelle having to hitch a ride from a stranger to get home!
Yes, this is my #1 figure skating claim to fame -- although I've met and skated with other elite skaters since, nothing quite comes close to having known and skated with Tim. I took from his coach, Ronnie Baker, for a year and this was singularly my worst year in skating (he loved having champions and didn't particularly like me!). I also used to do patch (figures) across from Tim quite regularly. There was nothing so embarassing to me than to have Tim's perfect figures right next to (and sometimes right on top of, as we shared the strip of ice), my horrible chicken scratches.
I went to visit the Detroit Skating Club a couple of years ago at the "new" location in Bloomfield Hills, MI -- I was very pleased to see the large picture of Tim in the lobby (next to the ones of Lipinsky and Eldgridge, etc., as mentioned in the article) PLUS they still had the large picture of Doug Ramsey that is the same photograph that was hanging in the club on 7 Mile, who obviously was Tim's inspiration -- I was so happy that they retained some of the history of the old club, and of course, Doug Ramsey and his coach, Mr. Swallender, who were killed in the (now infamous) plane crash of 1961.
Another interesting "Where are they now?" is that the guy who "beat" him at the '68 Olympics, Wolfgang Schwartz (I trhink he was German or Austrian) -- was arrested a couple of years ago for heading up a prostitution ring somewhere in Europe.
Karma, neh?
Last edited by icedancer2; 08-05-2005 at 08:32 PM.
Wow, that is so cool, Icedancer!
Nice trip down memory lane. I really enjoyed seeing that replay of his worlds performance. And it's always nice to hear about sports legends who don't make current news with good or bad behavior (think Swartz and his involvement with a slavery/sex ring in Europe). Life does go on and it is especially nice that he has been able to carry his sport through his adult life.
I'd read about that in an Austrian newspaper. Wolfie Schwartz arrested for his involvement.
My old coach had always thought that Emmerich Danzer, who was Wolfgang's teammate, should've won the Olympics (as he had won the world championships from 66-68). Alas, 4th place in the school figures kept him off the podium. Wolfgang didn't even compete in the 68 worlds!
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