SQUAW VALLEY, Calif. - The 1950s were a great time for the Jenkins brothers of American figure skaters.
First came Hayes Jenkins, the older brother, who dominated from 1953 to 1956. After a disappointing fourth-place finish at the 1952 Winter Olympics, Hayes Jenkins began his four-year stretch of dominance, winning four straight World Championships and four straight U.S. Championships from 1953-56. He capped off his run with a gold medal at the 1956 Olympic games, after which he retired and married Carol Heiss, Olympic silver medalist in 1956 and gold medalist from 1960.
Following Hayes in the figure skating world was his brother David. David had good results in the world and U.S. circuits while his brother was dominating, but never broke through with a win. After getting a bronze behind his brother at the 1956 Olympics, David had his chance for the spotlight as his brother retired.
He took full advantage, duplicating his brother's feat of winning four straight U.S. Championships, giving the family eight championships in a row. David also won three straight World Championships, making it seven straight for the brothers.
The Jenkins family reached its pinnacle in the 1960 Winter Olympics held in California. At the absolute top of his game, David Jenkins cruised to his first gold medal, sweeping the first place votes from the judges. His gold gave the brothers two straight Olympic golds.
David Jenkins had a chance to win his fourth straight World Championship after the 1960 Olympics wrapped up, but he declined, choosing instead to turn professional. At the time he turned professional, a Jenkins had won the gold in a remarkable 17 straight major skating competitions.
Showing posts with label figure skating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label figure skating. Show all posts
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
February 21, 2002: Hughes over Kwan
SALT LAKE CITY - This was supposed to be the year for Michelle Kwan. After years of dominating women's figure skating - to the tune of five World Championships and seven U.S. Championships - the only thing missing from her sparkling resumé was an Olympic gold medal. In the 1998 Olympics, after leading after the short program, Kwan ended up being caught by fellow American Tara Lipinski and just barely losing out on the gold.
Still, though, Lipinski was considered to be close to Kwan's equal, so that result wasn't so shocking. Entering the 2002 games, though, Kwan was viewed as the overwhelming favorite. Just as in 1998, Kwan was in the lead after the short program and seemed like she was in good position to win her elusive gold medal.
But along came Sarah Hughes. Though she had made a name for herself with her success on the juniors circuit, Hughes wasn't considered a strong gold medal contendor in the 2002 games. After the short program, she found herself in fourth place behind Kwan, Russia's Irina Slutskaya, and American Sasha Cohen. Hughes then skated the performance of her life, a flawless routine in the long program. Her scores put her in great position to get a medal, but she had to wait for the final three skaters to perform first.
Cohen, who had been in third, didn't impress in the long skate and fell on a jump, falling out of contention. Next to go was Slutskaya. While her performance didn't include any falls, there were several minor errors, just enough to keep her scores just barely under those of Hughes.
Last to go was Kwan, who had one skate left to try to win her elusive gold medal. She was skating wonderfully, and was nearly through her routine when disaster struck. Kwan hit the ice on one of her triple flips. Suddenly, shockingly, her gold medal run was over. And, also shockingly, the heretofore unknown Hughes was suddenly an Olympic champion.
Kwan recovered to earn bronze, her second Olympic medal, but the real story of the skating competition at the 2002 games - aside from the controversial judging throughout - was Hughes' surprising gold medal.
Still, though, Lipinski was considered to be close to Kwan's equal, so that result wasn't so shocking. Entering the 2002 games, though, Kwan was viewed as the overwhelming favorite. Just as in 1998, Kwan was in the lead after the short program and seemed like she was in good position to win her elusive gold medal.
But along came Sarah Hughes. Though she had made a name for herself with her success on the juniors circuit, Hughes wasn't considered a strong gold medal contendor in the 2002 games. After the short program, she found herself in fourth place behind Kwan, Russia's Irina Slutskaya, and American Sasha Cohen. Hughes then skated the performance of her life, a flawless routine in the long program. Her scores put her in great position to get a medal, but she had to wait for the final three skaters to perform first.
Cohen, who had been in third, didn't impress in the long skate and fell on a jump, falling out of contention. Next to go was Slutskaya. While her performance didn't include any falls, there were several minor errors, just enough to keep her scores just barely under those of Hughes.
