[Article] Hughes contemplates competing in '10 Olympics

[Mafke]

Not to put to fine a point on it, but ... even if she could regain her 2002 form, I don't think she would thrive under COP as applied so far. Her two 3-3 combos from her SLC LP would probably be marked as over-rotated 2-2's for starters. I don't agree with counting cheated triples as doubles (skater's intention and all that) but it does seem to be current practice more often than not.

 

[IDLERACER]

College...Skating...You've gotta hand it to someone who could easily just get by on her looks alone. She's certainly the one who's grabbing my attention in THIS recent photo of her standing next to supermodel Carol Alt. ​

 

[Mathman]

College...Skating...You've gotta hand it to someone who could easily just get by on her looks alone. She's certainly the one who's grabbing my attention in THIS recent photo of her standing next to supermodel Carol Alt. ​

:agree: Its not so much her looks per se, as her look -- "Are you man enough for this?"

 

[IDLERACER]

That's part of the appeal. She's got those big flirty eyes, and she always looks like she's up for a good time.:thumbsup:​

 

[R.D.]

She looks good, yes, but I dunno...I'm not that crazy about her.

 

[euterpe]

Sarah's OGM was a fluke, and I think she knew it. She withdrew from 2002 Worlds at the last minute, and that was likely more due to fear that she would be unable to duplicate her Olympic performance than to fatigue. She did not win another competition after that, finishing 2nd (to Sasha) at Crest, 3rd to Yuka Sato and Irina at Hallmark, 2nd to Kwan at US Nationals, 6th at 2003 Worlds, and 8th and last at the USFS spring cheesefest. After the 2002-2003 season, Sarah was so turned off that she put her skates away and never set foot on the ice again for more than a year.

It's HARD to be an OGM winner and live up to public expectations. Sarah talks about competing again, but in the end the fear of not succeeding will keep her from doing it. Top competitors have to get out on the ice and KNOW they can win. I don't think Sarah will ever be in that frame of mind again.

 

[Mafke]

There are flukes and there are flukes.

Hughes had already beaten both Slutskaya and Kwan that season (Skate Canada with the same podium as SLC) so it wasn't like say Fumie Suguri or Jennifer Robinson coming in and winning (no offense against either lady, but neither had beat any of the really big guns by then at least as far as I know) . On the other hand, she was third in her own nationals and getting less press then Cohen (too little considering her track record and abilities).

On the other hand, her short hadn't gotten a lot of love from the judges (I'd have placed it ahead of Cohen, maybe) and she was 4th going into the LP. A great performance and sub-par performances by those ahead of her, especially Slute and Kwan and she pulled out her second victory against both. I assume that she really did intend to go to worlds but got caught up in the hype and got out of peak shape and looked at the field and herself and didn't want to embarass herself with a really poor performance. At least she did so early enough so that the US team could send a replacement. I'd say that had Kwan (but not Slute) put in her worlds LP at SLC she'd by the OGM and if both Kwan and Slute did, then Slute would have been OGM.

She did stay in the fray the next season but she'd gotten the college bug and decided to do that instead. The fallout with her coach more or less sealed the end of any real eligible career potential. By all accounts, from a technical standpoint, she's been pretty unremarkable in SOI (doesn't even have a 2ax anymore? that's a pretty basic skill I thought) She makes the occasional noise about getting back (it would be stupid not to when talking to the press) but I'd say that Maria Butyrskaya is more likely than Hughes to make annother appearance in the eligible ranks ...

But then, I really don't care much for the oly's and see it as too much luck of the draw to take seriously as a mark of competitive greatness (no skater, no matter how well prepared and mentally fit, can guarantee a great performance at any given competition, it's just not that kind of discipline anymore).

 

[soogar]

Her win was not a fluke. Even though I didn't like Sarah's skating when she was competing (though now I appreciate it more, mainly b/c I love her sister and then went back to look at Sarah's programs), she was solid as a rock and had many good performances. Plus she was a good spinner and had very nice skating skills and landed her jumps. The reliable skater isn't going to get as much press as flashy Sasha or Michelle who was the favorite. But many times it's that solid performer who has the difficulty who gets the prize. With the kind of performances Sarah was churning out, it was only a matter of time before she would win a big title. Sorry, neither Michelle nor Irina brought it that day in the LP. For myself, in an otherwise boring competition, Sasha made the most impression on me. Esp skating after Sarah who just didn't have that beautiful look on the ice. I wish the judges could have thought of a way to put Sasha ahead of Sarah b/c many of them wanted to, but there were too many mistakes.

 

[attyfan]

I don't think that Sarah's great skate was a fluke; but, after she was 4th in the FS, there were too many other things had to happen (winning the FS; Michelle coming in no higher than 3rd; etc.) for her to win, and, it was by a fluke (or luck, or God's grace, or whatever you want to call it) that they all did happen, so she did win. For example, if Sarah had done the same skate she did at SLC, but both Michelle and Irina had skated like they did at Worlds (esp if Michelle skated like she did in the 2002 Worlds QR), then Sarah would not have won, and (probably) ended up with the bronze. If Irina had been put first in the SP, then Sarah would not have won -- either Michelle would have come though with a much better performance, or, if the free skating did not change, then Irina would have the gold.

