Who Were Some of the Best Women Olympic Skaters

In the 1990s, a national survey named figure skating as Americans second most popular sport. 1st place went to football. Womens skating events are among the most popular attractions for viewers of each Winter Olympics. Adults admire the combination of grace and athleticism while Children — especially young girls — dream of a future as figure skating stars. Flashy costumes and dance moves combine with rigorous feats of strength in the figure skating events. The pairs skating and ice dancing events show women and men in partnership on the ice. Increasingly, women speed skaters captivate audiences as well. The three standards by which early Olympic officials judged whether an event was appropriate for ladies were beauty, form, and appearance. But early in Olympic figure skating history, before Sonja Henie introduced ballet-like moves, and more recently, athleticism in womens figure skating also had strong appeal. Since 1960, womens speed skating, emphasizing speed, stamina, and strength, has been included in the Olympics. While not as popular as the figure skating events, the popularity of womens speed skating has been growing. Is the popularity of womens figure skating a sign that gender stereotypes are alive and well — that women athletes are still more acceptable if they adhere strongly to traditional feminine stereotypes? Or does it just mean that many people are interested in sports that arent about speed, strength, and a little physical violence? Womens world championship figure skating dates back to 1902 when Madge Syers of Great Britain entered the London World Championship and finished second — just behind Swedish male skater, Ulrich Salchow. But the officials, who had not anticipated women entering the event, then barred women from the world championships. In 1905, a separate womens figure skating event was initiated, and Syers won the first two annual championships in that competition. Women Olympic Figure Skaters Some women Olympic figure skaters you should know: Sonja Henie: Norways Pavlova on ice brought ballet moves to the athletic routines. She went to Hollywood and toured in an ice revue, setting a standard many later figure skating champions followed.Barbara Ann Scott: She was nicknamed Canadas sweetheart.Tenley Albright: She was the first American woman to win the Olympic gold for figure skating.Peggy Fleming: She was a media darling and an early superstar.Dorothy Hamill: Her hairstyle and her personality won hearts worldwide while she won the Olympic gold.Debi Thomas: She lost the gold but became the first African American medalist at the Winter Olympics. After a short pro tour, Thomas went to medical school to become an orthopedic surgeon.Katarina Witt: She was an East German skater who dominated the sport and was famous as a touring professional.Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya Harding, and Oksana Baiul: Tonya Hardings husband and associates deliberately injured Nancy Kerrigan, her skating rival. Kerrigan was allowed a berth on the Olympic tea m though she had to miss the trials, Ukrainian Baiul skated to the Olympic gold past both of them.Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan: They were both excellent figure skaters. They were competitors in 1998 when Lipinski upset Kwan to become the youngest medalist in the event.More women figure skaters you should know about include Kristi Yamaguchi, Nicole Bobek, and Carol Heiss. Pairs Skating In pairs skating, male and female partners coordinate their figure skating, sometimes mirroring each other, sometimes complementing each other. Some women pairs skaters you should know: Irina RodninaEkaterina GordeevaTai Babilionia Ice Dancing In 1976, ice dancing was added as an Olympic sport, with more emphasis on dance and artistry and less emphasis on specific figures than figure skating. Some women ice dancers you should know include: Jayne TorvillIrina Romanova Speed Skating Speed skating for men was added to the Winter Olympics in 1924, and womens speed skating Winter Olympics competition dates back to 1960. Some women speed skating champions you should know include: Bonnie BlairCarol Heiss Jenkins

