UD skaters headed for Olympics

By popular demand, second send-off added at 2 p.m., Jan. 26

University of Delaware pairs skaters Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn have earned a trip to the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.

Scott and Dulebohn finished second in the U.S. Figure Skating Association championship pairs competition, held Friday evening, Jan. 11, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to win a berth on the U.S. Olympic team. They join reigning national pairs champions Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman.

Although Scott and Dulebohn were the defending national silver medalists, they had to overcome much adversity to reach their goal of Olympic competition.

Dulebohn was sidelined through the summer by a stress fracture in his left ilium, a pelvic bone, and for about four months the pair was unable to skate. Scott and Dulebohn resumed practice in the fall and reached their normal level of training just last month.

Scott and Dulebohn will leave for Colorado Springs on Sunday, Jan. 20, to train in higher altitude in preparation for the Salt Lake City Winter Games.

The pair will return to the UD campus for the Olympic send-off ice skating exhibitions, to be held at 2 and 5 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 26, in the Fred Rust Ice Arena, Route 896, Newark. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for UD students, senior citizens and children under 12. Tickets are now on sale at UD box offices. The show is supported by DART, a Division of DelDOT. For more information, call (302) 831-2868.

The Olympics opening ceremonies will be held Feb. 8, and Scott and Dulebohn will take to the ice for the pairs short program the following evening in the Salt Lake Ice Center. The pairs free program will be held Feb. 11. Tickets for both of the competitive events are sold out.

Also at the national championships in Los Angeles, Shaun Rogers won the silver medal in the junior men’s competition and was chosen to represent the U.S. at the Junior World Championships to be held March 4-10 in Norway.

Kendra Goodwin and Chris Obzansky finished third in junior dance and Katie Hatford fourth in novice ladies.