Last to go was Kwan, who had one skate left to try to win her elusive gold medal. She was skating wonderfully, and was nearly through her routine when disaster struck. Kwan hit the ice on one of her triple flips. Suddenly, shockingly, her gold medal run was over. And, also shockingly, the heretofore unknown Hughes was suddenly an Olympic champion.
Kwan recovered to earn bronze, her second Olympic medal, but the real story of the skating competition at the 2002 games - aside from the controversial judging throughout - was Hughes' surprising gold medal.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
February 20, 1988: Battle of the Brians
CALGARY, Alberta - It was a natural rivalry: two men named Brian, one Canadian and one American, battling over the years for figure skating supremacy. Canadian Brian Orser got off to a faster start in his career, claiming the silver medal in the 1984 Olympics and finishing second at the 1985 World Championships. American Brian Boitano finished fifth at those same Olympics and third in the World Championships. It was only the beginning of the rivalry.
In 1986, Boitano broke through and beat Orser at the World Championships. The next year, Orser beat Boitano at the Worlds, held in Cincinnati. Seeing his rival take the World Championship from him on his home turf, Boitano became determined to return the favor for the next year's Olympics. He changed his program and got a new choreographer. Before long, the two skaters were considered virtually equal, and the 1988 Winter Olympics were highly anticipated as a way to settle the argument about who was better.
There were three stages to the Olympic figure skating competition in 1988: the compulsory, the short program, and the long program. Boitano was ahead after the compulsory skate, but Orser had the better scores in the short program. While Boitano was still ahead by a hair, the gold medal was going to come down to whomever won the long program portion.
Boitano went first, skating a technically perfect program with no mistakes. Orser went second, and wasn't quite as good, stepping out of one triple flip at the beginning and only doing one of his planned two triple axels. Still, the judges were split. Of the nine judges, four gave better marks to Orser and three gave them to Boitano. The remaining two had them tied, but both gave Boitano higher technical marks. Since the technical scores were the tiebreaker, those two judges' scores ended up in favor of Boitano, giving him the gold by a 5-4 margin.
Following the Olympics, both competed in the 1988 World Championships, with Boitano again beating Orser. That was the end of their competitive rivalry, as both turned professional after that.
While Boitano got the better of the head-to-head rivalry by winning the Olympic gold medal and two World Championships, Orser still had a career to be proud of. Along with his two Olympic silver medals, he never finished off the podium in his amateur career.
In 1986, Boitano broke through and beat Orser at the World Championships. The next year, Orser beat Boitano at the Worlds, held in Cincinnati. Seeing his rival take the World Championship from him on his home turf, Boitano became determined to return the favor for the next year's Olympics. He changed his program and got a new choreographer. Before long, the two skaters were considered virtually equal, and the 1988 Winter Olympics were highly anticipated as a way to settle the argument about who was better.
There were three stages to the Olympic figure skating competition in 1988: the compulsory, the short program, and the long program. Boitano was ahead after the compulsory skate, but Orser had the better scores in the short program. While Boitano was still ahead by a hair, the gold medal was going to come down to whomever won the long program portion.
Boitano went first, skating a technically perfect program with no mistakes. Orser went second, and wasn't quite as good, stepping out of one triple flip at the beginning and only doing one of his planned two triple axels. Still, the judges were split. Of the nine judges, four gave better marks to Orser and three gave them to Boitano. The remaining two had them tied, but both gave Boitano higher technical marks. Since the technical scores were the tiebreaker, those two judges' scores ended up in favor of Boitano, giving him the gold by a 5-4 margin.
Following the Olympics, both competed in the 1988 World Championships, with Boitano again beating Orser. That was the end of their competitive rivalry, as both turned professional after that.
While Boitano got the better of the head-to-head rivalry by winning the Olympic gold medal and two World Championships, Orser still had a career to be proud of. Along with his two Olympic silver medals, he never finished off the podium in his amateur career.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
February 10, 1968: Skating's turning point
GRENOBLE, France - Standing on its own, the story could be summarized in one sentence: "After building a big lead in the compulsory portion, American college student Peggy Fleming cruised to the gold medal today in the women's figure skating competition at the Winter Olympics." Simple, to the point, a good AP lede if you ever saw one.
But if you dig a little deeper into the story, Fleming's victory in 1968 was more than just another American gold medal. Using proper context, you can see just how much Fleming's skating meant to America and her sport.
