FLASHBACK: PLUSHENKO (Plus some thoughts on Weir)

Before I flash back to an interview I did with the current Men's leader, Russian's Evgeny Plushenko, in the Fall of 1998, I want to take a moment to ponder the Short Program's second-place finisher, Johnny Weir's, assertion during his Up Close and Personal Profile on NBC last night that "republican-type people" are worried about what he might say.

Call me naive, but I can not for the life of me figure out why people who want to cut welfare benefits, ban abortion and end stem-cell research might be concerned with the utterances of a swan-bedecked skater. On the other hand, if it helps Johnny's self-esteem to believe that his existence actually matters to anyone living in the real world we like to call Outside the Ice Rink (TM), then more power to his deluded, tiny self.

And now, as promised, meet Evgeny Plushenko, circa 1998:

1998 Men's World Bronze Medalist Evgeny Plushenko, who lives in a communal apartment with his mother and another family, knows why he must skate well in competition. He needs the prize money. He says, "I have to skate well, because I have to feed my family. I have to provide for them."

Plushenko began skating in his home-town of Vladivastok. He recalls, "When I was four, my mom had a friend whose child skated, and this friend told my mom she should give her child to skating, too."

Eventually, Plushenko came under the tutelage of Alexei Mishin, who guided Plushenko to a 1997 World Junior Title, which he describes as, "Colossal! First-class! I was so happy I achieved this, and that my coach and mother helped me achieve this."

Yet, despite his enthusiasm, Plushenko still strives for more. He explains, "You must always continue to grow in skating. You can't stay on one level, because skating will never stay on one level. It will always keep growing. Someone will do a quadruple Lutz or a Flip, and they'll spin better, too. So you must keep growing in skating. And in life."

For Plushenko, growing means, "I want to learn another Quad. Right now I am working on the Quad Loop and the Quad Salchow. I think the Loop will come first, and then I will make history."

Plushenko intends to debut his new jump during the 1998-1999 season, despite the fact that, as of October, he was explaining, "I am still recovering from a very serious injury. I went to Spain in the summer after the Goodwill Games, and spiked the third toe on my right foot with the heel of my blade. I was off the ice for a month and a half."

When off the ice, Plushenko reads books. "I like books about war, where everyone gets shot. I also play with my computer, and, when I have time, I go to school. The teachers treat me very well. They give me homework. I know some skaters who take their books with them when they go to competitions, so they can study there. But, for me, if I'm traveling to a competition, I'm there to perform, not do homework. My focus must be on the competition."

And, although that focus has already paid off with a Bronze Medal at the World Championships, the sixteen year old Plushenko remains unimpressed by his own achievements.

He reminds, "Tara Lipinski won the Olympics at 15, and was World Champion at 14. She's special. I'm just a regular person."