Teenage Ladies Olympic Champions

[SkateFan4Life]

And we constantly hype 'it's amazing that someone so young won the olympics'. If someone is 20 or more, will we say 'an old bag won the olys this year'?

Joe

Well, IMHO, the "old bags" bring in maturity, grace, and artistry that the vast majority of young teenagers can't match.

Three cheers for Maria Butraskaya, who won the 1999 World title at the "old bag" age of 26!!!!!

 

[Mathman]

Still, IMO skating is a young peson's sport, especially it's competitive aspects.

When you are twelve, there is nothing in the world so important as winning your little league baseball game, or your first novice sectional title. Later on -- there is.

In the biographical feature on Michelle Kwan recently, Michelle said about the Nagano Olympics that this was something that she had been pointing towards her whole life, and it was either "win or die."

Well, she didn't win, and she didn't die.

At Salt Lake City it seemed like she was skating not to lose -- a recipe for disappointment in any sport.

Next time around, I agree with Joe, she will want to cement her legacy by putting out a farewell performance for the ages, win or lose.

Terry Gannon once asked Dick Button about how it felt to win the Olympics, and Dick went on and on about the thrill of a lifetime, etc., etc. So Terry asked if he was talking about the first one or the second.

Dick said, "Oh, the first one, of course, when I was 18!"

Of the contenders so far, I think Miki Ando has the best shot at that thrill of victory feeling in Turino.

I'm still rooting for Michelle , but if she wins I think her feeling will be one of satisfaction (maybe even relief), rather than of teenage ecstacy.

Mathman

 

[Ptichka]

Mathman, this reminds me of Gordeeva's descriptin of her feelings after the first vs. the second Olympic gold. After the first, she just felt that she has fulfilled her duty, that she did what she had to for the country, etc. She describes her second Olympic gold as being much more special.

 

[SkateFan4Life]

Mathman, this reminds me of Gordeeva's descriptin of her feelings after the first vs. the second Olympic gold. After the first, she just felt that she has fulfilled her duty, that she did what she had to for the country, etc. She describes her second Olympic gold as being much more special.

Katia Gordeeva was only 16 when she and Sergei Grinkov (age 21) won their first Olympic gold medal in 1988. They had trained very hard, and as the two-time World champions, they were the favorites for the gold medal. After their convincing victory, Gordeeva had somewhat of a letdown. All that effort, and suddenly, poof, it was over. Katia also said she was a bit depressed because she wanted to spend more time with Sergei, with whom she was developing quite a crush, but Sergei was more interested in spending time with his pals. He treated Katia like a little sister.

In 1994, Katia and Sergei were husband and wife and parents of Daria. As Katia wrote, "We won the 1988 gold medal for our coaches and country, and we won the 1994 gold medal for each other." It was a very special moment for them. How heartbreaking that we will never see them skate again.