Word: witts
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Still, Thomas deserved credit for maintaining considerable poise in the face of all the preshow hype, as did Witt. Everywhere the rival ice queens went, cameras snapped, reporters prodded, fans pursued. Some excess was inevitable, the inescapable glamour of a competition that features svelte young women in scanty costumes. As Thomas sardonically remarked, "It's definitely a Miss America sport...
...least part of the hyperbolic hoopla, however, was fashioned by the skaters and their determined entourages. In the days leading up to the final competition, controversy erupted over Witt's outfits, notably a blue costume that some thought was sliced provocatively high along the thigh. "We're here to skate in a dress, not a G-string," huffed Manley's coach, Peter Dunfield. Witt met the commotion with calm. "We wear costumes that enhance the music," she said. "Why shouldn't we stress what is attractive?" But the flap seemed to give Witt and her coach second thoughts...
...Witt, who aspires to an acting career, thrived on the attention. Thomas, on the other hand, tried to deflect publicity, stating repeatedly -- and as it turned out, correctly -- that it was ridiculous to speak of the competition as if it involved only two skaters. "Every time I open the paper, they're trying to make this thing between me and Katarina," she said. "It bugs me. We're just two people...
Someone should have told Witt. During Thursday night's short program, she placed herself ostentatiously at the rink's edge as Thomas deftly executed the seven required moves. "I was aware of it because she was standing right there," Thomas said. "Katarina watches all the time. Maybe she was trying to psych me out, but it doesn't work. It just makes me fight harder." That night Thomas nailed her performance, hitting every jump perfectly and engaging the audience with her megawatt smile...
Coming into the final program, Thomas held a slim lead over Witt, with Manley a distant third. Relying on the same ritual that had brought her so much luck two nights earlier, Thomas pounded the hands of Coach Alex McGowan with her fists. "This is your moment," he encouraged. "Now do it!" Alas for Debi, she didn't. Maybe it was the pressure. Maybe it was the ice, which she had complained about earlier in the week. Or maybe it was the fact that she skated last and had a hard time staying at her peak as the evening dragged...