Considering Kristi Yamaguchi was standing on that same podium in Albertville herself, does she think that transformation is really possible? COULD A HOCKEY PLAYER MAKE THE TRANSITION?ĭoug doesn’t just learn how to figure skate he is good enough to compete at the highest level and win.

In only two years time Doug makes the skating transition and the pair become one of the best duos in the world, winning the gold medal at the Albertville games. That’s when her famous figure skating coach approaches Doug about getting back to the Olympics by converting him into Kate’s partner. Two years later Doug is working construction, and the difficult-to-work-with/pain-in-the-ass Kate can’t find anyone willing to skate with her. Meanwhile, Kate Moseley is dropped by her pairs partner during the figure skating pairs competition, ending her gold medal hopes. He’s described as being one of the best skaters in amateur hockey, but his career is cut short after a cheap shot leaves him partially blind in one eye. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, men’s hockey team captain and college junior Doug Dorsey is on the verge of joining the NHL. Quick refresher if you haven’t seen The Cutting Edge recently (don’t act like you’ve got better things to do).

national pairs champion John Coughlin 1992 Olympic women’s gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi and Yamaguchi’s husband Bret Hedican, a 17-year NHL veteran, Stanley Cup winner, and former Olympian.īased on their responses let’s just say things do not look good for Doug Dorsey-truthers. To finally get an answer I consulted real figure skating champions: 20 U.S. But as much as I love The Cutting Edge, one of the greatest sports movie/romcom hybrids ever, one thing has always bothered me about it: is it possible? Is there any way you could really turn a hockey player with no prior figure skating experience into a gold-medal winning pairs champion? That’s when former hockey player Doug Dorsey shocked the sports world by winning gold with Kate Moseley in pairs figure skating. The world might be focused on the athletes in Pyeonchang, South Korea right now, but I’m still obsessed with a fictional competition that took place over 25 years ago during the Winter Games in Albertville, France.

Kristi yamaguchi ice skating game