Peggy Fleming, Kimmie Meissner on the cover of USA Weekend
- Thread starter R.D.
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
She's one of the three: Miki, Carolina and Kimmie. You can write all the negatives you want, but gold can happen to at least for one of them.
Look at what they're up against: 3 tired old former Olympic skaters, Irina, Sasha, and Shizuka.
Joe
Look at what they're up against: 3 tired old former Olympic skaters, Irina, Sasha, and Shizuka.
Joe
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
So? The two aren't exactly getting the gold predictions as the top three.Red Dog said:
And I stand by my statement that one of the three will spoil that top golden threesome. And I won't tack on terms like, maybe not, etc.
Joe
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
You got that clarifyer in there "but not guaranteed". That's what I mean by no conviction.Red Dog said:
Joe
S
SkateFan4Life
Guest
OK, here's the whole article....
PEGGY FLEMING ON KIMMIE MEISSNER
Hard to fathom an Olympics where the United States wins just one gold medal, but in 1968, Peggy Fleming brought home the only first-place prize from Grenoble, France. Her performance remains especially memorable not only for her dominance (she won by a whopping 88.2 points), but also because the 1968 Winter Games were the first to be broadcast live and in color. Fleming, 19, wore a chartreuse, high-necked, flowing skating outfit, demure by today's standards.
"The costumes have certainly changed -- not always for the better," jokes Fleming, now 57 and an ABC skating commentator.
Nearly everything else has, too. This year's major change is how the sport is scored, with new rules intended to avoid the kind of claims of judging impropriety and unfair scoring standards made at the 2002 Olympics. Torino competitors will earn points cumulatively. The 6.0 point system is gone; now artistry is more appreciated. Spins, spirals and expressive moves are rewarded in better balance with showy jumps that tend to be strengths of younger skaters.
Enter 16-year-old Kimmie Meissner, a powerhouse pixie from suburban Baltimore who placed third at last year's national championship, becoming the first American woman to land a triple axel in competition since Tonya Harding first did in 1991. "I loved jumping," Fleming says, "but the triple axel was not on my radar!" Adds Meissner: "I started hitting them that week and figured I had nothing to lose." In Torino, perfect execution of one triple -- or many -- could mean the difference between a medal and a loss.
She faces older, more favored competitors. But consider the past two Olympic gold medalists: In 1998, Tara Lipinski, 15, became the youngest ladies' champion ever; Sarah Hughes was 16 at the time of her come-from-behind win in '02. "She absolutely could medal," says Fleming, who placed sixth in her first Olympics in 1964 at age 15. Says Meissner: "If I have the satisfaction of having done my very best, the rest will take care of itself."
Tune in Feb. 21: ladies' short program, NBC, 8-11:30 p.m. ET
Feb. 23: ladies' free skate, NBC, 8 p.m.-midnight ET.
PEGGY FLEMING ON KIMMIE MEISSNER
Hard to fathom an Olympics where the United States wins just one gold medal, but in 1968, Peggy Fleming brought home the only first-place prize from Grenoble, France. Her performance remains especially memorable not only for her dominance (she won by a whopping 88.2 points), but also because the 1968 Winter Games were the first to be broadcast live and in color. Fleming, 19, wore a chartreuse, high-necked, flowing skating outfit, demure by today's standards.
"The costumes have certainly changed -- not always for the better," jokes Fleming, now 57 and an ABC skating commentator.
Nearly everything else has, too. This year's major change is how the sport is scored, with new rules intended to avoid the kind of claims of judging impropriety and unfair scoring standards made at the 2002 Olympics. Torino competitors will earn points cumulatively. The 6.0 point system is gone; now artistry is more appreciated. Spins, spirals and expressive moves are rewarded in better balance with showy jumps that tend to be strengths of younger skaters.
Enter 16-year-old Kimmie Meissner, a powerhouse pixie from suburban Baltimore who placed third at last year's national championship, becoming the first American woman to land a triple axel in competition since Tonya Harding first did in 1991. "I loved jumping," Fleming says, "but the triple axel was not on my radar!" Adds Meissner: "I started hitting them that week and figured I had nothing to lose." In Torino, perfect execution of one triple -- or many -- could mean the difference between a medal and a loss.
She faces older, more favored competitors. But consider the past two Olympic gold medalists: In 1998, Tara Lipinski, 15, became the youngest ladies' champion ever; Sarah Hughes was 16 at the time of her come-from-behind win in '02. "She absolutely could medal," says Fleming, who placed sixth in her first Olympics in 1964 at age 15. Says Meissner: "If I have the satisfaction of having done my very best, the rest will take care of itself."
Tune in Feb. 21: ladies' short program, NBC, 8-11:30 p.m. ET
Feb. 23: ladies' free skate, NBC, 8 p.m.-midnight ET.