 

[euterpe]

Sarah skated before Michelle and Irina and had no idea they were going to fold under pressure. She was 4th after the FS and (in her mind at least) could not win, so she pulled all the stops out since she had nothing to lose.

That was the ONE thing that differed from all of Sarah's other competitions---she let it all hang out. Sarah was always a very cautious, inhibited skater who held back. This was the one time she didn't, and it paid off. That was the problem for her going forward: she would never be able to be as free again as she was in SLC.

I've often wondered what would have happened if Sarah had skated AFTER Michelle and Irina faltered. She might not have been able to deliver that same performance if she knew she could win.

 

[R.D.]

I've often wondered what would have happened if Sarah had skated AFTER Michelle and Irina faltered. She might not have been able to deliver that same performance if she knew she could win.

Interesting point. In fact, I think Sarah herself admitted that she wouldn't have skated the way she did if she was in a closer position to win in some interview...I forgot which one.

 

[clonesheep]

In 2010 Hughes will be just 24, younger than Slutskaya, Arakawa, and Kwan right now. She would have finished college by then and can devote full time to training. It's not impossible.

Shizuka Arakawa was the Japanese National champion in her teens and represented Japan in Nagano '98 Olympics. Her ranking and visibility went down when she went to college, as a result didn't make the team for Salt Lake City. Then, she came back after college and won the Worlds. She remains a contender for Turin. If Sarah goes to SLT, misses Turin, and shows up again in Vancouver, it's exactly the same pattern as Arakawa.

 

[chuckm]

BIG difference between Arakawa and Hughes. Arakawa competed at every Japanese Nationals between 1999 and 2004, and never finished lower than 5th. Obviously, she was skating and training while she was in college and she maintained her skills.

Sarah did not skate for over a year after her last competition in April 2003. She has not maintained her skating skills, and when she appeared in SOI last season, all she could manage was two double jumps and a single axel. The only skating she has planned to do this year is what she did for her TV special "Sarah Hughes and Friends". She has access to a rink at Yale and may skate occasionally, but from what she has said, she does not intend to train formally while in college. Sarah has said she would not compete again until after her graduation in 2008. She will be 22 by then. If she couldn't get her triples back at 19, how will she do it at 22 when she hasn't been training for over 3 years?

 

[soogar]

BIG difference between Arakawa and Hughes. Arakawa competed at every Japanese Nationals between 1999 and 2004, and never finished lower than 5th. Obviously, she was skating and training while she was in college and she maintained her skills.

Sarah did not skate for over a year after her last competition in April 2003. She has not maintained her skating skills, and when she appeared in SOI last season, all she could manage was two double jumps and a single axel. The only skating she has planned to do this year is what she did for her TV special "Sarah Hughes and Friends". She has access to a rink at Yale and may skate occasionally, but from what she has said, she does not intend to train formally while in college. Sarah has said she would not compete again until after her graduation in 2008. She will be 22 by then. If she couldn't get her triples back at 19, how will she do it at 22 when she hasn't been training for over 3 years?

Sarah said in an interview that she was going to resume training 3-5 times a week while attending school.

 

[RealtorGal]

If what I saw at SOI is any indication, Sarah would not make it past Regionals. And this was after supposedly training for the SOI tour!

By the way, it looks like her body has changed considerably since SLC. In other skaters such as Arakawa, the change is not so dramatic.

 

[Rgirl]

If what I saw at SOI is any indication, Sarah would not make it past Regionals. And this was after supposedly training for the SOI tour!

By the way, it looks like her body has changed considerably since SLC. In other skaters such as Arakawa, the change is not so dramatic.

ITA. Sarah was supposed to be the big ladies single's draw for SOI. I saw her after she'd been touring for about two months. I came away ambivalent between feeling sad for her that she had lost so much of her technique and had let her body get so out of shape and being POd that SOI got people to shell out $50 to $100 bucks, depending on the venue and your seats to watch such a low level of skating.

In the meantime, truly great skaters such as Ilia Kulik, an OGM himself (bias acknowledged, LOL, but he was really great and made Yags look...well, I don't want to start a Yags war) were reduced to about six weeks of "guest artist" status.

IMO, if you don't have a great ladies skater to "star" in your show, give the star spot to a men's skater. I would think Scott Hamilton, of all people, would understand that.

BTW, I don't mind that Sarah is "putting her foot in a lot of doors" right now as someone said. This is the age to do it. If she starts training seriously again, fine. If she finds she lost the fire, fine. She's got some time, and certainly the money, to do these things. But by 2010 I hope she's at least somewhat more focused. She doesn't have forever.

Rgirl

 

[chuckm]

Training 3-5 times a week, maybe 2 hours per day (all she will be likely to manage with her class schedule), is not sufficient to resurrect skills absent for 3 years. During the Olympic year, she trained 25-30 hours a week, but cut back to 10 in 2002-2003, and the end result was a 6th place finish at Worlds---and that was when she still had her triple jumps.

As RealtorGirl said, she has a completely different shape now than she had back in her Olympic season. That's part of the reason why her jumps went south, and getting them back is going to take intensive training. It will require intensive training to maintain her skills as long as she is not actively competing, too.

