Discusses the skating careers of champion figure skaters Michelle Kwan and Tara Lipinski.

Esperanza Flores is "America's Hope for the Gold!" in this sweet novel about a figure skater who gets the chance to achieve her Olympic dreams. Esperanza Flores is "America's Hope for the Gold!" in this sweet novel about a figure skater who gets the chance to achieve her Olympic dreams.After years of practice and competitions, of sit spins and perfect poses and thrillingly high jumps, Esperanza Flores will be skating for the United States. But with the excitement of an Olympic shot comes new attention -- and BIG distractions. Suddenly Espi can't go out with her friends, or even out her back door, without reporters and autograph-seekers following her every move. The other U.S. figure skaters have a lot more international experience, and they let Espi know they don't think she's ready. And Hunter Wills, the men's figure skating champion, seems to be flirting with her, even as the press matches her up with Danny Morrison, the youngest -- and maybe cutest -- member of the U.S. hockey team. In the midst of all this, Espi is trying to master an impossible secret jump that just might be her key to a medal. Can she focus

A biography of the German ice skater who won the figure skating gold medal in two successive Olympic competitions.

At the 1984 Olympics, American Scott Hamilton skated into the history books when he claimed a gold medal in Sarajevo. Beside him the entire time was his coach, Don Laws. A member of the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame and a U.S. Junior Champion, Laws is one of the most respected and admired ice skating coaches in the world. In addition to Hamilton, Don was the coach of champions Michael Weiss and Patrick Chan. This authorized biography tells the story of Law's exemplary life and chronicles his singular dedication to figure skating. Don Laws: The Life of an Olympic Figure Skating Coach recounts Don's youth, from his childhood in Washington, D.C. to his Junior Men's Figure Skating Championship to his triumphs as a coach on the international stage. Featuring personal interviews with many of his former pupils, this humorous and enlightening biography captures Don's dedication to the sport and to his students. In addition, this book goes behind the scenes of the controversial new judging system--for which Laws was one of only four coaches worldwide to take part in its creation--as well as touches upon the break between Don Laws and his star pupil, Patrick Chan. Including exclusive interviews with Scott Hamilton, Michael Weiss, premier Russian coach Tamara Moskvina, former International Skating Union member Sonia Bianchetti, and current ISU President Ottavio Cinquanta, this book is a one-of-a-kind look at a man who never broke from his beliefs and ideals and never wavered in his love for the sport. A chapter devoted to skating techniques laid out by Laws will be a helpful tool for figure skating coaches; but for the figure skater, and for any fan of the sport, it will be the stories, interviews, photographs, and history that make this book entertaining and inspiring.

It was billed as the greatest event in the history of pair skating: three of the best teams of all time battling for Olympic gold on one night in Salt Lake City. Technical ability was approximately equal. It was the artistic merit score that would decide the gold medal -- the second mark. Representing Canada, China, and Russia, the three pairs illuminated their distinct cultures. On the second mark, whose culture would triumph? Would it be the beauty of the Russians' ballet on ice, the thrill of the Chinese pair's heart-stopping acrobatics, or the Canadians' passionate connection with the audience? In a down-to-the-wire nail-biter, the difference between gold and silver came down to the vote of a single judge. Hours later, a bombshell: the confession of a French judge unleashed a worldwide debate -- and ultimately produced an unprecedented duplicate gold medal. The Second Mark reveals what an athlete really goes through to become the best in the world, through the riveting stories of unforgettable people. We meet Yelena Berezhnaya of Russia, who survives emergency brain surgery after a near-fatal training accident and makes it back to the Olympics in less than two years. We meet Zhao Hongbo, a young boy skating in subzero weather in remotest China, who will fulfill his coach's twenty-year dream of catching up to the West. And we meet two Canadians, a barista and a concession stand worker, who had almost quit the sport before deciding to give it one last try -- and becoming world champions. Exhaustively researched by a skating insider, The Second Mark takes readers deep into the world of the Olympic athlete, illuminating the fascinating differences between East and West. From the frozen fields of China to the secret corridors of the old Soviet sports system, from a tiny farm village in remotest Quebec to the judges' backstage world, The Second Mark tells the compelling human stories behind one of the most controversial nights in Olympic history.

Respected sports journalist Christine Brennan tells the riveting tales of the world's best figure skaters during the most intense year of their young lives. The story opens with the 1997 U.S. national championships, when Michelle Kwan, the overwhelming favorite for the 1998 Olympic gold medal, leaves the rink in tears. Enter Tara Lipinski, a seventy-five-pound jumping machine -- soon to become the youngest world skating champion.Chronicling the year leading up to and including the 1998 Olympic Games, Edge of Glory offers portraits of the famous and infamous, the hopefuls and has-beens -- Nancy Kerrigan, Oksana Baiul, Tonya Harding, Elvis Stojko, Todd Eldredge, Ilia Kulik, and many more. Edge of Glory also takes the reader behind the scenes of the sport: the aggressive sports agents, the career-fostering coaches, the eager reporters, the choreographers, and the attentive, stern judges. Ultimately, Edge of Glory is about the athletes themselves. What drives these skaters to a profession that promises retirement at such a young age? How do they survive in a sport where one fall decides it all? What do they fear? And, most importantly, who will win, and who will lose?

Is your daily run starting to drag you down? Has running become a chore rather than the delight it once was? Then The Happy Runner is the answer for you. Authors David and Megan Roche believe that you can’t reach your running potential without consistency and joyful daily adventures that lead to long-term health and happiness. Guided by their personal experiences and coaching expertise, they point out the mental and emotional factors that will help you learn exactly how to become a happy runner and achieve your personal best.