More Figure Skating Video Games

The Houston Chronicle has a review of two figure skating video games. Both are marketed towards young girls. The first game is from the Imagine series and is titled Imagine: Figure Skater. The other is from the American Girl series and is called Mia, featuring the American Girl figure skater character. It appears the both games are big on plot and invite girls into the non-skating worlds of the characters as well, although the goal in both appears to be to make it to/do well in major competitions.

Dance Til You Can't Kristi Yamaguchi No More

Well, first of all, YAY for the figure skating scenes!!! Kristi was so cute. As for Kristi's waltz, I did not love it. It was probably one of my least favorite dances of hers so far, and I had to agree with Carrie and Len that there were some technical issues. It was still very pretty though and I love to watch Kristi dance no matter what. Her cha cha on the other hand, was ridiculous!!! So good, I could watch it over and over. Very complicated to my untrained eyes.

Shannon Elizabeth is not a dancer. She always has the moves down and puts her all into it, but she does not move like a dancer and she looks a bit awkward out there. I don't think she has a chance at winning just because she is a tier lower than the more talented dancers out there. Her tango was the same, although I thought a better job.

There were definitely some goofy-looking moments in Mario and Karina's mambo, but I did enjoy it. I think he is great and I really loved watching his mambo. Couldn't find his other dance, sorry!

Marissa's tango was probably not one of the most technically proficient ones we've seen but I absolutely loved watching her, she was so dramatic! And the judges loved it too. I also liked her waltz.

Cristian's waltz unfortunately accentuated my main issue with him, his slopy shoulders! But maybe that's just because he's so much taller than Cheryl? I'm not sure. Either way, it was a nice dance as always but he's not my favorite. Unfortunately, it appears that later in the show during his samba, he actually injured himself! I have no idea how he did it - he just seemed to be favoring it and then he couldn't dance anymore, and he said he pulled a muscle. Hope it gets better asap.

OH. MY. GOD. When Jason Taylor came out to the Monday Night Football theme, I nearly died. But I think he was actually inspired by it! I enjoyed the dance more than I have any of his others. His quickstep earlier was also fun and I think he has won me over again. But he'll never be like Kristi!

Posh and Becks (not that one) at the Rink

Sorry for the lack of posts; I just moved and do not yet have Internet in my new place. I'm working on it though.

Apparently Victoria Beckham and buddy Kate Beckinsale and their respective children, Brooklyn and Lily Mo Sheen, were photographed at an ice rink in Culver City, California this weekend. From the article on Celebrity Gossip:

And while Brooklyn stuck with hockey style skating, it was clear that figure skating greatness was on the mind of LiLy Mo, as she practiced some new moves clad a little black velvet figure skating dress and hipster legwarmers.

I have to admit that Lily's outfit is pretty cool. Will be seeing a mini-Beckinsale competing one day? I guess we won't find out for a few years.

"Frick" Dead at 92

Werner Groebli, half of the famed skating team "Frick and Frack," died the other day in Zurich at 92 years old.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Mr. Groebli - Frick - and his skating partner, Hans-Rudi "Frack" Mauch, were Swiss-born figure skaters who turned successfully to goofing around. Life magazine dubbed them the "Clown Kings of the Ice," but they were praised for their grace as much as their comic timing and off-balance acrobatics.

The New York Times once described Mr. Groebli as "a master skater whose knack for comedy and instinct for effect make the technical know-how of brilliant skating a tool for greater artistry." Olympic figure skating champion Debi Thomas was among his admirers.

When Mr. Groebli and Mauch began performing in the early 1930s, their motivation was to make fun of what they called the pomposity of professional skaters.

They donned lederhosen - traditional Alpine clothing - and incorporated spoofs of ballet and other traditional styles in their act. They became a mainstay of Shipstads and Johnson's much-praised Ice Follies show from 1939 to 1954 and also appeared in films and on television.

I have to admit, I had no idea that this was where the term "frick and frack" came from, even after hearing it all my life. You have to think that Frick and Frack must also have been a sort of inspiration to Scott Hamilton and the Stars on Ice folks, because the shows I've seen were never afraid to poke fun of the occasional pomposity of figure skaters. I'm sure Groebli inspired and entertained many others as well.

