Greatest Lady Skater Of All Time

**VIETgrlTerifa** · 09-10-2003, 10:26 AM

Originally posted by Jaana
I voted for "other" (Sonia Henie), because the greatest lady skater of all time has to have won the Olympics AT LEAST once.

Marjaana

Hate to be snarky, but the Olympic Gold medal certainly hasn't made Oksana Baiul's or Tara Lipinski's figure skating career that..."influential". Well they are used as examples of what not to do now, so that is influential...but not in a good way.

One could also argue that Kurt Browning is more influential than most of the men out there, even though he never even won an Olympic medal...but I guess according to some people the Olympic silver and Bronze medal is the same as not winning a medal at all.

**Dustin** · 09-10-2003, 07:01 PM

...Sonja Henie by far. No skater has given anything near as much as she has to the sport, she changed the world's perception of figure skating in ways no other skater has - along with winning 3 Olympic Golds and 10 World Titles.

**Germanice** · 09-11-2003, 02:36 AM

Originally posted by VIETgrlTerifa
Hate to be snarky, but the Olympic Gold medal certainly hasn't made Oksana Baiul's or Tara Lipinski's figure skating career that..."influential". Well they are used as examples of what not to do now, so that is influential...but not in a good way.
One could also argue that Kurt Browning is more influential than most of the men out there, even though he never even won an Olympic medal...but I guess according to some people the Olympic silver and Bronze medal is the same as not winning a medal at all.

Completely censored! I guess it's better this way, it could've been
blasphemy! :D

Where's my courage gone? :(

Anke

**Jaana** · 09-11-2003, 04:11 AM

Originally posted by VIETgrlTerifa
Hate to be snarky, but the Olympic Gold medal certainly hasn't made Oksana Baiul's or Tara Lipinski's figure skating career that..."influential". Well they are used as examples of what not to do now, so that is influential...but not in a good way.

One could also argue that Kurt Browning is more influential than most of the men out there, even though he never even won an Olympic medal...but I guess according to some people the Olympic silver and Bronze medal is the same as not winning a medal at all.

Well, I was not suggesting that Tara or Oksana are the greatest lady skaters of all time. Sonia Henie is the name I gave. She won THREE Olympic gold medals and TEN World gold medals.

What I mean is, that the greatest lady skater of all time has to have gotten a gold medal in EVERY competition (Worlds and Olympics), in my opinion. Besides Henie won her gold medals, three in the Olympics and ten in the Worlds, in a row. She did not lose a competition during that time to anyone.

Marjaana

**lavender** · 09-11-2003, 09:14 AM

Really....I don't think so.

**Mathman** · 09-12-2003, 07:22 PM

Originally posted by Germanice
Completely censored! I guess it's better this way, it could've been blasphemy! Where's my courage gone? -- Anke

Who are you, and what have you done with our Anke?

Mathman

PS. It is impossible to argue against Sonja Henie's claim as the most influential person in the history of the sport.

**mzheng** · 09-12-2003, 09:46 PM

Originally posted by Mathman

PS. It is impossible to argue against Sonja Henie's claim as the most influential person in the history of the sport.

Really? I guess in 20 years, or even now, no young girl skater say 'I just want to skate like HER'.

**Germanice** · 09-13-2003, 06:07 AM

Originally posted by Mathman
Who are you, and what have you done with our Anke?

Mathman

It doesn't matter who I am, just call me "Michelle's revenge", OK? All I can say now: The infamous GI is doomed!!! I've bound her in her armchair in front of her TV. Since I took all my tapes with me I condemned her to watch all of Michelle's glorious performances from 1994 until now for the next few days. Believe me, and after chiseling: "Michelle is Goddess and the greatest skater of all times, always and forever!" at least 1000 times in the walls of Rome's St. Peter, she'll turn into a nice, clean and political correct little poster, always rooting for the right one's. And be assured: Of course I already took care for the fact she won't worship that eville, naughty Russian (ya know, the one who's always drunk!) anymore! I've made her watch his "One Banana" program for about 100 times, hehe! :D

PS: Please let me know how to change her avatar (Michelle in a "Statue-of-Liberty" pose!!!) and costum title! Do you think "Michelle Kwan's one and only fan in Europe!!!" will do it?

**Mathman** · 09-13-2003, 03:03 PM

Dear Michelle's One and Only Fan in Europe (MOOFE):

MOOFE, MOOFE! Is that you? Don't you remember me? It was the spring of 1996. I was scouring Europe searching (alas, in vain) for Michelle fans, when one day, lost in the mist on the heather somewhere in the Scottish highlands, I chanced upon a charming old-fashioned little village. Imagine my surprise when I was told that this village (Brigadoon) appeared only once every 200 years, on the anniversary of the ice skating injury to Saint Lydwina, Patron Saint of Figure Skating (buy her medallion for $175 U.S. at

http://www.rainbosportsshop.com/figuregifts1.htm

scroll down, third from the bottom on the left).

The curse could be broken, and Brigadoon would become a normal town existing in real time, only if they found the True Incarnation of Saint Lydwina. The True Incarnation would be recognized by being the most adored and worshiped skater in the world.

Of course I told them about Alexei.

