events

Marshalls Showcase Skaters Make a Stop in Central Park

Sasha Cohen Photo by Michelle Harvath

(4/10/06) - Some of the skaters performing in Tuesday's Marshalls U.S. Figure Skating International Showcase will be in New York City tonight for the Figure Skating in Harlem Gala at Wollman Rink.

Skaters performing in “Skating with the Stars under the Stars'' will include 2006 Olympic silver medalist and reigning U.S. ladies champion Sasha Cohen, 2006 Olympic ice dancing silver medalists Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto, two-time Olympic medalist Irina Slutskaya, 2006 Olympic men's champion Evgeny Plushenko, 2006 Olympic pairs champions Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin, three-time U.S. men's champion Johnny Weir, two-time World men's bronze medalist Evan Lysacek, 2002 Olympic men's bronze medalist Timothy Goebel, 1992 Olympic men's champion Viktor Petrenko, 1996 U.S. men's champion Rudy Galindo, and U.S. ice dancing silver medalists Melissa Gregory & Denis Petukhov.

Also providing support to the event are 2002 Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hughes, 1976 Olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill, and 1979 World champion pairs skater Tai Babilonia.

This year Figure Skating in Harlem will honor Dr. Debi Thomas. The 1986 World champion and 1988 Olympic bronze medalist was the first African-American athlete to win an Olympic figure skating medal. She also won two U.S. titles in 1986 and 1988. Despite the demands of training and competing, Dr. Thomas graduated Stanford University with an engineering degree and graduated Northwestern Medical School in 1997. She has completed her residency in orthopedic surgery and will begin a fellowship program. She is a great a role model for the students of Figure Skating in Harlem.

Now in its ninth year, Figure Skating in Harlem is a not-for-profit organization providing opportunity, education and empowerment for girls in the Harlem community. Using figure skating as a powerful magnet, FSH provides an innovative ice skating and education program designed to build a positive self-image, teamwork, leadership, independence and academic achievement in a nurturing and supportive environment.

“Skating with the Stars under the Stars'' will include a winter buffet, a silent auction, and, of course, skating. Following the gala, skaters on the Champions on Ice tour will head south to Greenville, S.C. for Tuesday night's Marshalls International Showcase.