I think what's so sad about this is the lack of earning opportunity nowadays for elite figure skaters once they have made the decision to stop competing.
It used to be that these skaters were recruited into travelling ice shows, which paid a decent income and the benefit of travelling all over, sometimes outside of the U.S.
The really elite skaters could possibly work with Stars On Ice, which, IMO, was the best showcase for great figure skating talent. These skaters were also featured on television specials, which were popular with the public and I'm guessing paid a decent fee to the skaters.
But now, most of those shows have shut down or greatly reduced their tour. There are a few shows still going on (e.g., Disney on Ice), but it certainly isn't going to be the great gig that it used to be, and will probably involve going overseas (which could be fun, but not if you have family or relationships here in the States), and definitely not enough income to make up for all the years of parents/skaters paying a mint for the privilege of being "elite."
At one time, televised skating competition in the U.S. garnered a large viewing audience, and many people in the public could at least recognize the names of the current National, World, and Olympic champions. But now--most people have no clue about who's who if figure skating.
Nowadays, the best bet is coaching--but not all elite skaters want to coach, nor are they good at it. And not all rinks have a great skating program that brings in high-level skaters who would be interested in paying the cost of having an Olympian for a coach. And of course, many elite skaters don't want to end up in a rink in a part of the U.S. that doesn't offer them the socializing/relationship opportunities they enjoy.
Quite a change from the days when skaters like Brian Boitano, Katarina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi, etc. became celebrities and millionaires after they retired from high-level competitions.
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