Aspiring Olympians honored at USOC headquarters When you walk inside the U.S. Olympic


Committee headquarters, among the fi rst things you see is Sarah Hughes’ gold med- al from the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Hughes was not favored to win the ladies competition, making her medal even more inspirational to aspiring Olympians. It was a fi tting greeting as 2013 U.S.


Miss America 2013 Mallory Hytes Hagan (who was Miss New York) visits with FSH skaters Jiordan Ali and Sharandelle Murga, who are both college-bound seniors.


Another successful gala for Figure Skating in Harlem


“The energy is amazing,” said fash-


ion designer B Michael, one of the hon- orees at Skating with the Stars, a gala benefi t for Figure Skating in Harlem. “You can understand that on the ice and off the ice these are ladies who will be leaders and champions in whatever they desire to do.” Founded in 1997 by Sharon Co-


hen, FSH combines skating with an edu- cational component for girls ages 6–18. FSH skaters, whose numbers have risen to 225 for the 2012–13 school year, also get to explore diff erent experiences — from watching a board member who is a surgeon in the operating room to at- tending a B Michael fashion show. Cohen, FSH’s executive director,


thanked all the fi gure skaters in atten- dance on the warm, beautiful evening of April 8, but gave a special shout-out to Scott Hamilton and Dick Button, who were instrumental in garnering atten- tion for the organization in its earliest days.


The evening’s other honoree was


sports broadcaster Andrea Joyce, who has attended several of the galas. “What’s so remarkable to me is


how Sharon Cohen and everyone at Fig- ure Skating in Harlem have been able to expand and grow the fi gure skating community,” Joyce said. “She’s giving the girls tools to succeed off the ice. “This is all about learning dis-


cipline, hard work, commitment and teamwork,” she added. “I’m delighted to be part of the family.” As evidence that the skating com-


munity’s support of FSH continues to grow, Sasha Cohen announced she’s do- nating a dozen pairs of skates from her new Klingbeil line to the organization. Five graduating seniors, each of


whom has been part of FSH since ele- mentary school, addressed the attend- ees at the gala. “The refrain that keeps coming


back is this notion of support and fami- ly,” Cohen said.


— Lois Elfman


champion Max Aaron, 2013 World Junior champion Joshua Farris and 2013 U.S. junior pairs champions Britney Simpson and Mat- thew Blackmer made their fi rst trips inside the USOC building in downtown Colora- do Springs, Colo. They were invited by U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun and Mayor Steve Bach, who honored the


fi gure skaters with a “Spirit of the Springs” Award on March 20. The award is given for “noteworthy


achievement that has brought great honor and pride to the City of Colorado Springs.” The four skaters train at the Colorado Springs World Arena Ice Hall, which last year was named the offi cial U.S. Olympic Com- mittee Training Site for fi gure skating. In addition to USOC and U.S. Figure


Skating staff , the four athletes were surround- ed by World Arena offi cials, family and other skaters who train in Colorado Springs. Each was presented with a trophy before being congratulated by the mayor and Blackmun. — Barb Reichert


From left, Donna Nelson (mayor’s offi ce), Joshua Farris, Max Aaron, Katie Compton (U.S. Cyclocross champion), Mayor Steve Bach, Britney Simpson, Matt hew Blackmer and USOC CEO Scott Blackmun attend the “Spirit of the Springs Award” ceremony


Vise, Baldwin announce retirement Pairs skaters Tiff any Vise and Don Baldwin, the 2012 U.S. International Classic bronze


medalists, announced they will retire from competitive skating but wish to remain involved in the sport. “Our decision wasn’t easy but it felt like injuries have been playing a big role in our training the past couple of years, which aff ected our performance in competitions,” Vise said. “Even though we are retiring from com- peting, we both want to stay involved in the sport. We will con- tinue skating together and would like to keep performing in shows.” Vise and Baldwin, who trained in Scottsdale, Ariz., under coaches Doug and Lara Ladret, announced their partnership in


March 2009. In their career, Vise and Baldwin represented Team USA at six international events, placing third at the U.S. Interna- tional Classic last fall. Vise had been a competitive skater for 23 years while Baldwin’s career spanned nearly three decades. “I am grateful for all the great skaters and people I


have meet around the world,” Baldwin said. “I want to thank U.S. Figure Skating for having me as part of Team USA and for all its support over the years. I want to thank all of my coaches for teaching me everything that allowed me to be a national and international competitor in singles, pairs and dance and I will continue to pass that knowledge along to future competitive athletes.”


— Mimi Whetstone SKATING 7


PHOTO BY LOIS ELFMAN


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