The Cask Of Amontillado, By Edgar Allen Poe Essay

Everyone has character flaws. Everyone has underlying characteristics that make himself or herself feel insecure, jealous, or irrational at times, and although these characteristics are not necessarily good, that does not make them bad either. These character flaws are special; they make each person who they are. These flaws show that people really care, love and appreciate one another, albeit a little too much at times; however, they also show people’s hate and despise for one another. This side of character flaws is explored in Edgar Allen Poe’s, â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado.† Although Montresor believes that he is superior to Fortunato, they both demonstrate similar character flaws that make them seem very similar. The main characters in Poe’s, â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†, are Montresor and Fortunato. Montresor is the narrator, and he describes themselves as being friends, or acquaintances at the very least. Fortunato is presumably a noblemen of sorts, who emphasizes art and gemmary; he is also known as a gifted connoisseur as is Montresor. However, Montresor sees himself as far different as Fortunato, aside from the love of wines. Fortunato supposedly insulted Montresor, so Montresor has a deep seated hate of Fortunato that he has pledged to act on for retribution. This ultimately leads to the death of a drunken Fortunato one day during carnival season. Montresor is the narrator of the short story that is about a deed he did fifty years in the past, but his identity is notShow MoreRelatedThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allen Poe992 Words   |  4 PagesEdgar Allen Poe had many pieces of literature, but one in particular â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† reflected his personality. It is a short story that can be read easily, and can take on many ironies. The several ironies can point to the fact that Poe himself was implanted into the story as he was a mysterious man. There are several characters with different personalities often interpreted as Poe hiding his dark side which would be â€Å"Montresor†. The other personality Fortunato could be that drunken personalityRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allen Poe953 Words   |  4 Pagesseek revenge. â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is a short story by the American poet, editor and story writer Edgar Allen Poe. This story is a tale of revenge touching on the da rker sides of human nature and at what lengths a man will go to achieve vengeance. We are told by our narrator Montresor that he had been insulted by a wealthy wine connoisseur named Fortunato. Montresor picks him out of the carnival and lures him into his wine cellar with promise of a renown sherry wine, Amontillado. Fortunato is baitedRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allen Poe1052 Words   |  5 PagesEdgar Allen Poe was one of the most famed authors of death, decay, and depression in the 18th century. Poe started his writing career during the Romantic literature period, a period focused on nature, emotions, and a fascination with the supernatural elements. As writers started to write in this new genre, works started becoming dark, with an eerie feeling and a tone of death. Out of the Romantic era came the sub-classification of the Gothic genre. Poe started to embrace this new genre and his writingsRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allen Poe1204 Words   |  5 Pagesbest could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge† (Poe 1). This line draws the reader into the story by bringing up questions like, what insults could have been done to deserve such revenge? The uniqueness in the question itself is that it turns the table of a classic mystery or gothic story (Mcgarth). Instead of asking â€Å"who did it,† the question is, â€Å"why did he do it† (Baraban Motive for Murder in Cask of Amontillado ). Montresor uses Fortunato’s strengthens and turns them intoRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allen Poe851 Words   |  4 Pagesabout â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† Do hate someone, but act like they are your best friend to get something that you want from them? Edgar Allen Poe does in his story â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† as he uses Montresor to tell Fortunato’s journey to catacombs and how he â€Å"conceives and executes an ingenious plan... for revenging† Fortunato (Gruesser 129). In â€Å"The cask of Amontillado† Poe uses tone, plot devices, and the setting to present the theme of appearances masking reality. To begin, Poe uses one toRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allen Poe1025 Words   |  5 PagesJared Mourning English II Prof. Platt Thursday, March 3, 2016 Fortunato’s Misfortune In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† Edgar Allen Poe issues a warning that even your closest friends can stab you in the back when you insult them in the right way. Poe perfectly portrays the way someone you think is your best friend could just as well be your biggest enemy. In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† Edgar Allen Poe uses Montresor’s point of view, plot, and symbolism to convey the cold, merciless man who is MontresorRead More`` Cask Of Amontillado `` By Edgar Allen Poe1505 Words   |  7 PagesEdgar Allen Poe was a writer who sculpted every detail to create his desired â€Å"theme†. His short stories are mostly representing the murder of a character. The murderer, who is the narrator, explains the plan for the murder. The narrator destroys the humans around him through his destructive mind. The reason for the murder is revenge and hatred. In â€Å"Cask of Amontillado† and â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† Poe utilized â€Å"unreliable na rrators,† he even created similarities between murder and victim to establishRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allen Poe1492 Words   |  6 Pages McMullen 531-06 1 September 2014 Summer Reading The Cask of Amontillado In The Cask of Amontillado, by Edgar Allen Poe, Montressor is able to successfully manipulate Fortunato s arrogance and pride and use it against him as revenge. Montressor knows that Fortunato has a love for wine. Montressor tells Fortunato that he may have acquired Amontillado, a very nice wine. Montressor is not quite sure if the wine is Amontillado, but since Fotunato appears to be occupied Montressor saysRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allen Poe1723 Words   |  7 Pages Were Montresor’s action in The Cask of Amontillado justified? Is killing someone justifiable? In Edgar Allen Poe’s short story The Cask of Amontillado that question is one that could be asked. The short story is about a man named Montresor and his quest to get revenge on his foe Fourtando who has apparently insulted Montresor. Around the time of the carnival season Montresor leaves his house to go find Fourtando and get his revenge he tells none of his servants toRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado, By Edgar Allen Poe884 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† by Edgar Allen Poe, one finds the horror throughout its pages. The ideas of unexplained revenge and images of scenes only getting darker and colder cause one to have feelings of dread and disbelief. The protagonist, Montresor, has waited fifty years to tell his story, and one has to question the reliability of what he is saying. Questions of true justice and the power of an insult arise, only magnifying those ideas of horror. In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado ,† one sees a

