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Chapters: Olympic Figure Skaters of Turkey, Turkish Figure Skating Championships, Turkish Figure Skating Championships by Year, Turkish Figure Skaters, Dancing on Ice Around the World, 2010 Turkish Figure Skating Championships, Tuğba Karademir, Alper Uçar, Kutay Eryoldas. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 37. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt:This article deals with international versions; for the UK version, see Dancing on Ice (UK) . Argentina In Argentina, the show was broadcast on Channel 13 as a segment inside the television program "Showmatch", hosted by Marcelo Tinelli . It started on August 9, 2007 featuring an all-female cast. The segment was called "Patinando por un Sueño" (Ice-Skating for a Dream) due to the titles of the other segments: "Bailando por un Sueño " (Dancing for a Dream) and "Cantando por un Sueño" (Singing for a Dream).Contestants Place : Celebrity : Partner Jury votes 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: FINALE item Ximena : 40: 37: 37: 39: 36: 38: 39: 40: 38: 38: 38: 40: 33: 80: 69: 76: 77: 6: 5: Winner item Anita : 31: 33: 37: 36: 38: 39: 35: 38: 35: 40: 40: 37: 36: 69: 71: 65: 79: 4: 2: Finalist item Evangelina A. : 35: 38: 36: 37: 33: 35: 35: 35: 37: 35: 37: 37: 32: 65: 70: 76: 76: 2: Semifinalist item Jessica Ci. : 32: 36: 31: 39: 37: 39: 40: 32: 35: 36: 36: 35: 40: 71: 78: 62: 76: 2: Semifinalist item Luli : 36: 37: 35: 38: 36: 40: 40: 40: 36: 38: 32: 38: 34: 70: 70: 71: 75: Eliminated item Valeria : 35: 33: 38: 40: 40: 36: 35: 39: 38: 36: 33: 39: 27: 69: 70: 70: Eliminated item Natalia : 36: 38: 40: 40: 38: 37: 37: 40: 40: 40: 33: 36: 36: 72: A: Eliminated item Eliana : 31: 38: 36: 35: 35: 30: 39: 31: 40: 34: 33: 38: 31: 67: Eliminated item Marixa : 37: 40: 32: 36: 36: 36: 36: 36: 36: 36: 35: 38: 31: Eliminated item Claudia A. : 35: 36: 35: 39: 36: 40: 34: 39: ... ... Read more

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Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen tells her story -- on and off the ice

Customer Reviews (18)

Absolute Fiction
My daughters idolize Sasha Cohen and their respect grew much greater when she worked so hard to compete at the 2010 Nationals. Win or lose, as competitive skaters, they know what it takes to put yourself out there but, before that, log in those hours at the gym and on the ice to get those programs together. So, I was a bit appalled when I started thumbing through the book and was so captivated by the fiction, that I couldn't put the book down. Sasha could not have skated Juvenile without an axel and combination jumps. She definitely could have not competed and placed without one as the rules of competition are significantly higher than the testing requirements. In fact, she couldn't have competed and placed at the very first level of skating, pre-preliminary, without ALL her single jumps, in combination and the axel. It is very sad to have my daughters read a book about their idol and learn that she allegedly skated juvenile and intermediate AND placed, without all her jumps.

Then, without this alleged technical basis and skill, she magically passed her intermediate moves and free skate test in order to be accepted by John Nicks. Again, an absolute impossibility and fiction under the rules of the U.S. Skating Federation since you cannot pass your free skate test without the axel and doubles, let alone be deemed competitive at a local competition since the competitive rules,again, require doubles and in combination with other doubles and singles! But, no one has to believe me. Just go to the USFSA website and take a look at the judge's forms and the requirements of the TEST listed for Juvenile and Intermediate free skating. Skating is just like ordinary school. If you don't know what is listed on the test, you do not pass. Period. The judges are pretty tough on the skaters and expect much excellence. You won't pass the tests without a high degree of skill and therefore, will be precluded from competing at that level which, always, to my chagrin, the competition elements are so much higher than the test elements at that level. They get reviewed every year but all the basic requirements pretty much remain the same.