2010 Nationals to be Spread to Two Weekends

It looks like U.S. Figure Skating, or more specifically, NBC, are trying to get more out of the 2010 U.S. national championships. Philip Hersch is reporting on Chicagosports.com that the 2010 Nationals will be spread across two weekends.

According to the article:

The switch is being made to accommodate NBC, which wants to have live prime-time telecasts of all finals.

The four cities bidding to host the championships all have been told to figure on a two-weekend senior event, which likely will have men's competition the first weekend and women's the next.

Hersch also reports that “rumors about the two-weekend idea have prompted general discontent on Internet message boards devoted to figure skating, with many longtime fans saying they cannot afford to attend both and may skip the entire event in protest.”

I have never actually been to an amateur figure skating event – I don’t believe there has ever been one in the city I was living in at the time or I would definitely have tried to make it. I can see where this would annoy the diehard fans who travel across the country just to see the competition. However, if the switch will allow all of the competitions to be shown on primetime network television for more of the country to see, I have to admit that is an enticing idea. I wouldn’t usually side with a network that is obviously just thinking of its advertising potential, but a more visible platform for all of the skating finals might breed more new fans of the sport and could lead to more of the sport for people to see. Perhaps that way there will be more timely broadcasting of competitions that get short shrift now. (Of course, feel free to disagree with me in the comments…)

Grishuk Given Date Rape Drug

Well, here is an odd story. It appears that Pasha Grishuk, the female half of 1994 and 1998 Olympic gold medal winning ice dancers Grishuk and Platov, was drugged with GHB. GHB (or gamma hydroxy butyrate) is commonly known as a date rape drug because it can reduce resistance to a sexual assault. It can also cause loss of consciousness and seizure, among other effects.

According to Sports Illustrated:

Grishuk, who won Olympic gold medals for Russia in ice dancing in 1994 and 1998, was attending a business meeting at the St. Regis Monarch Beach on April 12 when she began to feel ill and numb, sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino said.
While eating dinner, she spotted a partially dissolved pill in the bottom of her drink. Investigators later found another dissolved pill in the bottom of a drink she ordered in the hotel's lounge.
Amormino says toxicology tests that came back Tuesday were positive for GHB, but it wasn't immediately clear how the pills got in Grishuk's drinks or who put them there.

The article states that Grishuk currently lives in Los Angeles and did not comment for the article.

More About "Outside the Lines"

Here is some great backstory from Lifeskate about the "Outside the Lines" interview regarding the 2002 Olympic judging scandal. The program aired last weekend on ESPN.

Kristi Yamaguchi Could Have Danced All Night

I definitely enjoyed last night's episode of "Dancing with the Stars" more than I've enjoyed some others. Maybe I'm glad that they are getting down to the last few dancers, it's more manageable or something. Or maybe it's because the dancers were mainly AWESOME. I was duly impressed. However, I will also be critical below. Of course. (As if I could ever do any of it...)

Of course, Kristi Yamaguchi was still out of everybody else's league. But she finally did what I've been waiting for all season - ridiculously hard steps!!! Finally, I think she is ready for the crown. She was so good - I think last night's jive was her best dance yet, probably the overall best dance of the season.

Marlee Matlin was looking HOTT. Or is it Haut? Either way, that's how she looked. Unfortunately the dancing? Not quite as attractive. She may be on the way out pretty soon.

Speaking of hot, Mario and Karina's dance should have been censored. To think, I was so proud that Kristi "let her hair down" last week. She may be great at the footwork but this guy is in another league as far as sexy. Although, he did seem to make Len uncomfortable with the overt sexuality...ha.

Cristian was good as well - but I never pay much attention to him. Probably because I figure he won't win (but I guess I can be proven wrong!) and I don't think he's all that great.

Jason Taylor - I'm kind of tired of him (obviously slightly biased because I know he is competition for Kristi). Yes, he's elegant and graceful. I'm never really impressed.

Marissa Jaret Winokur - Wow. I had no idea she could dance slowly! I recognized steps and everything. I love her and I'm glad she was able to reign in the perkiness to do a pretty good dance.

