Word: witt
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...beguiling as she is fickle, Bizet's Gypsy Carmen is a temptress whose passions run the emotional alphabet from A to Z. Even on ice. For Debi Thomas, the accent is on P. Her Carmen is usually powerful, plucky, practical and pretty. Katarina Witt's Carmen is a study in S, at once sensuous, seductive, stylish and shrewd. But last Saturday night, when the long-awaited skate-off between the two Carmens got under way in the Olympic Saddledome, America's sweetheart proved an unexpected B: a bobbly bundle of nerves capable only of bronze...
...back-to-back triple toe loops, she mistakenly touched both feet down on the second jump. That tiny error seemed to sap her usual strength. When, midway through her routine, she faltered and put a hand on the ice, it began to feel as though the Titanic were sinking. Witt, conversely, had held tough, her Carmen enticing and flirting shamelessly. Radiant in a red costume, Witt thrived on audience adulation, tossing provocative smiles. Though she substituted a double jump for one of her five triples, Witt was firmly in command. Her beauty and charisma dominated, even as she lay outstretched...
...Though Witt won, she was not the judges' favorite Saturday night. That distinction went to perky Elizabeth Manley of Canada. Manley, who has a history of inconsistent performances, was all confidence despite a brush with the flu earlier in the week. Smiling broadly as she landed a triple jump early on, Manley skated an exciting, lively routine that drew her compatriots to their feet. The experts echoed the hometown excitement. Seven of the nine judges ranked Manley first on the free-style program, which counts for 50% of the total score. It was enough to give Manley the silver, leaving...
...speak negatively of athletic standards in pairs' or men's skating is unthinkable. Yet when a woman gets on the ice all alone, she is expected to prove her femininity, not her strength. Thomas might have lost even without risking the exciting jumps; Witt might have won with those risks. But Witt didn't have to try, didn't have to risk falling, didn't have to exhaust herself during her competition...
...part by pandering to the public's wish for a stereotype, be it elegant, cute, or sexy-have chosen careers consistent with their stage images. Peggy Fleming filmed commercials for Trident gum before moving on to sportscasting; Dorothy Hamill inspired a national hairstyle and represented a shampoo company; Katerina Witt is about to enter a career in acting and modeling. But things will be different for 1988's bronze medalist. A true sportswoman, Debbie Thomas plans to become an orthopedic surgeon, a positive role model in and out of the skating world...