INSIDE EDGE: A Revealing Journey Into the Secret World of Figure Skating
Books / Hardcover
Books › Sports & Recreation › Essays
ISBN: 0684801671 / Publisher: Scribner, January 1996
Stating that figure skating is as brutal and competitive as any athletic discipline, a reporter examines today's big stars, from Oksana Baiul to Elvis Stojko, and reveals the dark side of the sport
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For the first time ever, in Inside Edge, veteran Washington Post sportswriter Christine Brennan chronicles a season on the skating circuit, introducing us to the sport's current stars as well as to some of the youngest Olympic hopefuls for 1998. Woven into the narrative are some of figure skating's grandest names: Peggy Fleming, Katarina Witt, Brian Boitano, Scott Hamilton, and Kristi Yamaguchi.In Inside Edge we meet Michelle Kwan and Nicole Bobek, two teenagers who lead very different lives. Beginning in October 1994, they and others follow a path that will lead one of them to the national title in February 1995. Several of the families have even decided to live apart temporarily so their daughters can pursue their skating dreams. Why do families make such a decision? And how do they live with themselves when things go wrong, as they so often do?As dozens of skaters quit school and opt for tutors in order to practice for six hours a day in their quest for Olympic gold, those who are already at the top tell riveting tales of their past triumphs. Relive the drama of the contest between Witt and Debi Thomas, the magic of the forgotten Janet Lynn, the brilliance of Torvill and Dean. Follow the improbable story of Boitano, whose parents knew little about skating, but who became, with the help of an unknown coach, one of the legendary skaters of all time.Go backstage with the two biggest names from the last Olympics: Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan. Why is Harding, like the demonstrative Christopher Bowman, viewed as America's great wasted talent? And why is Kerrigan so misunderstood by all but her closest friends?The judges rule the sport, yet they rarely make themselves available for interviews. Now they're talking - and they have a lot of explaining to do.
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