LA Times article | Golden Skate

LA Times article

hrmsk8ngnutt

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
Here's an article from the Los Angeles Times on 10/3. The first part is about Timothy Goebel, but the more interesting news follows.

'Persistence Pays Off' - about Angela Nikodinov's return to competition this week at Finalndia Trophy and her new coach -- former Olympian Igor Pashkevich, following the suggestion of Alexei Yagudin.

Second, Olympic Champion Sarah Hughes has filed the paperwork to compete at 2003 Nationals. So has Michelle Kwan. (not surprised about Michelle, but somewhat surprised about Sarah)

Here's the link (you probably have to register, but it's free)

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-olycol3oct03,1,4405775.story

Here's wishing Angela the best of luck this week!!

Herm (sk8ngnutt)
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
If I read that article correctly, Sarah Hughes will show up at the US Nats! Good for her. She still has the yen to skate. Why not"

And Angela getting back in shape nicely with no trouble triples. Hey, with CoP scaring skaters with falls, Angela may do well if she gets to CoP competitions. Glad she's back and good luck at Finlandia.

Joe
 

KwanFan1212

Joey Votto Fangirl
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
Best of luck to Angela this week at Finlandia. :D I am a bit surprised that Sarah is going to compete at Nats this year but hey, whatever makes her happy. Not surprised at all about Michelle though, LOL ;)
 

ladybug

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
When did Angela leave Frank? I never thought he was right for her. He is too detached and aloof. Hope she does well this season.

Just because Sarah filed the papers to compete at US Nationals doesn't mean she will be there. I think she is just keeping her options open but I very much doubt she will compete. As for Michelle, I am wondering if she is weaning herself and her fans away from competition. She stated she wasn't sure if she was going to Nationals. That was after she signed the papers to compete. I hope I am wrong and that she does compete and that she wins the gold one more time. I am not ready to be weaned just yet. :\
 

hockeyfan228

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
An Associated Press article that ran today (7 Oct) about Kwan's & Kermit's Times Square billboard ended with

"Kwan is uncertain whether she'll defend her national and world titles this season. She finished second to Sasha Cohen Friday night in the season-opening International Skating Classic."

I found it in the Washington Post. (Requires registration.)
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
At this same time last year, Kwan was also uncertain as to whether she would defend her US championship, or participate in Worlds.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Hmm...in the GS article (in another thread) it states that Hughes has retired from competitive skating (to do her college studies).
 

giseledepkat

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 7, 2003
Thanks for the LATimes link, hrmsk8ngnutt! Angela has always been one of my favorites and I'm so glad we'll get to see her this season.

Betraying my vast ignorance here, could someone please explain why a shoulder injury is so disabling to a singles skater? It's easy to see why this would be so in pairs and dance, but what singles elements would be compromised by a wonky shoulder?

Thanks!
 

mpal2

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
If I understand correctly, the jumps will be almost impossible if you have a shoulder injury because you have to be able to get the rotation in the air. The position of the arms kind of gives you a wind-up then a quick snap into the rotation. If you're shoulder is injured, you're less likely to snap into the rotation because it would hurt badly.

Feel free to correct. I could be wrong.
 

IDLERACER

Medalist
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Well, I'm a little disappointed that I never got to see her practice at the El Segundo rink. I guess it was because she probably used to practice at some ungodly early morning hour. I still see Yebin Mok and Timothy Goebel there all the time.
 

RealtorGal

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Joesitz said:
And Angela getting back in shape nicely with no trouble triples. Hey, with CoP scaring skaters with falls, Angela may do well if she gets to CoP competitions. Glad she's back and good luck at Finlandia.

Joe

Let's hope so!
 

icenut84

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
giseledepkat said:
Betraying my vast ignorance here, could someone please explain why a shoulder injury is so disabling to a singles skater? It's easy to see why this would be so in pairs and dance, but what singles elements would be compromised by a wonky shoulder?

Aswell as the jump aspect, the arms and shoulders are also used for practically everything. Not explicitly, like a pairs skater, but you have to learn to position and hold every part of your body in the right way in order to be properly balanced and in control, which takes strength etc. An injured shoulder will mean someone has pain when they move it, and may also give them a loss of range of movement (e.g. a less flexible joint). The arms (and shoulders) are used during spins and spin entries, checking turns, checking rotation, being totally balanced, etc.
 

