Favorite American Lady Non-Gold Medalist at Olys

[Joesitz]

First of all, let's agree that the gold medalist in each of these cases does not mean the silver and bronze medalists were poor skaters.

Among the list, I would feel sorriest for Linda Frantiane because, imo, Anette Poetsch was a very poor free skater, especially THAT night.

Among the men, I would feel sorriest for Brian Orser in both Olys. He was the better skater in both those Olys, imo.

But figures ruled in those days.

Joe

[SeaniBu]

MK Seanibu? No???

I would beg to differ on Debi Not having the right body type if that was based only on her race background. That is less then true just in the aspect of the femur alone.

[diamondqueen]

Michelle Kwan , she is still my favorite skater with or without a Olympic Gold Medal.

diamond

[Mafke]

I voted for Fratianne because the olympics were much more important then for enabling a professional career and a very narrow loss for Fratianne really sucked the blood out of her commercial prospects. Kwan flourished despite (because?) of her near misses.

The real controversy to me was the SP. Nobody debates that Poetzsch convincingly won figures - she was the best post-Schuba skater at figures). There's some question if Dagmar Lurz was really better than Friatianne or not but we'll leave that be). There's also no question the LP was judged fairly in terms of placements (1. Biellmann, 2. Fratianne, 3. Poetzsch).

On the other hand, lots of people point out that Poetzsch might have been held up in the SP, she was fourth despite a very easy combo (and IIRC an outright mistake).

I liked Poetzsch who at her best was a very good free skater (see her LP's at 1978 worlds and 1980 Euros - she was very musical but had iffy jump technique). But she wasn't going to have a career in the west (no way was East Germany going to let her skate for capitalist ice shows) and her victory did nothing to further popularity of the sport (except in East Germany) and a Fratianne victory could have done a lot to do that.

[OwenEvans]

I've always for Tiffany Chin in Sarajevo. Something like 14th in the figures, fantastic short and great long (where her only mistake IIRC was stepping out of her 3F) to end up fourth. Just a travesty, but because of (IMO) dodgy judging of figures, results often were. I've always thought it interesting that at Tokyo WC just a year later, after Roz and Elaine had retired and she was the reigning US champ, the judges thought her figures "improved" so much she was (I think) 3rd going into the SP.....

[Mafke]

I've always for Tiffany Chin in Sarajevo. Something like 14th in the figures, fantastic short and great long (where her only mistake IIRC was stepping out of her 3F) to end up fourth. Just a travesty, but because of (IMO) dodgy judging of figures, results often were. I've always thought it interesting that at Tokyo WC just a year later, after Roz and Elaine had retired and she was the reigning US champ, the judges thought her figures "improved" so much she was (I think) 3rd going into the SP.....

Yeah, the figures results from Sarajevo make very little sense, Witt in third? Zayak in 12 or so? I like the idea of figures (I thought they should have separate free skating, figures and a combined competition) but it was a very obvious place for cheating judges to do their thing since they usually weren't taped and the figures themselves disappeared. IIRC Peggy Fleming was skeptical of Witt's third place figures in Calgary saying that Witt's figures _seemed_ to have improved and then noting how slow she was skating them and how her loops were too small.

As for the SP in Sarajevo, it looks to me (courtesy of youtube) that Elaine Zayak got totally rooked (6th place). No way on earth was her SP worse than Kira Ivanova (3rd!) or Sumners (5th) (with foot done on the double axel and big bobble on a camel spin though I think in terms of choreography it was the best SP there and except for those two mistakes she was awesome)
My theory is that judges were really pushing the three Russian ladies and two American women got screwed.

[slutskayafan21]

My favorite is Sumners although obviously the greatest is Kwan.

[Mathman]

Michelle is my favorite sweetie, but I voted for Debi Thomas because she was able to go on to a successful and fulfilling life after her career as a competitive skater was over.

[swissmiss]

Of the choices given, I had to go with Linda Fratianne. But my "Favorite American Lady Non-Gold Medalist at Olys" really is Janet Lynn. She had a flowing, easy quality to her skating that few ladies since have been able to match.

[Turandot]

Michelle Kwan

It's so crushing that the one medal she doesn't have is the one that the ignorant skating followers will judge her the most for missing. I especially get annoyed when people say that she failed when put to the challenge. These are people who didn't even watch '98. Three out of Michelle's 4 Olympic programs have been nearly perfect. No one can argue that Tara Lipinski didn't skate the more technically difficult program, HOWEVER, I STILL have a difficult time accepting that Lipinski has ever skated a program artistically enough receive a 5.9 for presentation. An objective observer can't deny that Michelle Kwan skated with so much more grace and elegance and while Tara deserved the technical edge, there is no way that her presentation marks should have been so high.

The one that really gets me is Sarah Hughes. In my opinion, she is the most talentless Olympic Gold Medalist in recent history. She skated the performance of her life on one of the rare occassions that Michelle Kwan couldn't pull out another dazzler. The stars simply aligned for Hughes. Ugh, it STILL makes my blood boil!

Okay, I'm done

[ChelleC]

Of the ones I've actually watched, definitely Michelle. I haven't watched Linda, Rosalyn, or Debbie though.