After the hip repair of Michelle, are you all waiting for her big return | Golden Skate

After the hip repair of Michelle, are you all waiting for her big return

christinaskater

Medalist
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
After the hip repair of Michelle, are you all waiting for her big return

A friend of mine who is close to michelle said that she is not closing her doors and is smelling a comeback once she is fully at ease with her hip repair! I think when she comes back she is technically more prepared to do the 3-3's!
 

MKFSfan

Medalist
Joined
Mar 15, 2006
Well, Michelle has said she's not ruling anything out. She's also said (and been seen to be) in the best shape of her life. As much as I would LOVE to see her back in eligible competitions, skating to those two TT choreographed programs, I'm not sure how realistic it would be. At the most, I wouldn't be surprised if Michelle (and Sasha) come back next season to try and qualify for Worlds '09 in LA, but I doubt it would be more than that. At the very least, I hope Michelle returns to COI, and maybe a few Cheesefests.:love:

Right now, I hope Michelle is very happily enjoying life and all the opportunites she has...pain free! :bow:
 

cianni

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
OH Yes

OH how I wish. Not sure that will happen. I would love to see Michelle do anything just to see her skate again. Heres hoping.
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
When Michelle had surgery and then went off to Denver to get her degree to me that said she was done skating and it was only a matter of time before she announced her retirement from competitive skating. That has not happened yet, she looks fit and has said her surgery was successful, feels great and that she still is not closing any doors. If we are to believe the rumors that she is not returning to Denver and staying in LA to finish her degree she very well could be making a run for 2009 Nationals and Worlds. LA is home to both Sasha and MK . Even if Michelle (or Sasha for that matter) decide to compete again there is no guarantee that they would place in the top three at Nationals and make the World team. If it happens it would be a great comeback story and I would be rooting for her, but presently there are a lot of talented skaters for me to enjoy and keep me occupied.
 
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Mafke

Medalist
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
There's no particular reason for skaters to announce retirement from 'eligible' competition anymore and reasons to not do so. There's no pro market to speak of, the action is in the eligible scene (and on its fringe). Why cut yourself off from the most marketable form of skating even if you have no current intention to return.

I'm pretty dubious about a Kwan comeback happening but there's no reason for her to deny the possibility outright.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
For next year, I wouldn't be surprised to see her show up at Skate America as part of the NBC coverage, then take on a larger role commentating at U.S. Nationals.

Next up -- the Summer Olympics at Beijing, where she will combine television work with her goodwill ambassador gig (will Cal Ripkin join her?)

Also, I expect that she will stay at UCLA instead of going back to Denver (the thrill is gone ;) ).

Skating? All we can do is take Michelle at her word -- "I feel good (yow!), one day at a time, we'll see, no reason to close any doors, I would tell you my plans if I knew what they were myself (no, not really :p )."

:rock:
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Sorry fans, I don't see her coming back to competitive skating.

She had some great competitive moments but I think that phase is over. She still is a very popular skater, and if anyone can get a decent Nielsen rating (more than just fans) she could if she decided to do a TV special.

MM's post looks good.

Joe
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
why does a skater have to "offically announce" retirment before people will stop talking about it? No, Michelle has moved on, a sasha has too. End of chapter.
 

Mafke

Medalist
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
why does a skater have to "offically announce" retirment before people will stop talking about it?

TRADITION!

(as l like to mention, traditions carry on even after the reasons for their establishment are no longer relevant, there are so many cases of this in the structure of skating that it could serve as a case history for that phenomenon).

I agree that Kwan and Cohen are _extraoridnarily_ unlikely to see eligible competition again, but on the other hand, there's no particular reason for them to actually say that (and some reason for them not to and to keep whatever skating plans they may have to themselves).
 

temperboy28

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 17, 2006
Why come back. To take 7th place at Worlds. Big incentive for a 5-time World Champion to come back. She wont be back, no matter what little rumours are started, and if she does I feel sorry for her since it wont be fun for someone with her pride to get the results she will get.
 

attyfan

Custom Title
Medalist
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
Why come back. To take 7th place at Worlds. Big incentive for a 5-time World Champion to come back. She wont be back, no matter what little rumours are started, and if she does I feel sorry for her since it wont be fun for someone with her pride to get the results she will get.

Well, IIRC, there was a certain 4-time World champ and 2 time OGM who came back, only to wind up in 6th at the '94 Olys -- but she did so to make a political statement with her skate (about the war in Sarajevo) rather than to win a third Oly medal. I aslo recall MM posting an analysis of the political message in Michelle's programs -- maybe, he can dig it up again so people will understand why she might return.

Seriously, if people started talking about me as not being able to return to my work after a major medical problem the way we talk about Michelle not being able to do so, they would be in big trouble for age and disability discrimination. I therefore believe that Michelle should the same right to return to her job as I had to return to mine.
 

Mafke

Medalist
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
Seriously, if people started talking about me as not being able to return to my work after a major medical problem the way we talk about Michelle not being able to do so, they would be in big trouble for age and disability discrimination. I therefore believe that Michelle should the same right to return to her job as I had to return to mine.

