Section B · Page 4
The University Daily Kansan
Friday, February 6, 1998
Women's hockey seeks limelight
Players stay cool under pressure of media, Olympics
The Associated Press
NAGANO, Japan — As usual these days, Cammi Granato had a hockey stick in her hand.
At this moment, however, the captain of the U.S. women's Olympic ice hockey team was off the ice, giving a lighthearted puck-handling lesson to a young Japanese player as the child's teammates applauded. Earlier, the Canadian women's team posed for pictures and answered questions from the same group.
With women's hockey making its first appearance at the Winter Games on Sunday, promotion has become nearly as important as practice.
Players and officials view the competition as a chance to promote a sport that already has seen grassroots participation quadruple around the world in the last decade.
"It's drastic, the change," said Granato, who has been on every U.S. team since that first tournament. "You saw (the attention) a little bit then, but you didn't see it at this level."
Attention has jumped accordingly since the first Women's World Championship in 1980.
the prestige of the Olympics makes a difference, she said.
"It's credibility — being in the Olympic Games means respect," she said.
Granato met with the children, answering questions about her pre-game ritual and how she got started in hockey, during an event sponsored by Nike, one of
her personal sponsors. She is one of several female players who endorse a women's equipment line.
Canada's Karen Nystrom, Stacey Wilson, Cassie Campbell, Danielle Goyette and Fiona Smith also met with the children before the team posed for pictures as coach Shannon Miller watched from the back of the room.
"After the Olympic Games we anticipate there will be a huge, positive spin-off not only in Canada but around the world, as far as media, fan support and grassroots participation," Miller said.
Still, she appeared wary that the spotlight might distract her athletes from their main purpose — to win the first Olympic gold medal — and pledged to keep an eye on how they held up.
For example, Vicki Sunohara's parents were born in Nagano, and she has done a number of public appearances and media interviews since the team arrived.
"We'll have to monitor how much she's doing and, if it's too much of a distraction, we may have to pull back for a couple of days to give her a breather," Miller said.
U. S. coach Ben Smith, on the other hand, encouraged his players make themselves available off the ice as much as possible.
"I want these players to have real enjoyment out of this experience, something that will stay with them," he said.
"I want to make sure these people get a chance to touch and taste and feel the Olympic experience and you people (reporters) are a part of that," he said.
NAGANO, Japan — Tara Lipinski and Akebono. There hasn't been a couple this odd around a figure skating rink since Tonya and Nancy.
Lipinski jumps into excitement of Olympics
The Associated Press
"He's b-i-b-i-g," the 4-foot-10, 82-pound figure skater said with a shudder yesterday after meeting the 8-5, 615-pound sumo wrestler.
"She is small, very small," said the Hawaiian-born Akebono, who will play a large role in the Nagano Olympics' opening ceremony.
Lipinski's meeting with Akebono, Japan's most famous athlete, happened backstage at the White Ring ice arena and was arranged for CBS' 48 Hours.
It was indeed a big, big day for America's smallest Olympian — her first practice in Nagano.
Lipinski is a heavyweight in her
own right.
Two years ago, she was considered America's hope for the
OLYMPIC GAMES
2002 Games in Salt Lake City. But she accelerated the timetable, winning a U.S. and world championship along the way, and now, at 15, is a favorite for an Olympic gold medal.
"This is so great," Lipinski said.
"It's not like any other competition.
I've been dreaming of it for so long.
It's not like a world championship
that you can go to every year."
She was so eager to get started that she attended the first practice session available. Only Tatiana Malinina of Uzbekistan was on the ice with Lipinski. The other four skaters were no-shows.
"It's not like any other competition.I've been dreaming of it for so long. It's not like a world championship that you can go to every year."
