|
The tussle for bronze turned out to be an unexpected test of
strength as well. In fifth place following the short program,
Frenchman Philippe Candeloro, 25, an international heartthrob of
the Lorenzo Lamas school, won his second consecutive bronze in
the Olympic games, keeping Todd Eldredge, 26, the five-time U.S.
national champion, from medaling.
With its ever increasing penchant for mawkish soap opera and
garish costuming (and no one is a bigger culprit here than
Kulik), figure skating has become camp spectacle. Perhaps as a
corrective, the judges of the men's competition sent the message
that skating is indeed still an earnest sport where fierce
athleticism matters. In other words, yes, the much discussed
quadruple jump counts. Of the top medal contenders, only two
skaters, Kulik and Alexei Yagudin, also a Russian, attempted
one, and only Kulik landed his: a perfectly executed quadruple
toe loop.
It was not that move alone, however, that secured Kulik highest
honors. His entire routine, skated to Gershwin's Rhapsody in
Blue, was playful and precise. He landed every one of his eight
triple jumps flawlessly. And when the competition was finished,
the generally impassive skater even managed to show a trace of
humor. "The shirt won," he joked to reporters, referring to his
less-than-becoming giraffe-print top. "It's lucky. I don't think
I'll be getting any more questions about the shirt."
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
|
