peggy said:Hey, I might be wrong but most Olympic skating gold medal winners have been offered some pretty good business deals
How does professional skating cost less than competitive skating? I imagine the costumes, props etc cost more than just a skating dress. They still have to buy ice time, and most of them still have coahcesPeggy said:. Competition skating is not cheap and unless these skaters come from very rich families, I imagine most will move on to a professional career.
We will never know the answer to this question If Michelle was into the love of competition, I think she would have been competing in the Grand Prix series the last few years.
Isn't that sad. I miss Tara and Sarah very much. I love you bring up the free world. In the free world, skaters are free to choose their career path, so Michelle chooses to stay on, hope that is OKI can't think of any lady gold medal winners, in the free world, that still competed for another gold.
As for Michael Phelps--I don't think a speedo and pool time cost what skates, ice time, skating dresses do. I don't think you can compare the two sports for continued amateur competition. This is JMHO also.
Peggy said:What approach would that be? I'm pretty sure Michelle would have retired by now if she had won a gold instead of a silver her first Olympics.
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gezando said:Defending Olympic gold medalist Anky van Grunsven returned to Athens, the event was equestrian. I wonder how much it cost to train in equestrian. How much do the horses, training etc cost???
mzheng said:Now come to mind if you take whatever skaters said as the face value, then Sasha would definitely turn pro had she won the OGM at SLC. She said it herself.
chuckm said:What Sasha said was that it was her plan to win at SLC and immediately go pro, "just like Tara". She is not in figure skating because of a love of the sport, or love of competition. Sasha is in figure skating because it is a means to an end, and I imagine the end is fame and fortune.
chuckm said:I don't think I have ever heard Sasha say that she was in the sport because of her love of figure skating. Kwan and Slutskaya have often said they are in the sport because they love it, and that shines in their FS performances at major events. Maybe that is why Sasha's FSs somehow don't have the same warmth and passion.
Ogre Mage said:I agree that both Kwan and Slutskaya now primarily skate for the love of the sport. But keep in mind that both women are accomplished veterans who have won major titles and scores of medals in major events. Would either have felt exactly the same when they were hungry young up and comers? Michelle and Irina have already had highly successful careers. Sasha is still looking for her first major title, so it makes sense that her competitive edge may be more urgent.
euterpe said:Believe it or not, this is Sasha's 6th season as a Senior. Although she hasn't yet won a National or World title, she's won many GP events and several cheesefests, has been GPF champion, and has a World silver medal. But she doesn't seem to relish competing and/or enjoy her performances at the major events. That 'savoring the moment' glow is missing and so her FS performances come off as flat when compared to Michelle's passion and Irina's exuberance.
euterpe said:Sasha mentioned her 2002 intentions at 2004 Nationals, and observed she still wants to do the same thing (win OGM and retire), but it's taking a lot longer than she thought. OTOH, if she doesn't win the OGM at Torino, I doubt very much she'd stick around for 2010.
mzheng said:Well, at Sasha defence. You can't fault her for not sticking around for 2010. If Michelle is too old for 2006 according to some fans, then Sasha would be too old for 2010 as well.
I kind of agree with you here. I think that the average American might know more figure skaters than gymnasts, although it does depend on which Olympics is going on during that year.Besides at the time it looked much easier to make fame in Figure Sakting then in Gymnastics