About Us

April 2006

The United States headed into the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, with its largest contingent of skaters since 1992. There were high hopes for as many as four medals - one more than the team picked up in 2002.

Although that goal wasn't reached, Sasha Cohen and the ice dancing team of Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto won silver medals in the first Olympic Winter Games scored under the new ISU judging system.

Success for the U.S. Team can be measured beyond the medals. The United States was the only country to have all three of its competitors finish in the top 10 in both the ladies and men's events. Pairs team Rena Inoue and John Baldwin made history by landing the first-ever throw triple Axel in the Olympics. Belbin and Agosto's medal was the first in ice dancing for the United States since 1976.

Read all about the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in the April issue of SKATING.

The Jazz, the reigning U.S. junior champions, overtook Gold Ice of Canada during the free skate to claim the bronze medal. The team's medal finish at the competition was the first for a U.S. team since Rhode Island's Superettes secured a bronze medal during the event's inaugural campaign in 2001.


A magical night
by Amy Rosewater

Tara Lipinski gazed around a group of several hundred people as she was inducted into the United States Skating Museum and Hall of Fame. The 1998 Olympic gold medalist, now just 23, could spot the likes of Scott Hamilton, Tenley Albright, Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano in the crowd.

"It's a huge honor," Lipinski said when she was inducted back in January. "The company that I am keeping is so amazing."

The next day, as part of the celebration of the 2006 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis, the guest list became even more star-studded. For the first time in skating history, all 12 American Olympic gold medalists gathered together. Everyone from Dick Button, who captured gold in 1948 and 1952, to 2002 champion Sarah Hughes attended.