[...]

a very engaging and novel approach into the life of Sasha's career
After reading this book, I was quite fondof this figure skater's dramaticand realistic approach toward her career, her struggles and her triumph on the ice.It chronicles the relationship she has with fellow skaters, her coaches and her inspiration, behind her passion.The book offers an inside look of Sasha's experience and of her transition from an unknown skater, to a highly respected figure skater. It includes her family's and fans support leading Sasha to become aworld champion in her own right, and as aunique individual.A very compelling autobiography of one girl's struggle to reach high for her dreams. I highly recommend that the book be read by those who are interested in figure skating and also to learn about these type of figure skaters. Also this book may include interviews.

greatness
good book, worth reading, very inspirational. Cohen is the champion we should all try to be.

Sasha Cohen: Fire on Paper
Sasha Cohen: Fire on Ice was a incredibly detailed story os Sasha's life. My hero is Sasha and I love to skate, so it allowed me to gain more knowledge. Sasha Cohen included beautiful pictures which really helped me to imagine what was going on more visually. The ending was very touching with how she see's skating. I enjoyed reading this story very much and just finished my third time reading it. Now I can't stop spitting out facts to my dad.

It's ok......
It's ok, but it didn't tell much information, and it doesn't tell much insight, basically what she won and lost....... ... Read more

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Chapters: Figure Skating at the European Youth Olympic Festival, Figure Skating at the 2009 European Youth Olympic Festival, Figure Skating at the 2007 European Youth Olympic Festival, Figure Skating at the 1995 European Youth Olympic Festival. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 30. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: European Youth Olympic Festival (also European Youth Olympic Days) is a multi-sport event held in both summer and winter disciplines every second year. Figure skating is one of the sports in its winter edition. The competition is held in junior category. ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=11004150 ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Viktor Petrenko, Natalia Mishkutenok, Artur Dmitriev, Sergei Ponomarenko, Alexei Urmanov, Marina Klimova, Elena Bechke, Alexander Zhulin, Maya Usova, Denis Petrov, Julia Vorobieva, Evgenia Shishkova, Vadim Naumov. Excerpt:Olympic medalist Alexander (Sasha) Vyacheslavovich Zhulin (Russian : (help ·info ), b. July 20, 1963 in Moscow ) is a Russian ice dancer . He won the 1993 World Championships with partner and former wife Maya Usova . They also won bronze and silver medals at the 1992 and 1994 Olympic Winter Games, respectively. After a much-publicized affair with rival dancer Oksana Grishuk (who claimed Zhulin promised to marry her ), he went on to marry Tatiana Navka . Together they have a daughter, Sasha, who was born in 2000. Navka and Zhulin are presently separated, pending divorce. Results (with Usova) Event: 1983-84: 1984-85: 1985-86: 1986-87: 1987-88: 1988-89: 1989-90: 1990-91: 1991-92: 1992-93: 1993-94 Websites (URLs online) References (URLs online) Navigation A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at Urmanov in 2005. Olympic medal record Alexei Yevgenyevich Urmanov (Russian : (help ·info ); born November 17, 1973 in Leningrad ) is a Russian figure skater , who currently works as a coach . He is the 1994 Olympic champion and a Honoured Masters of Sports of Russian Federation. Career Urmanov was born in Leningrad, Soviet Union, and competed for the Soviet Union internationally. He started skating at the age of 4. He won the silver medal at the 1990 World Junior Figure Skating Championships for that country. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Urmanov chose to compete for Russia. In 1991, at age 17, he became the first skater to perform a quadruple jump at the European Figure Skating Championships . He competed at the 1992 Winter Olympics, where he plac... ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Roman Zaretsky (Hebrew: , Russian: , Belarusian: , born December 4, 1983) is an Israeli ice dancer. He competes with his sister Alexandra Zaretsky and is in the Olympics. Roman Zaretsky was born in Minsk, Belarus SSR, Soviet Union. Originally from Minsk, the Zaretsky family made aliyah in 1992. Roman Zaretsky was seven years old at the time. He was raised in Metula, Israel where his parents work as coaches. Roman Zaretsky completed his army service just before the 2005/2006 season began. He speaks fluent Hebrew, Russian, and English, and currently lives and trains in New Jersey. In October 2008 the Zaretskys and their coach Galit Chait filed a lawsuit against the Ice House training rink in Hackensack, New Jersey, alleging that rink officials discriminated against them on the basis of their Israeli nationality by denying them prime training time and threatening to ban them from the rink. He originally skated as a single skater, winning age group medals. When he wanted to switch to ice dancing, his sister was the only available girl at the rink, so their parents teamed them up together. They have been skating together ever since. Roman and Alexandra were originally coached by their parents. They were later coached by Romanova and Yaroshenko in Wilmington, Delaware. They switched to Platov in January 2005. They temporarily went back to being coached by their parents when Roman's army service kept them in Israel. In the summer of 2006, the Zaretskys briefly trained in Moscow because Platov was taking part in a skating reality show. They then returned to Montclair, New Jersey where they still train. The Zaretskys are the first Israelis to medal at the Junior Winter Olympics as well as the first Israeli figure skaters to medal internationally on t... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=7973329 ... Read more

