Oxford Eagle, January 16, 1998 Olympic hopefuls return to Oxford Brother sister duo praised for innovation and energy by Loretta Winston, STAFF WRITER Jim and Sandy Taylor of Oxford announced today that their children, Dale and Crystal, quickly becoming world-famous for their innovative and energetic brand of ice-dancing, will return to Oxford this weekend following the U.S. Championships in Philadelphia last week. The pair plan to spend a few weeks with family and friends before traveling to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to train with Peter and Kitty Carruthers. The Carruthers, best known for their roof raising performance in the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo taking the first Silver Medal for the U.S. in pairs since 1952, will be in residence in Colorado Springs for six months conducting special training programs for pairs and ice dancing. The Taylors plan to attend a two week special camp in preparation for the 1998 World Championships in March and the U.S. Adult Nationals in April. The Taylors' hopes for a spot on the 1998 World Team and 1998 Olympic Team looked bright going into the 1997 World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland last March. In their first championship series season, the duo dazzled the crowds and judges waltzing their way through first and second place finishes. Nagano Olympic hopes were all but dashed after a 25th place finish. Their program began well, their intricate step sequences flawless, the artistry evident. As they swept into the preparation for their compulsory sit spins, the freak misfortune that haunts all figure skaters overtook Crystal Taylor. She lost her edge and crashed to the ice sliding into her partner Dale Taylor and sending him sprawling. While the pair made a valiant effort to recover and skate the remainder of their program, they were clearly shaken. Stumbling and stepping at times off beat through the remainder of their program, they missed additional required elements resulting in the 25th place finish. The championships, which were televised, showed the Taylors in great distress after the final scores were announced. Crystal Taylor, shaking and in tears had to be assisted from the ice. Dale Taylor could not do much more than shake his head in disbelief. The pair even made hints at the after-event press conference that they might retire and pursue college degrees instead of, in Dale Taylor's words, "putting everything we have into skating and getting nothing in return." Since then, Jim and Sandy Taylor say, their children have reviewed their options and priorities and reaffirmed their dedication to the sport. Their attitude toward skating, Jim Taylor stated, is now "an attitude of 'I can make this sport work for me, instead of feeling that I have to work for the sport,'" which has made a remarkable difference in their outlook about ice skating and life in general. The duo continued to struggle through the 1997 championship series. Their skating has matured and their determination is evident on the ice. While they have failed to qualify for the 1998 Nagano Games they have set their sites on 2002 and the Olympiad in Salt Lake City. Sandy Taylor says that her children mean the world to her and her husband and although they believe no sport or hobby is worth anguish, they also realize the determination and training that their children possess, and they realize the sense of deep happiness and fulfillment that being one of the best in the world in figure skating can bring. It's clear that the Taylor duo have the driving desire to be the best. Both Dale and Crystal Taylor were born and raised in Oxford and attended Oxford public schools. They burst on the international ice dancing scene five years ago, when they won the Southeastern United States Championship held in Atlanta, Georgia. Judges for the competition interviewed afterwards made comments about the Taylors such as "they are the future of ice dancing," and "they are downright dazzling talents." The Taylors home ice training facility is the skating club at the Ice Chalet in Memphis under the instruction of coaches Michael Morton and John Paul Kennedy and choreographers Sandra Pullman and Allison Gallagher. Their father Jim, who won a gold medal at the 1974 National Championships served as the duo's head coach until the 1991-1992 season.