From a technical standpoint, Fleming represented one of the last of the ballerina-style figure skaters. Standing only 5'4" and weighing just 115 pounds, Fleming stood out against her other competitors because of her apparent lack of an athletic body. While most female figure skaters had started building their bodies like those of the men, bringing the sport in an athletic rather than artistic direction, Fleming represented those who preferred the artistry of the sport.
From a confidence standpoint, Fleming's victory was huge, as she was the only American athlete to win a gold medal at the Grenoble Olympics. Nothing would have been more embarassing to America than getting shut out of the medal table, and Fleming made sure that didn't happen.
From a revitalization standpoint, Fleming may have saved American figure skating. After the entire team died in a 1961 plane crash, many wondered if the United States would ever be competitive in the sport again. Fleming showed that yes, the Americans could bounce back, and that they'd be a force to be reckoned with in future Olympics.
And from a publicity standpoint, Fleming played a big role in making the Winter Olympics popular in America. The 1968 games were the first ones to be broadcast in color (and the first to feature the "Bugler's Dream" theme song), and ABC needed successful stories to carry its broadcast. Fleming's success and care-free attitude - she openly admitted that she often skated at a weight 5-10 pounds heavier than she preferred because she had a weakness for chocolate cake - helped make her among the most popular female athletes in America.
So yah, you could see the results of the 1968 Olympics and summarize figure skating in one sentence. But dig a little deeper, and Fleming's victory becomes so much more.
But if you dig a little deeper into the story, Fleming's victory in 1968 was more than just another American gold medal. Using proper context, you can see just how much Fleming's skating meant to America and her sport.
From a technical standpoint, Fleming represented one of the last of the ballerina-style figure skaters. Standing only 5'4" and weighing just 115 pounds, Fleming stood out against her other competitors because of her apparent lack of an athletic body. While most female figure skaters had started building their bodies like those of the men, bringing the sport in an athletic rather than artistic direction, Fleming represented those who preferred the artistry of the sport.
From a confidence standpoint, Fleming's victory was huge, as she was the only American athlete to win a gold medal at the Grenoble Olympics. Nothing would have been more embarassing to America than getting shut out of the medal table, and Fleming made sure that didn't happen.
From a revitalization standpoint, Fleming may have saved American figure skating. After the entire team died in a 1961 plane crash, many wondered if the United States would ever be competitive in the sport again. Fleming showed that yes, the Americans could bounce back, and that they'd be a force to be reckoned with in future Olympics.
And from a publicity standpoint, Fleming played a big role in making the Winter Olympics popular in America. The 1968 games were the first ones to be broadcast in color (and the first to feature the "Bugler's Dream" theme song), and ABC needed successful stories to carry its broadcast. Fleming's success and care-free attitude - she openly admitted that she often skated at a weight 5-10 pounds heavier than she preferred because she had a weakness for chocolate cake - helped make her among the most popular female athletes in America.
So yah, you could see the results of the 1968 Olympics and summarize figure skating in one sentence. But dig a little deeper, and Fleming's victory becomes so much more.
Friday, February 4, 2011
February 4, 1948: Double axel
UPDATE: This event has been replaced. See the new entry here.
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland - The 1948 Winter Olympics were the first ones since the 1936 games in Germany. The games had been awarded to Sapporo, Japan, but Japan later declined to host because the preparations were draining valuable resources that Japan would need to invade or bomb half the Pacific. The Olympic organizers tried to return the games to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, which had hosted them in 1936, but that became awkward when Germany invaded Poland and, eventually, half of Europe. A third attempt was made, this time in Finland, but that became uncomfortable when the Soviet Union annexed Finland, so the decision was finally made to scrap the 1940 games.
The Olympic committee had hopes for 1944, but since those games were scheduled for Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, another awkward situation came up. For the second straight winter, the Olympics were cancelled. When 1948 rolled around, the IOC was desperate to hold the games in any way possible. The finalists for hosts were Lake Placid, N.Y., and St. Moritz, Switzerland. Since Switzerland had been neutral throughout World War II, the IOC chose St. Moritz, hoping the city could bring the Olympics back in style.
Meanwhile, in the United States, a young figure skater named Dick Button was likely couting his blessings. Born in 1929, and thus too young to serve in World War II, Button spent his youth working with the best figure skating coaches in the country, preparing for his opportunity to compete in the Olympics. Entring the 1948 season, Button had won the national championship at his age level three straight times, plus a North American championship. He had also finished second in the first World Championships after the war, finishing behind only Switzerland's Hans Gerschwiler.
