2012 PRUDENTIAL U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS E XTRAS
OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS SHARE EXPERIENCES WITH NOVICE TEAM
Olympic champions Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano talked about their climb to the top of the skating ranks and the challenges that they faced along the way at the novice competitors’ Team USA Prep Seminar on Jan. 24. Te skating icons recalled their days as novice competitors and shared
their recipes for success. Yamaguchi competed for the first time at the U.S. Championships in
1985 in the novice ladies division and in junior pairs with Rudy Galindo. As a novice skater, Boitano recalled how excited he was to show everyone what he could do, and that he carefully watched how the higher-level skaters prepared for competition. “You can really learn a lot watching the juniors and seniors,” he said. When asked what they would change about their skating careers, Ya- maguchi said she wouldn’t change a thing. Boitano talked about how hard he was on himself, which is something he battles to this day. Dealing with the pressures of being an elite skater, Yamaguchi revisited
the year leading up to the 1992 Olympic Winter Games. “I was questioning my love for the sport,” she said. “I had to find a way to take the sport back and make it fun again. You have to be passionate about it.”
Boitano, who was fifth at his first Olympics, also experienced a cross- roads in his career.
“I felt like I was skating well but not getting the marks I felt I deserved,” he said. “I came to realize that I truly loved the day-to-day process and that helped me move forward. I tried to find things that would separate myself from the rest of the field.” In dealing with anxiety, Yamaguchi said that feeling was always there,
but “that means you care. I would look back on my preparation and knew I’d done the work. I would think positively and not let negative thoughts in. I’d say, ‘I’ve done this 100 times …” “Anxiety made me focus better,” Boitano said. “One real key was not letting negative thoughts come in.”
Skating greats Johnny Weir and Sarah Hughes added commen- tary and analysis and engaged in behind-the-scenes coverage for
icenetwork.com at the U.S. Championships.
Longtime judge Marga- ret (Peg) Faulkner, of the Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club, is the 2012 recipi- ent of the (10th annual) Jimmy Disbrow Award. Te Jimmy Disbrow Award is given to a mem- ber of the figure skating community who exhibits the same passionate spirit of dedication, selflessness and volunteerism that Jimmy showed to fig- ure skating throughout his life. Disbrow, who passed away in 2002, was a U.S. junior medalist in singles and pairs, a coach, an official and presi- dent of U.S. Figure Skating from 1998 to 2000. Faulkner has served on the local, national and international scene for more than 40 years as a judge. “Perhaps one of the toughest jobs in our organization would be chair of the International Committee,” said Richard Dalley in his support letter for Faulkner. “Like Jimmy, Peg served with distinction and guided the committee through very difficult decisions. … “Young at heart and in spirit, Peg is always anxious to learn, support and reach out to the skating family.”
Members of U.S. Figure Skating’s Scholastic Honors Team are honored during an on-ice ceremony in San Jose. Te 10 outstanding student- athletes were recognized for their efforts in the classroom, in their com- munities and as competitive figure skaters. Scholastic Honors Team recipients receive scholarships and U.S. Figure Skating Honors Team letter jackets. Te Scholastic Honors Team is funded through the gen- erosity of the Pioneer Fund, the legacy of the late Helen McLoraine. Pictured are (l-r) Jason Brown, Harrison Choate, Jacob Jaffe, Lukas Kaugars, Vanessa Lam, Esther Wu and Michelle Xie. Not pictured are Jordan Barone, Christina Gao and David Cruikshank.
32 MARCH 2012
PHOTOS BY JAY ADEFF
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