Champion returns as a married man

Figure skater Scott Hamilton, a four-time world champion and 1984 Olympic gold medalist, returns to Stars on Ice this week, two years after he said goodbye to the touring show he founded.

We caught up with Hamilton on the road and asked him about his life, his career and the idea of repeated farewell tours.

QUESTION: Just two years ago, you said adios to Stars on Ice with a huge farewell tour. Now you're back. What happened?

ANSWER: I started Stars on Ice 17 years ago and I said from Day 1 that the show was my family. But I left when I could not justify doing full tours anymore. I never intended to come back, but after 9/11 hit the box office last year, and when there was a void this year left by a slew of injuries, the owners asked me for help. I said, "Didn't we have a farewell tour?"

Q: At the time, you joked about the four farewell tours of the Who. You don't plan another one, do you?

A: It's that "never say never" thing. I made it clear in 2001 I wasn't retiring from skating, just from Stars on Ice. So now I'm back, but for only 16 cities of the tour. I'm pretty defensive about this.

Q: You recently married for the first time, to nutritionist Tracie Rose Robinson. How's married life?

A: Marriage is balancing my life. Hopefully, Tracie and I will start a family soon. Most of this is stuff other people take for granted, but I've put it off because of the career.

Q: Will your career shift into lower gear now that you're a married man?

A: Tracie is very supportive of my continuing to have a career in skating. But there will be no more 75-city tours.

Q: You and Tracie were married Dec. 14, 2002, on the same day and at the same hour your latest TV special was aired. What was that like?

A: It was ironic, that's for sure. There I was, working and doing something life-altering at the same time.

Q: You've said that finding younger skaters for shows like Stars on Ice is getting more difficult. Why is that?

A: When I turned pro in 1985, my whole philosophy was to be an entertainer. But with the structure now, a lot of skaters want to remain competitive. The (skating associations) make it hard to step away because, by continuing to compete, skaters can make a lot of money.

Q: You've bucked cancer and come back stronger than ever. What's the thing about your career that gives you the greatest personal satisfaction?

A: The fact that I was supposed to get four to six years out of my professional career. I'm at 19 years and counting.

Q: What one professional triumph would you like to add to your resume?