Cosmic Creation Myth Free Essays

Cosmic Creation Myth across Culture Paper Kristin Sheffield HUM 105 For decades myths have been told about the development of the world. Each culture has their version of how life began. These myths are centered on creation; how the earth was created, how the sky, land or the sea was created, and how humans and animals were created. We will write a custom essay sample on Cosmic Creation Myth or any similar topic only for you Order Now These myths give cultures the security of belief. Different cultures believe differently, but these beliefs help certain cultures to continue to face problems or issues, worship, and create happiness and peace. The Enuma Elish Apsu, the father of Sweet Waters  and Tiamat, Mother of Salt Waters created 3 unruly children. The children gods were just being children, but unfortunately they were disrupting Tiamat’s peace. She grew to hate their behavior and asked Apsu to deal with them. When he tried they just ignored him. Due to their unwillingness to obey their parents Apsu’s resolution was to destroy them. Tiamat was very upset by this resolution. She told Apsu that his resolution was evil and they needed to be more understanding. Her pleas were ignored by Apsu. Apsu and Tiamat’s creations soon realized Apsu’s evil plans to destroy them. At first they cried, and then they succumbed to their fate. However somehow they had befriended Ea, the wisest God, who eventually killed Apsu and made his co-conspirator his slave. This is a Babylonian Myth. This myth later became the reason for a national holiday in which they â€Å"emphasized the reestablishment of order†, (Rosenberg. 2006). The Creation of the Universe Ife Olorun, the god with the greatest knowledge, had a son, Obatala, who wanted to create land where Olokun, the goddess of endless waters and wild marshes ruled. Obatala went to his older brother for advice on how to proceed. His brother’s gift was one of prophecy. He advised his brother and sent him on his way. Obatala did everything he said he’d do. He created land in the middle of marshy water; he then created plants. But he wanted more and more. While drunk on wine, he started playing with clay. He asked Olorun to â€Å"breathe life into them†, (Rosenberg. 2006). Once he sobered he realized they were imperfect. He decided never to drink that type of wine again and vowed to protect all the humans that suffered because he was drunk. He â€Å"became the protector of all those who are born deformed† (Rosenberg. 006). This myth came from Africa; the Yoruba people. They showed more emotion in their stories; Love, jealousy, sympathy and anger. As with many myths, the creators of these myths were neither male nor female. They were groups of people. The Enuma Elish myth was from the Babylonians and also the Assyrians as well. For The Creation of Universe Ife, this myth came from the Yoruba people of Africa. Together these myths share similarities about suffering and appreciation for what they have. In these myths something vital has to be restored in order to move forward. With the Enuma Elish it was the balance between good and evil. With The Creation of Universe Ife he became the protector of imperfect people. Both The Enuma Elish and The Creation of Universe Ife had mainly water as the major element. In The Enuma Elish both parent gods were from Salt or Sweet waters. Olokun, in The Creation of Universe Ife was god of mash and wild waters. In both myths anything that disrupted peace made the waters â€Å"surge back and forth† (Rosenberg. 2006). Another similarity was humans were created. In The Enuma Elisa Ea killed Kingu by severing his blood vessels. The first humans came from the blood. In The Creation of Universe Ife, Olorun â€Å"breathed life† into the clay for Obatala creating humans. The difference was Obatala wanted companions, but Ea’s purpose was to have the humans â€Å"serve the gods† (Rosenberg. 2006). These myths were designed to understand the unexplainable. Different cultures explained them differently. Each culture had god and goddesses. Stories of these gods and goddesses explained things to humans such as how we (humans) came to be; how the earth formed; why humans look differently from other humans or animals; etc. Different cultures believe how things came to be differently. It depends on their faith, religion, and beliefs as to what they will believe. In all the stories that are being told, it would only take a person with influence to announce the story is true in order for other people to start believing. Once other people start believing, the proof is optional. Reference Rosenberg, D. (2006). World Mythology: An anthology of great myths and epics (3rd ed. ). Chicago, IL: McGraw-Hill. How to cite Cosmic Creation Myth, Papers