The
Second Mark : Courage, Corruption, and the Battle for Olympic Gold
by Joy Goodwin
Book Description:
It was billed as the greatest event in the history of pair skating:
three of the best teams of all time battling for Olympic gold on one night
in Salt Lake City. Technical ability was approximately equal. It was the
artistic merit score that would decide the gold medal -- the second mark.
Representing Canada, China, and Russia, the three pairs illuminated
their distinct cultures. On the second mark, whose culture would triumph?
Would it be the beauty of the Russians' ballet on ice, the thrill of the
Chinese pair's heart-stopping acrobatics, or the Canadians' passionate
connection with the audience? In a down-to-the-wire nail-biter, the difference
between gold and silver came down to the vote of a single judge. Hours
later, a bombshell: the confession of a French judge unleashed a worldwide
debate -- and ultimately produced an unprecedented duplicate gold medal.
The Second Mark reveals what an athlete really goes through to become
the best in the world, through the riveting stories of unforgettable people.
We meet Yelena Berezhnaya of Russia, who survives emergency brain surgery
after a near-fatal training accident and makes it back to the Olympics
in less than two years. We meet Zhao Hongbo, a young boy skating in subzero
weather in remotest China, who will fulfill his coach's twenty-year dream
of catching up to the West. And we meet two Canadians, a barista and a
concession stand worker, who had almost quit the sport before deciding
to give it one last try -- and becoming world champions.
Exhaustively researched by a skating insider, The Second Mark takes
readers deep into the world of the Olympic athlete, illuminating the fascinating
differences between East and West. From the frozen fields of China to the
secret corridors of the old Soviet sports system, from a tiny farm village
in remotest Quebec to the judges' backstage world, The Second Mark tells
the compelling human stories behind one of the most controversial nights
in Olympic history.
Hardcover from Simon & Schuster
Book Published: 04 March, 2004 |
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