Junior Grand Prix: Hungary

The season got underway this past weekend in Budapest and Team USA did pretty well.

We were strongest in the Men's where American Richard Dornbush took the title (video below) with teammate Grant Hochstein right behind winning the silver. Richard told Ice Network, "You don't want to put out your best now and not do as well later; I'm happy with how I did, but I have room to improve." It was a bit of clammer to get to the bronze but it eventually fell into the hands of Russian Zhan Bush.

In Ice Dance, Team USA was unable to get on the podium with Gilles and Donohue surprisingly finishing fourth. They had some problems with their twizzles in the free skate and didn't get the levels they expected for their step sequences. "It's still a much higher-level program that it was given credit for," Donohue told Ice Network. Russians Ilinykh and Katsalapov skated to a convincing victory with Canadians Routhier and Saucke-Lacelle earning the silver, Italians Alessandrini and Vaturi the bronze.

In the ladies field, Russian Polina Shelepen won convincingly with a free skate that included seven triple jumps! American Angela Maxwell, who had a rough short program and found herself in fifth place, regrouped in the free skate and surged up to take the silver. Despite earning another Junior Grand Prix medal, she told Ice Network she wasn't happy with her performance. "My nerves got the better of me. I was trying to pull myself together the whole program." Japan's Haruka Imai took the bronze medal. American Ellie Kawamura who was second after the short program finished fourth after a tough free skate.

Here are the complete results.

Next weekend, the Junior Grand Prix comes home and will take place in Lake Placid (same site as the Senior Grand Prix Event, Skate America). A large contingency of Americans will be competing including: Bonacorsi and Mager, Duarte and Grafton, Joshua Farris, Taylor Firth, Andrew Gonzales, DeeDee Leng, Ross Miner, Kristine Musademba, Pipkin and Dunne-Neustadt, Maia and Alex Shibutani, Simpson and Miller, and Tibbetts and Brubaker. Lake Placid is one of only a few JGP events to have a pairs field so it should be an exciting competition.

Also of note, Ice Network will be airing Junior Grand Prix Lake Placid live and free so be sure to tune in.



Don't forget I'm compiling a list of the Greatest 1000 Moments on Ice. Be sure to let me know what should go on that list!

The Op-Ed: NBC...More Skating Please

I haven’t talked much about the big news this week.  That of course being the contract inked between U.S. Figure Skating and NBC over Skate America and U.S. Nationals.  With this being an Olympic Year, I’m sure there will be heightened interest in figure skating this season, and the two weekend format adopted for Nationals specifically for this season will allow NBC to show an unprecedented amount of live coverage.
 
This is a good thing for our favorite sport.
 
But, call me greedy, I want more.  I’d like for NBC to make a commitment to the World Championships too.  From there, I’d like NBC to think about broadcasting, if even in a truncated or shortened form, the Grand Prix Series.  I’m not done…how about some coverage of Four Continents Cup and Europeans?
 
I know it’s a numbers and money game.  NBC Executives are asking themselves right now; Would we pull a lot of viewers for figure skating events outside of the U.S?  Are these events something we would make a profit on?  The answer, at least to begin with, is probably…no.  We all know skating has slumped a bit in the ratings recently.  But the even bigger question I would ask if I were an NBC Executive; Is there future value in figure skating coverage?  The answer is most definitely yes.
 
I have many good reasons why I think that NBC should expand coverage of figure skating: This season is going to generate renewed interest in the sport.  We have the opportunity to have our best dance and men’s finishes ever in Vancouver.  The U.S. Nationals showdown amongst the women may indeed be epic.  The field this season is super thick this season which means the competition will be good.  What better time to hook peoples’ interest when the skating is top notch?  NBC can capitalize on the economic downturn by expanding coverage.  People are taking more ‘staycations’ rather than vacations.  People are sitting in front of their televisions more than ever; let’s attempt to sell them figure skating.  Recognize the cash cow your sitting on NBC; if you can expand viewership, you stand to benefit.
 
I’ll leave all my ideas on how NBC might market figure skating to another post…
 
When I bring this up many people are quick to point me to Ice Network.  Ice Network is amazing!  And to be quite frank, has been the saving grace for hardcore figure skating fans here in the United States.  But it’s just that, a great benefit to hardcore fans.  Suzy Jo Average who likes to watch figure skating here and there when it’s on television is not going to buy a subscription to Ice Network.  But if we put skating on more often, she may become more interested in the sport and make a point to tune in (she may then buy a subscription to Ice Network!).
 
