Do the prettiest skaters always win?

Kati · May 2, 2006

seanibu said:
Prettiest, well that is so open to interpretation - Jennifer Kirk, Kiira Copelli (I know that isn't right on spelling - she's Finish)
.

Well, Kiira's last name is KORPI, Copelli really sounds Italian to me... :laugh:

And she may well win one day, not oly because she's pretty, but she is a very good skater, too! She is so young and just had her first year as a senior skater. She is capable to perform 3-3's, and that's a good thing for her. Of course, her good looks may benefit her as well, anyway audience (and judges!) notice her better, because she's attractive - and to be noticed is important for a skater coming from a small skating country... :eek:

hwell:

kyla2 · May 2, 2006

Jill Trenary

Jill Trenary placed well for many reasons, but especially her presentation, which was superior to everyone else's out there at the time. Carlo Fassi was a master of getting the most from his skater's presentation wise. Jill is beautiful from any perspective and was always a joy to watch.

R.D. · May 2, 2006

Mathman said:
But Kimmie has such natural and unaffected beauty that she doesn't need to create a "glamorous" image for herself.

http://www.udel.edu/PR/NewsReleases/2006/jan/1-23-06/Kimmie1lg.jpg

Thanks for posting- I've never seen that before. Nice for my collection. But I have even BETTER ones... :laugh:

(Better yet, I've dug up some OTHER great photos in the archive...hehe

R.D. · May 2, 2006

Kati said:
Well, Kiira's last name is KORPI, Copelli really sounds Italian to me...
And she may well win one day, not oly because she's pretty, but she is a very good skater, too! She is so young and just had her first year as a senior skater. She is capable to perform 3-3's, and that's a good thing for her. Of course, her good looks may benefit her as well, anyway audience (and judges!) notice her better, because she's attractive - and to be noticed is important for a skater coming from a small skating country... hwell:

Ok, Kiira Korpi. That was the Finnish skater I was referring to in my first post.

Ptichka · May 2, 2006

This discussion reminds me of a Moskvina interview I once read. She was saying that when she got to working with Berezhnaya and Sikhuralidze she was very happy to finally get a couple that was beautiful (by "beautiful" I mean physically beautiful people, not beautiful skating). She said that she felt with all the teams she worked with before than that it would have helped them had they been more beautiful.

76olympics · May 2, 2006

I don't think it makes up for lack of technical and artistic skills, but it does help. This always gives me mixed emotions-though I am affected by it too, to some extent. Katia G was so cute (when young)/pretty (always) that she really "sold" the team. She and Sergei looked beautiful together. But, I think charisma counts more than looks and this is what I missed watching T and M versus G and G. Katia looked so expressive and even transported in competitive situations that she made the performance relaxing to watch.

T and M looked like I would probably look; rather tense and nervous (that is if I could skate anything as well as they do!). From several recent show reports (darn COI cancelling all around me!), the absence of competition has really relaxed them and improved that element.

I hope this makes even a little bit of sense!

Tinika · May 2, 2006

Ptichka said:
This discussion reminds me of a Moskvina interview I once read. She was saying that when she got to working with Berezhnaya and Sikhuralidze she was very happy to finally get a couple that was beautiful (by "beautiful" I mean physically beautiful people, not beautiful skating). She said that she felt with all the teams she worked with before than that it would have helped them had they been more beautiful.

That's surprising; I always thought Natalia Mishkutenok was absolutely stunning, and Artur may not have had the most classically handsome face, but what a body!

Spun Silver · May 2, 2006

Ptichka said:
This discussion reminds me of a Moskvina interview I once read. She was saying that when she got to working with Berezhnaya and Sikhuralidze she was very happy to finally get a couple that was beautiful (by "beautiful" I mean physically beautiful people, not beautiful skating). She said that she felt with all the teams she worked with before than that it would have helped them had they been more beautiful.

Can't believe a coach SAID THAT. :scowl:

R.D. · May 2, 2006

It *might* be brutally true, though, if one thinks about it...

Joesitz (RIP) · May 2, 2006

Who among the 40 plus skaters has had cosmetic surgery?

Tinika · May 2, 2006

Joesitz said:
Who among the 40 plus skaters has had cosmetic surgery?

YIKES. Now there's a loaded question. Hasn't Peggy Fleming admitted to having a nose job? But it was way back when she was in her twenties, if I recall correctly.

SeaniBu · May 2, 2006

Piel said:
I have never understood the Kat Witt is so beautiful thing, Trenary either. Neither are what I consider classically beautiful like Belbin.