But one young woman, radiant in her beauty and wisdom, cried out, "No, it’s Michelle! It’s Michelle."

Oh, since we were in Europe, this solitary voice was drowned out by the tumultuous chorus, "Alexei! Alexei! Alexei!"

The village instantly disappeared, leaving me alone with the lovely MOOFE.

We have since gone our separate ways, but how wonderful to hear that you are still doing your best to convert the world to Kwandom.

I remain

still your heart’s slave,

Mathman

PS. But if you have even the least drop (or "drap" in Scottish) of mercy in your soul, at least let Germanice loose long enough for her to vote on the "most boring skater" poll. It would be cruel and unusual punishment to deny her that!

**Germanice** · 09-14-2003, 03:08 AM

Sorry, Mathman, I know this is gonna be a huge heartbreak for you - I'm NOT Moofe! But I've met her in Glasgow lately, where she's just received her weekly welfare for her and her five kids (yours?). I've to say she looked quite grey and depressed. You see, being that much heroic isn't always a smart moofe. :( Don't get me wrong, the ignorant behavour of those dump people in Brigadoon against our magnificant and unique Michelle deserved the most severe punishment, but I wonder if disappearing for another 200 years is the right one. I mean, who wants to be a "normal" little Scottish village in dangerous and mundane days like this?

But back to GI now. What can I say, she's lost, totally lost! There's nothing I can do. Remember? I've tried to convert her with boatloads of tapes of our great and precious Michelle. But when I removed the gag from her mouth the last time she was in sheer agony, almost begging me on her knees to play "One Banana" again. So now, she's still a slave of that Russian boozer! I guess it's not her fault, she never had a real choice after all. You know, in many ways she's just a typical example of a stupid, stubborn, barbarian and ignorant European skating fan. They'll never learn: Instead of gushing over our glorious and gorgeous Michelle we graciously brought to them they just prefer flesh & blood on ice and certain plastic dolls in pink boxes only. :( So what did I expect?

What shall I do now? Execute her? Let her go? But no way, knowing her she'll participate in that disgusting "Boring skaters" poll right after that! But then, so what, I've just noticed the recent results, it doesn't matter anyway. :(
Oh my, I give up! Michelle impossible!

BUT SAVE MOOFE AT LEAST!!!

**Sapphire** · 09-27-2003, 11:49 PM

I vote for Kristi Yamaguchi. I was really little, but ever since I saw her in the olympics, she's been my fave ladies skater.

**Mathman** · 10-02-2003, 11:52 AM

Kristi is my favorite, too. And Michelle in the current eligibles.

MM

**berthes ghost** · 11-10-2003, 07:25 AM

Wait, the greatest of all time and you have Sarah as an option but not Sonja? And I'm suppose to take this poll seriously?

Sorry, but I'd have Madge Sayers, Barbara Ann Scott, Carol Heiss and Kristi Yamaguchi before Sarah any day of the week.

Tara? Was she really greater than Midori, or Debi, or Linda Fratianne or Karen Magnussen or Jaqueline du Bief or Cecelia Colledge or Maribel Vinson?

Oksana? She was carismatic, but what did she leave as a legacy? Nothing as far as I can tell. Oh yeah, there was Irina's ill conceived 96 LP homage : cutesy choreo to show tunes while wearing glitter covered pastel show girl outfit.

Anyway, taking into consideration 1. influence on sport and future generations, 2. fame, 3. medals and titles collected, 4. New moves , 5. Technical and artistic advancement of the sport introduced, I'd have to say that Sonja wins this one hands down.

Sorry, but even I have to laugh at the idea of MK winning this one by an outrageous landslide :sheesh:

**Mathman** · 11-30-2003, 12:52 PM

I think Michelle Kwan is the greatest figure skater ever. To me, she has a unique ability to touch the hearts of the audience that has no parallel in any sport.

As for the great athletes of bygone eras, time marches on. Sure, they were wonderful for their time. Sonja Henie won a lot of prizes, and she also did well financially. But her most difficult athletic feat was a sort-of-a single Axel. Ulrich Salchow was fine for his time, but he couldn't do a triple Salchow, which is now routine for 13-year-old girls. As for Olympic gold, Henie and Salchow wouldn't make their national teams in competition against today's athletes. (OK, they might make the Norwegian and Swedish teams.) :evil

Mathman

**berthes ghost** · 12-01-2003, 09:49 AM

As for Olympic gold, Henie and Salchow wouldn't make their national teams in competition against today's athletes.

I'm sorry, but this rationale is just so [color=red]*[/color][color=red]*[/color][color=red]*[/color][color=red]*[/color][color=red]*[/color][color=red]*[/color][color=red]*[/color][color=red]*[/color].

Henie was way ahead of her competeiors technically, that's why she always won. Are you really looking me straight in the monitor and saying that if she was an 11 year old going to her first Olys today, that she wouldn't be able to land a 3 Salchow?

Do you really believe that if Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln were alive today, that they wouldn't be able to learn how to drive a car? Oh, and don't forget, the only job Marie Curie could get today is being the cleaning lady at a lab!

Do you really believe that today's children land 3 Salchows, not because they train them, but because they are somekind of ubertalented super-race?