The ISU could do their part too.  Can someone please tell me why we don’t regard the highest scores in International or Olympic competition as World and/or Olympic Records?  Look at what World and Olympic Records (and a guy like Phelps who could easily beat them) did for swimming?  The same for Track and Field (think Usain Bolt!).  Giving people (and skaters) the high mark to shoot for will help people better understand the scoring system and help add a dose of drama to the sport (figure skating viewership always spikes if there is drama).  If people understand the scoring system (or at least understand what a great score is) they’ll begin to tune in more.
 
Alright, I’ll get off my soap box.  But it’s certainly some food for thought for NBC. 

Polls, polls

I had two polls going on my blog and the results I found very interesting...

First, Will Sasha Cohen be on the U.S. Olympic Team? I had intended this poll to go straight through the Grand Prix Season but have decided to end it now. I'll repost it again after the Grand Prix where we might have a better idea. Then again, we may find ourselves more confused than ever. But it was basically an even split with 50% of readers believing she will be and the other 50% believing she wont. The interesting part of this result is what it says about U.S. Ladies Figure Skating. An overwhelming vote in Cohen's favor would show a lack of confidence in our current crop of competing ladies where an overwhelming vote against her would have shown a great confidence in the U.S. women. Figure skating fans are unsure of where U.S. ladies fit into the picture.

The second poll, Should retired skaters come back to compete?; had almost the same result. Just about 50/50. Half of us like to see our former favorites come back while the other half wants to see the current stars given their chance. Maybe there's more to this. Wanting to hang on to our favorites from the past and not let them go versus looking to future and what it brings?

It's all just speculation of course...

Pic of the Week

It's that time of year again. No I'm not talking about back to school (although it's that time of year too!); I'm talking about the start of the figure skating season! This weekend the season gets officially underway with start of the Junior Grand Prix.

First stop on the Junior Grand Prix is Budapest, Hungary and what better time could there be to feature one of the U.S. bright and upcoming stars that will be competing in Budapest? Meet Ellie Kawamura.

I choose to feature Ellie for this weeks Pic of the Week not only because she is competing in Budapest, but because I was checking out her profile at U.S. Figure Skating and she and I have some things in common! Our favorite sports figure: Michelle Kwan. Our favorite T.V. show: American Idol. Our favorite drink: Jamba Juice Smoothies. We even have the same three favorite websites: Facebook, Twitter, and Ice Network. And weirdly, her birthday is the day after mine!

In a parralel universe somewhere I'm sure we were brother and sister...maybe twins?

Anywho, Ellie Kawamura is a part of a very talented U.S. Team competing in Budapest that also includes Richard Dornbush, Gilles and Donohue, Grant Hochstein, Lichtman and Copely, and Angela Maxwell. Good luck all in Budapest!

Want to keep up-to-date on Ellie? Follow her on Twitter @icesk8angel1324

UPDATE: Found some amateur video of Ellie's solid Short Program from Budapest! Enjoy.

Reader E-Mail

The reason why I write this blog is simply because I have a passion for figure skating.  I love that there are people out there that enjoy my blog and as long as people are reading, I’ll be writing.  One reader sent me an email which I feel compelled to share.  Warmed my heart!
 
Hi Aaron, thanks for writing your blog.  My name is (omitted) and I’m from Hagerstown, Maryland.  I didn’t start watching skating until a few years ago when Kimmie Meissner won a World Championships.  They made a big deal about it here on the news.  Her win peeked my interest in the sport.  I didn’t know hardly anything about the sport though and when my daughters became interested in the sport and began asking questions I had no clue to the answers.  For the past few years I’ve been trying to piece together my knowledge of figure skating (I’m know a lot more now) and about four months ago I found your blog.  I was amazed by how much information you had.  I decided to go all the way back to your first blog post and read your entire blog all the way through.  I finished about a week ago.  I feel like I got a complete history of figure skating and there is so much more I now know.  Just wanted to tell you how much your writing is appreciated.
 
With warm thanks
 
Wow, that’s amazing!  That’s the first time I ever got an e-mail like that.  I’m touched and I hope I can continue to inspire love (and knowledge!) of figure skating.

Dark Horse

We all know who the big names and medal contenders are for the Olympics next February in Vancouver.  But there are some dark horses lurking out there that I think we should keep an eye on who might surprise us.  That surprise may come in the form of an unexpectedly high placement at the Olympics…it might come with an Olympic Medal attached!
 