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A large-sized photo book of the 1995 Tour of World Figure Skating Champions participants. Includes Michelle Kwan and Nancy Kerrigan. ... Read more

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64 page figure skating magazine featuring French skater Brian Joubert on the cover and in a 5 page photo-interview inside. Also in this issue: Yu-Na Kim, Evgeni Plushenko, Meryl Davis & Charlie White, Meagan Duhamel & Themi Leftheris, Dorothy Hamill's book, Johnny Weir, Petra Burka, and much more! ... Read more

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A bad call--and a quick recall--expose the darker side of Olympic skating ... Read more

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It was billed as the greatest event in the history of pair skating: three of the best teams of all time battling for Olympic gold on one night in Salt Lake City. Technical ability was approximately equal. It was the artistic merit score that would decide the gold medal -- the second mark.

Representing Canada, China, and Russia, the three pairs illuminated their distinct cultures. On the second mark, whose culture would triumph? Would it be the beauty of the Russians' ballet on ice, the thrill of the Chinese pair's heart-stopping acrobatics, or the Canadians' passionate connection with the audience? In a down-to-the-wire nail-biter, the difference between gold and silver came down to the vote of a single judge. Hours later, a bombshell: the confession of a French judge unleashed a worldwide debate -- and ultimately produced an unprecedented duplicate gold medal.

The Second Mark reveals what an athlete really goes through to become the best in the world, through the riveting stories of unforgettable people. We meet Yelena Berezhnaya of Russia, who survives emergency brain surgery after a near-fatal training accident and makes it back to the Olympics in less than two years. We meet Zhao Hongbo, a young boy skating in subzero weather in remotest China, who will fulfill his coach's twenty-year dream of catching up to the West. And we meet two Canadians, a barista and a concession stand worker, who had almost quit the sport before deciding to give it one last try -- and becoming world champions.

Exhaustively researched by a skating insider, The Second Mark takes readers deep into the world of the Olympic athlete, illuminating the fascinating differences between East and West. From the frozen fields of China to the secret corridors of the old Soviet sports system, from a tiny farm village in remotest Quebec to the judges' backstage world, The Second Mark tells the compelling human stories behind one of the most controversial nights in Olympic history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Another take...
I guess I'm wierd, but what I loved about this book was the backstories on the six skaters, their history, families, coaches, etc. Fascinating stuff.What I got from this was a whole new level of respect and admiration for the pairs skaters coming from Russia and China.I'm also happy to see that the two Chinese skaters featured in this book will be skating in Torino 2006.I'll be watching them with great interest - at least as much as NBC allows me to see of them - and thinking about little six-year old Shen Xue and her bloody socks.There's not much new ground broken on the scandal that rocked the Salt Lake City Olympics, but for anyone interested in knowing more about the skaters involved, I highly recommend this book.

