Emily Hughes update

[Binthere]

Don't forget the $$$. Both Sarah and Emily have had coaches that worked solely with them. Perhaps the break with Mitchell and Johansson was partially due to the fact that they have many other students and couldn't work exclusively with Emily.

I agree that money has been an "invaluable" factor (pardon the pun of sorts) in their success, but I think it takes so much more... that no amount of money can buy

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I think in figure skating, we are comparing skaters from wealthy families to skaters from other wealthy families. The Sport, even moreso than Tennis, is geared to the wealthy at least in the US. Sponsors are hard to find.

 

[chuckm]

There are and have been plenty of top skaters who did not come from wealthy families. Michelle Kwan immediately comes to mind. There are also Carol Heiss and her sister Nancy, Peggy Fleming, Nicole Bobek, Tonya Harding, Scott Hamilton. In the present day, there are Mirai Nagasu and Alissa Czisny. And I don't believe Ashley Wagner's family can be considered wealthy---she is an army brat.

 

[libby]

There are and have been plenty of top skaters who did not come from wealthy families. Michelle Kwan immediately comes to mind. There are also Carol Heiss and her sister Nancy, Peggy Fleming, Nicole Bobek, Tonya Harding, Scott Hamilton. In the present day, there are Mirai Nagasu and Alissa Czisny. And I don't believe Ashley Wagner's family can be considered wealthy---she is an army brat.

True. Many skaters come from upper-class families, but there are also a lot who don't and who have had to struggle to stay in the sport. Johnny Weir's family is working class (and his father has been on disability since a serious car accident when Johnny was a young teenager), so he had to rely on sponsors when he was a kid to afford his coaching fees, but as soon as he was able to book shows to support himself he stopped taking any money from sponsors so they could help other skaters. Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov have unfortunately pretty much had to give up on their skating dreams because they just cannot afford to continue and are severely in debt.

 

[Eddie Lee]

There are and have been plenty of top skaters who did not come from wealthy families. Michelle Kwan immediately comes to mind. There are also Carol Heiss and her sister Nancy, Peggy Fleming, Nicole Bobek, Tonya Harding, Scott Hamilton. In the present day, there are Mirai Nagasu and Alissa Czisny. And I don't believe Ashley Wagner's family can be considered wealthy---she is an army brat.

Wealthy or Not Wealthy, by whose definition?