I'll report a couple of newsworthy things on GS: Welcome back FloraMac! And welcome to GS Rumie!
Actually, Phil does skim over what I think is an important point: injuries. I won't go into my schpiel on quads and 3/3s for ladies or the figure skating hinged skate boot; however, the COP was designed IN PART to try to put more emphasis on rewarding the "whole package" all-around skater and take some of the emphasis off what was becoming a contest of 3/3s which permanently injured many ladies skaters with great potential before they even made it to their first senior competition.
But even taking out the question of injuries, Hersh's own trip down memory lane is in conflict with his own assertions. There are always years when skaters in a given country are in the building stage and years when they are in the command stage. In the past, that is, prior to Michelle, they would hit the command stage, do one, maybe two Olympics, and turn pro. Now eligible skaters no longer have to turn pro for financial reasons. Figure skating is in a state of flux for a number of reasons, many of which Hersh mentioned, but if Michelle Kwan is the main draw in figure skating right now because, in part, the Soviet Union and Eastern bloc sports machines have fallen by the way side, well, that's the price you pay for progress. If the Canadian Federation does not have the money to bring along skaters as it has in the past, I think that's called a tough economy. What Hersh does not mention are the wonderful ladies coming up from Japan and the powerhouse in a couple of disciplines that China is determined to become.
In 1984, Torvill and Dean literally electrified the world with "Bolero." Great Britain had also had other great skating champions in the '70s and '80s such as John Curry and Robin Cousins. According to Hersh's logic, the UK should have kept producing great ice dancers and men's champions. But the economy to support the training of such skaters year in and year out just wasn't there. Somehow this concept of a country not revolving around figure skating seems to have flown out of Hersh's head as he was writing this column.
Also, who could have predicted that of the all the medalists from the SLC '02 Olympics, so few would still be eligible or uninjured in '03-04? From SLC, we've got none of the pairs medalists still competing. Of the men, Yags will perhaps no longer be able to compete because of his hip; Plush is going strong; and Goebel has been hot and cold in part due to injuries. In dance, none of the top four are still competing. In ladies, Sarah's attempt to continue competing was hampered by injury and perhaps burnout, but in any case at 18 she's decided to pursue school rather than competitive skating; Irina had a difficult season last year, first in terms of getting started then with her mother's illness; and Michelle has wisely (IMO) restricted her competing to Nats, Worlds, and one or two others a year. And I had to chuckle when Hersh listed Nicole Bobek as a "highlight" the year she won Nationals and a bronze at Worlds with performances that wouldn't even come close to making the podium at either in the last few years (and I love Nicole), and then bemoan Sasha's inconsistency. Yeah, Phil, I too pine for the days of that bastion of consistency, Nicole Bobek
Hersh may be right that for the casual fan, right now figure skating is Michelle Kwan. But what is the point of making this point? Put the Soviet Union back together? Improve the Canadian economy so they can have more money to train young figure skaters? If Hersh had used Japan as an example of how a country's federation can use their resources to build depth in at least one discipline in figure skating, I could see a reason for making this point.
Or maybe Hersh finally woke up and realized he'd been a creep to Michelle and used this column as an excuse to finally say, "Hey, Michelle is really great!"
Rgirl
PS So sad to hear the "Look American" thing. Kristi got the same thing in '92, though for the first year or so after she won the OGM she also felt it in the lack of endorsements she was offered. With Michelle, things really seemed to change in that regard. Of course, just when you think we're making progress...(sigh)
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