Great Book!!
This book has interesting information on the childhoods, tribulations, and triumphs of Jamie Sale, David Pelletier, Shen Xue, Zhao Hongbo, and Elena Berezhnaya. The one person it is lacking information on is Anton Sikharulidze. It goes through their elite careers and touches on competitions leading up to the games. The play-by-play account of the Olympics brings you back to the day you watched the pair's final. If you are looking for information on the scandal other than what was printed in newspapers, don't bother reading this book. Overall, it gives information that is hard to find elsewhere on the six skater's lives before and after the Olympics. I highly reccomend this book.

Too much backstory
The book was not my cup of tea. I don't remember the events enough to care about any of the people covered in this book. The part I was most interested in was the scandal with the judging, not with the lovingly written back stories of each of the skaters. By the time the book got to the bit I was interested in I was bored and put the book aside.

Interesting take on an appalling scandal
Goodwin covers the Salt Lake figure skating debacle with style, if not altogether truth - the Russian pair gave a superb performance that on any other night would have been worthy of Olympic gold (and still might have in an uncorrupted panel, since it's a subjective sport). Bad judging, however, is nothing new; it takes place at all levels from the recreational ISI to the Olympics. Recommend for those who are interested in the scandal - otherwise, there's really nothing new that skaters and people who closely follow the sport don't already know.

Perfect marks for this one!
Being a fan of a sport such as figure skating, in a country where we don't have winter, is quite hard. I don't get to see as many competitions or information. It is refreshing to have internet, magazines, and a great book such as The Second Mark. It was so good that I couldn't put it down. Goodwin captured the escense of these six extraordinary athletes in a wonderful way. I recommend this book to everyone who loves a great story. ... Read more

Product Description
When Canadian speed skater Catriona Le May Doan carried the Maple Leaf into the Salt Lake City arena at the opening of the XIX Winter Olympic Games, she carried with her the hopes and dreams of a nation. The Canadian speed queen, famous for her 1,000-watt smile, had so dominated the 500-metre sprints during recent years that she was known as the Fastest Woman in the World. But Le May Doan was battling a famous jinx – the curse of the flag-bearer. In 2002, the jinx was broken, and Catriona thrilled Canadians at home and in Salt Lake City when she won the 500 metre race.

In Going For Gold, Catriona tells the story of her life with assistance from Calgary writer Ken McGoogan. Born and raised in Saskatoon, by age 15 she already was a track star provincially. At 18, she joined Canada’s Olympic Team and began competing internationally. Then, at the Olympics in Lillehammer in 1994, with experts predicting that she would reach the podium, the 23-year-old athlete crashed in her best event. She describes her dark night of the soul, and how, eventually, she emerged to skate faster than ever – faster than any other woman has ever skated.

She writes of becoming a committed Christian and how that has changed her; of meeting and marrying Bart Doan, a black-hatted rodeo cowboy who wrestles steers, coaches hockey, and drives a Zamboni at the Calgary Olympic Oval. She writes of winning world cup races and world championships and Olympic gold medals, of driving world records down and down and down again to levels undreamed of even a few years ago.

Catriona Le May Doan will be competing at the ISU world sprint championships in Calgary in January 2003 and, perhaps has her swan song at the world world championships in Berlin, Germany, in March 2003. A true star, Catriona values all these stunning accomplishments less than the letters she receives from young Canadians who look to her as a role model.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Product Description
The perfect holiday gift for skating fans in the run-up to Winter Olympics XX: A living legend of women's figure skating offers her thoughtful, spirited perspective on balancing life and work, femininity and athleticism

In the glamorous, ultra-competitive world of figure skating, Katarina Witt is a living legend. She has won more titles than anyone else before her-including two Olympic gold medals, four world championships, and eight national championships. She is also renowned for independence and self-possession in a world where many stars are in thrall to management companies, and for her ability to stay true to skating while developing new careers in business, movies and television.