Amongst the pairs, I don’t think we should forget about the Canadian duo of Duhamel and Buntin.  This team is powerful, exciting, dynamic…they’re all those words Skate Canada wants its athletes using to describe themselves!  I don’t think anyone has them pegged for a podium finish but I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens.  I think we should continue to keep an eye on the Ukrainian team of Volosozhar and Morozov.  At times, they have a quiet consistency that serves them well.  Finally, whichever one of the young Russian teams makes it to the Olympics should be watched as well.
 
Among the ladies, watch out for Kiira Korpi who I think one of these days is going to shock us all.  The fight for the Olympic Team in Japan is fierce, but should Akiko Suzuki make the team I think she would also have to be considered a dark horse?  The young Russian, Alena Leonova, who loves an audience and has more energy than she knows what to do with it could really make a splash too (set herself up nicely for Sochi in the process!).  Of course, it’s like a complete mystery who will be on the U.S. Olympic Team, some U.S. skaters may be considered dark horses while others may be considered favorites…
 
Dance is a little less ‘dark horsey’ because it’s quite clear who the contenders are.  I would caution, however, everyone to keep an eye on Kerr and Kerr of Great Britain, Faiella and Scali as well as Cappellini and Lanotte both of Italy and Crone and Poirier of Canada.  Also, watch out for Chock and Zuerlein of the U.S.  The U.S. Dance fight for the podium will be fierce this season too!
 
Do we consider Evgeny Plushenko and Stephane Lambiel dark horses or favorites…I’m not sure?  Definite dark horses include Denis Ten of Kazakhstan (if you didn’t see his World’s Free…well…you should!).  He’s musical; one of those skaters that just knows how to hit every note in his music and pulls in great component scores.  He’s been fiddling with the quad and if he can hit it with a solid program, watch out.  Yannick Ponsero of France is an unusual skater, unique (like most French skaters) style, and also proved last season that he could possibly contend with the ‘big boys.’  The breakout story of last season, Samuel Contesti of Italy, could be a force if he can reduplicate what he did last season.  I’m still waiting for Sergei Voronov of Russia to put it all together; when he does he’ll be dangerous.  Another Frenchmen, also unique, Florent Amodio has an outside shot at making the French Olympic Team and could be interesting to watch.  A few guys from Canada (only one of which will most likely make the Olympic Team) could surprise.  Kevin Reynolds with his quad jumps, Vaughn Chipeur with that huge Triple Axel, and Jeremy Ten with his incredible speed could all surprise us as well.
 
Who do you think we should keep an eye on?

Pic of the Week

I do try so so very hard to be, at the least impartial on my blog. I try not to let my bias for or against any skater get in the way of the info I bring to you. But, this time I'm going to let my attempts at impartiality go...

Michelle Kwan, in my eyes, is a rock star! She's my absolute favorite and now you all know! I was in the arena in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Portland when she won four of her nine U.S. National Titles. I was in the arena in Minneapolis, Vancouver, and Washington D.C. when she won three of her five World Titles. I literally cried when she gave that press conference in Torino announcing her withdrawal from the 2006 Olympics; not only because I was saddened to not see her compete, but also because I was so proud of her and I truly recognized it was the right thing to do (I'm sure Emily Hughes agrees!). I feel like I've 'grown up' with Michelle Kwan, and from the very first time I saw her on ice (1993) she's been my 'ice icon.'

So while I reported with tempered emotions that she had decided not to compete this season, secretly my heart broke. Had she decided to compete this season, my expectation for her was not to win Olympic Gold, truly I believe that was almost an impossible task given the evolution of the sport and the current crop of talent dazzling us these days, but to soak up the adoration of her fans who just love seeing her out there one last time in competition mode. I suspect, the only way Michelle Kwan would have been willing to compete this season is if she really believed she had an opportunity to win. She might of came to the same conclusion I did and thought to herself, 'Better one of these American girls who really has what it takes go after the likes of Asada, Kim, Rochette and company.' Her decision not to compete proves the fact that she is such a champion without even stepping on the ice.

I suppose, that she truly has had 'her time.' Despite the fact that she never won Olympic Gold, I suspect she really has nothing to prove. I don't think anyone informed on the sport thinks her any less great because of that omission. Nine National Titles, five World Titles, two Olympic Medals, and every other championship you can think of kind of speaks for itself. Just about all of my Kwan memories are great ones, and the very few that aren't simply reminded me she is human and can't always be perfect (but she was perfect more than any other skater I can think of).

