He Said She Said - Figure Skating

 

They were watching the Olympic Men's Figure Skating:

"They did a documentary segment yesterday," she said, "which was pretty amazing.  There's a Japanese female skater who, when she was sixteen, faxed a Russian coach to say she wanted to be coached by her.  She moved from Japan to Russia, gave up her citizenship, just to be coached by this tiny little woman who looks like Mrs Pepperpot."

"Wow," he said.

"Yeah, and then they did a segment about the Chinese.  When the Chinese first competed in pairs skating a few years ago, they were terrible, and the male skater was so embarrassed that he dedicated his life to working as a coach and bringing China to the top of figure skating.  They did an interview with him and he lives away from his family at some kind of government sports center.  He said that he saw his son as a baby and then saw him again when he was a toddler.  He started crying in the interview."

"Hmmm," he said.

"But the Chinese took gold and silver in the pairs skating, so that coach guy achieved what he wanted," she said.

"Wow," he said.

"I know!" she said.  "Isn't it incredible?  These people give up their whole lives for this sport, and it's not like they are David Beckham or Pete Sampras or Anna Kournikova.  There's no sponsorship, no advertising deals."

"Yeah," he said.

"The couple that won gold for the pairs are married, but they live in separate rooms in the sports center dorm and eat in the cafeteria.  You work your whole life for Olympic Gold and you're poor."

"Yes," he said.

"I mean, what do they become, right?  They gave up their school education and probably didn't go to University.  All they can do is become a coach.  After they get the medal, they're still poor."

"Yep," he said.

"And it's not like you can keep going on, like, beyond 35 or whatever.  Your body gives in.  What do they do afterwards?"

"Icescapades."

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