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>>> AMERICAN FIGURE SKATING LEGEND PEGGY FLEMING HAS BEEN
WORKING ON A COMPETITION.
IT'S THE THIRD ANNUAL
COMPETITION.
COMPETITION. IT WILL BE STREAMED ON FRIDAY
ON THE U.S. FIGURE SKATING FAN
ZONE WEBSITE.
ZONE WEBSITE. WITH US TO TALK ABOUT HOW ALL
THIS CAME TOGETHER IS PEGGY
FLEMING WHO LIVES RIGHT HERE IN
DENVER.
DENVER.
DENVER. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO
TALK TO US.
SO HOW DOES THIS WORK?
I KNOW ALL SPORTS ARE TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO GO VIRTUAL.
HOW WILL IT HAPPEN ON FRIDAY?
>> WE WILL DO IT VIRTUAL.
THIS IS THE FIRST FIGURE
SKATING CHAMPIONSHIP THAT HAS
BEEN VIRTUAL.
BEEN VIRTUAL. OUR FIRST TWO YEARS WERE LIVE
AT THE BROADMORE IN COLORADO
SPRINGS.
SPRINGS.
SPRINGS. BUT, THIS YEAR, THEY CANCELED
THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN
MARCH.
MARCH.
MARCH. AND THEN, THE CORONAVIRUS WAS
REALLY STILL CLIMBING.
AND WE HAD OUR EVENT IN JUNE.
WE THOUGHT MAYBE WE SHOULD
START THINKING OUT OF THE BOX
AND SEE IF WE CAN DO IT
VIRTUALLY.
VIRTUALLY. SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE DOING.
IT IS REALLY AN HISTORIC EVENT.
AND, THE SKATERS FILM
THEMSELVES AT THEIR HOME RINK.
MAYBE THEIR COACH IS FILMING
THEM SO EVERYBODY IS THE SAME.
AND, THEY SEND THEIR VIDEO TO
THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE AND THE
JUDGES.
JUDGES.
JUDGES. AND, THE JUDGES ARE GOING TO
JUDGE IT SORT OF LIVE AT THE
SAME TIME.
SAME TIME. SO IT IS KIND OF LIKE A REAL
COMPETITION.
COMPETITION. WELL, IT IS IS A REAL
COMPETITION.
COMPETITION. >> IT WILL BE FASCINATING TO
SEE HOW IT PANS OUT.
I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU, BECAUSE
I REMEMBER 1968, YOU BROUGHT
HOME THE OWN GOLD MEDAL FOR THE
UNITED STATES IN THE WINTER
OLYMPICS.
OLYMPICS.
OLYMPICS. BUT, WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED?
WHAT CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW YOUR
HEART WOULD HAVE DEALT WITH A
MONTH OR A YEAR BEFORE THE
COMPETITION BEING TOLD WE HAVE
TO WAIT A YEAR?
WITH WHAT ALL THESE ATHLETES
ARE GOING THROUGH NOW, YOU CAN
IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT IT MUST
BE.
BE.
BE. >>
BE. >> IT
BE. >> IT IS DEVASTATING FOR THESE
ATHLETES.
ATHLETES.
ATHLETES. YOU ARE ONLY THIS AGE AND IN
THIS SHAPE, YOU KNOW, A FEW
YEARS OF YOUR LIFE.
AND, TO WAIT A YEAR IS KIND OF
PUSHING IT.
PUSHING IT. BUT, YOU CAN DO IT.
BUT MAYBE, YOU WON'T GET YOUR
PEAK PERFORMANCE.
PEAK PERFORMANCE. AND, THE RISING STARS ARE STILL
COMING UP AS WELL.
SO YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE THE
REASON WHY WE DID THIS
COMPETITION IS THAT I THINK A
LOT OF PEOPLE ARE THINKING YOU
KNOW, FIGURE SKATING IS PAYING
WAY TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO THE
JUMPS AND TECHNICAL SIDE AND
THE ARTISTRY HAS BEEN PUSHED
ASIDE.
ASIDE.
ASIDE. SO
ASIDE. SO WE STARTED THIS CHAMPIONSHIP
SO THE SKATER CAN HAVE A LITTLE
FREEDOM.
FREEDOM.
FREEDOM. THEY ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO DO FOUR
JUMPS, THREE SPINS.
IT ALLOWS THEM TO BE EXPRESSIVE
AND SKATE TO THE MUSIC.
ALL THE PERFORMANCE WILL BE
FROM AN ARTISTIC POINT OF VIEW.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE
ISU AND U.S. FIGURE SKATING TO
MAKE UP THE RULES AND
COMPONENTS OF EVERYTHING.
SO THIS COULD BE THE FUTURE OF
FIGURE SKATING COMPETITIONS AND
I DON'T KNOW FOR HOW LONG.
BUT, WE WANT TO KEEP CARRYING
ON.
ON.
ON. THE
ON. THE SKATERS NEED SOMETHING TO
LOOK FORWARD TO AND KEEP THEIR
EDGE COMPETING.
EDGE COMPETING. >> HOPEFULLY IT IS A BLUEPRINT
FOR OTHER SPORTS THAT CAN
FASHION SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND
FIND A WAY TO DO IT VIRTUALLY.
IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK IN
COLORADO.
COLORADO.
COLORADO. YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
STATE GOES BACK TO BEFORE THOSE
OLYMPIC GAMES.
OLYMPIC GAMES. THE BROADMORE WAS YOUR HOME.
IT IS A PARTNER IN THIS AS
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. TALK ABOUT THE BROADMORE.
WHAT IT HAS MEANT TO YOU.
>> THEY HAD A SKATING RINK
THERE WHEN I WAS TRAINING.
THEY HAVE NOW TORN IT DOWN AND
MOVED THE ARENA CLOSER TO THE
FREEWAY.
FREEWAY.
FREEWAY. BUT YOU KNOW, THE BROADMORE, IT
JUST, IT CHANGED MY LIFE.
IT CHANGED HOW I CARRIED
MYSELF.
MYSELF.
MYSELF. IT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL HOTEL.
THE GUESTS ARE SO ELEGANT.
I WOULD WALK INTO THE ARENA AND
THOUGHT I NEED TO STAND UP A
LITTLE STRAIGHTER.
LITTLE STRAIGHTER. [ LAUGHTER ] SO THEN, WE HAVE
PEOPLE WATCHING FROM THE HOTEL.
THEY CAN JUST WALK IN AND WATCH
OUR PRACTICES.
OUR PRACTICES. SO THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, MADE
US FEEL LIKE WE HAD AN AUDIENCE
ALL THE TIME.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY, IT IS
GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK IN THE
STATE.
STATE.
STATE. WE
STATE. WE LOOK FORWARD