Illinois skater works toward Olympic goal

Teenager Becky Cacioppo is working on her next step in becoming an Olympic figure skater. She's getting help from a Russian skater, a former world champion.

Becky Cacioppo

The Glen Carbon, Ill., girl said, "I want to make the sectional qualifying this year." Last year, she just missed advancing to the sectionals that could lead to a place in the U.S. national team competition.

Becky was the youngest girl in the field of 24 in last fall's eight-state regional in Davenport, Iowa. She finished seventh, just one spot away from advancing to the sectionals.

This winter, Becky is hard at work on improving. During the school year, she works out on the ice five days a week. She skates wherever she can find ice time. That includes rinks in both Illinois and Missouri.

And then there are the off-rink conditioning exercises. She's lifting weights, working on exercise machines and doing lots of stretches. Although she doesn't do much running, she said her stamina is good.

Her strong practice schedule hasn't hurt her school work. She has a 3.80 GPA as a freshman at Edwardsville, Ill., High School. She's also taken several honors classes.

Stamina is important because her competition routines are getting longer. At the lower levels, her routines were two minutes but she's up to four-minute performances now.

Her coach, Igor Lisovsky, says most improvement usually comes in the summer. That's when the practice schedule really picks up.

Becky said, "In the summer, I'm at the rink all day every day."

Coach Igor Lisovsky

Lisovsky has been Becky's coach for the last three years. In 1981, Igor and his partner won the World Championship pairs competition. He came to the U.S. six years ago and now is a full-time figure skating instructor.

Young Saint Louis.com first met Becky in a December, 2000, story about figure skating at the North County Recreational Complex. (To read the earlier story, click here.)

Since that time, Becky has advanced four steps in her competitions. She now completes in the senior level, although she's only 14.

In 2001, Becky was one of two soloists in the North County Complex spring ice show.

In the spring of 2002, she was the youngest double gold winner in a seniors test at the St. Louis Skating Club. She won gold both in the moves and freestyle tests.

Recently, she finished first in the senior figure skating competition at the Indiana State Games. She said she was given honorary resident status because she's a member of the Indiana World Skating Academy.

Her next major meet is the Skate Kansas City 2003 invitational. Its on April 3-6.

Asked about her strengths as a skater, Becky said, "It's definitely jumping and footwork." She's back to doing triple jumps after she healed from an ankle injury.

"Triples are the hardest unless you want to do quads. But, not many female skaters can do those," she said. That would take more lift in her jumps and "being stronger in the upper body so you can wrap tighter," she added.

She said spins are one of her weaknesses. "I should be faster with better form," she said.

However, her coach said, "I can fix that. Spins are easy. It just takes time and practice."

One thing that's hard to figure into Becky's skating development is growth spurts. She said when she gets a growth spurt, it often sets her back. When she gets taller and bigger, she has to relearn some of her moves.

Becky is now 5'3" tall. She was only 4'10 1/2" when YSL.com wrote about her two years ago. She's been able to steadily advance despite that growth.

Although her mother, Susan, is just 5'6", there are taller people in Becky's family. Her brother is 6 feet. Asked if she might grow that tall, Becky said, "I hope not."

Becky said she gets joy out of performing solo on ice.

"Before I step on the ice, I might be half asleep. But, then I wake up and say, "I'm ready to go,'" she said.

Asked what she'd like to do if her Olympic skating dream doesn't happen, Becky said, "I'd like to be an entertainer." She said she'd like to be an actress or a singer.