So, despite saddened by her recent decision to not compete this season, I was thrilled to see her performances at Ice All Stars 2009 (see two of her performances below). She looked amazing, skated amazing, and was amazingly respected by the South Korean crowd. Seeing her perform reminded me of everything good about Michelle Kwan and seeing her in this atmosphere reminded me she hasn't gone anywhere, I can continue to enjoy her. I certainly hope she decides to keep performing because I'll keep watching.

A toast to Michelle Kwan...may my favorite skater always do what she loves, and may we always love her for doing it.

Don't forget I'm compiling a list of the Greatest 1000 Moments on Ice. Be sure to let me know what should go on that list!

Ice All Stars 2009

Well by all accounts the show was a success. Great job Kim Yu-Na! South Korea's skating hungry audience was delighted to the hilt, Michelle Kwan made a graceful return, and the internet is simply a buzz with skating glee! My friend Reese was able to attend (she actually had a ticket for me...but work got in the way!) and said it was a good time. Everyone on Twitter who was there was simply buzzing about the show too!

First, if your interested in seeing the show. Just head over to YouTube and search for Ice All Stars 2009. You can see many (if not all of the performances from the show there. I've put one of my favorite clips below (I still today am completely impressed by Ilia Kulik).

Second, the cast. What an exciting, if unusual collection of skaters. While I wasn't surprised to see the likes of Rippon, Lambiel, or even Kwan in the show; the presence of Denkova and Staviski shocked me a bit. That's right, Maxim Staviski. Is this his first gig since his, shall we say, trouble? Guess he didn't have to serve those 2 1/2 years after all...

Finally, when can we begin to see this kind of excitement for figure skating back in North America. I'm actually quite jealous of South Korea right now!

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @skating102 for skating news, tidbits, and other fun information!

The Op-Ed: Rebirth of the Pro

What an exciting year of figure skating we have before us! As we approach the ever closer Vancouver Winter Olympics, there is such a deep field of talented skaters vying for a shot at Olympic glory. Many have been working hard the last four years to achieve this, some are coming back for another chance at Olympic fame, all of them amazing contenders.

As I look at the landscape of figure skaters I see this season, something hit me. "Wow, a lot of these skaters are going to retire from eligible skating this season...a LOT of them." Sure I can't say conclusively which ones, no one at this point can; but I think if you give it some thought you'll come to the same conclusion as me...Olympic Glory or not, some of these skaters will more than likely call it quits (that is until the Sochi run-up when some will undoubtedly attempt a comeback! Plushenko, 2014?).

My mind wandered to past Olympic seasons and it hasn't been since 1998 since we had a good sweep of the eligibles turn pro. In 2002, many of them kind of so so retired but many ended up in Torino. And after Torino, there were hardly any retirements. I mean, Michelle Kwan just retired two weeks ago!

But after Vancouver, I am foreseeing a huge swath of eligible skaters go 'pro' if the term still exists. The 'pro' ranks have been rather thin over the past few years. We held on to the big pros from the late 80s and the 90s for as long as we could and the precious few that retired this decade have seen little attention. Even tours such as Stars on Ice have had to augment their casts with Olympic eligibles. I saw Stars on Ice last season and the cast included Evan Lysacek, Belbin and Agosto, and Sasha Cohen.

The demise of the pro skater contributed to (along with the most confusing judging system known to man) skating's rather dismal ratings here in North America over the past few years. Remember all those pro competitions that were on what seemed daily? When the Kristi's, and the Brian's, and the Kurts, and the Katarina's of the skating world decided to have lives (or reality show appearances...or cooking shows) away from the ice, there was this void of professional talent left.

But with the conclusion of the Vancouver Olympics comes the prospect of rebirth. A professional skating renaissance if you will! All signs point to the fact that people are beginning to watch skating again. While the ratings numbers for World's weren't stellar, they did beat expectations. Also, both Canada and the U.S. have major contenders for Olympic Gold in Vancouver in all four disciplines. In Asia, audiences have gone skating berserk with the likes of Asada, Kim, Takahashi, and others. If a large number of these skaters that I feel people will no doubt tune in to see in Vancouver turn pro, I think viewers will follow them, and a whole new generation of professional skaters, competitions, and shows will be born.