Tara Lipinski
Figure Skater
Lipinski is so enthralled she is the only member of the women's team on hand. Michelle Kwan remained in California for treatment for her left foot, which has healed from a stress fracture that kept her out of competition for two months. Nicole Bobek is recovering from bronchitis.
odd Eidredge,her training partner and big-brother figure, told Lipinski about the atmosphere of the ceremony, which he experienced in 1992.
"I told her it's the thing you'll remember the most," he said. "It's really something you have to experience to understand, and she can't wait."
Lipinski is rooming with ice dancer Jessica Joseph, who will be 16 next month, making them a natural pair.
"Ahh, it's beauty and the beast," said Akebono.
A lot more natural than the sumo wrestler and the skater.
Lipinski said she doubted he could do her trademark triple loop triple loop combination jump.
And she gasped when told he could eat 15 hamburgers at one sitting.
U.N. hopes no shots are put during Olympics
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — International events have destroyed the peace of Olympic Games before, from country boycots to the terrorist attack on Israeli competitors at Munich in 1972.
The Winter Games at Nagano, Japan, could be overshadowed by a U.S. military attack on Iraq because of Iraq's noncompliance with U.N. weapons inspections.
Despite pleas from the International Olympic Committee to hold fire for the duration of the games, the Clinton administration said the games were not a factor in the decision-making.
Defense Secretary William Cohen said to questioners on the House National Security Committee, "We have set no timeline. We have not taken into account external events. It would not be responsible to say, 'Let's wait until the Olympics are over.'"
traditional international Olympian tranquility being shattered by U.S. war-making is prompting criticism and renewed worries about terrorism.
Clinton: Pressure from Olympic committee for truce
President Clinton and his foreign policy advisers said a decision had not been made to attack Iraq. The games start tomorrow and last until Feb. 22, and the prospect of
"If the United States attacks Iraq, it will
likely make U.S. citizens and installations likely targets of terrorism," said Larry Johnson, a State Department counter-terrorism expert during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. "We could be in a situation where Arab nations who supported us in 1990 and 1991 will not support us now."
Johnson and other experts predict a rise in attacks on U.S. targets in America and abroad by Iraqi sympathizers.
Worldwide terror acts climbed
from 437 in 1990 to 565 in 1991, an
increase attributed to teams of terrorists firebombing American targets during the Gulf War, CIA statistics said. In comparison, 296 global terrorist acts were reported in 1996 and a peak of 665 in 1997
Hussein: Warned not to relax because of games
Baghdad is refusing to allow U.N. inspectors total access to all suspected chemical, biological and nuclear weapons sites as required by the cease-fire that ended the Gulf War.
If diplomacy fails to sway Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, the United States could bomb such suspected sites.
The International Olympic Committee appealed Tuesday to the United States not to take military action during the games. The IOC cited a nond binding U.N. resolution
that the U.S. government signed, urging all nations to observe an Olympic truce.
McCurry said the White House had acknowledged the importance of the Olympic tradition but added that Iraq and Saddam should not breathe easily during the games.
Bill Payne, head of the 1996 Summer Olympics, said, "The Olympic movement is an affirmation of the peaceful purposes of nations. At the same time, I think the priority of the presidency and of the U.S. government to protect and preserve and defend the United States is important."
Peace activist Gordon Clark would like to see the United States use tough diplomacy and strict sanctions to force Iraq to comply.
"To have any bombing at the same time we're having an international event that's supposed to promote peace and unity in the world is a disgrace," said Clark, executive director of Washington-based Peace Action.
February 14th
valentines day
7:30pm
Jesse
Auditorium
on the MU campus
Ticket prices:
$11 & $14
To order:
Call 1-800-cat paws
tickets also available
through METROTIX
outlets
Month history
Danny Glover and Felix Justice return with their SRO program on the words of Lanston Hughes and Martin Luther King Jr. This is a one-of-a-kind evening of performance and theatrical readings.
"An evening with Langston and Martin"
Elizabeth Lai
Mon-Fri 9a.m.-5p.m. Sat 10a.m.-4p.m.