Comment: Ellenton Ice will showcase Olympic hopefuls

Ten years ago, I sat on the couch with my mom and watched my Olympic career unfold right before my eyes.

And by Olympic career, I mean watching the United States win a gold medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics.
I sat on edge as Kristi Yamaguchi took the ice for her long program. It was as if I were actually the one out on the ice performing. I cringed before every jump, knowing that one slip of her skate could derail her Olympic debut. It wasn’t until the program was over and the scores were posted that I could finally sit back and relax. The young girl, whom dozens of amateur skaters across the country looked up to, had done what only a select few before her had done — win a singles gold medal.

In the past decade, I’ve watched U.S. Figure Skating return to glory as Tara Lipinski and Sarah Hughes won gold medals of their own, while Nancy Kerrigan, Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen earned silver medals.

Most recently, at the 2010 Olympic games in Vancover, Canada, the East County’s own Amanda Evora, Mark Ladwig, Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett entertained audiences across the country in their Olympic pairs debut.

So now the question remains — who will be the U.S. Figure Skating’s next Olympic hopeful? Will Evora and Ladwig once again factor into the mix, or will new Olympians emerge?

We might be one step closer to answering those questions this weekend when The Southwest Florida Figure Skating Club at Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex hosts a special event as part of U.S. Figure Skating’s National Skating Month.

The free event, which will held from 3-5:30 p.m. Jan. 14, will feature an exhibition show featuring Evora and Ladwig, along with other senior and junior level skaters who will be competing at the U.S. National Championships Jan. 22-29 in San Jose, Calif.

Following the exhibition, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the rink’s It’s Great to Skate clinic.

And who knows? Maybe two years from now, I’ll be sitting down watching another set of rising East County Olympians prepare for their own Olympic debut.