Kwan not ready to rule out next Olympics
- Thread starter nymkfan51
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
I think the last sentence is probably the BIG IF.
Let's see IF she skates the GPs and is really serious. Otherwise another 4 years of 'one day at a time'.
Joe
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Still, I have mixed feelings about this. (Michelle never listens to my advice, LOL, but), to me, Michelle is in a position to really have an impact on the sport.
Olympic medalists come and go, so what? It's what skaters do after their eligible careers are over that separate the greats from the forgottens.
Scott Hamilton won many awards for skating, but what was of lasting importance is that his celebrity as an athlete gave him the opportunity to star as a producer and entrepreneur. Singlehandedly he created a new kind of skating show, SOI, which has entertained millions and provided long term employment in the sport for many athletes.
I wish Michelle would turn her attention to something truly creative and original along these lines. Maybe building her own skating facility is a start in that direction.
To me, there are lots of skating champions, but only one Michelle. Now I hope she will pick up the ball and run with it.
JMO.
MM
Olympic medalists come and go, so what? It's what skaters do after their eligible careers are over that separate the greats from the forgottens.
Scott Hamilton won many awards for skating, but what was of lasting importance is that his celebrity as an athlete gave him the opportunity to star as a producer and entrepreneur. Singlehandedly he created a new kind of skating show, SOI, which has entertained millions and provided long term employment in the sport for many athletes.
I wish Michelle would turn her attention to something truly creative and original along these lines. Maybe building her own skating facility is a start in that direction.
To me, there are lots of skating champions, but only one Michelle. Now I hope she will pick up the ball and run with it.
JMO.
MM
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
Mathman said:Still, I have mixed feelings about this. (Michelle never listens to my advice, LOL, but), to me, Michelle is in a position to really have an impact on the sport.
Olympic medalists come and go, so what? It's what skaters do after their eligible careers are over that separate the greats from the forgottens.
Scott Hamilton won many awards for skating, but what was of lasting importance is that his celebrity as an athlete gave him the opportunity to star as a producer and entrepreneur. Singlehandedly he created a new kind of skating show, SOI, which has entertained millions and provided long term employment in the sport for many athletes.
I wish Michelle would turn her attention to something truly creative and original along these lines. Maybe building her own skating facility is a start in that direction.
To me, there are lots of skating champions, but only one Michelle. Now I hope she will pick up the ball and run with it.
JMO.
MM
Thank you! I've been thinking along the same lines. I keep seeing "A Return to Landover" featuring Michelle...would you pay to see a pro competition with the likes of Kwan, Slute, Yagudin, Plushenko, and the like?
I know I would. If anybody could revitalize professional skating and competition in this country, it's Michelle Kwan.
xoxo
Rave
Could there be an omen in the OGM/World champ this year? I've said this before -- but when the OGM was the American teen jumping queen, the winner of the world gold didn't land one half the time, and the world champs were all older. Now the World champ is teen jumping queen -- with others yet to come -- so maybe Shizuka is the first in a series of older OGM, who win without a 3/3.
Mathman, I think that there are two problems with your theory. One is that Oly eligible careers for skaters from non-Communist countries in Scott Hamilton's day couldn't last as long as they do now, due to financial reasons -- so they had to make their impact in another manner (as entrepreneur, like Scott, commentators, coaches, etc.) The second (and IMO more important) is that so many skaters have gone into things unrelated to the sport, but that doesn't mean they aren't great. Debi Thomas is the prime example. She contributed to both the athletic (I think she was the first American to land a 3/3) and the fashion (she introduced the unitard) aspects of the sport, but she is now a doctor.
Mathman, I think that there are two problems with your theory. One is that Oly eligible careers for skaters from non-Communist countries in Scott Hamilton's day couldn't last as long as they do now, due to financial reasons -- so they had to make their impact in another manner (as entrepreneur, like Scott, commentators, coaches, etc.) The second (and IMO more important) is that so many skaters have gone into things unrelated to the sport, but that doesn't mean they aren't great. Debi Thomas is the prime example. She contributed to both the athletic (I think she was the first American to land a 3/3) and the fashion (she introduced the unitard) aspects of the sport, but she is now a doctor.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
That's a good point. If Michelle takes up an interest in something outside of skating, I would be all for it!attyfan said:
But so far she hasn't. So...wouldn't it be cool if she could do something along the lines of what Raven Rant is suggesting? I know just how to do it, too. (Again, if only Michelle would listen to my great ideas, LOL!)
Start with the three cheesefests. These events already exist and have long term sponsorship and a reliable, if not exactly large, television audience. At least they are shown on major network TV in the U.S., unlike ISU events. Make them into serious for real professional competitions, and offer a big prize if anyone wins the trifecta.
I don't see any reason why something like this could not be profitable and popular -- PLUS produce better skating than we are seeing nowadays in eligible competitions.
MM
Mathman said:That's a good point. If Michelle takes up an interest in something outside of skating, I would be all for it!
But so far she hasn't. ...
