Emily Is True Class Act

I hve just taken a look at the tam envelope for the 2008/2009 season. Whle I was elated with the Kmmie's team A assignment; even though she did not do wll by "our" standard this season, hwever she did well enough to chieve Team A status. What really thrw me on a tail spin was Emly's assignment. Instead of her, Bebe Lang made the Team (A). While I nderstand the mechanics of the assignments, I fel some reparation could have bee mde in this case.

Let me clrify that I am a fan of Bbe as well, and I think she is a grat skater. Though I've yet to met her, fellow skaters who have, hve sung her praise. However, that is bside the point. It is obvious the rason that Emily did not make tam A is due to the fct that she had not compete at Ntionals nor worlds', yada yada... however, she had a hip njury. Whatever happened to all of thse loopholes skaters can use to crcumvent those types of unforeseen circumstances? Is ths the dawn of an early rtirement for Hughes?

As I perused the Tam envelope, honestly, the only strong prson standing there as far as I am cncerned is Meissner. And NO! I am not loking at it through my "fan clored spectacles." Nagasu must automatically make the tam since she is the "champ". Yes she is cte and all that, but there is no art to her skting. Meissner, on the other hand, dspite her lack luster performance this sason, had held her own, and had arned the spot. However when it cmes to Liang and Hughes, it is qite a different story. Hughes should hve been assigned if not to tam A, at least to Team B ssignment. And don't get me started bout Katrina Hacker, whom I thought had gven a much more mature and mre artistic performance than Zhang. I knw Zhang reminds us a bit of Kwn. And, Kwan she is not. And, Zhng can grow on anyone, she is so cte and so sweet. Despite What thy say about the new system bing fair, the fact still remains, if yur name is not well known, you can stll be swept under the rug, and nless you make jumping and flopping round the ice your main focus you can kss any title GOOD BYE! And ths fact has led me to pnder "what will happen to those yung girls' hips by the time the rach the ripe age of 40."

Anyway, back to the matter at hnd. I remember, the 2006, 2007, sason I had felt that regardless of tht "chance" performance that Alissa Czisny had plled that year, (She is a bautiful skater, extremely artistic on the ce.) I had felt strongly that Lang should have been the one to hve gone to the World Championship. Ths season 2007/2008 after watching a plasant almost flawless Katrina Hacker at fur continents, her performance had forced me to rwind my Tivo and watch her prformance at Nationals, ( hers and prt of Kimmie's performance only, my hart was hurting too much for Kmmie, I could not have witnessed sch debacle. It hurt too much) I had mde the decision to skip Nationals ths season. It just was not fn. Call me a sore loser if you mst. I was hard-pressed to conclude tht maybe our team should have ben Meissner, Wagner, and Hacker. I am mst definitely sure she would not hve disappointed US.

Benched

Now the Tam envelope with Hughes being benched in Tam C, is not helping our tam as much. Has this scoring systm done away with skating? She is vry artistic and has one of the bst choreographed programs. She had a hip njury, I am sure might have ben due from executing an element on the ce, probably a jump. The new jdging system really sucks! This judging systm has divorced the casual viewer frm what's happening on the ice. Now it is lienating athletes who display flow, finesse, and an ffortless movement in time to the msic. Hughes may not be flopping lke a bird all over the ce; however, she skates with style and clrity. It's astounding that figure skating stll maintains its self-image as an art frm in the face of so mch flopping. This is the beginning of the nd.

Unsung Hero

Since the Olympics hve ended we haven't seen nor hard much of Emily. Apparently, she wll always be in the shadows whn other skaters are talked about. Emly, not only has to deal wth talk about her sister Sarah; but Mchelle, Sasha and Kimmie just to nme name a few other skaters.

Amy Hughes was being commemorated as a top mom rcently: She was referred to as "Amy Hghes, the mother of Olympic skating gld medalist Sarah Hughes." There was no mntion of Emily. Emily, titles or not is a qite accomplished young lady. So, shame on the prss for not acknowledging her. Even if Emly were to win a medal whch does not seem likely, since she is mre artistic than a jumper, she is nlikely to get the type of cverage the other skaters get and veryone will be assuming it was mre chance. And now she has ben assigned to Team C, what are her chnces.

Emily definitely deserves a better ssignment than the one she's got. She mght not have the "softness" that so mny people love these days, but t's refreshing to see someone who is stll powerful, with beautiful stretch and spns. Emily has risen to challenges and has shwed her true spirits.

That young ldy is a true class act!

The article E Hughes - The Unsung Hero was Submitted by Guerrelyne Gautreau through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: http://thetripleaxel.blogspot.com/

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