When the Olympics rolled around, Gerschwiler and Button were considered the two favorites. Still only 18 years old, Button had proven himself a worthy challenger to the 27-year-old Gerschwiler on the international stage. When the figure skating competition rolled around, Button got off to a great start, taking a sizeable lead on Gerschwiler after the figures (compulsory) portion of the competition. But he wasn't about to rest on his laurels.
Button had been practicing a double axel jump for a couple years leading up to the Olympics, but had never landed it in practice and thus had never tried it in competition. But the day before the free skate portion of the competition, he landed it in practice for the first time and decided to add it to his performance. On February 4, 1948, aided by the first successful double axel in figure skating history, Dick Button became the first American to win the gold medal in men's figure skating. He also became the youngest man to win a figure skating gold medal, a mark he still holds.
Button successfully defended his gold medal in the 1952 Olympics, where he became the first man to land a triple jump of any kind in competition. He remains the only American to win two straight Olympic figure skating gold medals.
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland - The 1948 Winter Olympics were the first ones since the 1936 games in Germany. The games had been awarded to Sapporo, Japan, but Japan later declined to host because the preparations were draining valuable resources that Japan would need to invade or bomb half the Pacific. The Olympic organizers tried to return the games to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, which had hosted them in 1936, but that became awkward when Germany invaded Poland and, eventually, half of Europe. A third attempt was made, this time in Finland, but that became uncomfortable when the Soviet Union annexed Finland, so the decision was finally made to scrap the 1940 games.
The Olympic committee had hopes for 1944, but since those games were scheduled for Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, another awkward situation came up. For the second straight winter, the Olympics were cancelled. When 1948 rolled around, the IOC was desperate to hold the games in any way possible. The finalists for hosts were Lake Placid, N.Y., and St. Moritz, Switzerland. Since Switzerland had been neutral throughout World War II, the IOC chose St. Moritz, hoping the city could bring the Olympics back in style.
Meanwhile, in the United States, a young figure skater named Dick Button was likely couting his blessings. Born in 1929, and thus too young to serve in World War II, Button spent his youth working with the best figure skating coaches in the country, preparing for his opportunity to compete in the Olympics. Entring the 1948 season, Button had won the national championship at his age level three straight times, plus a North American championship. He had also finished second in the first World Championships after the war, finishing behind only Switzerland's Hans Gerschwiler.
When the Olympics rolled around, Gerschwiler and Button were considered the two favorites. Still only 18 years old, Button had proven himself a worthy challenger to the 27-year-old Gerschwiler on the international stage. When the figure skating competition rolled around, Button got off to a great start, taking a sizeable lead on Gerschwiler after the figures (compulsory) portion of the competition. But he wasn't about to rest on his laurels.
Button had been practicing a double axel jump for a couple years leading up to the Olympics, but had never landed it in practice and thus had never tried it in competition. But the day before the free skate portion of the competition, he landed it in practice for the first time and decided to add it to his performance. On February 4, 1948, aided by the first successful double axel in figure skating history, Dick Button became the first American to win the gold medal in men's figure skating. He also became the youngest man to win a figure skating gold medal, a mark he still holds.
Button successfully defended his gold medal in the 1952 Olympics, where he became the first man to land a triple jump of any kind in competition. He remains the only American to win two straight Olympic figure skating gold medals.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
January 6, 1994: When figure skating became interesting
DETROIT - The image is unmistakable. There was Nancy Kerrigan, sitting on the ground, grabbing her leg, screaming "why? why?" It was replayed everywhere, on the national news broadcasts as well as on the sports shows. An American athlete had been attacked just before she was to compete in the National Championships, just as she was ascending to the pinnacle of her sport. It was unthinkable.
At first glance, it seemed like it was a random act of violence, a lone nut acting alone in an attempt to ... do what, exactly? Make a name for himself? Coming nine months after Monica Seles had been stabbed on the tennis court, people started to wonder if a disturbing trend was beginning.
Then the truth started to come out, and it became a drama straight out of a soap opera. The truth started to come out. Kerrigan's attacker was revealed to be Shane Stant, a 22-year-old body builder and martial arts expert. He had struck Kerrigan's leg with a collapsable baton, intending to break it. Stant had been hired by Shawn Eckardt, under the instruction of Jeff Gilloly. Eckardt was the bodyguard for Gilloly's ex-wife, who just so happened to be another American figure skater, Tonya Harding.
