"It may seem crazy to want to go headfirst, up to 80 mph ... but it would be fascinating."
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Most underappreciated? "The biathlon. People make fun of this sport, but the participants are amazing athletes." / Alex Domanski/NordicFocus, Getty Images
"You could enjoy some pizza and beer and still curl." / Doug Pensinger, Getty Images
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Sizzling competition! Hunky athletes! Trash talking! And sex! With Olympics fever spreading, who better than superstar figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi - who brought home the gold in 1992 - to give a behind-the-scenes peek at the drama, fun and excitement that will unfold during the Winter Games next month?
Here's the skinny from Yamaguchi, exclusively for readers of USA WEEKEND Magazine:
Rivalry to watch
"Apolo Anton Ohno facing off against Lee Jung-Su and Sung Si-Bak of South Korea, and Charles Hamelin of Canada. Apolo is the United States' darling of short-track skating. People love to watch him be?cause he's a rebel on the ice, with his long hair and goatee and his fierce will to win. These competitors are the best he'll face. Jung-Su is strongest in the 1,500-meter race, and Charles and Si-Bak are very fast in the 500-meter sprint. Apolo should skate in those two events, as well as the 1,000 meters and the relay. Short-track speed skating itself is so fun to watch because it's tight and physical, and there's lots of strategy in passing. It's like watching NASCAR at a short track like Bristol."
Sport you have to see live to appreciate
"Long-track speed skating. You really don't realize how fast they go until you're there. The speed and the endurance is amazing. When you're in the stands, you can see the race develop over the entire oval course. Then, the crowd excitement builds and builds, and the whole thing gets very electrifying."
Athletes who train the most
"Cross-country skiers. It's all about the stamina. Your typical cross-country skier has got to be in the same top condition as a marathon runner."
Can't-miss event of the Games
"The Opening Ceremony is always the highlight of the Games for me, to watch all the athletes march in front of the crowd, so proud and excited to be representing their countries. It appeals to viewers, even if they don't particularly like watching sports. I'll never forget being chosen to perform a skating routine in 2002 for the first night of the Salt Lake City Games. It was a very proud moment for me. And there's a special excitement about it being in Vancouver this time. In 1988 in Calgary, we had one of the greatest Olympics ever. Now, we're back to Canada for the first time since then, and everyone is excited to be there to compete. Hopefully, it will be a very memorable Olympics this time, too."
Biggest myth about figure skaters
"That we're dainty. We train hard, and a lot of that is spent in the weight room. When I competed, I worked with metal weights on my legs and upper body. You need the strength to gain control over your jumps while still exploding into them. In 1992, I dip-squatted with 205 pounds of Olympic weights on my shoulders, and I only weighed 92 pounds!"
Biggest myth about hockey players
"That they're brutal, nasty Neanderthals. They're actually the sweetest, most approachable athletes off the ice. They just play really hard and get into fights because they have so much passion and respect for the game. When you see two hockey players fight on the ice, you'll often see them raising a glass at a bar together after it's all said and done."
Biggest myth about male skiers
"Well, it's that they're fun-loving Casanovas. But that myth is actually true. They like to work hard by day, play hard by night and enjoy all of the attention they get from the girls."
Under-televised sport to watch online
"The biathlon. People make fun of this sport, but the participants are amazing athletes. It combines two sports that are challenging in different ways. First, they need the stamina to do cross-country skiing. Then, they have to dial back off of the adrenaline you get from racing to hold a gun steady enough to hit a target. That's amazing."
Sport that's much better on TV than live
"Alpine skiing. On TV, you can watch the skier go all the way down the hill. You get all the stat updates about who's in first and what the pace is. In person, all you can do is watch someone go 'swoosh!' past you in a blur."
More likely to be eating pizza than working out
"The curlers. It's impressive to see how they strategize with respect to where they place the stones and how to slide them on the ice. But let's face it: There isn't a lot of movement involved. You could enjoy some pizza and beer and play this sport."
Athletes most likely to trash talk
"Figure skaters and hockey players. Yeah, I know, I married a hockey player. [That's Bret Hedican, a former NHL player and U.S. player in the Games.] But these two kinds of athletes generally don't get along. We often have to practice on the same ice. Figure skaters need ice to be clean, with temperatures in the low 20s. Hockey players get the ice all cut up, and they want the arena to be colder because they wear heavy uniforms. Then, they go into the locker room and stink it up. When we complain, they tell us we're being prissy prima donnas."
A sport Kristi would enjoy trying
"Skeleton sledding. It may seem crazy to want to go headfirst, up to 80 mph, in something like that. But I love the aspect of trying to memorize the track and the angles to gain control of the sled when it's going so fast. It would be fascinating."
OK, how much romantic canoodling actually goes on at the athletes' village? "[Laughs.] A lot! Hey, you have a bunch of attractive athletes all together in one place, and it feels like a college dorm in there. When you're finished with competition, many of the competitors want to let loose."
Cover and cover story photos of Kristi Yamaguchi at the Oakland Ice Center by Blake Little for USA WEEKEND. Hair, makeup by Tamara Brown, Artist Untied; wardrobe styling by Shannon Dunn, Artist Untied. Cover clothing, courtesy Bloomingdale's: coat by The North Face, turtleneck by Eileen Fisher, jeans by DL1961, scarf by Collection 59; inside clothing, except shirt, courtesy Bloomingdale's: vest by Lauren, turtleneck by J.Crew, pants by Theory.
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