Caroline Zhang interview & articles

Like the rest of Zhang's life, the road to Vancouver 2010 will be strewn with books. Between international triumphs, Zhang nailed down the first chair violin spot in her school orchestra, bugged her parents about getting a dog, forgot to clean her room and read. A lot. She read seven books in one day. On another she devoured a biography of Henry VIII cover to cover.

"It was 800 pages, but it was pretty cool," Zhang said.

During a parent-teacher conference two years ago, Zhang's sixth-grade teacher told her mother, Shuguang Zhao, that if she really wanted to punish the girl she should take away her books, which might take some doing. Zhao's Ford Explorer is basically a version of the teenager's bedroom on four wheels.

"Books everywhere," an exasperated Zhao said as she drove her daughter to practice this week. "Ahhh, I get so mad at her. You can't step foot in my car without stepping on a book. It's just like her bedroom, our whole house – books everywhere."

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And behind her shy appearance is a confident athlete who even at a young age was not about to be intimidated. When a skating teacher's yelling left her classmates sobbing, Zhang refused to shed a tear.

"What's the point?" she said. "Crying's not going to help you." Zhang deals with spills with equal coolness. "My motto is, 'If you fall, at least make it creative,' " she said.

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I've never seen her fall on a double axel," Coach Ming said.

"No, this was the first time," Zhang agreed. "That's the first fall I've had all year, and to do it on a double axel, it's actually quite hilarious."

Zhang recovered quickly, finishing a display of flexibility and grace that did nothing to discourage comparisons to Cohen.

"Maybe," Ming said, "but I think she (Zhang) has her own unique style."

Ming and Zhang hope to emphasize that style Tuesday night.

"That's OK," the coach said as the skater stepped off the ice after the spill. "We'll work on it tomorrow."

Asked later what specifically they would focus on in today's practice, Zhang didn't miss a beat.

"Double axels of course," she said laughing.

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Li is a veteran coach who is based at the Kwan family's East West Ice Palace that Zhang calls home. She was coach to former world champion and Olympic medalist Lu Chen of China. She has a coach's keen insight into what Zhang needs to perfect to become an elite skater at the international level.
"I think she does need a lot of technical work," said Li. "Right now, she does have all the triples already, but we still have to develop her triple-triples. For ladies, I feel the triple-triple is very important, especially for the new judging system.
"Definitely, her artistic part needs developing, too. She definitely has a very good feel with music, but in the future maybe she picks up a different style of performance, maybe more like a drama."
Li said the three elements to make a skating star are (natural) potential, a well-designed training plan and hard work.
"She's a very hard worker," Li said of Zhang.
Li said that Zhang's natural gift is that of flexibility. Zhang also appears to have an uncommon grace in her movements.
Zhang has taken advantage of those skills to create her signature spin, one in the layback position that her mother dubbed "The Pearl," with Zhang's head titled back in an "oyster" formed by her arms and one leg.


"She's coming up with new moves all the time in practice," said Li.
Zhang was pleased to report in a phone interview this week that she had completed four flawless programs on Monday, then had just completed two more on the day of the interview. She had four ice sessions every day this week before coming to Spokane on Thursday with her family

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She talks like a star-struck fan when she conveys her excitement about seeing senior skaters at nationals such as Kimmie Meissner. But she is clearly focused on what she wants to accomplish for herself in the junior event.
"I just want to do my best and maybe get my personal best score," Zhang said. "I want to get my spins to my right level, and my footwork, and want to express myself more. That's about it."
She has already enjoyed a whirlwind year for a teenager, having traveled to Bulgaria, Mexico and Taiwan for Junior Grand Prix events in 2006. Zhang, who is bilingual, was able to barter with local street vendors in Taipei. Yet her favorite part of that trip was all kid.
"I bought a lot of stuffed animals," she said. "They have a whole mall with stuffed animals."
The other half of her life soon intervened, as she had to get back on the ice for the third practice that day. That schedule, along with upcoming international events, has forced her to recently become home-schooled.
But her sister is taking time off from M.I.T. graduate school to help out her sister. It's the kind of family support that Li and others say is critical in nurturing a budding skating star off the ice.
"We love traveling with her," Yang said. "It's kind of unusual, but it's really important that we're with her since she's so young. Our family has tried hard to make things a little easier on her. She's a strong girl and determined. When she puts her mind to it, she really focuses on something.

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Joesitz said:

A fall is not the end of a career.

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Joesitz said:

How about that sister, and MIT grad!!

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SeaniBu said:

From the way it sounded it was really out of character for her too. She has never in a comp / meet???? Wow. Just a fluke:agree:


Yah, MathMan Incredibly Talented University hunh???

Are there more siblings, or is it just a big gap in siblings? Or did her sister graduate early??

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But her sister is taking time off from M.I.T. graduate school to help out her sister...

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