 Skate
Today has teamed up with Barry Mittan to provide you an insight into
the personalities of the people in this wonderful sport and to give
you a more personal connection when you watch them on television or
see them at an event. Mr. Mittan is the author or editor of several
books and hundreds of figure skating articles. All of Barry's stories
are reviewed by the skaters, and their coaches or others if requested,
before publication to ensure the greatest accuracy.
All current
articles and many previous articles may be read in their entirety by
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Archived Articles
2008
January - March 2008
2007
2006
2005
2004 |
March 31, 2008
© J. Barry Mittan
 Skating, not skiing, is the family tradition for the Koegls of Austria. Denise Koegl, 19, is the latest in a line of figure skaters that traces back at least as far as her grandmother, Elli Koegl-Staerck. Then known as Elli Staerck, her grandmother won the pairs championship in Austria with Herman (Harry) Gareiss and competed at Europeans and Worlds, placing as high as fourth at Europeans and sixth at Worlds in 1950.
"My mother was the junior ladies champion but she had to quit at 17 because of an injury," Koegl related. "So she became a skating coach like my grandmother. My grandmother took me to the ice rink when I was just 18 months old and I skated around the rink for hours. I just wanted to play. But then I saw my friends getting better and going to competitions so I wanted to do it too."
"My mother was my first coach, but it's hard to work with your mother," she continued. "It was better to take lessons from my grandmother and Tatiana Hoefler." Koegl trains for two or three hours a day, five days a week in winter in Graz, Austria. "We only have ice from September to March, so in the summer I have to go someplace else to train," she said. "It's hard to get my jumps back if I don't have any ice for some weeks.... |
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March 26, 2008
© J. Barry Mittan
 American skaters Melissa Gregory, 26, and Denis Petukhov, 29, suffered through a tough season in 2007-08. A fall in the free dance at their first competition, Skate Canada, knocked the couple out of the Grand Prix season and U. S. Nationals.
"We are very upset about how the season turned out," Petukhov said. "The accident in Canada really set us back. It was very hard for us to have to miss the season but we are really concentrating on coming back strong with a vengeance next season. We love skating and we love performing and can't wait to get back out there."
The dancers had high hopes for the year after making their first Grand Prix Final in 2006-07, where they finished sixth. They had finished between ninth and 12th at the last four World Championships, 14th at the 2006 Olympic Games, and second at Four Continents in 2005. In addition, the couple had four straight silver medals at U. S. Nationals, preceded by two bronzes.
"We want to like the way we skate and enjoy it for ourselves," Petukhov stated. "We've been too wrapped up in the competitive aspect. We want to skate with more freedom. It's a challenge but not impossible. We want to be unique and create our own signature style and programs." |
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