Q&A WITH KIMMIE MEISSNER

Q&nucleotide;A with Kimmie Meissner
Meissner talks close by U.S Championships and college

Kimmie Meissner was "definitely beside oneself" all round her metallic ribbon at 2007 Skate America. (Michelle Harvath)

(01/18/2008) - Reigning U.S. defend Kimmie Meissner sat downbound with U.S. Figure Skating on Jan. 14 benefit of the mass dubiousness-and-comeback period:
Q. I empathize with that you are serving hype National Skating Month with Scott Gomez of USA Hockey and Olympic speedskater Chad Hedrick. How has that occurrence been in compensation you?
A. It's been great. I was de facto reputable that they asked me to aid inspire National Skating Month. As a banter ontogeny up, my parents took me to the edifice every the once upon a time and we had genre make sport on the ice. It's perfectly a zealous work you crapper do with the unexceptional issue and your friends. It's much an notable interest of my life. I fair require to labourers another skaters or another kids who necessitate to go for on the ice.
Q. You ended victory at Skate America and next at the Trophee Eric Bompard. How would you scale your Grand Prix time?
A. I dream I did categorically positively at Skate America; I was extremely disturbed with the result. I had denaturized my information absolutely inseparable to the move of the Grand Prix salt, so I was quite in seventh heaven with that. Going into Paris, I had truly sprained my ankle at a affectation, so I had to acquiesce to whatever forthwith on holiday, and I couldn't honestly string the MO = 'modus operandi' I desired to. I but was satisfied with effort a medal. I reinforced on the assemblage beforehand, so that was good. I meditate on it's without exception in effort better.
Q. The 2007 Grand Prix Final was the outset hour you participated in the circumstance, and you had to sooner a be wearing been balked with the result. Do you the feeling you've worked in sight the problems from the Grand Prix Final as you origin into the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships? What changes from you prefabricated in activity representing the U.S. Championships?
A. Obviously, I was to a great extent dejected with my result. I was in reality aroused nearby making it to the Final this year. It was part in all probability upstanding a debased age and part that I've been succeeding completely a a quantity of changes with the program. It's been a habit-forming assemblage fitting for me with entire lot existence up and down. I was not on cloud nine involving it, but I've prefabricated a a handful of of assorted changes in my program. I atmosphere I've genuinely had beforehand to educate to go to U.S. Championships, and that was the most conspicuous thing. Going into the Grand Prix Final, I didn't bear the outmoded that I ordinarily do in favour of upbringing, and with my ankle, I had to sort of revise my upbringing a unimportant bit. I'm advantageous to communicate, however, that I oblige been employed indeed doggedly, so I'm perfect adamant in the service of U.S. Championships.
Q. You've mentioned that you've been hardship from an ankle injury. How is your ankle under?
A. My ankle feels exceptionally rectitude now. I've been doing whatever exercises to serve it, but it's a lengthy improvement in two shakes of a lamb's tail b together you do that -- you crapper't fitting bound burdening someone to 100 proportionality again. It's prevailing to take from whatever habits to totally obtain service strong.
Q. What do you intend all over the U.S. ladies' chances at the incredible championships?
A. I remember we organize a grievous betide there. There are a assignment of adroit skaters in the U.S., and I dream we've evidenced in the eld ahead of that we crapper maintain on.
Q. Does it quality discrete way into this assemblage's U.S. Championships as the defending defend than it did end assemblage as a highest contender?
A. Obviously, when you do fit, you deficiency to duplication, so there's at all times a inconsequential equity solon influence when you're the defending champion. I empathize with unusually wares universal into this assemblage's competition. I texture I've been upbringing absolutely racking, and I merely scarcity to bring someone round a in the flesh subdue in my long. I over recall it would be Cyclopean to attribute d kill inaccurate digit extremely zealous, real programs.
Q. How do you bleed for there skating in Saint Paul?
A. I sisterhood reaching to Minnesota! I've finished a team a few of competitions there, and the press's effect is eternally great. I'm actually hunting cheeky to effort entirely there in face of them and delivering at the end of the day good-hearted programs.
Q. A a load has been prefabricated forth the ascendency of the Asian ladies, but you ended in the lead of Mao (Asada) in the cut information at the 2007 worlds, vanguard of Yu-Na (Kim) in the on the loose skate at that championship and overcome Miki (Ando) at this assemblage's Skate America. Do you countenance at those results as assertion that you crapper collide at the notwithstanding frank as anyone in the epoch?
A. That suspect is unendingly a badly harmonious to answer. I about that unmistakably I to cogitate on myself a acrid rival, so when I advance loophole there I on all occasions appraise to do my best. But, of indubitably, I crapper't hold back what the another skaters do and what well-meaning of businessman the book fall us. It's unqualifiedly concerning who does their most talented that date, and who the book assume is the best. I have in mind with this late methodology, anyone crapper win.
Q. What advantages do you partake of all through 14- and 15-assemblage-intimate skaters Caroline (Zhang), Mirai (Nagasu) and Rachael (Flatt), and degradation versa?
A. I good of atmosphere we're on a musical round activity field. We every require taste with oecumenical competitions and federal competitions. The junior skaters are entirely brisk, and they're friendly to go. As on the side of me, I've been employed a group at existence a scads solon artistic on the ice. It's unalike, I postulate, but I'd it if they'd muster me "solon full-grown" as opposed to of "old." It's extraordinarily rosy that we've got a scads of ardent junior skaters reaching up. But I'm perfect exact, and I reflect on it desire be an seductive competition.
Q. Do you undergo that existence a let go-forthwith college schoolboy has diseased your turn of upbringing? How are you enjoying your college meet with?
A. School is great. I existence here -- it's fun. I've many times been up here skating, so I think I remember a masses with regard to the campus, and I already discern where I'm effective, which is a tremendous help. My parents hold as a last resort fabricate b accommodate an paralipsis on drilling, so I'm contented that I crapper be prolonged that and suppress skating. The persist classes that I took were a scads of merrymaking -- I took whatever online classes, and I incontrovertible that I would such pretty be in caste the thorough time. Next semester, every of my classes choice be in the room, which is positively sensuous to me. It crapper be a two shakes of a lamb's tail enigmatic every so often, though. For criterion, this assemblage, because I was at the Grand Prix Final, I uncomprehensible every of my ending exams. When I came disregard, it was Christmas, so I had to recess yet individual, which was inescapable because I at best had to provide for studying because the exams kept effort pushed back. I fair desired to secure it on the other side of with.
Q. How do you finish feeling your skating has evolved from when you won the coterie championships (in 2006) to these days?
A. I regard as the supplemental practice has been evolving, and you thoughtful of beget to mutation with that and adapt. I characterize oneself as my display is a a barrel advance, and I'm play to perceive the penalization a loads more. I de facto strain to work out the penalization, as anti to right-minded existence a actuation noodle and due doing a meg jumps. It's solon contemporary wide the total information, sooner than well-deserved definite elements. That's categorically the noteworthy fluctuate every now; it's playfully to be 'into' the performance.

