Was Michelle too hasty in quitting? | Golden Skate

Was Michelle too hasty in quitting?

hydroradi

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 27, 2004
Should she have waited a few more days? Apparently, Sasha was skating in pain and hid injuries.

The ladies free skate was such a mess, she really would have had a great chance at getting on the podium and even winning if she could have managed a couple clean performances.

She was probably watching TV last night and saying...I could have beaten these people and won the gold.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
but what if she couldn't fight through the pain like Sasha did, which apparently was the case? Michelle already had a silver and a bronze... and there's no way to predict what would have happened had Michelle actually been there... the vibe teh other skaters had would have been different.
 

NanSinger2

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Too hasty or not...

It's hard to say if Michelle was too hasty, because only she knows what her body felt like, but I couldn't help but think she could have taken it. But you know, hind sight is always 20/20 and perhaps that's just wishful thinking on my part becuase I missed her so much. It just wasn't the same for me.
 

Skate Sandee

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Listen, ALL athletes skate with pain just about all the time. They wrap things, they have constant therapy, etc to deal with the aches and pains that come with being an athlete. I'm 100% sure without even being in Michelle's mind that her injury was too much for her. Groin pain wildly varies in intensity. A severe groin pull or strain takes a LONG time to recover from.

So no, I don't believe she was too hasty. She has skated through the pain countless times in her career, so you know it had to be extreme for her to pull out. And given that it reached that extreme point, another week would not have made a difference.
 

Jill

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
You know, I was kinda thinking the same thing, after the short program. But after the long, I thought about Sasha and if she would stay in another year. I cannot imagine her sticking around another four years. Four years is a long time to keep at it. When I think of all the fine skaters who don't even go to worlds after the Olympics, I think how much work is involved with each season.

I don't know where Michelle gets her motivation, or drive, such as it where, but I think it's more than about medals and titles. It's the competition that she needs and craves. I believe that she withdrew for the good of the team. In hindsight, it was a good move for the team. Look how well Kimmie and Emily skated; we have three ladies that finished in the top ten. Had Michelle skated, that might not have happened.
 

rain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
No, I don't think Kwan should have waited. From practice reports she could hardly land ANY jumps, let alone put together some creditable clean performances. I didn't think the LP was a mess. In fact, I thought there was some pretty good skating. And waiting a few more days would have been monumentally unfair to her replacement, who performed very well.
 

guinevere

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
I absolutely believe that the terms of her bye gave her no wiggle room - either she practices well on the first day, or she gives up her spot. The most cynical part of me even thinks that everyone knew all along that she wouldn't skate - that Michelle would go and be the public face of US skating at the opening ceremonies and then step aside for Emily. Everything seems just a bit too pat otherwise.
 

attyfan

Custom Title
Medalist
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
IMO, there is more than Michelle's physical condition at issue. It is always possible that, once the event really started and the adrenaline started pumping, she could skate well, even if others did also -- think of S/Z or Elvis in Nagano, but it was also possible that it wouldn't happen that way for Michelle. But Michelle had more on the line -- she had publicly promised that she would withdraw if she wasn't sure she could perform at 100 percent, and so, she had her honor and reputation at issue, and, she wasn't willing to gamble those on a mere possibility.
 

kyla2

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Attyfan

I agree with much of what you said but I also believe she is really signifciantly injured and can't compete at this time. I also believe as she tries to protect one part of her anatomy, she injures another one. It's just a combination of old injuries and new ones. She has to stay off the ice for a while and then if she wants to, try again. I hate the thought of never seeing her skate competitively again but I don't want to see her end up like Tara.
 

shadymc

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 13, 2004
If she had waited any longer, she would have been raked over the coals for not giving Emily enough time. As it is, she is being attacked for robbing Emily of her chance to march in the opening ceremonies.
 

show 42

Arm Chair Skate Fan
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I agree, dlk..........Michelle skated with a fractured foot most of the 1997 season, so if she felt she wasn't up to her level of skating for the Oly's this time around, that's good enough for me.......
 

ladysarahchatto

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
NanSinger2 said:
It's hard to say if Michelle was too hasty, because only she knows what her body felt like, but I couldn't help but think she could have taken it. But you know, hind sight is always 20/20 and perhaps that's just wishful thinking on my part becuase I missed her so much. It just wasn't the same for me.

I agree.

Michelle did say if she wasn't feeling 100 % she would pull out. She was as good as her word and I think she knew best of anyone her conditioning and what she could, and could not do.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
I thought Michelle should have never gone to this Olympic games in the first place. Given the fact that she was not skating much at all for the season it seemed like a long shot that she would suddenly be ready for the Olympics. I think she went purely on reputation and I hate to say this probably realized once there she was not ready and did not want to give a poor performance.

I am glad that Emily got the chance to prove her worth. I really enjoyed Emily's performances. I look forward to seeing her skate again.
 

nymkfan51

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
rain said:
No, I don't think Kwan should have waited. From practice reports she could hardly land ANY jumps, let alone put together some creditable clean performances. I didn't think the LP was a mess. In fact, I thought there was some pretty good skating. And waiting a few more days would have been monumentally unfair to her replacement, who performed very well.


I'm confused ... what are you talking about? She got injured at her first practice, so yes, consequently she had trouble landing her jumps ... thus, she withdrew.
And why would you say the LP wasn't a mess? Since she has never performed it publicly, it's rather difficult to say anything, yay or nay about it. The only feedback we heard was what the panel and reporters told us from her test skate.
 

nymkfan51

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Ladskater said:
I think she went purely on reputation and I hate to say this probably realized once there she was not ready and did not want to give a poor performance.

I must take issue with this statement. She went because she took advantage of rules that were already in place, and that had been used before, which specifically addressed options open to injured athletes, who were unable to compete at U.S. Nationals. I guess technically you could say reputation had something to do with it, but that would be looking at her past accomplishments and deciding on what she could currently do. What panel in their right mind would turn down an opportunity to send to the Olympics an athlete with her abilities and experience?

And to the second part of your statement ... are you saying she planned the injury ... that it was staged? That she wasn't re-injured ... but she just suddenly chickened out and made the whole thing up so she could leave?
I have to tell you ... if that was the case, she's wasting her time on skating. She should get herself to Hollywood pronto!!! The distraught young lady I saw at the rink that first day seemed to be in obvious distress! If that was an act, she deserves an Oscar!
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I think Michelle has been skating hurt for some time now.

Michelle absolutely loves competition. She thrives on it. Yet in the last couple of years she has hardly competed at all, for the most part saving herself just for U.S. Nationals and Worlds, with a couple of cheesefests thrown in.

I think she went to Torino hoping for a miracle. It didn't happen, so she had no realistic choice but to withdraw.

As it turned out, I think everyone came out smelling like roses. Michelle comported herself with dignity, grace and class. Emily made the most of her opportunity. Sasha stepped out of Michelle's shadow and won silver. And Team USA looks solid for the future with Kimmie leading a pack of promising youngsters.

MM
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Yes, the future looks good. But I hope people won't feel let down should Kimmie, et al. lose their edge or get injured. In other words, you just never can predict the future...at least on the ladies end :laugh:
 

Piel

On Edge
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Ladskater said:
I thought Michelle should have never gone to this Olympic games in the first place. Given the fact that she was not skating much at all for the season it seemed like a long shot that she would suddenly be ready for the Olympics. I think she went purely on reputation and I hate to say this probably realized once there she was not ready and did not want to give a poor performance.

I am glad that Emily got the chance to prove her worth. I really enjoyed Emily's performances. I look forward to seeing her skate again.

S&Z did pretty well and they had been out injured all season.
 
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