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March 23, 1997
The tiara goes to Tara
YOUNGEST CHAMP EVER
By STEVE BUFFERY -- Toronto Sun
LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- A trio of terrific teenagers put on a show for the ages yesterday at the world figure skating championships.
And the smallest of them all, 14-year-old Tara Lipinski of the United States, skated away with the gold medal, becoming the youngest world champion in the history of the sport.
"I never expected this -- not this year," said Lipinski, who displaced the legendary Sonja Henie as the youngest skating champion by one month.
Women's skating always seems to end in drama and intrigue, and yesterday's freeskate battle was no exception.
Lipinski, affectionately known as the robotic shrimp by some members of the U.S. media, was the first of the big favorites to take the ice at the full (for once) Malley Sports Centre. And the tiny skater from Sugar Land, Tex., performed brilliantly, landing seven triples in all. Two of the triples formed a combination jump, making Lipinski only woman, or in this case girl, to perform such a manoeuvre.
Having won the short program on Friday, the 4-foot-8, 75-pounder seemed to have a lock on the gold medal.
But then came fellow American Michelle Kwan's turn to skate. Kwan, last year's world champ, was fourth following the short program and needed to win the freeskate -- and have someone else beside herself also finish ahead of Lipinski in the free -- to win her second straight gold.
In spectacular fashion, the 16-year-old native of Torrance, Calif., certainly did her job, winning the free with a technically and artistically beautiful performance.
So it all come down to the last skater, 18-year-old Russian Irina Slutskaya, who was sixth after the short and certainly a longshot to finish ahead of Lipinski in the free, even though she won the bronze last year.
Again, laughing in the face of pressure, another teenager rose to the occasion. Slutskaya, skating to the Phantom on Ice score, scared the wits out of Lipinski with an ace skate.
In the end, Kwan earned enough first- and second-place votes from the nine judges to win the free and place second-overall. However, Lipinski edged out Slutskaya in the free to nail down the gold. Because of her poor showing in the short program, Slutskaya finished fourth overall, which somehow seemed unfair.
FRENCH BRONZE
The bronze went to Vanessa Gusmeroli of France, who was second in the short. Gusmeroli, 18, is a great story herself, having placed a mere sixth in the recent European championships and 14th at last year's worlds.
She's not even the French champion. In fact, she's better known in her home country as a professional water skier.
Yesterday's showdown offers promise for an interesting battle at next winter's Olympic Games, particularly between the Americans. When asked how long they expect to be rivals, Kwan looked over at Lipinski, held up her hands as if they had claws, laughed and then growled: "For the next 25 years. We're both young. I don't know how long she intends to skate, but I'll be there always."
As for Lipinski's historic feat, Kwan's coach Frank Carroll quipped: "Sonja Henie is probably rolling over in her grave."