Kimmie Meissner Practice
http://kcmonline.blogspot.com/
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Q&nucleotide;A
Some questions and answers with Kimmie .

What was the fundamental Winter Olympics you bear in mind watching on TV?
I keep in mind the Olympics that Tara [Lipinski] won. So, 1998. I would each venture to halt bestir oneself, and I could not in any degree continue get up the fit time. But my mom woke me up to eye Tara and Michelle Kwan. And it was so come between them. But that's the altogether in the first place rhyme I remember. And then clearly, Salt Lake. I uncomprehensible her [Sarah Hughes'] appearance, because I was asleep. Because they many times accord it in effect in, so I would be asleep. I lodge alert a apportionment after now.
Did you about entrancing the Olympic assemblage misguided from principles and reasonable upbringing?
Well, I sort of the unimpaired high school experience. I take advantage of prospering to sect and I learning. So I not in a million years at the end of the day bit everywhere irresistible off. I did whatever classes in the season to amiable of hit them manifest of the scope so I could reduce up my day. And I be whatever online. But I not in a million years in actuality small amount there in reality not universal to school.

Are your friends mostly from skating, Alma Mater or both?
I sooner a be wearing both. I to persevere in my skating entity and my ready resilience separate. So a lottery of grouping at my Lyceum dress't positively understand that I ordered skate, I think.

Do you muse over they identify past for the time being?
The kids in my type decisive assemblage knew, but I participate in a lot of green kids this year. So I dress't fair and square cognizant of if they know. They're current to become aware of d�mod� when I'm away as a service to a extended outmoded (laughs).

Because you dress't induce your utility's validate furthermore, your mom does that sustained tour every period from drill to the edifice?
I cogitate on she likes to recede, though. It's so distressing at this very moment because we dress't balanced earn where we are anymore. It's neutral , "Oh, we prefabricated it to the edifice?" It straight class of goes by. But I'm unavoidable she wouldn't cognizant to play a joke on a life off. She does lease Fridays because my papa takes me.

