MY (EX) ROOMMATE IS OLYMPIC CHAMPION!
A little context on the thread title:
Sorry for the spoiler for those who were waiting to watch the replay tonight, but I think that at this point, if you were interested in the Olympic Ice Dancing outcome, then you probably already know.
Congrats Charlie and Meryl on 1st place. They've really pushed the envelope in this sport. I have to admit, although I've been good friends with them since I was 9 years old, I never had a true appreciation for what they do until I started training with them in 2005. I know it's an old cliché, but they really do put 110% into everything they do, from on-ice, off-ice, weight training, dance training, diet, etc.
A skating coach about 10 years ago once told me "That Charlie White is going to be a champion one day." I looked at her and said, he already is...he's won 3 junior championships in the U.S. already. She said, no...he'll be a World Champion one day. Well, here he and Meryl are. 6-time National Champs, 2-time World Champs, and now, Olympic Champs.
Congrats guys.
Also congratulations to my other (ex) roommates, Evan Bates and Alex Shibutani, along with their partners, Madison Chock and Maia Shibutani. They finished 8th and 9th today. It was one hell of a time living with them all on Oakland and on Michigan Ave. back in 2009-2010.
Also, for those of you who don't know, they all read this blog on the daily (maybe not for the last couple of weeks, though) and Charlie has posted a few times as well. They're the biggest Michigan sports fans you can find out there.
Go Blue.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:10 PM ^
for the post and pic. Congrats to Charlie and Meryl. True Michigan Men and woMen. It great to be a Michigan Wolverine.
I am sure DB will find a way to make the Charlie and Meryl Scholarship fund for anyone who at 5 years old, wanted to be an Olympic Athelete. I cant wait until Appy St. to see them at Half Time.
Go Blue and Bring Gold
February 17th, 2014 at 4:16 PM ^
Hopefully michigan will be leading at the half this time (it had to be said).
February 17th, 2014 at 4:11 PM ^
That is Awesome! So proud of them!!
February 17th, 2014 at 4:13 PM ^
Two reactions:
(1) Awesome!!! U-S-A!!! Go Blue!
(2) Don't post Olympic spoilers, please.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^
How do you know that his ex-roommate isn't Belarusian biathlete Darya Domracheva? She won gold today, too.
(Actually, I agree that there's probably a better, more subtle title available.)
February 17th, 2014 at 4:47 PM ^
Man.... thanks for ruining that surprise too!
February 17th, 2014 at 4:54 PM ^
She won! A bit of a Ted Nugent look there!
February 17th, 2014 at 7:54 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 4:48 PM ^
I don't know what I was thinking. Of course his (ex) roommate could be anybody...until I clicked on the thread, I actually assumed it was German ski jumper Andreas Wank.
February 17th, 2014 at 6:06 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^
Brian already posted it on the front page. But here we're getting it from the authority!
And Brian left out Evan. Yes, he graduated in December (you mean he was going to school a few weeks before the Olympics?!?!) and he now skates with a non-Wolverine, but that doesn't diminish his cred, or his talent (and his recovering from an Achilles tendon sliced by his former partner's skate). Congratulations to all!
February 17th, 2014 at 4:18 PM ^
Very cool story, bro. Thanks for posting.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:20 PM ^
Congrats to them. Very nicely done and thanks for sharing. They've achieved so much in so little time after hard work. Good for them and much success in their future endeavors.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:20 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 4:21 PM ^
I saw that the Daily posted on Twitter today that Michigan has more olympic golds than (don't recall exactly) ~65 nations competing in the Winter Games. Crazy.
February 17th, 2014 at 5:24 PM ^
That is kinda expected though, right? Mexico has one athlete. Jamaica just have one bobsled team (I think). You just need one gold to have more than countries that don't have one and I would assume ~65 countries is about spot-on.
February 17th, 2014 at 7:37 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 4:22 PM ^
While internet "SCREAMING" is usually frowned upon, in this case you are completely justified. I'd probably do it, too, if I had such close connections to an Olympic Medalist. Especially GOLD MEDALIST(S) !!!
