华盛顿邮报的报道(因为链接进入麻烦直接贴在这里了)
Despite Surprise Win, Kwan Still at a Loss
advertisement
E-Mail This Article
Printer-Friendly Version
Subscribe to The Post
By Amy Shipley
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 6, 2002; Page D10
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Oct. 5 -- Michelle Kwan proved tonight she can continue competing internationally if she wishes. She showed she still has the technique, the elegance, the aura. What she did not settle was this: Will she come back?
After the first significant international figure skating competition since February's Winter Olympics, Kwan seemed genuinely perplexed about her future, and frustrated by her indecision. The only thing clear was her victory at the Campbell's International Figure Skating Classic. On a night of fatigue, stumbles and early-season mistakes, Kwan topped an impressive field in a six-woman, made-for-television competition.
Her smiles at the result, however, gave way to a furrowed brow in the interview area when asked about whether she planned to continue competing. The Grand Prix season begins in Spokane, Wash., with Smart Ones Skate America in a mere three weeks.
"I wish you guys would tell me; I have no idea," she said. "Sometimes I feel like I'm 30, sometimes I feel like I'm 13, so I'll leave it open."
Reigning Olympic champion Sarah Hughes finished third in the condensed event in which skaters performed only long programs. Little-known Korean-born Ann Patrice McDonough finished second -- a result that seemed to stun her as much as the crowd of several thousand at the Ocean Center. McDonough, known as "A.P.," finished high school in Colorado Springs a year ahead of schedule this spring. "I'm so excited I skated the way I did," she said. "I'm very surprised."
If Hughes was disappointed, she hid her feelings well. After a whirlwind summer of performing on tour, hanging out with celebrities, visiting President Bush in the Oval Office and generally enjoying her Olympic gold medal, she had a week to learn a new long program, which was set to ballet music by Ludwig Minkus.
"I wasn't even looking at the placement," said Hughes, who finished just ahead of Sasha Cohen. "It's a big accomplishment to me just to be here right now."
Kwan seemed surprised at the result as she huddled with her new coach, Scott Williams, in the kiss-and-cry area. She exchanged a high-five with him when the standings were flashed across the scoreboard.
After a second straight disappointing finish in the Olympics, Kwan is faced with heady decisions about her future. She won a silver medal in 1998 and a bronze at Salt Lake City. Kwan does not know whether to skate or enroll for another semester at UCLA. Tonight's performance, an unexpected affirmation, seemed to add to the dilemma.
She hinted that she was more likely to keep training with the goal of competing at January's national championships in Dallas -- the qualifying meet for the world championships in Washington in March -- than to undertake a full international schedule.
"I feel really good now," Kwan said. "If I keep up the schedule and hard work and motivation and dedication and everything, I'll be at nationals. The Grand Prix series, I have yet to determine what I will do or won't do.
"Tonight gave me sort of an indication of how I feel . . . the last month has been sort of overwhelming for me."
After competing without a coach last season, Kwan asked Williams -- a longtime friend who coaches at her rink -- to assist her. She also recruited a new trainer and physiotherapist this summer.
"Everything is so new right now," she said. "It's kind of exciting, like a different outlook."
In the men's competition, Olympic champion Alexei Yagudin of Russia topped the men's field on a night in which falls seemed to be the rule rather than the exception. Russia's Evgeny Plushenko finished second and Michael Weiss third.
"I was really bad," Yagudin said, "but a little better than everybody else. At least I'm |