一篇关于小关近况的文章
In mid-November, Kwan took her boots to Rafael Arutunian, a figure skating coach with a cobbler's skills. Arutunian made some adjustments and watched her skate. Then he made more adjustments, watched her skate again and made some suggestions about technique. More adjustments, more suggestions.
After several sessions, Kwan asked Arutunian if he would like to help fix her skating as well as her skates. He was stunned.
"Anybody would be surprised," Arutunian said in his self-taught, still developing English. "It's Michelle Kwan, right? Everyone wants to just talk with her, and I'm working with her. I think I am the luckiest man in the world."
Arutunian, 46, who previously had coached in Russia and his native Armenia, moved to Lake Arrowhead with Abt before the last Olympic season. The talented but famously inconsistent Abt had the best results of his career in 2002--second in the European championships, fourth at worlds, fifth in the Olympics. Then Abt returned to Russia, apparently leaving his skills behind.
"He didn't stay here because of stupid," said Arutunian, not one to sugarcoat an opinion.
Kwan, 23, knew that sort of frankness was what she needed to improve as she prepared for January's U.S. championships, where she will compete for a record 12th straight time at the senior level. Two of her jumps, the loop and salchow, had become shaky. Sometimes it appeared she rested during programs.
At a recent practice, Kwan rolled through her four-minute free skate with a performance good enough to win another U.S. title. There was no chance for her to catch her breath in the four minutes, especially since her trademark spiral sequence has been shortened and there are more details that demand attention in the spaces between elements.
"You're taking up all my resting spots," she teased Arutunian.
The resting spots, she knew, were what judges and critics were complaining about, what she needed to get past.
[此贴子已经被作者于2003-12-26 19:34:06编辑过]
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