Scott Hamilton Interview (page: 4 / 9) Olympic Hall of Fame	Print Interview

When you are introduced as Scott Hamilton of the United States of America, do you feel you are out there for the United States?

Scott Hamilton: In certain situations. At the World Championships, yes and no.

Get the Flash Player to see this video. The World Championships is a place for you to really compete and try to beat other skaters from other countries. At the Olympic Games you are representing the United States. It's a different whole. It's the same skaters, same judges, same size of ice, same music, same everything, same format, same, same, but the one thing that is different is: It's the Olympic Games, and you're sharing your successes and failures with everyone that's a U.S. citizen. And it's theirs, it belongs to them. So when I sit up on the podium and I get my medal and I get to hear my anthem and to see my flag raised, I'm the point person for millions and millions of people, that can for that moment in time just feel pride that one of their own did okay. And you feel like you have like 100 million parents and 100 million brothers and sisters and you share it.

[ Key to Success ] The American Dream

It's what makes the Olympics so magic. It's an amazing thing to hear your anthem and to completely lose it. If people at home are losing it too, they're feeling the exact same emotions I was at that same moment. It's their medal too, they share in it. Most other competitions are individual achievements, but the Olympic Games is something that belongs to everybody.

I hope that all athletes feel that way, because it makes it so much richer and so much better an experience to be able to represent a lot of other people. That's what makes the Ryder Cup in golf so much better than the Masters or the U.S. Open. To be a part of something that is not about personal achievement, but about representing everyone and sharing it with the whole country, it's wonderful.

What were you thinking in Sarajevo in '84 when you won the gold medal that time?

Scott Hamilton: It's every emotion you can possibly imagine. It's the joy of reaching your goal. It's the sadness that the goal is over. It's a feeling of triumph that you've won the day. It's a feeling of loss and emptiness, because everything that you've ever worked for is now at an end, and you're looking over this chasm. What's next? It's over. So it's great pride and it's emptiness. It's so conflicting, and they're at the same time. You're feeling all that at once, and it's overwhelming. I couldn't control myself on the stand, because I understood what had happened. I understood where I came from to get to there. I understood I was sharing it with everybody, but as great as it was, it's over. And now, where do I go? What am I going to do with myself?

Everything that was my identity has now come to an end and I'm lost. And The second they put the medal around your neck, that part of your life is over. The process of getting there is so terrific, all the sprains, and strains, and breaks, and fractures, and casts, and bruises, and disastrous performances, and great performances, all that is culminated, over, done. It messes with you a little bit. It's really difficult, but it's wonderful. It's contradictory.

What were you thinking when you got off that stand? When you realized you had achieved this tremendous goal, how did you deal with that question: What's next?

Scott Hamilton: I look at that whole ceremony now and it kind of defined my direction. Brian Orser won both freestyles. He totally kicked in the long program especially. My strategy was perfect going in. If I win the figures, I'm going to win, unless I really blow up into a million piece, which I didn't think I could do because I'd worked really hard. He skated great and blew me away. I made a couple of mistakes and he won the long. program.

But we get off the podium and I'm feeling all those emotions and we step down and I say, "Brian, can we take a couple of laps?" He says, "Why?" And I say, "I figure this is the last time that you're going to be looking at my back. From now on I think I'll be looking at yours, if we continue to compete against each other. I just want to savor the moment." And he says, "Absolutely." We were the best of friends.

I went around once, and we were waving, and then I saw a guy who had a flag on a conduit pipe. As we went around again I grabbed it, and that was the moment where I felt, "Whatever you're feeling, whatever it is, it's party time. This is a moment to be shared and this is the one way that you can really show the people that this isn't mine, this is ours."

I knew that there were always going to be challenges in front of me. The way I talk to Brian and the way that he offered his support and friendship, that's something that hasn't changed. We're still the best of friends, we still support each other.

The fact that I knew I had to compete against him in three weeks at the World Championships in his home country was another thing. I was lucky to get by him there too. But sharing it with all the people, just bringing up the flag and knowing that maybe I affected some people in a positive way was really wonderful.

Do you feel the love from your fans out in the audience?

Scott Hamilton: Yes, people are very nice to me. I'm very accessible. I don't get into this ego thing. I've watch how other people react to success and how it can undermine their happiness at times. I try to remember that today is special, and that tomorrow is going to be a lot different. Every day is going to be closer to the end of my skating career, so why feel intruded upon if somebody comes up and says hello and offers me a compliment? It's the greatest thing in the world. Sometimes it's a little overwhelming. People are wonderful to me, and I don't always understand why they're so kind and so giving.

Get the Flash Player to see this video. I've always tried to share any successes that I've had. And, I've even shared some of the really horrible times, which I think is important, if you want to be a kind of honorary member of somebody's family. And, I just try to share as much as possible. And, when I skate I try to bring people on the ice with me emotionally, not actually physically. But, I want people to know that I'm there for them. That they're not there for me, I'm there for them.

[ Key to Success ] Integrity

It's their two hours, and it's the one time we can spend two hours in the same room one-on-one, whether it's 10,000, or 500. I just try to keep it very human and very fun, and humorous, and at times sentimental. I just try to touch people's hearts in a way through skating, so they're not just witnessing a performance, they're feeling a performance and they're a part of it. Maybe that's why people are really nice to me.

Fame is a very confusing thing, because you are recognized by a lot of people that you've never seen before, and they're at a great advantage. They're being very kind and very outgoing, and it's easy to take, but it wears you out. It can be really draining.

Whatever fame or success I'm having today isn't going to be around forever. It's going to go away over time. I don't mind, it just makes you a little paranoid at times. If it's something embarrassing, like you're walking down the street and you slip on a piece of ice and you fall, if it's some total stranger, they're not going to be able to put a face to what happened. But if you're a skater, you're not supposed to do that. They're going to say "Hamilton fell on the ice." All of a sudden 100 people know that you made a fool of yourself. So you've got to be really careful about picking your spots and going places.

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