You may not know sophomore Jamie Kaplan, but you've probably heard of one of her former peers, Olympic gold medallist Sarah Hughes. And although Hughes might have walked away the women's figure skating champion of the 2002 Winter Olympics, at one time Kaplan placed ahead of America's new golden girl.
Kaplan, who skated for 11 years starting at the age of seven, was top four for figure skating in New England for five years. As a high school freshman, she moved from Colorado Springs to Andover, MA, so that she could train at the Tony Kent Arena in Cape Cod. There, Kaplan trained with Evy and Mary Scotvold, who also coached Olympians Nancy Kerrigan and Paul Wiley.
Passion resonates in her voice when she speaks about the sport. "I absolutely loved it," she said.
Kaplan grew up competing with Hughes. She first competed and beat the up-and-coming skater in 1994 at the Lake Placid Championships in New York. The two met again at the US Figure Skating Eastern Sectional Championships, where Hughes represented the North Atlantic region, and Kaplan the New England region.
According to Kaplan, Hughes has been well known for her talent in the figure skating circle for quite some time.
"She was a name from a very young age," Kaplan said.
In 1995 and 1996, Kaplan beat Hughes at Easterns. Considering Hughes' recent accomplishment, Kaplan finds it almost hard to believe that she once competed against the gold-medallist.
"I think it's really funny to say I competed against her," Kaplan said.
Skating at Kaplan's level was a significant commitment, as was achieving sponsorship, which is granted on a very selective basis. Kaplan left high school early each day to skate a three-hour session, dance twice a week, weight-train three times a week, and complete cardio conditioning every day.
Kaplan left the sport her senior year, primarily because her goals changed from achieving Olympic glory to attending college.
"It wasn't my dream anymore," Kaplan said. "For everyone in the sport, you dedicate so much time and it's a dream [the Olympics] that everyone has. I didn't regret it; only one in a million make it."
And while Kaplan does miss skating, she now uses her experience to coach. Kaplan currently teaches skating in nearby Stoneham, and over the summer she assisted Evy Scotvold in teaching young skaters spins and choreography. During that time she worked with Jenny Kirk, who missed competing in the Olympics by only two places.
While she is sorry that the US didn't win all three medals in women's figure skating, this year's Olympics was exciting for Kaplan as she has witnessed Hughes' career bloom.
"She skated so well," Kaplan said. "You can tell how much she loves it and I know she trains very hard _ I've seen her."
