Word: hamilton
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...skaters usually invest all their hopes in one particular woman and, lately, no special man, but this time there are two eminent females, 1983 World Champion Rosalynn Sumners and 1982 World Champion Elaine Zayak, as well as the world's best male skater for the past three years, Scott Hamilton. A compact strongman, Hamilton should be the royal presence in these games and is thought to have a Heiden's lock on the first U.S. men's singles gold medal since David Jenkins...
...last week's U.S. championships in Salt Lake City, after Hamilton had skated to victory with immaculate control, the competition among the women took a toll. Sumners won, though not impressively, and an obviously tired Zayak fell twice during her free-skating exhibition, winding up third behind promising Tiffany Chin, 16, of San Diego...
...synthesis in figure skating of fairy-tale lyricism and plain physical power has always been problematic. Today, however, the split personality is more fractious than ever. Skaters take sides. "Athletics in men's figure skating has been neglected," says World Champion Scott Hamilton. "Sure, there's some dance in it, but we have to be athletes first. They call it an Olympic sport, not an Olympic art, don't they?" The puckish young man is one of the most accomplished skaters in history, but his view runs counter to that of the Establishment. Since Lake Placid...
...Hamilton does not require any such reminder. At a recent practice session, he inspected his landing track after each jump, intent for 1 Yz hrs. that every one of them be absolutely fine and clean. For all his spartan talk about pure athletics, Hamilton in action is more than just physically powerful. With his miniature, muscular body (5 ft. 3 in., 115 Ibs.) wrapped in a plain, spangle-free uniform, there is something of the playful otter about him. All good skaters make it look easy, but Hamilton's skating looks inevitable, as if he cannot help but spin...
...Americans in Yugoslavia, Hamilton, 25, is closest to a shoo-in for a gold medal. He finished fifth at Lake Placid in 1980, but since September of that year, he has won all his competitions, including four U.S. and three world championships. For all his easy-looking successes, Hamilton has had the inevitable emotional kinks to straighten out. "You have all these idealistic values about what a champion should be," he says, "and suddenly you're thrust into living up to it. I felt I could never let down. I drove myself crazy. I was terrible to myself...