Michelle Kwan Plots Return to the Ice

I want to be important again!

Source: People

Last weekend, champion skater Michelle Kwan worked along side NBC broadcaster Bob Costas covering the figure skating world championships in Los Angeles – but at next year's Vancouver Olympics, she could back on the ice competing again.

"There are all these rumors about me coming back, but yes, it's a possibility," she tells PEOPLE. "After college and the traveling I did for the state department, I came home to Los Angeles and I'm training again. I got back my triple jumps. I'm going to get in good shape and make my decision from there."

Kwan, 28, is a five-time world champion and two-time Olympic medalist. (She won a silver in '98 and a bronze in '02). The skater, who was forced to withdraw from the 2006 Olympics due to a hip injury, would have to qualify by competing in January's U.S. national championships, where she'd need to finish in the top two to solidify a place on the team. If she doesn't compete, expect to see Kwan in Vancouver as a skating analyst for NBC and performing in ice shows. "Touring, competing – the possibilities are everything.”

She's had terrible luck in the Olympics and is past her prime. Some people just are not destined to win Olympic Gold (like Kurt Browning). If she's coming back to enjoy the competition again and hear the crowd's standing ovation one last time then fine. But if she's coming back for a shot at gold, she's got no chance. Girls today are doing two triple axels in the long program. Unheard of in Kwan's era. There's no way she could compete with that. It's over Michelle. She should take the Kristi Yamaguchi route, get married, have a nice family, continue skating in exhibitions and for the circus, win Dancing With the Stars etc etc.. That's a much more fulfilling life than praticing 30 hours a day for one last shot at Olympic glory that frankly nobody cares about...

Quick (without googling) who won the Ladies Figure Skating Olympic Gold in Torino 2006? Nobody knows.

Chan wins silver at worlds

Source: CBC

Two small errors in his free skate likely cost Patrick Chan a gold medal Thursday night at the world figure skating championships in Los Angeles.

Toronto's Chan finished second behind American Evan Lysacek and just ahead of France's Brian Joubert, who took home the bronze.

Chan's silver marks the second year in a row Canada has medalled in the men's event. Jeffrey Buttle of Smooth Rock Falls, Ont., won gold last year.

"Jeez, I thought I was just going to walk home with a bronze, but to win a silver medal is just like icing on the cake," Chan said after watching Joubert fall twice during his free skate.

"Getting off the ice, I had a huge smile on my face because I just didn't expect to be where I am now after just my second worlds, and I'm only 18. It's a big shock. It's going to be weird going back to high school, because I have to be a regular guy again."

I watched a bit of the figure skating this weekend and I have a real beef with the scoring system. I used to understand the old system. Each of the nine judges would give a technical and artistic mark. Highest would be 6.0. Plus they would rank all of the skaters. For example if skater A went up against Skater B, Skater B might lose to Skater A by 5 judges to 4. Yes it could cause cheating but at least I understood it!

But now? Someone beats someone by 155.55 to 153.67 and we have no idea how that mark came about. No more 6.0s! Similarly, gymnastics no longer as a perfect 10! It's now 16.38 or something dumb like that. Similarly Olympic boxing has judges pushing buttons. You can hit a guy five times and get no points. Judged sports are getting dumber and dumber. Diving might be the only one that makes sense still.

Here is his long program, almost flawless!


Youtube Link

Related stories:
Chan takes another bite out of judges (Globe and Mail)
Chan pleased but puzzled about judging (Toronto Star)

World Champion: Kim Yu Na

World champion flexibility!

Source: ESPN

Kim Yu-na won the title at the World Figure Skating Championships on Saturday night, setting off celebrations from Southern California to South Korea. Already treated like royalty at home -- her nickname is Queen Yu-na and she wears tiny, sparkling crowns in her ears -- her popularity is sure to grow now that she's given South Korea its first world title.

"I'm sure the whole globe shook," said Kim's coach, two-time Olympic silver medalist Brian Orser. "The whole country of Korea must be elated."

Kim won in record fashion, too. Her 207.71 points were the highest scored under figure skating's current judging system, shattering the old mark by eight. She was more than 16 points ahead of Joannie Rochette. Main rival Mao Asada was almost 20 points behind, falling to fourth.

When she saw the scores, Kim closed her eyes and shook her head. She then stood up, beaming, and waved to the cheering crowd. She cried as the South Korean anthem played.

"Always when I heard the anthem [before], I got teary and it got to the verge of crying. But I always kept it in," she said. "Today because it was a dream come true, I couldn't hold it in."

Rochette won the silver, Canada's first medal at the world championships since Liz Manley also won silver in 1988. Miki Ando, the 2007 world champion from Japan, was third.

Asada tumbled off the medals podium a year after winning the title. She'll have to console herself with trying two triple axels, a first by a woman at worlds. She fell on the second one.

Two triple axels! That's crazy for a girl. I can remember when girls first attempted triples of any kind! I can even remember men in Calgary 1988 barely doing triple axels. One day girls will do quads! Crazy!

So Korea first, Canada second and Japan third and fourth. Should set up for a great Olympic competition next year in Vancouver!

And she can sing too!


Youtube Link