A likely farewell, and thanks for the memories
It was heartbreaking to see the great Michelle Kwan withdraw from the Olympics, thus ending any chance she had of finally winning her gold medal. Given the chronic state of her injuries, this is, in all probability, the end of her competitive skating career. Kwan has won five world championships, is the most decorated American skater in history, and has earned the most 6.0's (using the old system) of any skater in history, man or woman. But she has not had good luck at the Olympics, where she won a silver medal in 1998 and a bronze in 2002.
This morning, while I was in the bank waiting for a customer service representative, Sting came on the sound system, singing "Fields of Gold." The connection between that song and Kwan's skating is so strong that I just stood there feeling sad again. Kwan justifiably became a symbol of American sport because of her dedication, her style and grace, and her all-around class.
In a move even more tasteless than we have come to expect of network television, NBC, upon hearing of Kwan's withdrawal from the games, immediately offered her a job as an Olympic analyst. Not only was this a tacky distraction from the American team, which Kwan (tactfully) acknowledged, it also showed the network's total lack of sensitivity toward Kwan, whose heart must be breaking even worse than the hearts of her fans.
For me, a great fan conflict has been removed. There is nothing I would have liked more than to see Michelle Kwan finally win her gold medal. However, I am a huge fan of Kwan's close friend Irina Slutskaya, and at age 27, this is her last shot at Olympic gold (she won the silver medal in 2002). I found myself torn between wanting both her and Kwan to win the gold, and now that is, sadly, no longer an issue. Though a win by the enormously graceful Sasha Cohen would please me, my heart is with Slutskaya, who is an amazing athlete with one of the most amazing comeback stories in sports history, though it has been largely ignored by the press.
This morning, while I was in the bank waiting for a customer service representative, Sting came on the sound system, singing "Fields of Gold." The connection between that song and Kwan's skating is so strong that I just stood there feeling sad again. Kwan justifiably became a symbol of American sport because of her dedication, her style and grace, and her all-around class.
In a move even more tasteless than we have come to expect of network television, NBC, upon hearing of Kwan's withdrawal from the games, immediately offered her a job as an Olympic analyst. Not only was this a tacky distraction from the American team, which Kwan (tactfully) acknowledged, it also showed the network's total lack of sensitivity toward Kwan, whose heart must be breaking even worse than the hearts of her fans.
For me, a great fan conflict has been removed. There is nothing I would have liked more than to see Michelle Kwan finally win her gold medal. However, I am a huge fan of Kwan's close friend Irina Slutskaya, and at age 27, this is her last shot at Olympic gold (she won the silver medal in 2002). I found myself torn between wanting both her and Kwan to win the gold, and now that is, sadly, no longer an issue. Though a win by the enormously graceful Sasha Cohen would please me, my heart is with Slutskaya, who is an amazing athlete with one of the most amazing comeback stories in sports history, though it has been largely ignored by the press.
posted by Diane at 1:40 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I will be rooting for Emily Hughes. Her sister's performance was the most perfect Olympic performance I have ever seen (with all respect to the extraordinary Oxana Baiul).
By
Fred Vincy, at
4:42 AM
Sarah Hughes' performance was remarkable, yet--to me--a bit uninspired. And under the new system, I think we may see figure skating go the way of gymnastics.
I do think that if Sarah had continued to skate, however, it is likely she would have become more artistic.
I have seen Emily skate a couple of times and am looking forward to seeing her first Olympic skate.
By
Diane, at
9:52 AM
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