European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 14, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Christopher Bowman dressed in All Black tunes up for the championship with a serious practice Bowman working to regain forms amps photos by Michael Abrams the world figure skating championships Are being held at the Olympia Halle in Munich Germany. Scheduled championships include thursday a men s freestyle at 7 30 . A Friday a women s original program at 1 30 . Freestyle dance at 7 30 . A saturday a women s freestyle at 2 . Award presentation at 8 . A a sunday a gala with performances by winners at 2 . Pairs and some men s competitions were completed earlier in the week. New coaches have helped improve Bowman s discipline and approach to Ron Mckinney staff writer it is a Vear of comebacks. Athletes like. Bjorn Borg Larry Holmes and lint Rainier have returned to the athletic bananas in an attempt to recapture their youth. At the world figure skating championships this week in Munich Germany vet another comeback is being. Attempted. A. A but this one is . It does t involve an aging. Athlete away trom his sport for five years. It in t about a need for Money or s about Christopher Bowman who has Filar de tilth second and third respectively in the last three world championships. A a a a. A a a last year at the Goodwill games Bowman was for Ceil to take <1 serious look at himself. He attempted Only three triple jumps in the tree program and finished in sixth place looking not at All like the skater lie had . A a a a ,. Quot that was dearly the Case where the judges thought this Guy is skating like a total tool. I mean Why would somebody this talented skate like that i be obviously is not taking it very seriously Quot Bowman said monday alter a training session. Quot a great Deal of it had to do. With How i text about. Myself my skating. Really the changes and decisions i had to make1,. It was pretty heavy and difficult for me to gel hold of he a serious personal assessment Wasny to an easy task for the 23-year-old who is known As Bowman the showman and acts like the Hollywood native lie is. He. Has the effusive personality flashy smile and sparkling. Brown eyes that seem to go along with Tinseltown. A \ but at the 1991 Goodwill games Bowman had lost ins Luster. Knowing changes had to be made he switched coaches and began working with canadians Toller Cranston and Ellen Burka. It was then that lie teamed a reconstruction project of his personal life was not. Necessary. He just needed new direction Quot i found out that if i just be myself and work hard and discipline myself to take on such a Large task then the comeback was just going to happen. It was t going to take a major metamorphosis he said. Quot the changes were really mentally and emotionally Lor me in order to take any Steps positively on the ice. A lot of personal sacrifices leaving Homei leaving my coach of. 18 years minimising my social life and being away from my Girlfriend. It s been very very . Difficult yes. But the adversity has not tempered Bowman s buoyant personality. When asked about the difficulties of working with his Canadian coach Bowmans quipped Quot Well Toronto s a Long drive from l a v Bowman now feels comfortable with himself he s ice or. Surrounded by the. Press. When National Champion Todd Eldredge finished his workout on monday Bowman gave him a standing ovation while other skaters oblivious to Eldredge concentrated on. Their own programs. A. That was Bowman As eager to enjoy life As a 8-year did child As determined to regain his the Veteran athlete that he is. Bowman May have lacked his earlier flair while skating to a second place finish in the . Nationals last month but it was a Strong recovery from the Goodwill games. It also put him in a position to make his next move in the world championships. Quot now that i be gone through the kind of period that i be gone through i think that where i be surfaced now in my career has Given me a fresh Outlook on my skating Quot he said. /. And that fresh Outlook is clothed in Black these Days. Nouveau style he Calls it. Fie even dyed his hair Black a few months ago for the , the switch to Black was not a Symbol to express his seriousness to skating he said. It was yet another expression of his creativity of which he possesses in abundance. Valve tried to show the seriousness within my skating Ati u let the skating speak for itself. The other stuff his personality is very irrelevant Quot he said. And while Quot theother stuff Quot does to figure in the scoring it s definitely relevant to Christopher Bowman showman or showstopper a but always the main act. March 14, 1991 stripes Magazine 7
