KATARINA WITT To Retire in Spring 2008

[Geesesk8]

WOW!
Article mentions farewell performances in Germany and Russia and "potentially" in the U.S. I will always remember the first time I saw Katarina ... it was about 2 months after her second OGM, at the Nassau Coliseum, NY. A capacity crowd (18,000!) went absolutely nuts when she took the ice. Those were the days when COI (then called World Tour of Olympic & World Figure Skating Champions) was spectacular. Anyway, here's the short article about Katarina:

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5...xNCk-7es55L8rg

[Tonichelle]

she and Scott brought a show up to Anchorage in October 1999 which got me back into being obsessed with the sport. She definitely commands the ice and sells it even with a less than stellar crowd (we didn't even have 25% of the seats sold I'll bet).

Just another one of the greats moving on... *sigh* it has to happen, I guess...

[NJSk8Fan]

I sure miss Katarina being a regular with SOI. I sure HOPE she'll do some farewell appearances in the US or at least have somethiing aired on tv.

[Geesesk8]

"I have to say, honestly, that you prepare a tour like this and think of everything," Witt said. "Then I totally forgot to think of what I would say at the very end. Maybe just: Thank you......"

Complete article from globesport, 3/5/08:

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/s...ortsOther/home

Also, from Yahoo!News.....
"Beautiful face of Socialism" hangs up her skates:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080305...LC0Yk5GyRdDxkF