The long lines that made Shannon Elizabeth appear so impressive on the first few dances are revealing her to be a bit awkward and not have quite as much rhythm on the later dances. Also, I really don't know if I believe the "showmance" stuff. Either she's a really good actress, or she was kind of disgusted by the "relationship" questions. And when Derek was putting his hand on her shoulder in an effort to be comforting during the scoring, he honestly could have been congratulating his hockey buddy on a slapshot goal. Not really so tender there...but he seemed to be pushing the rumors more than Shannon, so who knows.

Spo-can-do!

Philip Hersh of the Chicago Tribune lays out the case for Spokane, Washington to host the 2010 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships. He reveals that Providence, RI and Portland, OR are two of the other three cities in the running. Hersh writes:

Two years ago, Spokane put on the best U.S. Championships of the nearly two dozen I have attended -- including Portland (2005) and Providence (1995).

The city was more jazzed to be host than any other I have seen. There were even posters about the championships in bars too funky for even a thirsty sportswriter to patronize.

Spokane's attendance was 154,893. Portland's was 117,000. Providence drew 56,856.

This is what I wrote after the event in 2007:

"Take a city with good facilities, a highly competent organizing committee and no major league professional sports, and it doesn't matter how relatively small or isolated it is.

"Spokane's motto might as well be, 'Gateway to Idaho.' By 2005 estimates, it is the 99th largest city in the country, in the middle of the 108th largest metropolitan area.

"Yet it drew 25 percent more spectators for the skating nationals than any previous host, a group that includes much larger places such as Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas and Atlanta.''

Apparently, the Lilac City also won a sporting event of the year award from Sports Travel magazine for the 2007 championships.

Set the DVR!!!

Hey skating fans, don’t forget to tune into ESPN or ESPNews this weekend. Both channels will be airing a report called “Outside the Lines,” which focuses on the 2002 Salt Lake City figure skating judging scandal. That incident resulted in a shared pairs figure skating gold medal between Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier and Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze.

According to the Deseret News, the program features an interview with Russian crime boss Russian Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, which is being billed as his first non-Russian language interview.

The report is airing at 7:30 a.m. Sunday on ESPN and 10 a.m. on ESPNews.

Belbin and Agosto Switch Coaches

Looks like Tanith Belbin’s fall at last month’s world championships may have been the sign of (or catalyst for) deeper problems. U.S. Ice Dancing Champs Belbin and partner Ben Agosto have decided to leave their coaches Igor Shpilband and Marina Zoueva and the Arctic Figure Skating Club in Canton, Michigan where they have been training for ten years.

The pair will move to Pennsylvania and work with Natalya Linichuk, who is a former coach of 1994 and 1998 Olympic Ice Dance Champions Oksana Grishuk and Evgeny Platov.

Said Agosto of the move in the Detroit Free Press:

"It's been a rough couple of weeks," Agosto said. "After worlds, we were obviously disappointed with the result. We felt like we needed to take a step back a little bit and see where we are in our careers, and where we want to go and how we're going to get there. We did a lot of soul-searching. In the course of all that, thinking about it, we came to a decision that if we wanted to continue to compete and improve and be the best skaters we can be, it was time to make a change."
Belbin said: "It's a very emotional time. We've been here long enough to have really set down roots -- particularly, the past two years, I've made the best friends I've ever had in my life. Igor and Marina never gave us or anybody else less than their best."

Shpilband said: "They made a decision," Shpilband said. "They didn't ask what we thought about it. Tanith talked to me after worlds and said so many people had so many opinions and she was confused. I know it wasn't an easy world championships."
Although Belbin and Agosto are the reigning Olympic silver medalists, they haven’t been able to claim the gold in the Worlds or Olympics. Perhaps they think they need a change in order to get over that last hump. The Canton rink won’t be abandoned, however. Canadian World Silver Medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir train there, as do U.S. Silver Medalists Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

R.I.P. Cecilia Colledge

Cecilia Colledge, figure skating's 1937 ladies world champion, five-time British champion and three-time European Champion, died this week in Massachusetts. She was 87 years old.

