Has interviews with MK, SC and Johnny Weir.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/14295167.htm?source=rss&channel=miamiherald_sports
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/14295167.htm?source=rss&channel=miamiherald_sports
Reflections of Olympic Skaters (article)
- Thread starter R.D.
- Start date
This was an excellent article, IMO. I felt it gave us a little bit more insight into some of the things we have been discussing here for the past few months.
For Michelle, it was interesting to hear what she thought about trying to tough it out and not withdraw. Clearly she felt strongly about what she had promised, and in the end she was true to her word ... and I feel so proud of her for that.
For Sasha, we now hear from her that she was having problems with her jumps leading up to the games. This maybe explains the practicing in private while in Torino, and certainly an answer to why she struggled in the LP. She definitely worked hard, but further proof that the mind may often be willing and the body not.
For Johnny ... as much as I don't care for some of the things he says, I don't know what kind of person would feel it necessary to email an athlete and express shame because he/she didn't perform well. Not to mention adding in the personal slurs. Truly these people need to take a look in the mirror at themselves before they critisize others. Just shameful, IMO.
Thanks for posting this, Red Dog.
For Michelle, it was interesting to hear what she thought about trying to tough it out and not withdraw. Clearly she felt strongly about what she had promised, and in the end she was true to her word ... and I feel so proud of her for that.
For Sasha, we now hear from her that she was having problems with her jumps leading up to the games. This maybe explains the practicing in private while in Torino, and certainly an answer to why she struggled in the LP. She definitely worked hard, but further proof that the mind may often be willing and the body not.
For Johnny ... as much as I don't care for some of the things he says, I don't know what kind of person would feel it necessary to email an athlete and express shame because he/she didn't perform well. Not to mention adding in the personal slurs. Truly these people need to take a look in the mirror at themselves before they critisize others. Just shameful, IMO.
Thanks for posting this, Red Dog.
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No problem at all.
Yeah, it's certainly good that she kept her word, and to me that shows a good character.
This is actually not news to me...I think I heard something like that somewhere else before. But after hearing it directly from her
everything makes sense.
nymkfan51 said:
Yeah, it's certainly good that she kept her word, and to me that shows a good character.
This is actually not news to me...I think I heard something like that somewhere else before. But after hearing it directly from her
everything makes sense.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
Michelle - Why do COI, if you are still hurting? You will use that hurting for reasons not to do other skating competitions. Why not get better once and for all regardless of the time it takes, and then skate to win. You can do it.
Johnny - Be yourself but you are in the limelight now and those e-mails will keep coming. Brad Pitt, George Cloony and many other actors (not mention those hunks in sports) get far worse mail than you but they don't bring it up. It's just part of being famous.
Sasha - You go babe, if the movie offers come in, grab them. If skating continues then see someone who can get you through the LPs. It's not your skating, it's your head.
The above is JMO.
Joe
Johnny - Be yourself but you are in the limelight now and those e-mails will keep coming. Brad Pitt, George Cloony and many other actors (not mention those hunks in sports) get far worse mail than you but they don't bring it up. It's just part of being famous.
Sasha - You go babe, if the movie offers come in, grab them. If skating continues then see someone who can get you through the LPs. It's not your skating, it's your head.
The above is JMO.
Joe
Not only that, RD ... but doing COI will not hinder her recovery. As we have heard, she won't even be doing any jumps until the doctors feel satisfied with her recovery.
The way I look at it is just how Michelle has described it to us. After the tour she will assess her health and make her decisions based on that. She won't have to worry about the GP this year because she's not a seeded skater. That doesn't mean she couldn't get assigned to SA if she's ready and able to skate, but at least there would be no requirement for her to do a specific number of events.
She's going to do what she decides is best for her, and that's the way it should be. There are those who will support whatever she does (me), and there will be others who object ... but it's still her life and career, and she gets to decide.
The way I look at it is just how Michelle has described it to us. After the tour she will assess her health and make her decisions based on that. She won't have to worry about the GP this year because she's not a seeded skater. That doesn't mean she couldn't get assigned to SA if she's ready and able to skate, but at least there would be no requirement for her to do a specific number of events.
She's going to do what she decides is best for her, and that's the way it should be. There are those who will support whatever she does (me), and there will be others who object ... but it's still her life and career, and she gets to decide.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
Is it just the jumps? Heavy edged spirals, Y spins, spread eagles, etc, don't have pain?nymkfan51 said:
SA will be the only assist the USFS can give her. She's got to think about regionals and sectionals if she wants to skate Nats. I don't think there ever was a requirement to skate anything but COI, Campbells and Marshalls.
Whatever that best is, is fine for me, too. I think she should try getting better first, and then decide if she wants to compete. However, if it's Campbells, Marshalls and COI, so be it.
Joe
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
I think she just wants to skate. No athlete wants to end the season -- much less a career -- on the injured list.
The danger is, these young, optimistic, goal oriented performers have an inner voice telling them, "you can do this, you can do it, go, go, go!" I hope Michelle really does "listen to her body" in planning her future.
