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Sex and alcohol scandals mar U.S. preparations
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-01-13 11:16
WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Sex, alcohol and doping scandals coupled with
a simmering controversy involving figure skating queen Michelle Kwan are sapping
much-needed momentum from U.S. athletes in the run-up to the Winter Olympics.
With the Turin Games less than a month away, the American public are
transfixed by the strife and largely ignoring the competitions that decide who
will make the trip to Italy.
In the middle ring of the circus is the 25-year-old Kwan, America's
sentimental favourite who is desperately clinging to her dream of winning an
Olympic gold medal.
Also making headlines are skeleton coach Tim Nardiello, who is accused of
sexually harassing at least two female sliders, and skeleton racer Zack Lund,
the overall World Cup points leader suspended for doping.
Alpine skiing champion Bode Miller, no stranger to controversy, rankled his
coaches by saying on television that partying meant he had sometimes been "in
really tough shape" at the start of races.
The pre-Olympic woes have made even the most staid U.S. newspapers write more
about the scandals than the competition.
The U.S. national figure skating championships are being held this week in
St. Louis without Kwan, a nine-times champion, who must petition her way on to
the Olympic team.
Generally, the top three finishers in the nationals earn a berth on the
Olympic squad but Kwan has been battling a groin injury and is unable to compete
in St. Louis.
Normally, it would not be particularly contentious to include her in the
squad but Kwan has skated very little over the last three years and has
performed only once with skating's complex new scoring system.
OVERALL RECORD
Kwan's fate is now in the hands of the 36-member international committee of
U.S. figure skating, who will make their decision after the nationals.
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