Witt has always done whatever she's done with all her heart-with passion, intelligence, and a love of perfection. Now, in Only with Passion, she offers advice to a new generation of women athletes making their way in the world on how to live full out, compete with edge, and navigate life with grace. When a young skater consults her for advice on whether to train abroad-and leave a boyfriend behind-Witt finds occasion to recall the major turning points of her own journey, from her East German childhood to the international spotlight. She shares her inside perspective and frank opinions on the insular world of skating and offers her views about what it takes to be a champion, and to create a fulfilling life. Whether she's talking about life on or off the ice (or on the cover of Playboy!), Witt is always candid, fresh, and down-to-earth.

Written with E.M. Swift, author of My Sergei, one of the best-selling skating books of all time, Only with Passion is the perfect gift for young women, young athletes-particularly skaters-and skating fans of all ages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Good Guide for Parents
I read over this book in the waiting room of my Dentist's office. All in all I think this book is a good guide for parents of aspiring skaters. On a personal note one has to really ask if it is worth sacrificing a childhood for a medal?. These skaters have to train relentlessly for years.In the process they miss out so much of childhood which when lost can never be replaced.I have no children of my own but given what I saw during the whole Lillehammer Nancy Kerrigan / Tonya Harding scandal someone needs to watch over these young athletes so they do not lose contact with reality. I wish Ms. Witt had the courage to write more about her life in the former East German sports machine as it is especially relevant today when we read about athletes and doping scandals. I think Ms Witt like so many of the former Communist Bloc athletes were products of a system that treated them like racehorses to be bred and trained. Many had health problems in later life due to the strange performance enhancing drugs given them.Ms. Witt was hosting a TV show in Germany called "The OSTALGIE Show ". Ostalgie is term used by Germans as nostalgia for the good aspects of life under the old regime. I wonder if Ms. Witt has read "Faust's Gold: Inside the East German Doping Machine". The problem with nostalgia is no matter what the past is always better because one can be sentimental about the good and forget the evil.

She is the best!!
I am not a skater but I am a great fan of Katarina Witt since my childhood..I have grown up with watching her skating programmes and when I was a little girl I was wearing my rollerblades at home and I was Katarina Witt:)collecting all the flowers -that my mum,grandfather,and other family members that I made them throw me flowers:))-but due to the lack of skating arenas I have never been able to start to skate seriously although I was very talented and willing but I always admired Katarina Witt.This book is really good for me to observe the mentality of the East German approach for sport and emposing being ambitious and tough to their sporters.I have read some comments regarding this book before ,some people say this book will not be a good example for young skaters in mean of nutrition but I want to say that in these years we were not as conscious as today regarding nutrition.Remember we were still watching the Cigarette Advertisements on TV.So the nutrition mentality has changed a lot in all over the world and Katarina just told her working conditions frankly .She did not give this as an example to be copied of..Besides today's teenagers and their trainers are so conscious that they will only take the parts that will be helpful to them from this book they are aware of what's good or what's bad..
On this book I reccomend to the readers that when you read for example Olympics part from the book ,it will be more fun to read the Olympic parts and after to watch Katarina's that show on youtube ..
Thanks a lot to AMAZON for providing this book !!
NIL

Mildly Intriguing
Throughout the 1980s and early '90s, East German Katarina Witt dominated the world of ladies' skating. In her autobiography, Witt describes what skating has meant to her, as she details a coming-of-age story being "told" to a young up-and-coming skater, Jasmine.

The book is a fast read, and while it is mildly interesting, it is also very repetitive. Katarina skates past her childhood in the GDR, briefly mentioning her parents, and glosses over the competitions she has had in her life as well. There is virtually nothing about her Olympic bids in Sarajevo, Calgary, and Lillehammer, and little is mentioned of her famous rivalry with American Debi Thomas. Instead, the book focuses on advice Witt has for young skaters - namely, stay true to your dreams and don't give up.

When compared with what is perhaps skating's most famous memoir, "My Sergei" by Katia Gordeeva, this book falls far short. There is virtually no emotion, and the character Katarina is supposedly telling the story to may or may not exist (it's not made clear whether she is real or not). Little insight is offered into the world of skating, either at the amateur level or professional (Katarina doesn't talk about her years on Stars on Ice at all).

Overall, this book is decent, but by no means great. It is emotionless, and mildly intriguing, if more for its outrageous title than anything else. Looking for a great skating book? Try "My Sergei" instead.