Of course she has the right to return to eligible competition, I just doubt that she wants to, she's long been bigger than the only prize she doesn't have and I think she realizes that now too.
As for for people talking about her not being able to go back, if she listened to people forecasting that her career was over, she would have retired back in 1997...
I'm confident that her future actions will be guided by what _she_ wants to do and not what net denizens (either her fans or enemies) think she wants to do.
 

passion

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 17, 2005
Yes! I would be interested in seeing how she has matured over all these years. What's so great about Michelle is that I think she has a very large perspective in life and lots of different experiences outside of skating. I think all those experiences can only make her a better skater from a maturity standpoint. I think it's important that she returns to competition for all the right reasons and that she has realistic expectations. I think that she should be very proud of herself for having the courage to come back especially after major surgery. I also hope that she realizes that it doesn't matter what other people think, it's what she thinks that counts. BTW, congratulations on her graduation! When did she graduate and what is her degree in?
 

nymkfan51

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I have felt all along that she would come back if her health allowed and if she still had the drive to do it. It seems her desire is still there, so it's just a matter of what her body will allow, IMO.

Everything points to 2009 Nationals ... that is when I'm guessing she'd want to make a comeback. I know I am still hoping for it ... and until she says it's over, I will assume it's not. ;)
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Well, IIRC, there was a certain 4-time World champ and 2 time OGM who came back, only to wind up in 6th at the '94 Olys -- but she did so to make a political statement with her skate (about the war in Sarajevo) rather than to win a third Oly medal. I aslo recall MM posting an analysis of the political message in Michelle's programs -- maybe, he can dig it up again so people will understand why she might return.

Seriously, if people started talking about me as not being able to return to my work after a major medical problem the way we talk about Michelle not being able to do so, they would be in big trouble for age and disability discrimination. I therefore believe that Michelle should the same right to return to her job as I had to return to mine.


I would really like to hear a polictical interpration of michelle's programs. sounds unrealistic, but intersting.

as for age discrimination, yes it is wrong to discirminate against workers becasue they might be older, but being a professional athlete is not a regualr job. you have to be in perfect shape to be a world class figure skater. Michelle was injured. badly. true, she might be all better now, but with all the time she has had to take off she can't possibly skate at the level she once skated at. and even if she COULD skate as well as she did at her zenith of her career, i am sure that all of us would agree that it would not be enough for olympic gold in this generation of yu-na's and maos.
 

Kypma

Final Flight
Joined
May 12, 2007
Maybe she just wants to come back to end her career on a good note... in her last season, so to speak, she withdrew from Nationals with an injury, then injured herself again in Torino. I think she might want to come back just to put out 2 perfect programs (with her standards) and say good-bye to her sport properly, and not withdrawing from the Olympic Games... just for the sake of a happier ending.

Kypma
 

attyfan

Custom Title
Medalist
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
.... as for age discrimination, yes it is wrong to discirminate against workers becasue they might be older, but being a professional athlete is not a regualr job. you have to be in perfect shape to be a world class figure skater. Michelle was injured. badly. true, she might be all better now, but with all the time she has had to take off she can't possibly skate at the level she once skated at. and even if she COULD skate as well as she did at her zenith of her career, i am sure that all of us would agree that it would not be enough for olympic gold in this generation of yu-na's and maos.

Sorry, but IMO, if it is illegal discrimination to assume that my age or my medical condition prohibits me from handling certain demands of my job (stress), it should be equally illegal to assume that an athlete such as Michelle can't handle the physical demands of her job. The problem is in making the assumption.
 

clairecloutier

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 27, 2003
If Michelle were to come back for 2009 Nationals and Worlds, I think there's a 99% chance she'd make a run for Vancouver in 2010. Because why on earth would she go to all the trouble of training and getting back into competitive shape for one year of Worlds--and then *not* try for the Olympics??

As a longtime fan of hers, I'm very nervous at the thought of her coming back. I don't want her to do it unless she can truly be competitive. And now more than ever, I doubt she can be competitive without solid triple-triple combinations in her repertoire.

It's not impossible though. And if it happens, I won't be totally surprised, because I think the competitor in Michelle is very strong. If I were a competitor, I wouldn't want my career to end as hers did in Torino.

So did she break up with her boyfriend in Denver? Is that why she's going to UCLA this year?
 

attyfan

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Mar 1, 2004
eyria;261349 ... So did she break up with her boyfriend in Denver? Is that why she's going to UCLA this year?[/QUOTE said:
I read somewhere that she said she was going to summer school at UCLA, and, that classes at UD don't start until September 10 -- so it is possible that she has not broken up with the boyfriend but will return to Denver. My concern is that the boyfriend's dad owns COI -- so if MK and the guy did break up, will she return to that tour?
 

krenseby

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
As a longtime fan of hers, I'm very nervous at the thought of her coming back. U

If she wants to come back, there's nothing to be done about it. Remember Midori and Katerina and their come-back attempts? Well, they didn't remain exactly competitive but they still went for it... I guess they were too addicted to amateur skating to give it up once and for all
 
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