Triple Lutz-Triple Toe Loop, Kimmie, Triple Lutz-Triple Toe Loop!

The Maryland connection to the Winter Olympics is Kimmie Meissner.

Ms. Meissner, part of the Women's Figure Skating Team and, at 16, the youngest member of the entire US Olympic Team, is from Bel Air up in Harford County. Much of the state, it seems, has Kimmie-mania. I guess I'm one of them because she is the only point of interest for me at this year's games. The Baltimore Sun has had front page coverage of her for the last week. Full-color photos show-off her performances; large, full-page graphics highlight the various twirls and spins skaters perform to catch the eye of the judges (who are using a new scoring system, I'm told, to prevent the cheating that occurred at the last Olympics.) We get definitions of all those maneuvers with the arcane names: Lutz, Axel, Salchow. We get pictures of large, proud, Harford Countians dining in local pizzarias; every restaurant in Harford County has a Kimmie fund going.

They tell me Kimmie is not expected to medal. I'm told that Irina and Sasha and any number of Japanese skaters will beat her out. But I don't believe any of that. I'm fully expecting her to bring back an Olympic medal to Maryland. I mean look at that face, that smile... does someone that enthusiastic and young and cute not belong on a Wheaties box? What a story! How could God deprive Maryland of that?

All we need to do is keep Don Schaefer away from her.
K-