Tara. Lipinski.



Never tell a scrawny 15-year-old girl she can't have a gold medal. Ya gonna learn this someday?

She went out there and did it. Whipped Michelle's butt. Surya's. Even Chen's. Everybody's. Wow.

Just get out of this child's way. She will own the scene on the rink until she doggone well decides to give it up and go show skating. As more than a hobby. Along with the stuffed animals and stickers.....

The sense of mission in that child's eyes was phenomenal. You could tell all she was seeing as she stepped out onto the ice was a pretty little goldish thing on the end of a ribbon. And she was going to take that thing home no matter what they said. And it wasn't going to be a switch substitution for the bronze thingy, either.

Coach's advice? What coach's advice? I doubt she'd have heard.

Gold. Gold. Gold. Must complete my jumps. Must look nice for the camera.

Gold. Gold. Gold.

It worked. And that scream properly and promptly alerted the world that Mission had been duly and henceforth Accomplished.

I think we're going to be seeing a bit more of that Accomplished bit. What's on Tara's checklist now? We can only speculate.

I will say the child has the legs for a triple axel. Looks in the thighs and such like she's been toying with quads. And maybe, just maybe, practicing getting that leg up that much higher to (Accomplished) whip Nancy Kerrigan's ass on the spiral end?

Oh look out.

The Whirling Dervish is turning into a real skater. Soon even that batch of you will have no reason to complain. None whatsoever.

Accomplished. Mission Accomplished.

This child isn't a Tasmanian Devil in sequins. I take that back. She's a checklist in sequins.

Accomplished.

Mission Accomplished.

If it were a theme song, we could cue it up.

Maybe the US anthem will have to do for now.

With Tara in the seats with the good view.

Top of the podium.

It's a wonder they didn't have to give her a box to step on to get to it.

But no, considering Tara, it isn't. She'd have practiced for hours. Honed her skates so she wouldn't stumble. (Well, I'll just have to figure out another way to do that jump, won't I?)

And made it look easy.

When are you guys going to get used to this?




Five Minutes To Ice Time.


Check your skates. All over. Check your hands. Are you ready?

Could you do a double axel right now on the spot?

How are you going to impress the audience tonight?

"Ladies and gentlemen, from the United States, Tara Lipinski!"