skaters, cigarettes and stamina

[Tonichelle]

Alexei Yagudin reportedly quit smoking for the 2002 Olympic Year. Commentators for the Goodwill Games mentioned it...

[seniorita]

But if you really want to hear the effects of smoking on a voice, listen to the wispy, childlike voice of Marianne Faithfull in her first hit, "As Tears Go By," and then listen to stuff she did in her forties.

yes i ve seen her lately in a concert and she was amazing. I dont know how she was younger though.
You saw The King's Speech??? I m dying waiting to see it, it will arrive in a month here! I m a Collin Firth uber

[brightphoton]

I'm not surprised. Cigarettes suppress your appetite. People are always bothering female figure skaters about their weight; didn't Jennifer Kirk write an article about eating disorders in figure skating?

[gio]

Dorothy Hamill smoked a lot when she won the 1976 Olympics, but we have to keep in mind that the programs back then weren't that demanding as now are. I mean the CO2 levels in blood, caused by tobacco burning, tire the heart, right? Because CO2 steel the oxygen. So isn't that process affecting the performances in your opinion? I'm sorry, I'm completely ignorant in chemics, biology and physics.
Aerobic means that for the exercises you use a lot of oxygen, while in anaerobic - less, right?

In the interview of Joubert, which is present in this site, he said: "some skaters smoke a lot, but I don't". Was he refering to podium contenders or low level skaters? We will never know. The question is - is this habit undermining their performances, will they be stronger without it, and in which measure?

[Olympia]

yes i ve seen her lately in a concert and she was amazing. I dont know how she was younger though.
You saw The King's Speech??? I m dying waiting to see it, it will arrive in a month here! I m a Collin Firth uber

You will be well satisfied by Colin Firth in this film! He's amazing, simply amazing, and so is Geoffrey Rush. I see about two movies a year, so it takes a lot to get me to a theater. I'd watch this again in a heartbeat.

[mousepotato]

Ykko Kawaguchi mentioned having to change rooms at a competition because he roomate smoked. She ended up staying with Domnina, so she apparently doesn't smoke. The roomate was another ice dancer.

[blue dog]

I don't know if this was caused by skating, but wasn't Rena Inoue a lung cancer survivor?

[ibauer]

Yes, she is. But I'm pretty sure she didn't get it from skating.

[Mathman]

^

[Bluebonnet]

What a depressing thread!

I have nothing against the thread starter. But so many skaters smoke, it's unbelievable.

[Phil Cohen]

Just as it is in other sports and professions, skating(despite its' wholesome public image) has its' share of substance abusers. Tai Babilonia & Oksana Baiul were each, at various points, treated for alcoholism. And, undoubtedly in professional skating(where the participants don't face the drug testing required of Olympic competitors), there must be a fair amount of drug abusers. Perhaps, (at least in our minds), there should be two separate worlds of ice skating: Elite skating competitions and performances, often by some far from ideal human beings, and skating at your local rink by normal people without sequins or flaky costuming. While I'm impressed by the amazing skating "tricks" done by T.V. skaters, the people at my local rink are nothing like the T.V. skaters in appearance, personality or conduct. Regardless of what goes on "behind the curtain" in big time skating, it doesn't dim my affection for typical local rink skating.

[Phil Cohen]

Golly, Sidwich, it makes me sad to hear how many dancers smoke, and smoke a lot.
But if you really want to hear the effects of smoking on a voice, listen to the wispy, childlike voice of Marianne Faithfull in her first hit, "As Tears Go By," and then listen to stuff she did in her forties. Totally, totally gone.


(On the other hand, look at Paul McCartney, whose voice has inevitably aged a bit but is still largely the smooth tenor of forty years past. Wonder if he quit when George died.)

Yes, he did, as did Ringo. As Marianne Faithful, smoking was the least of her vices, She was a junkie for decades.

[Olympia]

Yes, he did, as did Ringo. As Marianne Faithful, smoking was the least of her vices, She was a junkie for decades.

Right you are, Phil. I remember reading about Faithfull's experiences. It seems that people who use a lot of drugs are generally also smokers, and unfortunately many of them up their smoking as part of the quitting and rehab process, because smoking is a socially acceptable substitute addiction. The combination of vices Faithfull practiced certainly did her voice in, though I'm sure her interpretive powers are compelling.

And I'm so relieved that the two surviving Beatles are now smoke-free. Thanks for the update! We need to hold on to those two for a while to come.

[seniorita]

Abott was in Santorini!!??

[sillylionlove]

I wish they would all stop smoking!!! My mother was a life long smoker and is currently battling lung cancer. Smoking is so not worth the risk!!!