- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Both Michelle and Tara were roundly criticized for their Lutz edge in the season leading up to the 1998 Olympics. There was a running battle of words between Frank Carroll and Richard Callaghan, each accusing the other's skater of terrible technique while denying (publicly anyway) that there was anything wrong with his own girl's.
Tara in particular was marked down for it in the 1997 Grand Prix series. (She was forgiven by the time of the Grand Prix Final, though, where she won against five other skaters all of whom had pretty good Lutzes, as I recall -- Szevczenko. Butyrskaya. Slutskaya, Sokolova and Hubert, Michelle not participating.)
I don't know why North American and Asian ladies cannot do this jump (YU-NA EXCEPTED!!! (where are the run-and-hide and slink-away smilies?)) It is hard to name two U.S. ladies who don't flutz. (I can name one -- Alissa Czisny -- she lips. )
I used to think that the mechanics of the jump are such that only a man can do it. Something about how the hips join up with the pelvis, together with upper body strength. But there are quite a few European ladies who have excellent Lutz technique, so I guess that's not it.
Tara in particular was marked down for it in the 1997 Grand Prix series. (She was forgiven by the time of the Grand Prix Final, though, where she won against five other skaters all of whom had pretty good Lutzes, as I recall -- Szevczenko. Butyrskaya. Slutskaya, Sokolova and Hubert, Michelle not participating.)
I don't know why North American and Asian ladies cannot do this jump (YU-NA EXCEPTED!!! (where are the run-and-hide and slink-away smilies?)) It is hard to name two U.S. ladies who don't flutz. (I can name one -- Alissa Czisny -- she lips. )
I used to think that the mechanics of the jump are such that only a man can do it. Something about how the hips join up with the pelvis, together with upper body strength. But there are quite a few European ladies who have excellent Lutz technique, so I guess that's not it.
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