This is what she said (quoted in Spotlight in Skating magazine) at the December phone-in-the-vote contest about her hip injury (before sustaining the groin injuries that kept her out of U.S. Nationals and the Olympics):
""I did what I could today...Not to be able to jump for weeks was frustrating...I'm trying to stay off pain medication and skate clean; even Advil can have side effects. It is better than it was a few months ago. At least I am walking and skating. It actually feels better to skate than to walk.
"Of course I worry but I have to push that aside. This is what I have; this is the situation I am in. This is the best I can do. When your body sas no, you have to stop.
"I've been a lucky person, a lucky athlete. I've had very few injuries. It's hard because I want to push; I want to have that 'last hurrah' in my career. I want to go, go, go. But that's when my body said no."
MM
The danger is, these young, optimistic, goal oriented performers have an inner voice telling them, "you can do this, you can do it, go, go, go!" I hope Michelle really does "listen to her body" in planning her future.
This is what she said (quoted in Spotlight in Skating magazine) at the December phone-in-the-vote contest about her hip injury (before sustaining the groin injuries that kept her out of U.S. Nationals and the Olympics):
""I did what I could today...Not to be able to jump for weeks was frustrating...I'm trying to stay off pain medication and skate clean; even Advil can have side effects. It is better than it was a few months ago. At least I am walking and skating. It actually feels better to skate than to walk.
"Of course I worry but I have to push that aside. This is what I have; this is the situation I am in. This is the best I can do. When your body sas no, you have to stop.
"I've been a lucky person, a lucky athlete. I've had very few injuries. It's hard because I want to push; I want to have that 'last hurrah' in my career. I want to go, go, go. But that's when my body said no."
MM
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Joe ... I think Michelle will only do the things that don't aggravate her injuries. At least that is how I interpret her recent interviews.
And as far as the USFSA goes in offering her help ... I believe I read on another board that the October cheesefest usually coincides with one of the regionals/sectionals that she would need to attend ... so by doing the cheesefest, that would give her the bye to Nationals. I hope I have that right.
IF she is healthy and chooses to skate this season, she could conceivably do the fall cheesefest, SA and Nationals.
We really won't know for awhile yet, though. Her injuries might be bad enough that she recognizes her eligible days are done ... we just don't know. I honestly think she doesn't know. I feel she still has the desire to compete, but can see the possibility that her body just won't allow it anymore. It will all play out in due time.
And as far as the USFSA goes in offering her help ... I believe I read on another board that the October cheesefest usually coincides with one of the regionals/sectionals that she would need to attend ... so by doing the cheesefest, that would give her the bye to Nationals. I hope I have that right.
IF she is healthy and chooses to skate this season, she could conceivably do the fall cheesefest, SA and Nationals.
We really won't know for awhile yet, though. Her injuries might be bad enough that she recognizes her eligible days are done ... we just don't know. I honestly think she doesn't know. I feel she still has the desire to compete, but can see the possibility that her body just won't allow it anymore. It will all play out in due time.
Joesitz said:
Joe -- again -- have you ever been seriously ill or injured? If so, I wonder what you did to get yourself feeling "normal" again? I think that, for MK, not doing COI might be psychologically, emotionally and mentally more harmful than doing it might be physically harmful. There are a lot of things that she is doing to reduce the physical toll (and there are others that can be done, as needed, such as flying to stops instead of riding on the tour bus) to reduce the physical toll.
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- Jul 11, 2003
attny- I had double knee replacements a few years back and it just knocked me out about ever walking again. But with perseverance and doing proscribed exercises everyday regardless of the pain, the light at the end of the tunnel began to shine.attyfan said:
We don't know if Michelle's hip pain is related to arthritus which in the early stages one can grit teeth and get through or whether it is something else which with proper rehab could be eliminated. I'm thinking the latter which may mean get off the skates for however long it takes to get better.
Otherwise, I will look forward to Marshalls, Campbells and COI if it gets near NYC, and not think of serious competitions. Reports of working on 3x3s in practice and having an esteemed choreographer give her a new program will become meaningless in this coming season.
I pretty well know what will happen in COI, Marshalls and Campbells. While her american fans are in the thousands, I don't see many new ones coming into the fold.
Joe
Michelle
I know Michelle will do whatever she can to stay competitve, because I firmly believe this is not how she wants to leave competitive figure skating. But Joe, I agree that it is going to be a tough thing to accomplish. I don't think COI is too much of an issue but I do agree that when she starts training again, that will tell the story. These may be injuries that will heal or they may be re-occurring injuries. Once she starts training again, she will know.
I know Michelle will do whatever she can to stay competitve, because I firmly believe this is not how she wants to leave competitive figure skating. But Joe, I agree that it is going to be a tough thing to accomplish. I don't think COI is too much of an issue but I do agree that when she starts training again, that will tell the story. These may be injuries that will heal or they may be re-occurring injuries. Once she starts training again, she will know.
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