October 15, 2008
World class acts
Hoff and Meissner dream of ruling the Olympic world
At 17, Katie Hoff and Kimmie Meissner are already Olympic veterans, each making her mark by bending water to her will.
Hoff, of Towson, cuts an imposing figure as the fastest swimmer in the world in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley. Meissner, of Bel Air, glides on the surface as the reigning world and national figure skating champion.
This week the teens are half a world away from home, trying to burnish their international credentials with an eye toward the next Olympics. If they can defend their respective world titles - Hoff in Melbourne, Australia; Meissner in Tokyo - they'll be one step closer to becoming the female faces of their sports.
In some ways, Meissner is already there, and she hopes that this week helps solidify the picture.
On the cover of the U.S. Figure Skating media guide for the 16-member World team, Meissner is the focal point, standing where stars like Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen once stood.
"It's really different to see my picture in the middle. It's a big responsibility," says Meissner, who signed endorsement deals with Under Armour, Subway and Visa after winning the U.S. title. "I'll do the best I can."
Hoff too, has, in many ways, already arrived. In 2005, she was named female athlete of the year by USA Swimming, and signed a 10-year endorsement deal with Speedo, the longest contract the swimsuit maker has given.
It's an honor, but Hoff still isn't always comfortable with some of the attention swimming has earned her.
"I know there are more expectations put on me now," Hoff says. "But I have a lot more experience, too. I really try not to think about what other swimmers are doing, or what people expect from me. I've learned that it's about only way I can keep myself sane."
Both have put in countless hours at practice, in the pool and on the ice, and nursed sore muscles afterward, hoping the hard work would pay off someday. Both of their families have sacrificed to further their careers.
Though the Meissners live in Bel Air, her parents drive her to the Ice Skating Science Development Center at the University of Delaware five times a week to train.
The Hoffs originally lived in Williamsburg, Va., but moved to Abingdon, and eventually to Towson to be closer to North Baltimore Aquatic Club where she trains.
"They never put any pressure on me, because they already knew I was putting enough pressure on myself," Hoff says. "For them to relocate our family to better my swimming career is really amazing."
Meissner will have to wait three years for her big shot at the Winter Games in Vancouver, but Hoff's crack at the top of the Olympic podium comes next year in Beijing.
It would be quite the accomplishment for two girls, born just four months apart, who also lived in Harford County - though Hoff only briefly.
The two teenagers have never met, but each admits they've admired from afar what the other has accomplished.
Despite being immersed in entirely different worlds, their ascension onto the Olympic stage has common threads. Hoff and Meissner each tried ballet before settling on their current sports, and both came from athletic families.
Meissner's father and brothers are hockey players, and Hoff's mother, Jeanne, was a star basketball player at Stanford University from 1980-83. In Athens and in Turin, Hoff and Meissner, respectively, were the youngest members of the entire U.S. Olympic teams.
Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun
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