And stars in under-the-radar sports like speed skating and snowboarding need the Olympic platform for national exposure.

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That is true for nearly all of the winter sports, like skiing and skating, as well as for ones like field hockey, swimming, and tennis.

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In sports like gymnastics, diving and ice skating, motivated youngsters with an extensive coaching and support system peak in their teens.

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At 100mph, he says, Deuce loses whatever grace she once possessed and starts to handle more like a forklift careening across a skating rink.

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Mountain Village has a feel like Beaver Creek, with plazas and a skating rink and heated sidewalks.

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In sports like tennis, golf, gymnastics, and figure skating, kids are competing at the highest levels in their teenage years.

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The earnings window for athletes in sports like gymnastics, track and field, wrestling, and figure skating is very small, both in terms of the number of athletes that will cash in as well as the length of time they have to cash in.

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While toe-touches and extra flexibility might be required in gymnastics or figure skating, it's irrelevant for more everyday activities like basketball or weightlifting.

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There's no complicated story line or rendered cut scenes in-between skating -- you simply grind, gleam, and glide through ten different skate areas including classics like Burnside in Portland or the streets of San Francisco.

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