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Interview of Brian Boitano

Aired February 19, 2002 - 11:49   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The women begin their quest for figure skating for gold tonight. All eyes will be on Michelle Kwan, considered the best hope for the U.S. on the ice. Men's gold medalist Brian Boitano joining us from Salt Lake City to talk about tonight's competition as well as the Olympic Spirit Award -- Brian, good morning.

BRIAN BOITANO, FORMER OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATER: Good morning.

KAGAN: Good to have you with us. First I want to talk about this proposal for how they would change the judging system. What do you think about that, go to 14 judges from nine, and then randomly select seven of those scores.

BOITANO: I think it is going to be hard to get away from the situation that we have been in in the past that just revealed itself a couple days ago. We've lived with that situation for our whole skating life, and I don't think by having 14 judges is really going to get rid of it that easily.

KAGAN: Really, not that simple?

BOITANO: No, I don't think it is that simple. I think it is commonplace for trade-offs to happen, and we have lived with it, and I think it is still going to continue.

KAGAN: But what do you feel about the spotlight that has been on your sport over the last week?

BOITANO: Well, I feel it has been a little bit better than the Nancy-Tanya thing.

KAGAN: A little bit better. It is all relative, I guess, Brian.

BOITANO: Yeah. You know, I'm a little bit surprised by it, but at the same time, it was only a matter of time before it was uncovered, and it is something we have all lived with, and dealt with since we were kids in the sport, and it's -- you know, it's a subjective sport, and it is always going to happen.

KAGAN: Help us look forward to tonight's short program with the women. Michelle Kwan, of course, going for the gold that she has dreamed of even before Nagano. BOITANO: I think that she has really a great chance. I mean, she looks good in the practices and she is, you know, she is stronger than ever.

KAGAN: Were you concerned when you heard that she had fired her coach, Frank Carroll?

BOITANO: I don't know -- I think, you know, she is a 21-year-old woman, and she knows what she wants.

KAGAN: I want to look at the men's side, and, of course, as we mentioned, you are a gold medalist yourself, so you know what it takes to go to the top, but when you look at what the men are doing today, landing quads, two, sometimes three quads in the case of Timothy Goebel, are you just amazed at what it makes to make it to the top of men's figure skating today?

BOITANO: Yeah, I am a little bit, and I think it is a natural progression of the sport, of going upwards in technical ability and everything like that.

KAGAN: We actually, Brian, have video from '87 from the Men's -- the U.S. men's championship when you were trying to do the quad. You probably can't see it, but you probably remember the moment.

BOITANO: Yes, I do.

KAGAN: Do you remember the pressure, and what it felt like to go for it?

BOITANO: Absolutely, I remember the pressure. It was immense pressure, and especially since I was world champion, it was a really tough thing for me to do, but I wanted to do it.

KAGAN: Do you think then, there gets to be too much emphasis on quads and how many quads in the technical aspect, and you lose the artistry of your sport?

BOITANO: I don't know. I think it has always been that way. It has been about technical. That's what amateur skating is about, technical expertise, and it should always stay that way.

KAGAN: And before we let you go, tell me about the Olympic Spirit Award. What is it, and who is getting it?

BOITANO: The U.S. Olympic spirit award is an award that is given to an athlete who embodies the Olympic spirit in more ways than just on the playing field, in showing incredible perseverance, in overcoming obstacles, and what we wanted to do is have everybody can vote on-line.

KAGAN: Okay, where do they go?

BOITANO: They go to the Olympic -- usolympicteam.com. And that's the important thing, is to get everybody involved, because it is more than just winning medals. It's really embodying the Olympic spirit, and having athletes who have come here and shown a true side of Olympic spirit, and that's what we want people to do, is vote, nominate them online, and then the votes will come in later.

It'll be open until the end of the Olympics, and anyone can vote, and we want to get as many votes as we can, so we can show appreciation for other people who may not have won medals, but are still great Olympians.

KAGAN: Great idea. And, of course, millions of Americans have been watching, and I'm sure we'll log on, Canadians too, as well. Brian Boitano...

BOITANO: Yes.

KAGAN: A pleasure to have you with us. Thank you so much.

BOITANO: Thank you.

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