Does Anyone Else Miss Vanessa Gusmeroli?

After seeing sloppy repetitve programs after sloppy repetitive programs this season, I decided to dig up some tapes and was so amazed by Gusmeroli programs. Boy do I miss her, and I wish some of her creative moves and choreography would be translated into some of these skaters today. I understand the whole thing about points and number of revolutions and the 10,000 positions everyone has to do, but Gusmeroli in many ways was ahead of her time, and cover some of the COP aspect creatively.

I used think her skating was good but not great, somewhat unpolish, but relooking at some of her programs, they were defintely some of the best in the world. They always tell a story and kept me guessing what move she would do next. Some of my favorites were her Sliding Spirals, Splits on the ice especially in between footwork, and her Camel Spins.

Her SP to The Mask was truely innovative (and relooking at 97 World Champs....I would have acutally had her first, plus she did one of the first T.Lutz-d.loop ever). Than there was here stylish Rats d'Hotel program with her all black and diamond costume, and the classic Legends of the Falls. Please alert when we will ever see a skater to take the time and end a program with 3 camel spins to the L-R-L....

I miss Vanessa! She was really innovative in a lot of aspects. Choreoghraphy, moves, costumes, music. I remember once in a gala she was dressed as a butterfly.
And she really wanted to tell a story with her programs. Once she was a thief, then a butterfly....

I miss her too! She was so creative and technically exciting, but how many times was she rewarded by the Judges? Never! And people complain about Dance judging.....Vanessa was robbed of medals soooo many times, it was cruel.

I miss her, too! She's one of the all time favs.

ATW

I hadn't seen very many of her programs (we didn't tape everything back then ), but I loved her "Legends of the Fall" program so much so that I bought the soundtrack! Thanks for the inspiration, Vanessa!

La Rhumba said:

Vanessa was robbed of medals soooo many times, it was cruel.

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Yes, unfortunately she was always mistreated by judges, who never understood her. Kinda like the Duchesnays.

I always really liked her creativity. I also always thought she would have done better had she not won that surprise Bronze at the 97 Worlds -- it was completely unexpected, and I don't think she was quite ready to be World Bronze Medallist at that point, and I think it put too much pressure on her to try and match that, kind of like Urmanov going into things as the reigning Olympic champion and not being able to skate like one because of it.

After seeing her horrid performance at the 2002 Olympics, I have to say I do not miss Vanessa Gusmeroli at all.

Vanessa Gusmeroli will be missed for her innovation and her artistry, and yes I loved her "legends of the fall program", a pure masterpiece, your right up there Vanessa with the best even though you were not crowned champion. I am sorry that you could not get your jumps consistent enough after your excellent 2000 season, I am sure if you mastered them you would have been European Champion and a world medalist more over.

I have to say Laetitia Hubert had the talent too and came up with some lovely programs, remember the SP to "the piano" in 98 which ended with Laetitia landing the double axel.