I absolutely WILL get back to previewing the GP match-ups, but surprisingly, there’s been enough skating-related headlines of interest this past week (in June?!) to merit a brief interruption.
They’re each odd in their own way, so let’s see what we can do with them…
HEADLINE #1: REIGNING OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST FAILS AS A SCHOLAR?
According to articles like this one, South Korea’s best-known athlete Kim Yu-Na recently failed two of her courses at Korea University. Are you thinking How can she take courses at Korea University when she trains in Canada most of the year? Well, perhaps she’ll start to wonder that as well. From the article:
"Kim received F grades as she was unable to take midterms and finals," said an official at Korea University. "I believe the professors who gave her Fs judged that they could not give her credits based on papers alone."
Hmm. I guess this is one area in which Rachael Flatt should not try and emulate her when she heads to Stanford…
HEADLINE #2: FORMER CHAMPION PLEADS GUILTY IN METH RING; MAKES TUBE TOPS FOR INMATES!
It’s not even an exaggeration. As I mentioned on SOTS when the news broke nearly one year ago, Nicole Bobek was arrested for to conspiracy to distribute crystal methamphetamine… and now, as it says here, the 1995 World Bronze Medalist has pleaded guilty and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted at trial. Here’s more, taken from her brief stay in jail last July:
During a jailhouse interview, one of the inmates said Bobek told her she enjoyed skating, but her life went in a different direction and she regretted it. Even so, Bobek told the prisoner, "she was hopeful." Bobek even made tube tops for the inmates out of T-shirts before being released on bail.
Good to know her free spirit still prevailed… or it least it did last summer. Sentencing is scheduled for early August. Stay tuned…
And perhaps the oddest of all…
OTTAVIO CINQUANTA IS RE-ELECTED AS ISU PRESIDENT
Yep, at the recent ISU Congress… it happened. Oh, and so did a few other, less inane things… like the Compulsory Dance kiss-off you might have heard about? Check out some of the details here… we’ll take a closer look at all of that soon. But I can’t leave this subject without including a brief quote from former ISU official Sonia Bianchetti. I interviewed her for the Skating on Air book you see mentioned off to the left of your screen…and happened to ask her a little about Cinquanta’s likely election and the possibility of term limits… (this was her talking late last year)
Ottavio Cinquanta is 71, he was born on August 15, 1938. Therefore he can run again next year for one more term. And he has already announced he intends to run.
In my opinion the chances that he may be not re-elected next year are very few. The main problem is to find a candidate ready to stand against him.
In my opinion a term limit is necessary, especially for the president and the Council members. The average age of the Council is now 68. New blood is badly needed.
As the kids say… True dat!
Late-breaking addition to this edition: 2-time U.S. Pairs champs Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker... we know them here as McBru... but not anymore... they are "ending their partnership" as per an announcement made this week at IceNetwork. We'll get into this a little more when we return to the ISU Grand Prix-view.
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