Memorable short programs from the Olympics

The short programs are often forgotten because skaters don't win based on them. However, there have been some great short programs in the past Olympics, and they are to be remembered for just what they are- great performances.

Here is my list of such programs, not in any particular order.

B&S 2002 - Lady Caliph
M&D- 1992 & 1994 Don Quixote
Shishkova-Naumov 1992- Take five
Kovarikova-Novotny 1992 (Rondo ....something)
G&G 1994 (forgot the music) and 1988 (Carmen)
K&D 1998 (Sprach Z.)
Ina-Dungjen 1998
B&E 1994 (Brahms)


Kristi Yamaguchi 1992 Blue Danube
Oksana Baiul 1994 Swan Lake
Nancy Kerrigan 1994
Surya Bonaly 1994
Midori Ito 1988
Irina Slutskaya 2002 (Schubert)
Michelle Kwan 1998 (Rach) and 2002 (EOE)
Sasha Cohen 2002 (Sentimental waltz)
Chen Lu 1998
Maria Butyrskaya 1998


Yagudin 2002 and 1998
Honda 2002
Goebel 2002
Kulik 1998
Stojko 1994
Urmanov 1994
Candeloro 1994
Wylie 1992 and 1988
Petrenko 1992 and 1988
Boitano 1988
Plushenko 2002 (in spite of the fall on the quad it was a great performance)

I don't have a long list of Olympic original dances- equivalent of SP's in other disciplines- that I found to be memorable, but here are some.

Klimova-Ponomarenko 1988 Tango and 1992 Polka
Anenko & Sretenski1988 Tango
Torville & Dean 1994 Rhumba
Anissina-Peizerat 2002
Lobacheva-Averbukh 2002

Let me hear yours.

Vash

G&G didn't compete in 92... they competed in 88

I'm going to add Kurt Browning's 94 Oly short... you can't win but you can lose and while he did fall and popped the 2a it was still an awesome short program IMHO

I'll second the Goebel mention and add Weiss' 02 SP... he wouldn't have been so far down in the rankings had he not skated first

Torvill & Dean's '84 Paso Doble. I can close my eyes & still see them perform it. Boitano's SP from '88. A complete & wonderful change of style for him.

Short Program Memory

I remember when I first became totally enthralled with figure skating back in 1994. During those winter Olympics what stands out to me, for short programs, is Suraya Bonaly's short program to that exotic tribalesque music. Her technique and presentation, I thought, was exquisite! I thought it blended to two together quite well. Having said this, I have not watched that old tape for probably more than 10 years; But considering it stands out says something (for me anyway). I can still see the replays of her 3lz 2t combo hearing some comentator saying that this is what any skater hopes to be ther jump combo in the sp at the Olympic Games.

Tonichelle said:

G&G didn't compete in 92... they competed in 88

Click to expand...

It was a typo. I have corrected it.

Vash

Brian Orser's short program in the 88 Olympics - Sing, Sing, Sing. He came on like gang busters in that one -and was in first place going into the long program. I thought for sure with that great skate under his his belt he would garner the gold, but it was not meant to be. Brian lost to the other Brian by one-tenth of a point. Not really that bad when you think about it.

Brian Orser's short programs in 1984 & 1988! Wish I still had them both on tape in their entirety. I was so impressed with him. I had first heard of him at the 1984 Olympics and regrettably only followed the sport seriously during the Olympics (big mistake).

Todd's "Les Mis" medley from 1998 If only things hadn't unravelled in his free skate

merrywidow said:

Torvill & Dean's '84 Paso Doble. I can close my eyes & still see them perform it. Boitano's SP from '88. A complete & wonderful change of style for him.

Click to expand...

Strangely -- and I know I'm a VERY SMALL MINORITY here (and possibly the only one in it), I watched the Paso Doble Set Patterns from '84 and while I can't remember one thing about T & D's (except what they wore), I remember a LOT of Bestemianova & Bukin's, which I thought was terrific. Go figure.

As to the main topic:

MEN:
Brian Boitano's "Les Patineurs" (tho he did MUCH better at Nationals)
Elvis Stojko's "Kodo Drums" ('98)
Alexei Yagudin's "Winter" (that was his short, right, and not his long?)

LADIES:
Denise Biellmann '80 (first time I ever saw the Biellmann done, just about fell off the chair in awe; this was back in the days before it got to be a bit overdone)
Debi Thomas '88
Laetitia Hubert '92 (because it just came out of nowhere; too bad she wasn't able to hold it together in the long a little better)
Irina Slutskaya '02 (terrific program and IMHO she should have won the short in SLC)

PAIRS
Underhill & Martini '84 (Hey, the key word here is MEMORABLE. I couldn't believe what a disaster this was.)
Just about every pair in Calgary (everyone was really on that night; a lot of terrific skating).
Kazakova & Dmitriev '98 (because I couldn't BELIEVE a death spiral that poorly executed could come out of any Russian pair, much less the leaders)
Sale & Pelletier '02 (and quite honestly, given the theme of the program, I think that fall at the end actually ENHANCED the overall thing).

DANCE:
Bestemianova & Bukin '84 (as mentioned)
Duchesnay & Duchesnay '88 (that one set the skating world on its butt at the time)
Rahkamo & Kokko '92 (because it was so relentlessly perky and I remember my roommate dancing across the living room imitating their moves! )
Lobacheva & Averbukh '98 (because I thought it was unbeleivably SLEAZY)
Anissina & Peizerat '02 (absolutely brilliant from start to finish)

Nancy Kerrigan - 1994
Surya Bonaly - 1994, I really liked her SP that year, she did great!
Katarina Witt - 1994, what a comeback, great program to "Robin Hood"
Michelle Kwan - 1998
Ilia Kulik - 1998
Alexei Yagudin - 2002
Sasha Cohen - 2002