http://www.usaweekend.com/06_issues/060205/060205cover_olympics.html
Here's the relevant section:
Here's the relevant section:
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."