The figure skaters at the make it look easy; sheer elegance on hard ice.
But elite skaters also fight injuries, much like the rest of us who work out, or .
鈥淣o athlete at this level is 100% fully healthy,鈥� Gretchen Mohney, the director of medical and performance services for U.S. Figure Skating, told The Associated Press from Milan. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about managing whatever it is that may be breaking down.鈥�
The key for Olympic skaters is getting quick treatment. If a knee swells, the back aches or a sharp blade leaves a gash, figure skaters at the Olympics have physicians, athletic trainers and physical therapists to help.
Mohney, who holds a doctorate in interdisciplinary health sciences, listed several red flags that skaters and staff watch for, and wellness tips for weekend athletes.
Some warning flags
鈥楾he hard ice always wins鈥�
Dr. Fred Workman has been a team physician for U.S. Figure Skating for 25 years, and lately he’s treating more concussions. This might surprise some who see only the elegance, but figure skating has been pushing the limits of performance, and there’s fallout.
Other frequent injuries include lacerations from knife-edge skates, or hip, knee, ankle and foot injuries 鈥� and shoulder injuries for men lifting partners overhead in the pairs event.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e doing overhead lifts, spinning around on the ice 鈥� and smiling,鈥� Workman said. 鈥淪katers are doing much more demanding and aggressive 鈥� risky if you will 鈥� maneuvers. The hard ice always wins. When you fall on the ice, something is going to give.鈥�
Part of Workman’s job is diagnosis and treatment. The other is a holistic approach to guiding young athletes. This also includes managing stress and .
鈥淟ife doesn鈥檛 always go your way,鈥� Workman said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e in a judged sport. You may not always get the scores you think you deserve. But how do you handle it? You have to get yourself mentally focused and be ready to perform.鈥�
last week in Milan remind of the pressure elite skaters face. Malinin described feeling overwhelmed. 鈥淚 just felt like I had no control,鈥� he said.
Away from competition, Workman asks skaters to add variety to their training 鈥� and to their life.
鈥淣ot only cross-train in your sport, but cross-train as a human,鈥� he said. 鈥淒iversify your interests. A very common mistake is spending all of your time on the ice and less time in off-the-ice training.”
Workman suggested a wider view, even for elite athletes at the Olympic level. He referenced a television ad the NCAA ran several years ago, which reminded college athletes that their life is now sports 鈥� but it won’t always be.
鈥淎t the end of the day, competitive careers end,” Workman said. 鈥淲hy do we even have sport? It鈥檚 to build resilience, to build the life skills you need.鈥�
Concussions, comebacks
The American pairs team of Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea knows about injury. Last year, Kam was out for a month with a concussion and O’Shea needed foot surgery.
Unexpectedly, they put on one of the best performances of their lives to help the United States win its second straight Olympic gold medal in the team event.
鈥淲e just wanted to kind of give it our all, and I feel like that’s part of the reason why Danny and I have been able to work through so much of what people would see as obstacles,鈥� Kam said. 鈥淚 think in the obstacles we found a way to connect better and be a stronger team.”
, an American-born Canadian pairs skater at the Olympics, hit her head on the ice in a training session on Jan. 30. The 42-year-old Stellato-Dudek and partner Maxime Deschamps had to withdraw from the team event during the first week of the Olympics.
鈥淵ou have to take extremely specific care of your body,鈥� she told The AP. 鈥淚 don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I’m extremely healthy. And I do think being able to treat my body like that for the last decade has helped me to heal very quickly.鈥�
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AP sportswriter Dave Skretta contributed from Milan.
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