 

[R.D.]

I think it boils down to this: If Sarah wishes to come back, she'd better get going. She certainly has her work cut out for her. At least start out small, then work yourself back up. I don't think it's going to happen, frankly. But hey, if she wants to do something bad enough, she can do it. :thumbsup:

 

[SkateFan4Life]

Without being disrespectul to Sarah Hughes, I think she's living in a fantasy world if she thinks she will skate in the 2010 Olympics. Give me break. After she returned to the ice after completing one year at Yale, she was a different skater, competely. No triples, no crisp spins, nothing to qualify her as an Olympic contender. Your reputation as a past Olympic gold medalist will only take you so far. Sarah is kidding herself if she thinks the US judges will award her the marks she needs to make the 2010 US Olympic if she's not in top shape and skating brilliantly.

Besides, in 2010, Sarah will be 24 years old. Granted, that's not old, when you consider that Michelle Kwan is 25 and Irina Slutskaya is 27. However, both Kwan and Slutskaya remained as eligible skaters in the years following Salt Lake, and they have competed at their respective Nationals, Worlds, and other Grand Prix competitions. Hughes has done practically nothing since 2003, when she won the US national silver medal and had a poor performance at Worlds. She just isn't a competitive figure skater any longer.

And, there are a number of younger American skaters who are coming to the fore, and these girls have the triples and confidence to earn spots on the 2010 team.

I wish Sarah the best, but IMHO, she's better off finishing her studies at Yale.

 

[Rgirl]

Without being disrespectul to Sarah Hughes, I think she's living in a fantasy world if she thinks she will skate in the 2010 Olympics. Give me break. After she returned to the ice after completing one year at Yale, she was a different skater, competely. No triples, no crisp spins, nothing to qualify her as an Olympic contender. Your reputation as a past Olympic gold medalist will only take you so far. Sarah is kidding herself if she thinks the US judges will award her the marks she needs to make the 2010 US Olympic if she's not in top shape and skating brilliantly.

Besides, in 2010, Sarah will be 24 years old. Granted, that's not old, when you consider that Michelle Kwan is 25 and Irina Slutskaya is 27. However, both Kwan and Slutskaya remained as eligible skaters in the years following Salt Lake, and they have competed at their respective Nationals, Worlds, and other Grand Prix competitions. Hughes has done practically nothing since 2003, when she won the US national silver medal and had a poor performance at Worlds. She just isn't a competitive figure skater any longer.

And, there are a number of younger American skaters who are coming to the fore, and these girls have the triples and confidence to earn spots on the 2010 team.

I wish Sarah the best, but IMHO, she's better off finishing her studies at Yale.

Well said, SkateFan4Life. I wish Sarah the best, too, but ITA that she's better off finishing her studies at Yale.

However, I can understand Sarah's "fantasy." When I had to stop performing as a dancer due to an injury, I threw myself whole heartedly into my master's program in sports science. I'd go to dance concerts and be bored silly. I didn't think it was possible for me to lose my passion for dance after being so passionate about every aspect of it--performing, choreographing, teaching--since as young as I could remember.

During this time, an old boyfriend who had also been a dancer but at a non-professional level for about 5-6 years came through town and visited. He had a PhD in physics and a few years previously had been offered a very good university teaching position.

I told him about how I'd completely lost interest in dance and was totally into my studies. He told me it wouldn't last, that the same thing had happened to him but that after a couple of years of immersing himself back into physics, he discovered he missed dance. He tried some classes but found that at his age, he'd lost too much to get any real enjoyment out of doing it and instead found that singing in the university chorus satisfied his need for a balance of science and art.

Sure enough, the same thing happened to me after about three years of total commitment to science. I went into studying and writing short fiction as well as visual art--if you could call it "art" LOL.

My point is that I can understand what Sarah is going through. She probably remembers all the good things about competitive skating and not the he!! of it. Also, physical activity on the level of elite sports, dance, or the like causes an large release of the body's endorphins. It really is a natural high. Although the excitement of starting a "new life," such as pre-med at Yale (or Harvard, I forget which one Sarah's at) can also can substitute as the impetus for the release of endorphins, it wears off a lot faster than physical training at something you're really good at.

I suspect Sarah is in that limbo. However, Sarah is a very intelligent girl and I would think she has the mental and hopefully the emotional resources to either make skating for herself a satisfying balance to her studies or else find some other way of expressing herself creatively that will work.

One last thing: Like dance, the skating world is kind of a fantasy world. Thousands of people cheer and transmit a kind of "love" to the skater after s/he skates. Remember when Michelle said after I believe '03 Worlds in Washington DC, while the crowds were still cheering and someone from the press asked her if she would continue competing, "Who would want to give up all this?"

But after a couple of years of the very difficult Ivy League pre-med grind and looking at the real life world of being a physician, especially these days with so many cuts in insurance reimbursements, nursing shortages, etc., I think Sarah has proved her intellectual abilities to herself and others, and the rose-colored glasses of being a doctor have turned all too clear.

Just my interpretation of the situation.

Rgirl