That was my thinking too. I never really liked them that much and I found her somewhat bitter in her book.Originally Posted by Pixie Cut
Isn't it titled something like Blades of Rage?
I find her anger kind of ridiculous. The two World medals they won were gifts as far as I could see. But I suppose she came to believe they were actually good. What a surprise to find out where they actually deserved to be placed.
Sasha Cohen. She re-used too many programs and if you muted the tv, it was like watching the same program over and over again. She should have retired after '03 season. She was blah after that.
Isn't it titled something like Blades of Rage?
I find her anger kind of ridiculous. The two World medals they won were gifts as far as I could see. But I suppose she came to believe they were actually good. What a surprise to find out where they actually deserved to be placed.
I wouldn't go that far, I would say it was more out of luck. Two out of the top three teams weren't present at worlds in 94. Although I found their freedance that year charming. In 95 the next crop hadn't fully developed yet.
Exactly! I remember as I was watching in 2004, I said something along the lines of how Sasha would finally win one if she held it together. She didn't and then Michelle skated with such passion that there was no question! She deserved the title.
I disagree that she (Michelle) was "given" the nationals. Her Tosca (2004 USN) was one of the most inspired performances I have seen from her or from any other skater. Who else could have beaten that performance? Sasha received a 6.0 after skating tentatively, and with a fall and Michelle skated better, so her 6.0's were totally justified.
Her Bolero in 2005 nationals was less than what she would have liked (she looked disappointed when she finished), but it was a clean skate, and the gold was totally deserved. I don't know if it was really a 6.0 performance, but if Sasha received 5.9's, the judges had to give Michelle 6.0 for higher placement, which she deserved.
It is not Michelle's fault if Sasha could not skate clean under pressure. Michelle did, and won in 2004 and 2005 for that reason.
Her programs in recent years (after 2002) were choreographically less interesting than they had been in the past, but her skating has always been inspired, particularly at the US nationals. IMO the only uninspired performance I have seen from her was the Qualifying round of the 2005 worlds. She should be allowed to have one so-so performance in so many years.
Vash
Michelle deserved all her U.S titles but alot of the 6.0s were a bit leanient, and alot of that is that they overscore some of the flawed performances Cohen did, or less polished performances Hughes used to do, so are then forced to give Kwan's superier performance 6.0s even though they are quite generous in most cases. What the judges dont seem to clue into to is that some instances for example like her 4 6.0s for her Bolero performance at the 2005 Nationals(plleeeasseee!)take away some of the credability from some the actually legitimate 6.0s she received like at the 98 U.S Nationals, where she actually did deserve the 6.0s.
ITA. However, like the last WORLDS that used the 6.0 system, the last NATIONALS to use it also seemed to operate under the philosophy of, "It's your last chance to give 'em out, so toss 'em around like Mardi Gras beads!" (And no-one even had to show anything.....)
I also think that the judges know that 6.0 is the dream of every skater and wanted to reward those who, they felt, would deserve one soon. (Is this right to do? Well, probably not, but judges are human and have their favorites, too.)
Yeah that is a good analogy, especialy the Mardi Gras beads part.ITA. However, like the last WORLDS that used the 6.0 system, the last NATIONALS to use it also seemed to operate under the philosophy of, "It's your last chance to give 'em out, so toss 'em around like Mardi Gras beads!" (And no-one even had to show anything.....
Not just that but the 6.0 fest that occurred when the new system came in was ridiculous - look at 2004 worlds there were so many riduclous 6.0s handed out the judges were going crazy to give them out!
Ant
Yeah Winkler/Lohse got a perfect 6.0
/Lohse were only the bronze medalist got two 6.0s for presentation; Plushenko fell at the end of his program and got 4 6.0s, Shen/Zhou and Nakva/Kostomarov both reached double digits. I found it amusing as well. You could notice them scoring skaters in the second last flight so high though you knew the 6.0s were coming.
How 'bout Carolina Kostner? TWO falls, and a single, and she gets a 5.9??
ETA: And that was for TECHNICAL merit!
Last edited by evenstar; 06-05-2006 at 10:39 AM.
I remember that, I remember Peggy Fleming saying, "maybe that was her mother." I had to laugh at that comment.How 'bout Carolina Kostner? TWO falls, and a single, and she gets a 5.9??
ETA: And that was for TECHNICAL merit!
Me too! That was the absolute WORST example of overmarking I've ever seen.
In defense of Moniotte/Lavanchy -- who overall I'm fairly neutral about; didn't love em, didn't hate em -- they got kudos from Betty Callaway, Torvill & Dean's coach, in '94. I hardly think that the coach of the greatest Dance couple of all time would offer kudos to mere mediocrity.....
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