At the 1932 Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, Colledge became the youngest competitor in Olympics' history at 11 years old and 75 days old.

Here's some more from The Telegraph's obituary:

Cecilia Colledge's rivalry with Megan Taylor was intense (when Cecilia beat Megan into second place for the British title in 1938, the runner-up congratulated her conqueror then promptly burst into tears), and Cecilia's mother arranged for the two girls to meet for a tea-party to talk away their differences.

During the Second World War the major figure skating competitions, including the Olympics, went into abeyance, and Cecilia Colledge served as an ambulance driver in the Mechanised Transport Corps in London during the Blitz.

After winning the first postwar British championship in 1946 she turned professional, and starred in a big ice revue in London. She won the "open" professional ladies' championship of Great Britain in 1947 and 1948.

She then retired from competitive skating and moved to the United States, where she became a coach. For a year she trained skaters at Lake Placid before moving to the Boston area.

Kwantifiable has a conglomeration of Colledge articles, new and old.

Congratulations Hall of Famers!

1988 Olympic Gold Medalist Brian Boitano has been elected to the American Olympic Hall of Fame, said the U.S. Olympic Committee on Tuesday. Boitano is also a four-time U.S. Champ and a two-time world champion, not to mention the holder of more professional titles than any other skater.

Also included in the hall of fame class are 1960 Olympic Champion Carol Heiss Jenkins and well-known coach Carlo Fassi.

Heiss Jenkins won the silver medal in 1956 before getting the gold in 1960. Fassi moved to the United States after the 1961 plane crash that killed many top American coaches. He most notably led Peggy Fleming to the 1968 Olympic gold medal. He also coached Dorothy Hamill and Scott Hamilton, among others. Fassi suffered a fatal heart attack in 1997.

Dance Like Nobody But Kristi Yamaguchi is Watching

I did not get to pay as much attention to "Dancing with the Stars" yesterday as I normally do, but I do have some comments (of course!). I thought Kristi was so much more passionate than she has been and it looked great! I was worried the judges would mark her down but she got the highest score again, deservedly so. I think Kristi's trend is that the looser her hair gets, the higher the score goes. Or something. All I know is when it was shellacked to her head the judges gave her her worst scores and I was kind of scared. But last night it was down and gorgeous!

It was surprising to see Mario make a comeback and tie Jason Taylor for that second spot in the standings. I also think Jason Taylor continues the tradition of football players getting inordinate amounts of love on the show. He's great and he was extremely graceful last night, but I didn't see much difficulty in his performance. Shannon Elizabeth's hips came back to haunt her on latin night and she fell in the standings.

I think it was also obvious from last night that the love affair with Priscilla Presley and Cristian de la Fuente may be over. And, finally, some much-deserved love for Marissa Jaret Winokur! Yay.

I realized I completely left Marlee Matlin out before, here's her dance (For some reason, I didn't see it last night so I can't comment, sorry!).

Here is a good site for a quick recap.

The 3X Factor

If you've been following any of the Kimmie Meissner developments this year, you know that after the U.S. Nationals she left her longtime coach, Pam Gregory, to work with Richard Callaghan, who coached Todd Eldridge, Tara Lipinski, and others to glory. The move was meant to fix Meissner's jumps and technical issues. It was also reported by the Baltimore Sun that she would be adding her triple axel back into her programs by next year:

When the Bel Air teen said she wanted to put the 3 1/2 -rotation triple axel back into her training routine, Callaghan agreed.

"She wanted to get that going again, and she was doing them so well in practice, hitting five out of 10," said Callaghan, adding he'd like a higher percentage of completion before inserting the jump into her performance.

Peggy Fleming, 1968 Olympic gold medalist and television analyst, agreed with the strategy.

"It's important to do something more difficult than what's in the program," she said. "Then, what's in the program doesn't seem as hard."

I remember when the new code of points was implemented Meissner dropped the triple axel, ostensibly because it was not rewarded well enough in the new code of points to justify the risk. That tune seems to have changed, and I think Meissner is hoping for more than just the few extra points she might earn by adding that jump,which she landed successfully at the 2005 U.S. National Championships.

