BOSTON — The legendary Peggy Fleming has always maintained that her sport, figure skating, offers the most accurate window through which to view the heart and soul of an athlete.
“Our sport is very revealing to what the character of the skater is all about,” she once told me.
It made sense: the singles skater is alone on the ice, totally exposed, unable to take a break or rely on a teammate. It’s just him or her, stand up or fall down, win or lose.
And so it was Saturday night for Ashley Wagner, who became the first American woman in 10 years to win a world championship medal when she stormed to an unexpected but entirely deserved silver with a riveting performance at the 2016 championships.