A Nation of Immigrants, But What If...

[rack]

This morning, while exercising and sweating, I realized that five out of the top six American ladies have at least one parent who emigrated to the U.S. (my apologies to Jenny Kirk if this is true of her as well). That got me thinking about how representing different nations might change their careers.

So here's the game. You can give them different countries to grow up in or different coaches or keep both of those the same. The only thing you can't change is history of injuries.

If Michelle Kwan skated for China, would she still be the icon/legend she is today?

Where would Sasha Cohen be ranked amongst the Russian ladies?

How would Sarah Hughes' career be different if she skated for Canada?

Where would Angela Nikodinov be ranked internationally if she skated for Bulgaria (I think it's Bulgaria)?

Where would Ann Patrice McDonough be ranked internationally if she skated for Korea?

And finally, just to confuse matters further, if C/S skated for the U.S. (or Russia), where would their careers be? If L/T skated for Russia, where would their careers be? And if B/A skated for Canada, where would their careers be?

I will now attempt to take my cat to the vet, while you all come up with different answers.

[Trillian]

[quote:7b90567110="rack"]Where would Sasha Cohen be ranked amongst the Russian ladies?[/quote:7b90567110]

Sasha's mom is Ukrainian, actually, so I don't think there's any question she could be number one in that country by now.

[TracyPA]

I don't think there would be a difference. Even before the fall of communism athletes with talent were treated well. The government financed olympic athletes whereas in the US for example, you were on your own. I think they had quality coaches- Katarina Witt and Oksana Baiul did pretty well. Michelle and Sasha would have excelled in any country with their talent. OTOH, would Michelle still be a millionaire if she lived in China? I doubt it.

[Artemis]

I know this isn't really what you asked, but ... I don't think the difference would have been so much in how they were trained once they started skating, but in whether or not they started skating in the first place. Michelle is probably the example: even with the success of Lu Chen and Shen&Zhao, figure skating is still not a very popular sport in China. Her athletic and artistic talent would more likely have been directed toward gymnastics or diving if she'd lived in China.

Sarah ... who knows, could have gone the hockey route (following in her dad's skate-steps).

But as for your original question, it's neat to think about but pretty hard to pin down. Sometimes a country move does wonders for a skater, even if it's to a country where skating isn't as big a deal (think the Ducheneys and Marina Anissina).

[Inside Edge]

I have though about this topic over the last few years. I do not think that it is entirely coincidental that so many of our top skaters are children of immigrants.

In a small number of cases, I think that childrean may be more apt to go into a sport if it is popular in their parents home country. These parents are more likely to watch the sport or encourage their child to try it. This could be true for Russian families and figure skating & gymnastics. Non-immigrant parents are more likely to encourage their children to go into more popular team sports.

I think the biggest reason immigrants children are so successful is that they have a strong work ethic. They are not as spoiled and they are more diciplinesd This could vary depending on the culture that the parents come from.

Does anyone else have a thought on this?

[loveskating]

Impossible to say, but as a New Yorker, I'm meeting so many people from the former "Soviet Bloc" and from what I am told, virtually every kid who wanted to skate was trained...and then when they came here, they could not afford lessons to skate any more!!! It seems that they really did draw on 100% of their talent pool and then narrowed it down from there, so its safe to say that any athlete living there would have had a chance to show their stuff, at least.

In China, it seems it depends largely on whether or not you live where there is some kind of ice...from what I'm told, there are not so many rinks there...but they too pay all expenses for skaters.

I don't think that the fact the top U.S. skaters in America are from emigrant families or are imigrants themselves has anything to do with a work ethic...American workers are the most highly productive workers in the entire world, and have been for some time, so it couldn't be that.

It probably has more to do with middle class values as they have evolved in America...and what kind of future those families want for their kids, which is not athletic, I'm pretty sure.

[pittypat]

[quote:70bc8903ba="Inside Edge"]I think the biggest reason immigrants children are so successful is that they have a strong work ethic. They are not as spoiled and they are more diciplinesd This could vary depending on the culture that the parents come from.

Does anyone else have a thought on this?[/quote:70bc8903ba]

I disagree with this line of thinking, as well (loveskating).

Perhaps there would be more American figure skaters whose parents were also American born if there were the financial opportunites, i.e., full-free-ride college scholarships, available to the sport of figure skating as there are in the sports of football/basketball/baseball/hockey.

I think it is safe to say that football/basketball/baseball/hockey are more popular sports in the U.S., than figure skating. Well, maybe not hockey, but certainly the other three sports.