Yeah, I agree with those who think they are still leaving things open ended and are probably going on a year by year basis (with the next season being off). They've been on such a worldwind lately that it kind of seems like the Olympics win was a long time ago, but being that it was just a handful of months ago, they still have buzz from that alone. And of course DWTS took their fame to another level. But because they were doing DWTS right after the Olympics, they did not completely get to indulge in the after Olympic perks. Now they get to do so, and the perks have most likely increased due to the higher exposure from DWTS. I just hope this also does something for ice dancing and figure skating in general in the U.S. I think Meryl and Charlie could help bring back a bit of popularity if everything is handled well. I have been a fan of theirs for a number of years (I remember them from their first senior year), but I have become a bigger fan now and I am wanting to go back and watch everything of theirs I've missed over the years (I mostly watched what was shown on TV here in the U.S., so I've missed a lot due to lack of coverage).
I would not be shocked if they did decide not to return to competitive competition, but I don't think they will say so until they are absolutely certain. Leaving a possibility of returning is good for their marketing. I remember when Carly Patterson won the gold in the all-around in gymnastics in 2004, she retired not too long afterwards (returned to training briefly, but had a serious injury) and embarked on a singing career. People were saying she didn't capitalize on her gold medal win enough in part because of the way the retirement thing was handled. Retiring so early before the next Olympics might have dried up some opportunities for her. I think Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin (or their agents) learned from that (although they actually were able to launch comebacks, but they left things open when not training).
I don't know how USFSA handles financial incentives and such (especially after the money dispute with Evan Lysacek), but I kind of think they should offer Meryl and Charlie a decent sum to continue competing.
I would not be shocked if they did decide not to return to competitive competition, but I don't think they will say so until they are absolutely certain. Leaving a possibility of returning is good for their marketing. I remember when Carly Patterson won the gold in the all-around in gymnastics in 2004, she retired not too long afterwards (returned to training briefly, but had a serious injury) and embarked on a singing career. People were saying she didn't capitalize on her gold medal win enough in part because of the way the retirement thing was handled. Retiring so early before the next Olympics might have dried up some opportunities for her. I think Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin (or their agents) learned from that (although they actually were able to launch comebacks, but they left things open when not training).
I don't know how USFSA handles financial incentives and such (especially after the money dispute with Evan Lysacek), but I kind of think they should offer Meryl and Charlie a decent sum to continue competing.