MM
How do you know? That MK hasn't said anything doesn't mean that she doesn't have such an interest, especially since she is notorious for not giving out a lot of that kind of information. She has said that she wants to finish college -- at various times, she has mentioned both law and journalism as potential careers. I read somewhere that she is minoring in French, and, is at least half fluent in Cantonese -- she might get into translating (espcially if she can learn Mandarin). I think it likely that she does have something in mind, but has not yet seen fit to release that information to the public, yet. It is also possible that she hasn't decided which of several interests, outside of skating, she might want to pursue.
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- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
I hope you are right, Attyfan. If I were Michelle's parent I would be making her take at least one course every semester anyway, just to keep her hand in. To me, if there were a subject that Michelle was interested in tackling at college -- well, UCLA is right down the street from her practice rink.
IMHO the glimpses that Michelle has given us into her mind-set (this article, for instance) have been more along the lines of , "Skating is my life. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't skate."
Anyway, whatever her long-term plans may turn out to be, for the next four years it would be cool if she could come up with something more creative than maybe or maybe not doing some Grand Prix events and maybe doing Nationals again.
Been there, done that.
MM
IMHO the glimpses that Michelle has given us into her mind-set (this article, for instance) have been more along the lines of , "Skating is my life. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't skate."
Anyway, whatever her long-term plans may turn out to be, for the next four years it would be cool if she could come up with something more creative than maybe or maybe not doing some Grand Prix events and maybe doing Nationals again.
Been there, done that.
MM
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2006
I think she should decide.
I think that it must be very hard for her to make a decision about her carrer after Torino. She may want to go for the gold but can she stay injury free for the next 4 years ? That amoung the Kimmies coming along must weight heavy on her mind. The one thing about Michelle is that she has a level head on her shoulders and thinks things thru. She doesn't make rash decisions. I would go to see her skate even if she was the only one skating for 2 hours.
Whatever she decides Michelle is a legend and her name will or already has gone down in the skating history .
cb
Whatever she decides Michelle is a legend and her name will or already has gone down in the skating history .
cb
Being realistic, the likelihood that she will be able to go another 4 years is probably not very good ... but ... she could certainly make some noise for a year or so. I am betting that she does not want to end her career where it is right now, and I'm also guessing she feels she has something to prove regarding COP. If she were to stay healthy and keep the desire, then you just never know.
As far as the pro circuit is concerned, I'm just not sure that would appeal to her. My feeling is that once she says goodbye to competing, it will be a total break. I do think however, that she will always be invloved in skating in some way. Maybe as a commentator or choreographer ... or maybe even coaching further down the road.
Whatever it is, I am just so grateful for every chance to watch her.
As far as the pro circuit is concerned, I'm just not sure that would appeal to her. My feeling is that once she says goodbye to competing, it will be a total break. I do think however, that she will always be invloved in skating in some way. Maybe as a commentator or choreographer ... or maybe even coaching further down the road.
Whatever it is, I am just so grateful for every chance to watch her.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
"Mathman
Having her parents make her take at least one course". They could probably tell her to think about it but I doubt at her age they could make her do it. I know she would listen to them and really think hard about it but I don't think anyone can tell her what to do. Not that that is bad, just that she has a good head on her shoulders and makes up her own mind. As with most of fans, it would be great to have her keep skating but I wouldn't want her to continue if it meant injuries. As with all skaters, there comes a time they must change their course and we dearly miss them but their health, etc. must take precedence. Usually, some one else comes along and captures your heart but it is just life and you know what will be, will be.
Having her parents make her take at least one course". They could probably tell her to think about it but I doubt at her age they could make her do it. I know she would listen to them and really think hard about it but I don't think anyone can tell her what to do. Not that that is bad, just that she has a good head on her shoulders and makes up her own mind. As with most of fans, it would be great to have her keep skating but I wouldn't want her to continue if it meant injuries. As with all skaters, there comes a time they must change their course and we dearly miss them but their health, etc. must take precedence. Usually, some one else comes along and captures your heart but it is just life and you know what will be, will be.
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2005
I don't think Michelle is jeopardising any kind of professional work and notariety by staying in for another few years. I'm sure as soon as she calls it quits she'll still have enough notariety to do anything she wants in the sport, if not more than she has now. She'll be trying to be bought up to commentate, to skate in shows, and to be the face of inumerable products. She'll be just fine.
It's nice to hear what she says, but remember they are only words. Both she and Irina claim they are not "ruling out" another four years, but I don't think it's very likely that they can stay in top competitive shape for that long. If MK wants to continue for love of the skating, that's fine. (why not do show skating instead?) But I think there's something in me that says that she still thinks she can win again in four years. I think that's a very optimistic lookout but that's JMO.
I think MK has definitely lost a lot of the consistency that made her so great back in the day. I notice she's on and off now. At least from 2004 onwards, she gave a mix of good and bad performances.
I think MK has definitely lost a lot of the consistency that made her so great back in the day. I notice she's on and off now. At least from 2004 onwards, she gave a mix of good and bad performances.