Maybe Michelle Kwan had this planned all along! She wanted a place in professional skating but why turn pro when the sport was dry. Looks like things are starting to get a bit more wet and all of a sudden she's performing in Korea with, presumably, many of those skaters that will form this new generation of pro skaters. Coincidence? Probably, I just like to create skating theories!

I think professional skating has a chance at getting it's 'second wind' after Vancouver. There is so many different faces, personalities, and styles that have the opportunity to contribute to this professional renaissance...let's see if it actually happens.

Don't forget I'm compiling a list of the Greatest 1000 Moments on Ice. Be sure to let me know what should go on that list!

The Globe Trot

So much going on around the world these days!

The biggest off all the news coming from Korea where Ice All Stars has wrapped successfully. Of course Michelle Kwan made her return (although not competitive) to the ice. There was quite a cast and I hope to bring you all some more info on that soon in a separate post. Also, Kim revealed her music choices for next season. James Bond for the SP and Piano Concerto in F for the free.

To Germany where the Nebelhorn Trophy entries have been announced. This event is uniquely important this season as it serves as an Olympic Qualifier for those nations that performed (or didn't perform at all) poorly at last season's World Championships in Los Angeles. To that end, Stéphane Lambiel will be competing there as Switzerland needs to qualify a spot in Vancouver. Fedor Andreev will be competing on behalf of Azerbaijan to attempt the same. Other notable competitors in the event include: Yannick Ponsero, Brandon Mroz, Kiira Korpi, Fumie Suguri, Alissa Czisny, Sarah Meier, Savchenko and Szolkowy, Castile and Okolski, Kerr and Kerr, and Davis and White. This event takes place Sept. 24 - 27 in Obsterdorf, Germany.

Here in the U.S., the IOC, USOC, and NBC are all still squabbling about the proposed Comcast/USOC Olympic Network. Another coaching change to report, this time it's 2008 U.S. Bronze Medalist Stephen Carriere who will now train under Priscilla Hill. Overheard Rumor...McLaughlin and Brubaker's free skate will be to Slumdog Millionaire. If so, I'm way excited...that would be an awesome piece for them. Also, Scott Hamilton is getting back on the ice!

In Japan, Mao Asada continues to prepare for the toughest season of her career. In a recent article she told press reporters, "want to land a triple axel. I’ll push myself even more in practice and hopefully I can get started with a good season in my first event." She'll get the chance to strut her stuff at the Japan Open which is October 15-18. Also, seems Daisuke Takahashi was interested in Kim Yu-Na's ice show as he was spotted at the event.

And from Canada, news of the Teflon of sort. What am I talking about? Skate Canada and T-Fal have teamed together to offer commemorative Skate Canada frying pans. A portion of the proceeds go to the Skate Canada Athletes Fund which provides financial assistance to it's athletes. "It's hard to express the wonderful work T-fal has done to support our athletes and sport. These new pans are absolutely gorgeous and are a perfect addition to any kitchen," said Debbi Wilkes, Skate Canada Director Marketing and Communications. Perhaps at Canadian National's, the likes of Rochette and Chan will get a frying pan along with their medals?

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @skating102 for skating news, tidbits, and other fun information!

Pic of the Week

I received the coolest submission for one of my 1000 Greatest Moments on Ice. One reader suggested Swedish skater Vivi-Anne Hultén.

Besides being the 5 time Swedish Champ, she's medaled multiple times at World's and Europeans, and is the 1936 Olympic Bronze Medalist. She also had a storied rivalry with Norwegian Sonja Henie. All amazing accomplishments, but I don't think what makes her stand out in particular.

"I told them, 'I'm Swedish; I don't do that,'" Hultén said. "I just stared at him. He was a scary person. He looked at you with kind of a burning look in his eyes."

Who and what was she talking about? That would be Adolf Hitler. The 1936 Olympics took place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and of course the German Chancellor at the time was Hitler. Upon winning the Bronze Medal, Hultén refused to salute Hitler.

Let's just say she made the evening news that night. Three cheers for standing up to baddies!

While her whole career she was overshadowed by Henie (and feuded with her often), I think she deserves some accolades of her own and some much needed attention.

1000 Tweets! 1000 Great Moments!

A year ago I didn't even know what Twitter was and now I have fully integrated this piece of Social Media Genius into my personal blogosphere.