Suddenly, what had appeared to be a random act of violence was an intriguing story of conspiracy. How much did Harding know about the attack? She was immediately suspected, as she was certainly the person who would benefit the most from Kerrigan's absence from the National Championships.
In fact, Harding benefited almost immediately from Kerrigan's absence, winning the National Championships that Kerrigan had won the year before. The victory allowed Harding to qualify for that winter's Olympics. However, the plan didn't work out quite as intended. While Kerrigan was unable to compete in the U.S. Championships, the U.S. team allowed her to represent the country at the Olympics anyway.
Fully recovered, Kerrigan skated beautifully, winning a silver medal. Meanwhile, Harding, who by now was widely suspected to have been involved in the plot to hurt Kerrigan, was booed mercilessly at the Olympics, struggling to eighth.
Soon afterward, the full extent of the plot was revealed. It was determined that while Harding may not have specifically ordered the attack, she knew it was coming and did nothing. She was immediately banned from figure skating for life, and her victory in the 1994 U.S. Championships was stricken from the record books.
After a series of guilty pleas, Stant, Eckardt, and Gilloly all served prison time for their involvement in Kerrigan's attack. Harding avoided prison time, but did get sentenced to three years of probation and a $150,000 fine. Her life unraveled, as she turned to sex tapes and celebrity boxing to try to make money. Kerrigan retired after the 1994 Olympics and cashed in on some endorsement offers that came in after the attack.
HONORABLE MENTION:
January 6, 2007: SEATTLE - There are many ways to lose a football game. This one had to be among the most painful. Trailing the Seahawks 21-20 late in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys drove down the field to put themselves in position for a simple little 19-yard field goal. The snap, though, went through Tony Romo's hands, and the Cowboys couldn't get a kick off. Romo picked up the ball and tried to scramble for the touchdown but was tackled just short of the goal line.
At first glance, it seemed like it was a random act of violence, a lone nut acting alone in an attempt to ... do what, exactly? Make a name for himself? Coming nine months after Monica Seles had been stabbed on the tennis court, people started to wonder if a disturbing trend was beginning.
Then the truth started to come out, and it became a drama straight out of a soap opera. The truth started to come out. Kerrigan's attacker was revealed to be Shane Stant, a 22-year-old body builder and martial arts expert. He had struck Kerrigan's leg with a collapsable baton, intending to break it. Stant had been hired by Shawn Eckardt, under the instruction of Jeff Gilloly. Eckardt was the bodyguard for Gilloly's ex-wife, who just so happened to be another American figure skater, Tonya Harding.
Suddenly, what had appeared to be a random act of violence was an intriguing story of conspiracy. How much did Harding know about the attack? She was immediately suspected, as she was certainly the person who would benefit the most from Kerrigan's absence from the National Championships.
In fact, Harding benefited almost immediately from Kerrigan's absence, winning the National Championships that Kerrigan had won the year before. The victory allowed Harding to qualify for that winter's Olympics. However, the plan didn't work out quite as intended. While Kerrigan was unable to compete in the U.S. Championships, the U.S. team allowed her to represent the country at the Olympics anyway.
Fully recovered, Kerrigan skated beautifully, winning a silver medal. Meanwhile, Harding, who by now was widely suspected to have been involved in the plot to hurt Kerrigan, was booed mercilessly at the Olympics, struggling to eighth.
Soon afterward, the full extent of the plot was revealed. It was determined that while Harding may not have specifically ordered the attack, she knew it was coming and did nothing. She was immediately banned from figure skating for life, and her victory in the 1994 U.S. Championships was stricken from the record books.
After a series of guilty pleas, Stant, Eckardt, and Gilloly all served prison time for their involvement in Kerrigan's attack. Harding avoided prison time, but did get sentenced to three years of probation and a $150,000 fine. Her life unraveled, as she turned to sex tapes and celebrity boxing to try to make money. Kerrigan retired after the 1994 Olympics and cashed in on some endorsement offers that came in after the attack.
HONORABLE MENTION:
January 6, 2007: SEATTLE - There are many ways to lose a football game. This one had to be among the most painful. Trailing the Seahawks 21-20 late in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys drove down the field to put themselves in position for a simple little 19-yard field goal. The snap, though, went through Tony Romo's hands, and the Cowboys couldn't get a kick off. Romo picked up the ball and tried to scramble for the touchdown but was tackled just short of the goal line.
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