It seems that this choice is more about psychology than about the points the jump earns. In addition to having the rest of the program seem easier by comparison, as Peggy suggested above, my question is whether the mere act of attempting a jump like the triple axel demands a completely different attitude from a skater (it might also be similar with quads or other challenging moves). Instead of playing it safe, by adding the triple axel back, Meissner would be making a strong statement that she is a fighter and a challenger. I know there's a phenomenon of playing it safe versus throwing caution to the wind, and we've seen the careful mode backfire so much in skating. I have to admit that as a spectator, I'd rather see someone fail on a risky triple axel attempt than never try a challenging move. Of course, I'm guessing that falling is not what Meissner has in mind, but anything that can add more attack and spark to her skating rather than cautiousness (which is what I'm seeing a lot of now) is a good thing.

Johnny Weir

I just wanted to point you all to Johnny Weir's latest blog entry if you haven't seen it already. He writes about his performance at the world championships last month, where he came away with his first world medal, a bronze:

When I went out to skate in the long program I was scared to death. I don't know why, but I think I was really afraid to have a disaster and to make mistakes. Galina Yakovlevna could see that in my face and reminded me before my skate to just think rotation, land, continue, and so on. I tried to do that and I think I did okay. It was probably one of the worst performances of my season, but in no way was I upset. I landed my quad on two feet again, I was shaky on most of my jump landings and had to fight for everything, but that was a victory for me, I fought. A year ago I know I would have given up. I skated second out of the final six so I had to wait to see if I'd win a medal or not. I was in the mixed zone when I found out I had won a medal and I was so thrilled. It's hard to describe, but it was a huge weight off my shoulders to see the season through, and not stop fighting until the end. I finished the night in third place and I won the only medal for the United States, I was so proud.

He also has some kind words to say about Evan Lysacek's injury. He wrote that he was upset Evan couldn't be there and that:

"I hope he has a quick recovery and is back in top form for next season. I know we have a lot of bad press out there, but all reporters take things out of context and flip stories around to sell, and I really am not heartless and bitter towards Evan. I am happy to have a rival who is so competitive and who keeps pushing me to better myself."

I find his blog to be pretty interesting and his web site is frequently updated, so you might want to check it out.

Sasha Cohen WAS in a Reality Show?

Can it be true that Sasha Cohen was in a reality show last week and I missed it? I'm so depressed. This article would have me believe that she was in the show "Secret Talents of the Stars," but I had no idea. I'm sorry for not tipping off my blog readers! Apparently Cohen was showing off her agility, which us skating fans are probably quite familiar with.

Fortunately you can watch Sasha's talent here. Maybe this was her tryout tape for Cirque du Soleil, because, man.

Again, I'm sorry I missed it. The show has already been canceled.

Lilac City Redux

Spokane, Washington is one of the four finalists to host the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, according to KXLY.com. It is unclear what the other cities in the running are; the article doesn't mention and I couldn't find them in a quick look at the U.S. Figure Skating web site.

Interestingly, Spokane just hosted the championships in 2007. I'm a bit surprised that they would be in the running again so soon. The article says that when Spokane hosted it had record attendance, so maybe the city just did such a great job hosting that U.S. Figure Skating knows it can trust the folks there to put on a great show.

Members of the selection committee will be visiting Spokane to check out the Veterans Arena and other facilities that were in the spotlight last year when the Lilac City hosted the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Nationals, boasting record attendance levels.

That certainly helps to influence committee members as well as Spokane's close proximity to Vancouver, where the Olympics will be held several weeks after the championships.

"The proximity to Vancouver is huge and phenomenally in our favor that will help us a tremendous amount. It is right in our backyard," Barb Beddor of Star USA said.

I have no idea why being close to Vancouver would make any difference at all. It's not like the athletes are hitching the next truck to Vancouver right after the competition; they're obviously going home for a few weeks before they go to the Olympics. Maybe I'm being obtuse but if anyone knows why it would matter to be close to Vancouver, feel free to let me know. I also wonder if there are fewer cities vying for the championships these days, since the sport is losing viewers and sponsors. If so, then it would definitely make sense to have the championships in a city (like Spokane) where they know they can get the seats filled.

