Update: Bradie, along with Mirai Nagasu and Karen Chen just made the Olympic team. Ashley Wagner, who finished 4th, did not make the team.
I watched this last night, masterful performances to all three fop contenders, Olympics team shaping up nicely.
They made Ashley Wagner the face of US figure skating and the winter olympics. I wonder if living up to that was too much.
I also remember that every time a “Soviet” or “Chi-Com” skater came on, my mother shouting at the TV saying “FALL! FALL! FALL!”
A year or so after Fleming won the Gold Metal, I got to see her skate in the Ice Capades when it came to the Hershey (PA) arena. I kept that program for many years. I wish I still had it.
America’s women skaters have their work cut out for them, though.
They haven’t won a world title or an Olympic medal since 2006.This is the biggest medal drought for them since before World War 2.
In the meantime, women skaters from Russia, Japan, and Canada have dominated the sport.
I blame Title Nine for this. Figure skating is perceived as a traditional “girl sport.” When the money starts going to ice hockey and snowboarding a lot of the girls are going to leave the ice skates behind.
The United States has done much better at the Winter Olympics the last few times around, due in no small measure to the efforts of her female competitors. But times have changed and I’m afraid ladies figure skating has been on the losing side of this trend.
I remain hopeful, however. The trio we’ll be sending to South Korea is the strongest we’ve had in a while and maybe one of them will come home with a medal around her neck.
Here’s the video of her performance. Lots of Haters in the comments. Ignore them! Jerks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vFOcOPq2O0
So will the US be sending any straight male figure skaters to Korea?
A truly awesome team of U.S. figure skaters!