Europe's Choice: Become America or Japan
http://news.uk.msn.com/world/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=152229734
(addition) Russia No Longer Top Figure Skating Power
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/olympic_coverage/article/russia-no-longer-top-figure-skating-power/400427.html
What it takes to be great
Research now shows that the lack of natural talent is irrelevant to great success. The secret? Painful and demanding practice and hard work http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/30/8391794/index.htm