Star Turns for Olympic Medalists

[Eagle]

I was thinking recently about the different ways in which Olympic champions are honored following their medal-winning performances. Most of them seem to go on to a lifestyle that involves touring with a skate show, and maybe doing some charity work. But aside from these, why do really, REALLY big "attention-getting" things happen to some but not to others? Clearly it seems to help you get in the spotlight if you're from the U.S. and a female.

Sonja Henie: Movie actress.
Dick Button: TV commentator. Ice show producer.
Carol Heiss: Ticker-tape parade in New York City. Movie actress.
Peggy Fleming: Cover of Life magazine. TV specials. TV commentator.
Dorothy Hamill: TV specials. Shampoo contract. Ice show producer.
John Curry: Ice show producer.
Scott Hamilton: Ice show producer.
Katarina Witt: Movie actress. Playboy centerfold.
Torvill & Dean: Ice show producer (Dean).
Brian Boitano: Cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. TV specials. TV commentator. Ice show producer.
Ekaterina Gordeeva: Bestselling book. TV special.
Kristi Yamaguchi: Skating doll. Cover of Special K cereal box.
Tara Lipinski: ESPN TV commercials. TV actress.
Sarah Hughes: Cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. Cover of Wheaties cereal box.

I may be leaving out some other medalists or accomplishments, but this is based on what I know. So I'd say the "Top 5" star turns were nabbed in order by:

1. Henie
2. Button
3. Fleming
4. Hamill
5. Witt

[rack]

Hello Eagle. We're glad you've landed. You don't need to have a gold medal to achieve success. I would put Michelle Kwan's direct-result-of-skating success higher than Katarina Witt, even with the latter's two gold medals. And Toller Cranston with his bronze had several TV skating specials and a Broadway skating show- probably more media attention than John Curry who won the gold that year. Paul Wylie also has had many more career opportunities because of his Olympic silver than he would have had if he'd just gone off to Harvard Law School as he had originally planned.

However my vote for most successful of all is gold medalist Tenley Albright, who became a surgeon at a time when the few women who went into medicine mostly became pediatricians.

[icenut84]

Originally posted by Eagle
John Curry: Ice show producer.

Torvill & Dean: Ice show producer (Dean).

Not to be nitpicky ;) but you left out a bit there. John Curry, I believe, did a lot with regards to shows and skating schools etc. I don't know the details though. T&D toured for 10 years around the world with their own shows (which they choreographed), had at least 2 TV specials (In GB - don't know if they were shown in NA), toured for another 4 years post-94, and are both choreographers, and Jayne also works for the BBC on skating coverage. (They

[icenut84]

Originally posted by Eagle
John Curry: Ice show producer.

Torvill & Dean: Ice show producer (Dean).

Not to be nitpicky ;) but you left out a bit there. John Curry, I believe, did a lot with regards to shows and skating schools etc. I don't know the details though. T&D toured for 10 years around the world with their own shows (which they choreographed), had at least 2 TV specials (In GB - don't know if they were shown in NA), toured for another 4 years post-94, and are both choreographers, and Jayne also works for the BBC on skating coverage. (They have both done commentary in the past, and lots of other stuff in GB).

[Oracle]

We are more aware of the success of US skaters after they retire from amateur/eligible skating than those of other countries but there are success stories from other countries.
Rudi Cerne (4th at '84 Olympics) became a choreographer.
Daniel Weiss of Germany is a commentator & producer of shows in Germany.
Jan Hoffman('80 Oly. silver) is a well respected International judge.
Robin Cousins has been on the British stage as well as producing TV specials along with Nicky Slater (1/2 of the #2 ice dance team behind Torvill & Dean in Britain).
Phillipe Candoloro heads his own French tour.
Oliver Hoener (Swiss champ) has produced shows in Europe.
Bestiamonova & Bukin head up a tour that travels the world & is produced & directed by a former Soviet skater, Igor Bobrin.
Midori Ito is a commentator.
Toller Cranston, Elizabeth Manley are successful authors & he is also a successful artist.
I'm sure there are a lot more.

[duane]

Originally posted by Eagle
So I'd say the "Top 5" star turns were nabbed in order by:

1. Henie


i agree that henie definitely deserves the top spot. in the 1930's, she made the "top-10 box office stars of the year" list 3 times, i believe. in 1938, she was #3, with only shirley temple and clark gable placing above her. in the mid-40's, she produced a touring ice show, in which she also appeared, and at the time of her death in 1969, her total fortune was estimated at an astounding 47 million!!

[loveskating]

G&G had a spot with SOI, but the best seller etc. was a result of Sergei's death, not their two Olympic gold medals per se.

A lot of gold medalists are left out of that list because of the Cold War...when you had to defect to skate in the West..and IMHO Irina Rodnina certainly was one of the truly great, turning point, skaters.

Since the Cold War was over, there has been Urmanov, Kulik, Baiul, Kazakova & Demietriev, Klimova & Ponnamarenko, Grishuk & Platov who won gold.

Rudy Galindo, Surya Bonaly, Candeloro, Sato, and others have had far more opportunities than some of the above...really, only Oksana Baiul had the full run of opportunities.

[meli]

Sonja Heine was the first skater to become a star. But to nitpick just a little on Eagle's original comment, she can't be counted in with Button, Hamill and Fleming because she wasn't American. Sonja was Norwegian.

As for the former Soviet-bloc skaters and what happened to them, many of them had no choice under their governments. They weren't allowed to do extensive tours, and when they did tour it was usually in Europe for brief periods of time. By the time Katarina Witt came along, she was able to "buy" her ability to tour and do TV shows by winning the 2nd gold medal. But if she hadn't won that 2nd gold, she would have probably ended up being another choreographer or coach in the East German system.

In case someone takes offense to what I said about Katarina, please don't. She's said that herself more than once (that she bought her way into touring by winning the 2nd time).

[karina1974]

Originally posted by meli
Sonja Heine was the first skater to become a star. But to nitpick just a little on Eagle's original comment, she can't be counted in with Button, Hamill and Fleming because she wasn't American. Sonja was Norwegian.



Sonja became an American citizen in the late 1930's/early 1940's. I don't have the exact year offhand. She moved to the US as a permanent resident in 1936 to launch her movie and performing careers after she retired from competition, though she retained a home in her native country until her death in 1969. All of her movies were made in the US (at 20th Century Fox, plus one for MGM), and her movies and ice show (the first ever touring show) introduced skating to the American public on a grand scale. There would be no Button, Hamill or Fleming if there hadn't been a Sonja Henie first. It's a shame that there haven't been any successful Norwegian skaters since her time (unless you count speed skaters:P ).