Casting Call!

The news about Johnny Weir’s upcoming show and Kristi Yamaguchi’s appearances on “Dancing with the Stars” got me to thinking about what other reality shows current and former skaters might be on, if they too partook in the reality television world. Here are some of my best guesses:

Sasha Cohen: Definitely “The Hills.” I mean, she already designs clothing, just like Hills star Lauren Conrad. Plus, she studies acting so she’d fit right in in Los Angeles.

Evan Lysacek: Ever since seeing him come back from the flu in the 2006 Olympics to redeem himself with an amazing long program, all I can think of is “Survivor.” He seems tough/smart enough to make it through a few weeks of tribal councils at least.

Mirai Nagasu: America’s Most Talented Kids, naturally.

Kiira Korpi: Big Brother. Because it’s more popular abroad than it is in the United States.

Daisuke Takahashi: Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew. Cyber Swan should be enough to get him on the show. Plus, it will remind judge J.C. Chasez of his old band N’Sync’s instant classic, Digital Getdown, which might sway Chasez in Dice-K’s favor.

Michelle Kwan: The Celebrity Apprentice. She’s conquered the international arena, now let’s see if she can last in Trump’s boardroom. And seeing her on a team with Gene Simmons would be almost as weird as seeing her sit next to Bode Miller at the 2006 Olympic opening ceremonies.

Katarina Witt: “The Girls Next Door.” She’s not blonde, but maybe Hef will make an exception since she’s already been featured in his magazine (you will have to look for that link yourselves).

Jamie Sale and David Pelletier: “The Amazing Race.” Come on, no couple’s that happy all that time! See if they’re still smiling after they get lost together in an open air market in Morocco or something.

Brian Joubert: “The Bachelor, Paris (2nd Edition).” Watch the ladies swoon and fight over roses.

Feel free to comment with any other suggestions!

So You Think Kristi Yamaguchi Can Dance

Well, Kristi Yamaguchi was up first yesterday on "Dancing with the Stars." I basically watch for her but I did manage to DVR through and catch the other performances. I thought Kristi was good. I really couldn't tell how much more she was emoting because I couldn't see her face for half of the dance, but she seemed a bit more dramatic. Thankfully, two out of the three judges agreed with me.

Kristi Yamaguchi: Technically amazing, as usual. The choreography is difficult and smart but I'm sure she can handle whatever her partner throws at her. I think they'll have to get flashier throughout the competition to keep the crowd excited. And hooray for Kristi getting the first 10s of the season.

Marlee Matlin: At first I thought this was really lovely (and was that a real kiss? HOTT). But I wish there had been some more actual dancing.

Shannon Elizabeth: Wow, I felt so bad for Derek being hurt! I can't believe he could get through that, wonder how many painkillers he was on. This was a nice dance... but what is with all the mush, no wonder there are always romance rumors on this show. I thought Shannon did really well - some posture problems at the beginning but the judges didn't seem to care.

Marissa Jaret Winokur: I really saw the passion in this one and I'm glad the judges thought she came back from last week.

Adam Corolla: For some reason the mask made me forget it was Adam Corolla and I thought he was good for the beginning of the dance. Then some of the herky-jerky moves brought me back to earth, but I won't say I didn't enjoy it!

Jason Taylor: Great! I think this was the week of my drinking the kool aid for some of the people I hadn't really thought were so great in prior weeks. I appreciate his grace. ANOTHER seductive dance... Also, I do have to point out that Taylor DID stumble. And stumblers do not deserve a ten. As much as I enjoyed him, I think Kristi should have been on top of the scoring last night. Alone.

Priscilla Presley: Tied for my fave waltz of the night (with Jason's) because they actually danced. I think I finally got on board with Priscilla tonight - she's so effortless, yet she's so effective at the dances. I thought it was great (ironically, the judges didn't seem as impressed this week. this is why I'm not a professional dancer folks. Er...one of many reasons.).

Mario: Mario was very good, but this dance did not seem to have the difficulty of some of the other dances last night, so I wasn't that impressed. And the judging was all over the place, which I always find odd.