Where's Katarina's involvement with the Stasi?
I wonder why Katarina stirs clear about her real life and her close involvement with the Stasi, and how it ruined and destroyed people's lives, it would at least have made a more interesting read than this dull book.

Ho hum, it has been said that Ms. Witt was never a very naturally gifted figure skater, that even her wonderfully choreographed programs were never easy for her to do.

It's also rather odd that for such an unrepentant and strident communist to take advantage of all the opportunities western life has given her, but she doesn't seem in the least bit grateful. Everything is about her, her, her. Definitely NOT a good role model for young girls or women.

The Crystal Charm of Katarina Witt
Tear your eyes away from the winter spectacle of the Turin Olympics and treat yourself to multiply talented skating superstar Katarine Witt's most intimate memories.She tells them all to a young girl whose name she kindly changes to "Jasmine," a young girl who comes to her in need of advice.Witt sees Jasmine as a version, perhaps, of her younger self, the self that grew up behind the Iron Curtain, indeed behind the Berlin Wall only to become a pawn of the feared Stasi.As Jasmine spends a week luxuriating in the presence of the adored Katarina, she asks her mentor a series of penetrating, even probing questions and these questions, together with the Delphic replies Katarina makes in response, form the backbone of this wise, witty and winning little book.Some may say, it feels like only about 30,000 words, far too short for a book costing $23.50, but i say, it was just the right length.

Jasmine asks about dating, and of course Katarina, as one of the most beautiful women in competitive sports, or indeed on Planet Earth, has plenty to say about it.Did you know the she once dated East German rock singer Ingo?In fact he was her first serious boyfriend; they met at a "youth festival" and fell madly in love.Those European "youth festivals" sound like fun.If I'm correct, that is where ABBA met each other a bit further north!Anyhow the government soon separated the young lovers.Jasmine then asks Katarina if it is true she once dated "McGyver"!Yes, she uses the name McGyver, almost as if she could not remember the actor's name who played him!(Richard Dean Anderson.)Instead of getting huffy, Katarina smiles sadly and reflects on how neither she nor Anderson were willing to move to the other's continent and that killed the romance, which however was quite "intense."What's little known is that McGyver himself (RDA as his fans call him) isn't a bad skater himself!In love, Witt advises,"if you want to become really serious, to have the relationship work, then somebody has to play second violin."Doesn't she sound charming and old world, where we in California might say, "second fiddle"?

Katarina also discusses her famous nude appearance in PLAYBOY.And she puts it in context, the context of the way that in Europe, particularly her country, nudity is natural.Until she was sixteen she walked around topless everywhere.Reading her life this way, you realize that an appearance in PLAYBOY was just like breathing in and breathing out for Katarina Witt.Ahe is magnificent, the Princess Caroline of Monaco of the ice world.Long may she reign, in the USA at any rate, for she admits that in the US audiences are warm and love an old skater, whereas in Europe the attitude is much more, you're old, get off the ice.In America, she says, she was shocked to see Dorothy Hamill still feted and hailed and worshipped by audiences even in her late forties!Wouldn't happen in East Germany, Hamill would be relegated to cooking strudel for the younger players. ... Read more

Product Description
In February, 1961, a plane crash killed all 18 members of the U.S. Figure Skating Team—along with 16 friends, family members, judges, and coaches— on their way to the World Championships in Prague.It was a tragedy that had repercussions in the sport of figure skating for years to come.FROZEN IN TIME: THE ENDURING LEGACY OF THE 1961 U.S. FIGURE SKATING TEAM is the first book ever to explore the events leading up to the crash that changed the face of the sport.

In time for the upcoming 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, and to honor the 45th anniversary of the crash of Sabena Flight 548, author and competitive figure skater Nikki Nichols presents a deeply moving and impeccably researched account of one of the most tragic stories in the history of American sports.FROZEN IN TIME takes readers inside the lives of these skaters, revealing their friendships and romances, rivalries, sacrifices, and triumphs leading up to the fateful trip.

