Figure Skating Champions

Marie T. Gillis is a member of the Angus L. Macdonald Library staff at
St. Francis Xavier University.

In his introduction to Figure Skating Champions, Steve Milton emphasizes
the importance of “heart” if an athlete is to become a champion. The
skaters profiled here, he asserts, have made sacrifices and overcome
adversity to succeed. The point of the book, one assumes, is to
highlight those struggles and successes as examples and encouragement to
young people in their own endeavors. The actual result, however, is no
more than an exhibition program.

Eleven individuals, three pairs, and three dance teams are profiled.
All but a French dance team are North American or Russian. It is a shame
that the focus of the book is not as international as the sport it
covers. For instance, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, the 2002 Olympic bronze
medalists and 2002 and 2003 world champions in pairs, were the first
Chinese team to reach the podium in that discipline. Surely they had to
overcome adversity.

Each page of text is accompanied by Gérard Chвtaigneau’s
photographs, many of which succeed beautifully in capturing a moment on
the ice. The text, though, is formulaic: a punchy opening line, followed
by several paragraphs of praise. Whatever “heart” may have been
exhibited in an individual career is lost in the sameness the profiles.
While the photographs will undoubtedly appeal to young figure skating
fans, it is unfortunate that the unique qualities of the skaters could
not have been reflected in the prose. Not a first-choice purchase.