Introduction Extraordinary people create extraordinary moments. Michelle Kwan is likely the most extraordinary women's figure skating champion of all time. Her championships, both at the 2003 U.S. Nationals and at Worlds the same year, will be remembered as inspired, captivating and perfect in delivery and technique. Meanwhile, Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz, Canada's ice dance champions, have joined a long list of Canadian heroes in claiming the first-ever world title in ice dance -- not just for Canada, but for North America. So now there are more nations competing for top honors in ice dancing. These are times for greatness. They are trying times, too, for figure skating is dealing with new scoring systems, new structures and new challenges. But in the midst of turmoil, great skating still shines. And the list of talented skaters sparkles with new names. In the ladies' event, the United States is showing enormous strength. Jennifer Kirk and Ann-Patrice McDonough are some of the new stars who will gain more international exposure. They will join the breathtakingly talented Sasha Cohen who, with only one year of Grand Prix competitions behind her, has already established herself as a leading force within the new generation. And what about Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hughes? Will she continue to compete and go on to reach new heights? Or is her decision to attend Yale the practical end to a mercurial career? Fumie Suguri, Shizuka Arakawa and Yashie Onda, all exuding a blend of grace and power, have established Japan as a solid contender in ladies' skating. Fumie delights us with her sophisticated and balletic style. Shizuka, the "one gold blade" skating marvel, has a more contemporary approach. And Yashie is gentle, yet all powerful with intense determination. Add some Russian gusto into the mix, and you can be sure that the ladies' figure skating scene will continue to thrill us for some time to come. Ice dancing is, in short, a whole new world. Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz have provided the inspiration, as great teams from the United States and Canada press forward with credible challenges. Europe has always provided superb dancers, but who would have expected Bulgaria to make headlines? Yet that is what the innovative Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviyski have achieved for their country. In pairs, China has emerged as the new powerhouse. It fielded three teams in the 2003 Worlds. Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao skated to a gold medal, and the other teams placed a more than respectable fourth and sixth. Russia is also very strong in this discipline with, notably, Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin. It will be interesting not only to watch the Chinese-Russian contest, but also to see which countries will develop new teams. If inspiration and drive came from example, then the new names in men's figure skating need only to look at the one man who made the quad a necessary weapan -- because he's back! Elvis Stojko has returned to competition, and that says plenty. Yes, the quad is no longer a novelty, it's a necessity and, like the triple Axel before it, has become the dividing line between good skaters and top skaters. It's almost impossible now to win a medal without two quad jumps, one of which will be combined with a triple. With skaters from the United States, Russia, France, Japan and China trying to cram into the final flight, the men's event has become truly international. So with all these extraordinary developments, how does one push the envelope these days? I'm not even going to take a guess. What lies ahead is unpredictable. Just watch. And be amazed. Gérard Châtaigneau Excerpted from Figure Skating Now: Olympic and World Stars by Steve Milton All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