The book also explores the aftermath of the crash. Because the U.S. skating program had lost all of its stars and was struggling to rebuild, very young competitors—including Peggy Fleming—were thrust into the spotlight to fill the void.Those young skaters matured quickly and became the very face and future of the sport.

But perhaps the most far-reaching and inspirational response to the loss of the 1961 team was the creation of the U.S. Figure Skating Memorial Fund, which has provided training grants and scholarships to skaters who would not otherwise be able to afford the sport—including Scott Hamilton and many other top skaters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Good Look at an Important Subject
Frozen in Time: The Enduring Legacy of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating Team by Nikki Nicholas -- Sports non-fiction
This book tells the story of the members of the U.S. Figure Skating World Team, friends and family who died in a plane crash en route to the Worlds in 1961. Nichols relates the struggles of the top athletes to get to the top spots that would earn them the right to be at the World Championships in Prague. A skater never skates alone and this book is also about the coaches who helped the skaters on their paths to glory and their family members who supported them. Nichols imagines what the skaters were thinking and feeling at crucial moments in their lives. She also interrupts the narrative to discuss other competitors, past, current and future. Nicholas attempts to explain how the legacy of the 1961 team affected all the skaters to come after them, from Peggy Fleming's glorious gold medal in 1968 to skaters in 2001 receiving scholarships from money left in memory of the 1961 team. This book is written from extensive research by a dedicated skater and skating fan and it shows. The stories of the 1961 team members are compelling but the writing isn't stellar. Nicholas interrupts her story to discuss skaters from the past (pre-1961) and present day (post-1961), which was a little jarring in the middle of the story of the 1961 U.S. Team. The imagined scenarios are also a little odd. I also feel that Nicholas rushed the legacy part though her book is subtitled The Enduring Legacy of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating Team. I enjoyed learning about the lesser known people involved in the crash and learning more about what happened during the flight. The 1961 U.S. World Team is a subject that is infrequently discussed but should be known to all those who are interested in the sport. I would give this book 3 1/2 stars.

A story that needed to be told, history that needed to be remembered.
The U.S. Figure Skating team was at the pinnacle of the sport in 1961 as 18 skaters, their family members and coaches boarded the plane for Prague and the World Championships. They never reached their destination. The plane crashed, and all on board were killed.

This book is a reverential look back by competitive figure skater and journalist Nikki Nichols. The focus is on the top two women skaters, Laurence Owen and her rival, Stephanie Westerfeld. Both faced a tremendous amount of pressure. Owen's mother, Olympic skater Maribel Owen was the most famous woman skater of her day. Maribel worked both her daughters (Laurence's sister Mara was a pairs skater) endlessly in order for them to achieve glory. Far from the Owens' turf in New England, Myra Westerfeld was doing the same thing with her daughters, Sherri and Stephanie, at the Broadmoor in Colorado. Laurence and Stephanie finished first and second in the U.S. Championships and were expected to do great things in the World Championships. Laurence graced the cover of Sports Illustrated on the day she died.

Nichols also goes into the history of the sport. Maribel's nemesis was Sonja Henie, the most famous figure skater in the world, who won many championships and starred in Hollywood movies. My mother fell in love with figure skating watching those movies, and she passed her love of the sport on to me. Nichols' overview of the sport's history was an important part of the book, and I needed the refresher course, not only on the history, but on those dreaded school figures and the partisan judging that seems to have always been a part of who wins and who loses.

Anyone who reads this book looking for juicy scandals will find none. What they will find is history, rivalry, and a national sport that was brought to its knees by a terrible tragedy. That the USFSA was back on top in 1968 when Peggy Fleming won the Olympic gold is an amazing feat.

Any fan who loves the sport of figure skating should enjoy this book.

A must-have for figure skating fans!
This is one of the most poignant books written about figure skating history.I knew the story of the 1961 tragedy, but this book focuses on each skater in ways I've never seen done before.MUCH more here than just a focus on the famous Owen family.Good reading, well worth the price.ORDER IT!

Highly recommend
If you are a fan of figure skating, this book is a definate must read. It opened my eyes to things about skating and competition that I did not know as a former figure skater. It is a wonderful tribute to the skaters of the 1961 U.S. Team.

