Ladies' On Ice: The Showcase Event

Other Americans: Kimmie Meissner, 16, and Emily Hughes, 17, are both legitimate skaters of the first rank. But neither is likely to contend. At last year's national championships, Meissner became the first American skater to perform a triple axel since Tonya Harding back in 1991. This year she won the silver medal behind Cohen at the nationals. Hughes, the bronze medalist, brings a lot of her sister Sarah's ebullience to the ice and can really warm up a crowd. But because her sister also finished third at nationals and was about the same age when she won the 2002 Olympics, the expectations for her have been a little over hyped. Her smile, however, is contagious and can light up the arena. If neither Cohen nor the kids medal, it would mark the first time that an American was not on the ladies' podium since the 1964 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. That year the U.S. team was still rebuilding following the plane crash that killed its national team on route to the 1961 world championships in Prague. The top American performer that year was 15-year-old Peggy Fleming, who finished sixth. Four years later she was, of course, her sport's unrivalled queen. Both Meissner and Hughes are likely to stick around to try and claim that distinction at the 2010 Games in Vancouver.

NBC: If the ratings are bad for this competition, then America has indeed undergone a seismic shift in taste and habits. The ladies always deliver the goods.

© 2006