Sunday, May 12, 2002
Sarah Hughes' whirlwind tour stops in Queen City
Skater's performance of a lifetime led to gold medal
By John Erardi, jerardi@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
![[img]](http://enquirer.com/editions/2002/05/12/hughes_150x200.jpg)
Sarah Hughes of the United States at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
(AP photo)
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Sarah Hughes, the Olympic figure-skating champion, has more than a passing fancy with Cincinnati. While here, she'll be doing more than performing tonight with the John Hancock's Champions on Ice tour at 7 p.m. at the Firstar Center.
“We have some close family friends in Cincinnati,” said Hughes, of Great Neck, N.Y., a suburb of New York City. “My next-door neighbor's daughter moved to Cincinnati. She and her husband are doctors. That's what I want to be someday — a doctor. I hope to visit the hospital where they work.”
There probably won't be time for Sarah to visit University Hospital today, because she has to be in New York Monday. But Drs. Joan and Jeff Matthews, who have been in town for less than a year, will spend some time with her today, and plan on inviting her back to town.
“For a visit like that (to University Hospital), you want to see it like a medical student would, not as a celebrity,” said Joan, who is an associate professor of clinical anesthesiology.
Joan's husband is the chief of surgery at University. His official title — and this is something the aspiring physician Sarah Hughes will want to know — is Christian R. Holmes Professor, Chairman, Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati Medical Center. He is also the president of the Society of University Surgeons.
Which means this: When Sarah returns to Cincinnati, she is going to get a triple lutz of a tour when it comes to the inner workings of University Hospital.
Who knows how Sarah's life might ultimately be changed by having won the gold? But the fourth of six siblings is on the right track: She isn't taking her high school courses by correspondence. She attends school during the week, and on weekends, she skates with the Champions on Ice tour.
“I'm experiencing a lot of new things,” Sarah said, “but it's important for me to skate well and always be at my best ... Sometimes we do get to go out, but I also like to get my homework done and e-mail some of my friends.”
It is a world-class tour Greater Cincinnatians will see today. Also performing are Olympic silver medalist Irina Slutskaya and bronze medalist Michelle Kwan. The trio starred in one of the most dramatic nights of figure skating during the Salt Lake City Winter Games.
“It was an enormous competition, and it was just great to be a part of it,” Sarah said. “I remember looking around during the opening ceremonies and thinking how far I had come (as a figure skater).”
For the silver medalist, Slutskaya, there were protests back in her home country of Russia that she should have won the gold.
“At first,” Slutskaya said, “people said to me, "You are the best,'” — that is, she deserved the gold. “But there is nothing anybody can do about it. I'm just happy to have the silver medal.”
Hughes' performance in the long program won her the gold. But it wouldn't have happened if Slutskaya hadn't finished second in the free skate. Had Slutskaya finished one spot higher in the free skate, she'd have won the gold; one spot lower, and Kwan would have won gold.
Hughes would have won a silver medal. But that, of course, isn't what happened.
Other performers in tonight's show include Sasha Cohen, Timothy Goebel, Evgeny Plushenko and Elvis Stojko.
As for her stellar performance in the Olympic long program, Sarah said:
“I went for the fun of it, and turned in the performance of a lifetime — at this time,” she was careful to add.
It certainly made for an interesting night for Dr. Joan and Dr. Jeff back here in Cincinnati. Each had a cell phone in one ear as they talked with Joan's parents in Salt Lake City, where they were sharing a house with the Hughes family.
“I was in tears by the end of her performance,” Joan said.
Among Olympic gold medalists, there is no fame like that which belongs to the female figure skating champions.
Even the most macho of male team-sports viewers know Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hammill, Kristi Yamaguchi, Tara Lipinski and now, Sarah Hughes.
Hughes is not ruling out competing in the next Olympics.
“If my skating is up to that level, I'd love to do it,” she said. “What's been so great is that I'm able to appreciate all that is happening to me ... I've been able to take part in things larger than I can do myself — such as getting involved with other organizations and charities to help people.”
Hughes' program tonight will be accompanied by Maureen McGovern's “I'll Never Say Goodbye.”
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![[img]](http://enquirer.com/editions/2002/05/12/hughes_zoom.jpg)
Sarah Hughes' whirlwind tour stops in Queen City