Still enduring....
In 1961, the greatest tragedy in U.S. figure skating history - and possibly world figure skating history - took place when a Sabena-Belgian Airlines Boeing 707 developed problems trying to land at Brussels airport. The plane nosedived into a farmer's field, killing everyone aboard. Among those on board were 18 members of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating team, who were heading to the World Championships in Prague. This is the story of those skaters.
This book focuses largely on Laurence & Maribel Vinson Owen, as well as Stephanie Westerfield, who were the most well-known members, but also mentions skaters such as Laurie Jean Hickox and Doug Ramsay. It talks in-depth about the training & competitions they went through to become U.S. Figure Skating team members, as well as the terrible accident itself & how it affected U.S. Figure Skating at large - especially the rush to produce new skaters to replace those so tragically lost.
Journalist (and adult competitive figure skater) Nikki Nichols has done an excellent job in telling the very real stories of these people who were the Americans' best hopes for 1964, and never got to perform. Most of today's figure skaters have never heard the sad story of the 1961 US team, and this book is an excellent telling of their story. Highly recommended.

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Product Description
This picture book for children aged 3 to 8 called The Figure Skater, is one of four (so far) in the Olympic Dreams Series written and illustrated by Hanne Lore Koehler. It is the story of how a goal can be reached through practice, perseverance and encouragement. With simple easy rhythm, this colorful 23-page e-book is perfect for young Olympic hopefuls. ... Read more

Product Description
At the age of 14, Tara Lipinski became the youngest figure skater to win the World Championship title. Tara's own words, accompanied by thoughts from her parents, coach, choreographer, and others close to her, turn this stunning pictorial into a colorful, remarkably candid visual journey of a skating phenomenon and her Olympic experience
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Customer Reviews (34)

Sweet Journey
In this pictorial legacy, the reader is treated to the history and triumphant win of Gold Medal winner, Tara Lipinski, the fourteen year old who claimed the highest honor in women's figure skating in the 1998 Winter Olympics.Simon Bruty's exquisite photographs showcase the hard work, beauty, grace and poise of this young skater, who claimed the hearts of sports enthusiasts worldwide in that chilly winter in Japan.This book is a real treat to those who love the sport in all of its marvelous facets.

Totally Tara
I never received this book.I was charged on my credit card and have still not received the book a month later!

Snooze-a-thon with a hint of self-glorifying.
How concieted can you get? This book does nothing but glorify it's subject and belittle her competitors. To add, the writing in this book is minimal. It's more of a picture book for the elementary school student as it has little literary value. If you want a book on figure skating, buy Culture on Ice instead.

A picture book
This book is 145 pages long, and nearly every single one of those pages is a picture. Some of the pictures have words written on them, but this is a picture book. Don't get me wrong though, these pictures do a good job of showing Tara's preparation for the 1998 games, and her experiences while she was there. You get a good look inside her training, and her mind set entering the games.

So, if you want to see a LOT of pictures of tara, and get a somewhat limited idea of her life, buy this book, but if you're looking for an autobiography...this isn't one.

Tara-Ice Princess
I think this is a great book! They could of put a little more writing in. But then again it was great the way it is! Tara is a wonderful skater and it is cool to see pictures of her on her way to reaching her goal! I love this book! ... Read more

Product Description
At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Joannie Rochette was thrust into the international spotlight when her beloved mother died two days before the ladies short program. The world held their breath for the bereaved figure skater when she opted to compete in her mom's memory. Joannie then captured hearts everywhere when she courageously skated two moving programs to win the Olympic bronze medal. Joannie Rochette: Canadian Ice Princess reveals answers to ice skating enthusiasts' most asked questions. Why did Joannie move away from home at a young age? How did her split and subsequent reunion with her beloved coach Manon Perron ultimately ignite her career? How did Joannie cope in the hours following her mother's death? Read the moving story of how Joannie Rochette overcame physical injuries, self-confidence issues and family tragedy to become the inspirational darling of the Vancouver Olympics. ... Read more