Nadine

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 3, 2003
Thanks hrmsk8ngnutt, :love:

Here's my thoughts...

Angela N., follow your dreams Angela & good luck at Finlandia! :)^)

Michelle K., here's to your winning streak continuing at Nationals, of which I have no doubt. *pops cork* :)^D

Sarah H., do what ya wanna do, you deserve it, but I hope that you continue on with your education at Yale and become the doctor you want to be.

***Note: funny, I had a dream about you the other night, which came as quite a surprise b/c I think I've only dreamed about you once and that was in November of 2001 ~ your winning the Olympics et al. Anyhow, to cut a long story short, you were (oddly enough) the first famous female athlete to take to space (aka astronaut). Weird, but very very nice. (;^)***

Peace & Love, Nadine

"The heavens themselves, the planets, and
this centre observe degree, priority and place...
How could...
the primogenity and due of birth
prerogative of age, crowns, sceptres, laurels
But by degree, stand in authentic place?
Take but degree away, untune that string,
And, hark, what discord follows!!!" - Ulysses
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Sarah? I thought she took the year off! Well I hope she gets in some quality practice time!
 

Nadine

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 3, 2003
Hi Ladskater, :)

Just a small update on Hughes.........heard that the only skating she's going to be doing is a small benefit show at Yale in December.........and that she's firmly entrenched with her studies there (btw a small pic of Sarah appeared on Yale's site a couple of weeks ago per a poster over at the USFSA board). So, IMHO, those papers she filed don't really mean anything ~ just keeping her options open ~ smart cookie. ;)

Peace & Love, Nadine

P.S. As regards practicing, only recreationally (for now).
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
ITA with Mpal and Icenut re shoulder injuries and figure skating. For one thing, because of its large range of motion, the shoulder is a relatively fragile joint. There are also a couple of sources of articulation (where the joint moves) in the whole shoulder complex, which also makes it vulnerable. In fact, the point of articulation for the scapula is where the clavicle meets the sternum, right at the place where the "dent" is where the collarbone comes together. (If you touch that area with your left hand as you move your right arm around, you'll feel it.) There is also a complicated array of ligaments (ligaments connect bone to bone) that stabilizes the shoulder that can be easily torn if the skater puts his/her hand down to break a fall and goes down the wrong way. Then there's the whole wad of nerves that comes down through the anterior part of the shoulder to innervate the arm and hand.

As Mpal and Icenut said, the shoulder has to do a lot for a skater, ie, the snapping in to get multiple rotations in jumps (the power with which the shoulder pulls in is the major biomechanical factor in the difference between a double and triple jump); the shoulders contribute to balance; they support the expressivity and positions of the arms; the pull in must be strong for good scratch spins; the list goes on and on. Watch a tape of a great skater sometime just to concentrate on the contribution of the shoulder. It's deceptive how important it is because it's not weight bearing--usually--in skating.

When a shoulder is injured, the recovery time is very lengthy and often very painful. Won't go into the whole deal (for once:p), but every athlete I've ever known with a shoulder injury has said, "Man, I never thought a shoulder injury would be so tough!" Of course it depends on the severity and location of the injury, but it doesn't surprise me that it's taken Angela so long to rehab her shoulder. It sounds as if she's in a coaching situation that she likes better and that she's coming out of the woods with the injury. I hope so because the way she skates when she's on just makes me melt.
Rgirl
 
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giseledepkat

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 7, 2003
Terrific answers to my shoulder question, Mpal, Icenut, Rgirl! Thanks so much! (Rgirl, you sound like you have a medical degree!)
Rgirl said:
Of course it depends on the severity and location of the injury, but it doesn't surprise me that it's taken Angela so long to rehab her shoulder. It sounds as if she's in a coaching situation that she likes better and that she's coming out of the woods with the injury. I hope so because the way she skates when she's on just makes me melt.
ITA about Angela...and melting! I was so worried when I heard the disappointing news from Finlandia, but at least now I have a better understanding of why such an injury would affect her jumps so profoundly. That gives me hope that, as she continues to recover, we'll have a chance to enjoy her effortless artistry again!
 
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heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Even though they filed, neither MK nor SH are definitely competing. Filing just leaves the option open. I believe Todd did the same during his break and had intended to file last season until his conflict with the USFSA.
 
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