Could not find Cristian's dance on Youtube, but if I do, I'll update later!

Black Swan Rising in 2009

For all of you lucky enough to get the Sundance Channel, it looks like you’ll have an interesting series next year. “Black Swan Rising” is going to debut in 2009 and it’ll follow Johnny Weir as he skates toward the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

I think Weir is the perfect subject for a television show like this. Since it’s on Sundance it will hopefully not be just another exploitative reality show – maybe it'll be a bit more of a balanced documentary-style presentation. And Johnny seems very open with interviewers and television crews, so he’ll probably be right at home chronicling his road to the Olympics. I’m very excited about it and a little bit jealous…but perhaps the show will be looking for a recent journalism school graduate with documentary experience to join the production team (hint, hint!!!).

Mia St. Clair

I found out from Lifeskate that the American Girls series actually now includes Mia St. Clair, a girl who dreams of being a figure skater - and she's the most popular one! I had no idea. And apparently, she is the "Girl of the Year," and even has her own video game. I really wish she were around when I was little. I got Samantha, who was very pretty, with brown hair and brown eyes and cute little rich girl dresses. But I think I could probably have related more with Mia, and her figure skating dreams. This is also exciting because maybe it is introducing a whole new generation of American girls to the sport, now that there's no major star like Michelle Kwan to draw them all in. I've seen those American Girl doll stores - I know how fanatical these girls are about their dolls!

Where is He Now

Here is a copy of a Russian-language interview with pairs figure skating Olympic and World Champion Anton Sikharulidze. You'll remember that Elena Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze were the Russian pair whose gold medal win sparked international outrage and the outing of a major figure skating scandal at the 2002 Olympics. Apparently Sikharulidze is now a member of the Russian parliament. I had no idea he had gone into politics. From the interview:

KP – Did the story with the second set of gold medals for the Canadians in Salt Lake City influence your decision to become a politician? It was a clear example of how politics interferes with sports.

AS – No, that six years old story did not influence my decision about my future life direction. I think that sport is for young people. One has to know when to quit without being pushed out. One day, I felt that I was sick and tired of being Chaplin (The program called “Chaplin” was a trademark of Anton and Elena). I felt that I grew up. I was always interested in social activities and I was preparing myself to get involved in sports politics. I am comfortable with my work at Duma (The Russian parliament) and I feel that I can be useful there.

Sikharulidze also had a comment on the new scoring system:

KP – Do you have the feeling that the TV shows overshadow the competitions?

AS – It is a world trend. Figure skating is losing its popularity. There are no real bright stars. The new system of judging also played a role in the degradation of the sport. I would call this system anti-spectators, and even anti-Russian. Even I, an Olympic champion, sometimes do not understand why the judges give their particular marks. It seems that the new rules were designed to fit the Asian type of figure skating. They force the skater to concentrate only on the elements – such as what side of the skate is used for a rotation, what is the position of the hands during the lifts? Is it really that important for the spectator? The spectator wants an image, an emotional performance that a couple could create on ice. That was the trademark of the Russian school of figure skating.

I don't really know the difference between the Asian school of skating and the Russian one, but I do think that the drive to gain points can take away from a program. But that's mainly because I find certain elements ugly (I will go on the record as ruing the day Denise Bielmann invented her namesake spin).

Anyway, it was interesting to hear from Sikharulidze and find out that he's found an interesting life outside of figure skating. They were such a beautiful pair.

Hamill Feted

Dorothy Hamill, 1976 Olympic ladies figure skating champion and hairstyle icon, was feted the other night at an event for the Figure Skating in Harlem organization. It was recently announced that Hamill is being treated for breast cancer, and she said she was doing "great" at the tribute at Wollman Rink in Central Park. We wish her well in her treatment and recovery.

The event was a who's who of skating stars:

Sasha Cohen, Sarah Hughes, Kimmie Meissner, Viktor Petrenko and Johnny Weir were among the skating stars of the past and present who attended the event, for which Donald Trump served as a host. Two-time U.S. men’s champion Evan Lysacek performed a tribute to Hamill.

That's good news about Lysacek - he must be doing better if he performed at the tribute.