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Mass defection irks U.S. champ
That's what this week's world figure skating championships is turning into.
Seven of the 12 medallists -- individuals or teams -- from the recent Nagano Olympics are absent, including the gold medallists from the men's singles, women's singles and ice dance events.
And that doesn't sit too well with 1996 world queen Michelle Kwan -- the only big-name skater organizers here at the Target Center can use as ticket bait.
"The world championships is a big competition and I would think the best skaters would want to be here," said the current United States champion, who finished behind teammate Tara Lipinski in Nagano. "Competition is what it's all about."
World championships held the same year as the Olympics have traditionally suffered from mass defections, although this year's meet has been especially hard hit.
Many times the withdrawals are the result of injury, as is the case with Canada's Elvis Stojko. But often, Olympic champions want to end the season on a high, without jeopardizing their standing at the worlds.
Kwan and her coach, Frank Carroll, believe that's wrong and ultimately hurts the sport.
"I think the best in the world should be at the world championships," said Carroll. "They make a commitment at the beginning of the year (to be here) and they don't go through with it, and that's too bad.
"I knew for Michelle and I, before the Olympics even started, win, lose, second, third or fourth (at the Games), wherever we finished, we knew we were going to the world championships."
Kwan, 17, skated an exquisite program to finish first in her qualifying group yesterday and the Canadian Figure Skating Association brass breathed a collective sigh of relief when Canada's lone entry in the event qualified for the women's short program on Friday.
Angela Derochie of Ottawa recovered from a shaky start to place 11th in her qualifying group. Derochie is under tremendous pressure here to skate well after Canada failed to qualify a ladies' single for Nagano.