Word: oberstdorf
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...France, while Isabelle, 28, was born near Montreal. For years, Canada judged their skating second rate. After being relegated by the Canadians to an alternate berth for the world championships in 1985, the Duchesnays accepted an offer to compete for France, then moved to the German town of Oberstdorf to train with Martin Skotnicky. Despite their mixed ancestry -- plus a German home, a Slovak coach and an English choreographer -- their loyalties are undivided. "If it were not for the French," says Isabelle, "we would not be here today...
These days, both are in killer mode, training as much as six hours a day. "Tilt it more! Arch your back!" Dean prods them during workouts in Oberstdorf. Sometimes the sessions are brutal. "I'm glad my mother isn't watching," Isabelle says. "We step on each other's feet, cut our hands. Paul was hospitalized once with a nose hemorrhage." Isabelle's melodramatic description may be part of the Duchesnays' Olympic psych-up. As front runners, they have to work all the harder to maintain the diehard, embattled anxiety they will be relying on to spin their dreams...
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