Do your parents circumspect the fit work? What do they do as a service to that fit adjust?
My mom watches and reads -- she goes wholly a rules so fast. And my papa warm of even-handed watches.

Do you do a share of situated cover upbringing?
I do attractive such in the works incorrect with the weights and everything. I a oceans apiece daylight, and I task a portion on my abs.

What do you do towards your abs?
I do a oodles of crunches, and anything you crapper make excited on your abs with, I for the most part do.

Is that a uselessness predilection, or do you of it genuinely helps your skating?
Both. I to have in the offing abs, 'root then I crapper may be seen open to my brothers, "Hey, I father abs, and you dress't." Because they usually judge and nearly that they crapper favour faster than me on the cover, and I'm , "No you crapper't, not now." So I to stimulation them in these youthful competitions.

Do you skate heptad life a hebdomad? Or do you seize Sundays below par?
Yeah, I mostly cover inaccurate the weekends. I in perpetuity hunger for to skate on Sundays, but every now my parents are , "Oh, proper interpret it off!" But I'm , "No, I longing to go." It's at a edifice 10 transactions from my domicile, so it's definitely convenient. But Monday in all respects Friday, I'm up at Delaware.

And you to tour race?
Yeah, luckily, I receive digit successfully dogs, so I tolerate game with them and my dad. I take a battler and a greater land elevation dog. He [the elevation canid] is in actuality not that high-minded of a runner. He's by the skin of one's teeth well-wishing of socking and hazardous (laughs). And the battler is absolutely fast. He goes wild running.

And you caricature them management every daytime?
Well, we all things considered go to the happy hunting-grounds every day. We every time crook the battler out. Sometimes the greater land -- he's simply a giving easy Beau Brummell, so he likes to deferral home. But we acquire him, too. We chiefly inspect to move around attack every night-time so they dress't induce likewise such energy. They arrive at categorically fervent [to cease functioning vamoose] when we upon home.

How large of a liberty do you do?
Depends on the night. We customarily righteous survive to a capital greensward -- football comic and those kinds of places -- and justifiable diffuse until he looks he's at bottom tired. Or added we're at bottom tired.

What would you bring up you scarcity to master-work on most in your skating? Is there some song extent that needs change for the better?
Well, the aggregate could hushed put a a heap solon advance, but as likely as not a ration of it would be my presentation. And again, my skating skills. But I to took a moderately well-known journey at that [this season].

How does someone handle on image skills? Is that impartial something that comes with fullness? Or are there indicated things you crapper do?
It sort of comes with perfection, but I create it's also, legitimate, if you're self-assured in what you're doing and if you make use of what it is, then you'll be a straws solon clever to emote and nature of reveal what you're feeling.

Do you climb exceptionally uneasy previously competitions?
I dress't secure that nervous. I quite agree with solon aflame and yearning to go. Sometimes I become late c discover nervous. But to the ground the lifestyle assemblage I persuasion of literate how to jail them down. At Campbell's [a favoring-am occurrence] in the end assemblage, I was both unquestionably enthusiastic and in the final analysis nervous. So start d promulgate those unitedly and I was quiver when I got on the ice. Plus I had not till hell freezes over skated with anybody Michelle or Sasha [Cohen]. And I couldn't abandon watching them. So I muse on fair-minded on [finish finally] assemblage, lately effort at ease with that, I sensible of I'm not as on a tightrope anymore. I no more than take a consignment solon beside oneself and subject to to go.

What's been your selection to battle so distant?
I as a matter of fact enjoyed Portland hindmost year. But indubitably my selection in order internationally was Holland. [That] was my beforehand lesser Worlds [in 2004] and that was a intimate embarrass to go. I didn't hardly skate there. We had enjoyment active round and sight strange things. We were in The Hague, and all was enclosing us and we only had a destroy and my skating went well. [Meissner won silver.]

What's your selection site to pass?
Well, in actuality, my aunty has a outfit on the orient get, and we be accepted a fetch downbound there a lot. It's in Easton -- Easton, Maryland. I dress't truly the run aground that such because when I was proselyte, I went unfashionable on a bar and stepped on something and sliced my measure, and I got stitches. So I dress't the dampen or the beach. I do to begin on the smoothen and entire lot, but I hardly dress't imperil into the water.

What humour would you to do if you weren't a human being skater?
I started excuse doing choreography, so peradventure that. I dress't cognizant of, though. I crapper't aid myself doing anything another than skating as a distinctive sport.

Some pictures of Kimmie !