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Meissner says she’s ready to defend world title
2:54 p.m., March 1, 2007--At a news conference held at UD on Wednesday, Feb. 28, world and national figure skating champion Kimmie Meissner explained her preparation to defend her world champion title at the International Skating Union's World Figure Skating Championship from March 19-25 in Tokyo. Meissner will perform with other skaters who train at UD at the World Figure Skating Send-Off Exhibition, scheduled at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, March 3, at the Rust Ice Arena. Only a limited number of tickets are still available for the exhibition, and advance purchase is recommended. Tickets are on sale at UD box offices and through Ticketmaster. “Going into worlds, I have my normal goal,” Meissner said. “I want to end the season on a high note and two strong programs. Whatever happens with the result won't matter as long as I do what I've been practicing.” Meissner, along with her coach, Pamela Gregory, and Ron Ludington, director of UD's internationally renowned Ice Skating Science Development Center and member of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame, fielded questions from a group of about 30 print and electronic media representatives in the Fred Rust Ice Arena. Despite being reigning world champion, Meissner, 17, said her preparation for the competition has not changed. “I'm still practicing really hard and training hard,” she said. “I'm going to go there and try and focus and skate and not think about the fact that I won last year, because that was last season and now this season is brand new.” Meissner, a member of the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club, won the national championship in January and placed first in the Four Continents Championship in February. In the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, Meissner finished in sixth place. While acknowledging that the Japanese skaters are strong competitors, Meissner said she feels there will be more media focus and pressure on them than on her during world championships. “The U.S. has a really strong team, and I consider myself strong,” she said. “[The Japanese skaters] are going be in their home country, so they're going to have a lot of pressure on them. That's nice for me. There's obviously pressure on me, but not as much.” Gregory said improving Meissner's artistry is their main focus. “Meissner's got her jumps pretty consistently down pat,” Gregory said. “Of course, you have to practice those a lot or that consistency goes away. With Kimmie being in school, it's trying to find the time to balance. But we're trying to devote a little more time to her artistry, to pick that level up.” In Tokyo, Gregory said Meissner will have three days of skating before she gets to compete, however she is only allowed one short practice session each day. Meissner said she is not nervous about the championship because she practices her programs so many times a day. “Competition is the reward for all your training,” she said. “I look forward to the competition. In the competition I just skate.”
Being ranked in sixth place after her short program at the Four Continents Championship was motivation to skate a strong second program, Meissner said, but she hopes to be ranked higher after her short program in Tokyo. “I think I'd rather be sitting on the top to save some of the worry,” she said. “But I train a really good short program normally every day, so I want to be able to be anywhere and still be able to skate well in the long program.” Meissner, a Fallston (Md.) High School student, said there have not been many school assignments to balance with skating this year. “I just took an English test a couple of days ago,” she said. “But right now, there's nothing that I'm studying before because it's my senior year and there aren't as many demands really, which is very nice.” Ludington said Meissner's recent successes, which have brought her international attention and even a popular Subway TV commercial, have not changed her attitude. “She's the most level-headed kid,” Ludington said.” That's what I think makes her click so well because she hasn't been carried away by everything that's taken place.” Ludington said Meissner's discipline with both schoolwork and training has inspired the center's other skaters. “If Kimmie takes three steps, the kids try to take four, and that's exactly what it's all about,” he said. “They have a lot of respect for her and they see her training habits. It instills that in all the other kids, and it instills it in all the coaches on staff. The end result is we have a very strong program, and a lot of it is attached to the role model that Kimmie is.” Meissner said hearing herself being called a role model is a big responsibility. “I've always had role models to look up to, and I've held them so high,” she said. “It's just different to hear people say they think of me like that. I feel it's a big responsibility, and I'll try to do the best I can to set a good example.” Meissner said her recent success is something she has always hoped for. “I think Pam's always believed in me, and my parents have and so have I,” she said. “I've always wanted to be where I am now, so I'm just taking it one step at a time.” Although Meissner has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time, Gregory said they remain focused on Meissner skating the best she can in each performance and not on other competitors. “No matter what, no one can take away from Kimmie that she's been world champion,” she said. “If Kimmie decided to just do school full time tomorrow, she's been national champion and she's done amazing things. She loves to skate, and we want to see this through the best we can.” Meissner said she will enjoy her national championship title after her competitions are over. “After this season I have a bunch of graduation parties,” she said. “That will be my celebration.” Article by Julia Parmley, AS '07
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