Twitter has allowed me to connect with not only my blog readers and fellow bloggers, but also new people also interested in figure skating from all around the world. It's also been a cool platform to also talk to figure skaters! I had no idea I would ever be having 'tweetversations' with the likes of Caroline Zhang, Ben Agosto, Fedor Andreev, Melissa Gregory, Ashley Wagner, Kimmie Meissner, and others. But enough of my personal pitch for Twitter.

So I just sent of my 1000th Tweet and to commemorate I'm embarking on a big project and I'll need your help! I've decided to create a list...a list of the 1000 greatest moments on ice.

Ambitious I know, this list will not be my opinion, but yours. As submissions come in, I'll begin compiling the list. There will be a permanent blog post that will have the complete list and I'll update readers on the latest submissions from time to time. Send as many moments as you'd like! I think this will take time, but my goal is to have it done by the time skaters hit the ice in Vancouver (where I'm sure there will be more moments that could make a top 1000 list), or maybe even faster.

I'll get the list started with the first submission right now...

1. The last 30 seconds of Michelle Kwan's 2003 World's Free Skate

How do you make a submission? You can leave it as a comment right here, send it to skateblog102@gmail.com, or Tweet me @skating102.

If you have a Twitter account, do me a huge favorite by tweeting this message: @skating102 is making a list of the 1000 Greatest Moments on Ice...tell him what should be on that list!

Spread the word about this project and encourage participation!

Pic of the Week

This season, I find myself pulling for certain skaters. I find myself seeing talent in many who haven't had the spotlight as much and something inside me is saying, "shine the light over there...on that skater!"

One of those skaters is Fedor Andreev, who represents...Azerbaijan?

Some of you are saying, "No no no, you mean Canada." Well, Fedor has competed for Canada for much of his career, but recently switched his affiliation to Azerbaijan.

He's a talented skater! Talent I first noticed way back in 1996 under rather tragic circumstances. Following the death of pairs skater Sergei Grinkov, CBS Aired Sergei Grinkov: Celebration of a Life. As Fedor's mother, Marina Zoueva, was one of Gordeeva and Grinkov's choreographers, Fedor was very close to Sergei and was aksed to participate in the celebration of his life. At the tender age of 13, I saw Fedor skate for the first time (see the video below) and have been impressed ever since.

Fedor is a rather diversified individual, after a back injury forced him to temporarily leave the sport, he found success in drift racing and as an Abercrombie and Fitch and US Vogue Model on runways around the world.

Lucky for us, he's made his way back to the ice and his stock is on the rise! He just won the Skate Detroit Competition and looks to be skating as well as ever. He has to jump through the same hoops that Lambiel has to in order to compete at the Olympics but I suspect he'll have no problem doing so.

Good luck Fedor...go get em'! And if you wanna keep tabs on him, follow him on Twitter @FedorAndreev.

Searching, Searching

Some unusual searches bringing people to my blog this week...

Of course the top search, and not unusual at all, is Michelle Kwan. Poor alas she has decided to not compete this upcoming season.

However, an unusual search indeed, from several different search engines was "Maria Butyrskaya Russian Mafia." Huh? Is there a story I'm missing somewhere? I'll do some detective work but somehow I doubt Butyrskaya is in anyway connected to the Mafia. But, stranger things have happened.

Several searches paired skater Molly Oberstar and Adam Rippon together. No clue why.

Another unusual search; "Ilia Kulik Shake your bum." Really, I can't make this stuff up if I tried!

One blog search I can answer. "What is Jeremy Abbott's new Free Skate?" That would be "Pines of Rome" and "Jupiter Suite from The Planets."

Keep searching...I'll keep looking!

UPDATE: This Butyrskaya story has legs but it's from the past. Another name came in from a search with Butyrskaya, Sergei Sterlyagov. In Jon Jakson's book, On Edge, he writes of Maria Butyrskaya's horrific ordeal prior to the 2002 Olympic Games when her boyfriend, then Sergei Sterlyagov, was found shot dead in the woods. Apparently the murder (at this point I'm wondering how I never knew any of this!) came after Maria said she was tired of sharing her skating wealth with mobsters. Now the plot thickens, Jackson also writes that the FBI warned him not to travel to Russia as his life was in danger after writing of these events in his book. I'm wondering if Maria is still having to deal with these mafia 'baddies.'

My outlook on Maria Butyrskaya's 2002 Olympic Performance is completely changed. It's gone from being slightly unimpressed to absolutely stupified that she could skate at all given the events of the prior two weeks.