Agreed, and I think that Kat was just sex appeal. I think it was Nancy commenting on how her guy friends never wanted to go to events unless Katarina was skating.

SeaniBu · May 2, 2006

Mathman said:
But Kimmie has such natural and unaffected beauty that she doesn't need to create a "glamorous" image for herself.

http://www.udel.edu/PR/NewsReleases/2006/jan/1-23-06/Kimmie1lg.jpg

2 sparks from the flint away from being smok'n, she will really be something in 2 - 3 years. She really has gorgeous eyes!!!!

The only person I would say "Needs" tooth work is some whitening of Rena. And I still don't think it is too important. Didn't she used to smoke?

Mathman · May 2, 2006

I have never heard that she smoked. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1998, a year after her father died of the same disease. Rena beat it through chemotherapy and has not suffered any reoccurance since then.

julietvalcouer · May 2, 2006

Personally, I don't think Tanith is actually beautiful. I think she's pretty. She's got that blonde, fresh-faced girl next door thing going on. (Though if her cheekbones get much sharper she may end up in the heroin-chic category.) To me beautiful implies something much more striking and less...commonplace pretty. Shizuka is beautiful. Michelle does beautiful (except with that gawdawful short haircut she had for a while.) Irina's cute. Katia is pretty but she would become beautiful when she was skating with Sergei.

B&S 'beautiful'--uh, not really. Though they're better looking thatn TT/MM, who are unpleasant. P/T are a beautiful couple. S/Z are not, but they get that trancendant thing going on.

I believe Mathman is right--I think Rena's lung cancer was a genetic matter and that she is not an ex-smoker. Some people simply have naturally darker enamel. My mother, a DDS, cringes every time I go off on the deep end when it comes to whitening, because the bleaching and such can damage the gums and my teeth simply aren't naturally bright white. She REALLY hates when I talk about getting the Lumineers brand veneers put on, but it'll be easier than braces and surgery.

R.D. · May 2, 2006

Personally, I don't think Tanith is actually beautiful.

I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that one. :laugh:

passion · May 2, 2006

I think image does count. Whether you are the prettiest, no. The problem with "prettiest" is that it is so subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When I say image counts, I think the skater accents her best features and does herself so that she looks polished and mature. She has thought about her hair, her makeup, her manicured nails as part of the complete package. Pretty has to do with what you were born with. I think any skater can put effort into their image.

SeaniBu · May 2, 2006

passion said:
I think image does count. Whether you are the prettiest, no. The problem with "prettiest" is that it is so subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When I say image counts, I think the skater accents her best features and does herself so that she looks polished and mature. She has thought about her hair, her makeup, her manicured nails as part of the complete package. Pretty has to do with what you were born with. I think any skater can put effort into their image.

Thank you, that is why Fumie should rule!!!!!

Gwendolyn · May 3, 2006

julietvalcouer said:
Personally, I don't think Tanith is actually beautiful. I think she's pretty. She's got that blonde, fresh-faced girl next door thing going on. (Though if her cheekbones get much sharper she may end up in the heroin-chic category.) To me beautiful implies something much more striking and less...commonplace pretty. Shizuka is beautiful. Michelle does beautiful (except with that gawdawful short haircut she had for a while.) Irina's cute. Katia is pretty but she would become beautiful when she was skating with Sergei.

B&S 'beautiful'--uh, not really. Though they're better looking thatn TT/MM, who are unpleasant. P/T are a beautiful couple. S/Z are not, but they get that trancendant thing going on.

THank you so much for that brilliant post. That is exactly how I define "beautiful" as well. I remember reading a passage in a book where someone wrote about a man in the book, that he was beautiful and not handsome, because handsome is too shallow a word and I totally understood it. I especially love how you described Katia. That I think sums up her and Sergei's skating!!

I totally agree with you about Shizuka. Something about her draws your eye in, whereas with Tanith, it's more like, Yes, you're... pretty, but I've seen people like you everywhere.

password · May 3, 2006

I agree...Tanith is super-model pretty...no doubt about that! She's what guys would term really, really, really, really,...HOT. But when someone says beautiful, IMO its more like...i dont know...exotic,unique I guess.

Do the prettiest skaters always win?

Kati

kyla2

R.D.

R.D.

Ptichka

Forum translator

76olympics

Tinika

Spun Silver

R.D.

Joesitz (RIP)

Tinika

SeaniBu

SeaniBu

Mathman

julietvalcouer

R.D.

passion

SeaniBu

Gwendolyn

password

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