Jeremy Abbott: Profile of US Figure Skating Olympian for Sochi 2014
Figure skater Jeremy Abbott has had his share of ups and downs. When he competes in Sochi, he will be trying to overcome his 2010 Winter Olympics failure (he finished ninth).
"I was thrilled to be in my first Olympic games," Abbott said he said in a video on TeamUSA's website. "But when I got there, I crashed and burned."
Abbott's off-the-ice favorites include the Boston Red Sox, Project Runway and singer Adele.
Athletic Profile
Abbott, 28, is a four-time U.S. champion, the 2008 Grand Prix Final champion and a two-time Four Continents bronze medalist. He considers himself an athlete and an artist.
"I love doing crazy feats that nobody else can do," Abbott said in the video.
He tries to incorporate these moves into his choreography and then "takes the audience on a journey," he said.
He is planning to retire after the 2014 Olympics.
The Controversy
Abbott came under fire when he refused to criticize Russia's anti-gay policies. Abbott refrained from lashing out at the nation hosting the Olympic games, saying it would be similar to going into somebody's house and criticizing the way they decorate.
That attitude drew criticism from gay-advocate sites The Backlot and Back2Stonewall.
Social Profile
Abbott tweets regularly about skating @jeremyabbottpcf (22,000+ followers). He also posts information on his Facebook and Instagram, where he has more than 4,000 followers.
Injury Update
Abbott is healthy after nagging back injuries impacted him in 2012.
Making the Team
Abbott qualified for Sochi by winning the U.S. Figure Skating Championship at TD Garden in Boston. It was his fourth national title, and he will be joined in Sochi by Jason Brown, who won the free skate portion of the event.
Quote
"Being an athlete and having trained so long for this, I would just be crushed if that was taken away. Pulling athletes out of a competitive event isn't going to solve some country's political disputes."
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