February 17th, 2014 at 4:23 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 4:27 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 4:28 PM ^
Congrats to all that made the Olympic team. Can't wait until they're introduced at a football game so we can show them our appreciation and admiration!
Congrats and Go Blue!
February 17th, 2014 at 4:28 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 4:28 PM ^
My wife used to figure skate (synchro, so not an Olympic sport...yet) up until she gave it up rather than continuing it in college. So needless to say, she knew and skated with a lot of these Ann Arbor / Michigan Olympians growing up and has been talking my ear off about how great these skaters are the past couple weeks. So while I roll my eyes at her everytime she starts up, and I'm sure it will be non-stop tonight too, it's pretty cool that this Michigan connection has some golden hardware to take back home. Go Blue and Go 'Murica!
February 17th, 2014 at 7:55 PM ^
I was just reading an article that predicted we might have synchro in ther Olympics someday. I couldn't tell how much of it was just cynicism, but they said the Team Skate even was added in large part because skating is such a draw for viewers.
February 18th, 2014 at 8:30 AM ^
There certainly is a bit a truth in that quasi-prediction in the article you read. From a pure outsider's perspective listening to my wife and her old skating friends talk about it ad nauseum, it does certainly seem that we can't be too far off from it becoming an Olympic sport. In the last 4 years alone, it's really picked up some steam towards that direction, and the success of the team element added this year certainly isn't hurting that momentum.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:29 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 4:29 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 4:35 PM ^
Hey pal, -12% of the time, it's possible 108% of the time.
February 17th, 2014 at 5:25 PM ^
That post just gave me a headache.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:29 PM ^
Great news. If they're taking time to read MGB, we're all very proud of you guys!
February 17th, 2014 at 4:34 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 4:35 PM ^
Except for the part where the Canadians finished second (I did not find this cool). The Canadians also train in Canton, MI.
Congratulations on the Gold.
Gif for the champs
February 17th, 2014 at 4:51 PM ^
has the SAME COACH (!) while training at the Canton, MI facility. She coached the Gold and Silver medal winners at the same Olympics - how cool is that?!
February 17th, 2014 at 4:56 PM ^
It's pretty cool for her; I'm sure her recruitment of ice dancers has swag that Greg Mattison only dreams about.
February 17th, 2014 at 5:07 PM ^
She switches jackets from USA to Canada and back when she goes back and forth from area to area. Of course, she is neither American nor Canadian.
February 17th, 2014 at 5:39 PM ^
And she has done it for two Olympics in a row. That is getting it done.
February 17th, 2014 at 7:21 PM ^
If so, that's awesome.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:36 PM ^
Awesome all around.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:49 PM ^
I am truly delighted for Meryl and Charlie's success. We should be bursting with pride at what our students accomplish in the classroom and in athletics.
Winning an Olympic gold medal, a first for the US in figure skating in this event, is a stunning accomplishment achieved by incredible dedication and hard work.
And kudos to the other three ice dancers on the US Olympic team who attend Michigan.
Leaders and best...the University of Michigan.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:36 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 4:38 PM ^
Naw.....don't need to call him. It IS a cool story!
February 17th, 2014 at 4:38 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 4:41 PM ^
Please advice.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:43 PM ^
they come from a different background than I do, and when I was in college I used to be very judgmental/competitive about that sort of stuff, but they put in the effort and 100% deserve it.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:44 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 4:47 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 4:51 PM ^
I think I heard him say it 3 times in one sentence yesterday
February 17th, 2014 at 11:54 PM ^
Aaron Craft has awful cheek rouge but his hustle is stunning...
February 17th, 2014 at 4:47 PM ^
Wilton Speight photo bombed me several years ago when I roomed with a future Olympic champion.
.
(Upper right corner of the post's picture; I know I've seen that face in a recruiting profile somehwere!)