WOMEN ON ICE

BY TIPPER GORE



[Enlarged]
The drama that unfolded Friday night at the White Ring arena in Nagano will be remembered as one of the great moments in Olympic history. U.S. skaters Michelle Kwan, age 17, and Tara Lipinski, age 15, entered the free skate program carrying the weight of overwhelming expectations on their tiny shoulders.

They were both scheduled to skate in the last rotation, with Michelle leading off. Their programs were virtually flawless, bringing the cheering crowd to its feet. By evening's end, Tara stood on the gold medal platform with Michelle at her side, a silver medalist. China's Lu Chen had won the bronze.


[Enlarged]
The last time the U.S. took gold and silver medals in Ladies Figure Skating was in Italy in 1956 when Tenley Albright won the gold and Carol Heiss won the silver. Tenley, now Dr. Tenley Albright Blakely, joined me in Nagano as a member of the U.S. Presidential Delegation. Tenley's win in 1956 had its share of drama too. Just days before the start of the competition, she suffered a severe cut on her ankle during practice, requiring stitches. She went on to skate brilliantly, becoming the first American woman ever to win a gold medal in Ladies Figure Skating. Amazingly, she accomplished all this while taking pre-med classes at Radcliffe College. She is now a surgeon and Harvard researcher.


[Enlarged]
On Thursday, we arrived in Nagano to visit with some of the athletes in the Olympic Village, and ran into Tara at the cafeteria. Tenley and Tara talked about the pressure and the expectation that go along with being an Olympic figure skater. Tara definitely felt that pressure as she took the ice, but as she later explained, all nervousness disappeared when the music started. And when she finished, she pumped her fist in the air and smiled so joyfully that it left no doubt in anyone,s mind that she had skated the program of her life.

American fans will remember this one --not just for the brilliant performances by the U.S. skaters, but also for the contrast to the Winter Games in Lillehammer, which were marked by drama of a far different kind. Tara and Michelle are competitors, yes, but they are also teammates. As quickly as the media has tried to create a rivalry, Tara and Michelle's easy camaraderie have dispelled that notion.



[Enlarged]

I couldn't help but marvel at the image --two women separated by generations, but united by an experience that few people will ever share. It was an incredible moment.

Tara and Michelle will be coming home soon. Their lives will be forever changed by their experience in Nagano. We've seen so many young people have difficulty adjusting to the attention that comes along with being an Olympic champion. We ask a lot of our heroes. I have a feeling, though, that Tara and Michelle will face that pressure as they have all others --with a cool grace.