Greatest Lady Skater Of All Time
- Thread starter RealtorGal
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2003
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:
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:
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
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
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
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2003
I'm sorry, but this rationale is just so retarded.
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?
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Whatever was I thinking of, Berthe's Ghost! That shows the folly of me trying to post when I am grousing about the likelihood that my local TV station was going to pre-empt the Cup of China coverage for an infomercial about investing in mutual funds, as they did for both Skate American and Skate Canada. After I shot off my blistering rant to the local ABC affiliate I still had enough spleen left over to spew it out on Sonja Hening and Ulrich Salchow, the two most outstanding competitors in the history of the sport. Talk about retarded!
Mathman
Mathman
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2003
Greatest Ladies Skater of all time
I have three skaters that I think are great and maybe the greatest of all times.
Peggy Fleming
Janet Lynn
Michelle Kwan
Peggy, Janet and Michelle are wonderful skaters each with great artistic style, grace and beauty. These great ladies have brought dignity and a great sense of sportsmanship to figure skating and I am proud to be a fan.
diamond
I have three skaters that I think are great and maybe the greatest of all times.
Peggy Fleming
Janet Lynn
Michelle Kwan
Peggy, Janet and Michelle are wonderful skaters each with great artistic style, grace and beauty. These great ladies have brought dignity and a great sense of sportsmanship to figure skating and I am proud to be a fan.
diamond
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2003
Sonia definately
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2004
the greatest
Michelle.
She has it all: technical prowess and presentation/artistic ability. Her longevity/success in the sport, in times of HEAVY competition (unlike Henie's time) is unmatched.
And she moves me like no other skater.
Michelle.
She has it all: technical prowess and presentation/artistic ability. Her longevity/success in the sport, in times of HEAVY competition (unlike Henie's time) is unmatched.
And she moves me like no other skater.
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2003
Does this strong statement have any thought behind it, or is it just one of those things people "feel" without any real proof?
IMHO, Henie had pelenty of competiton: from Austria, from US, from England and from Sweden. I wouldn't be so foolish as to assume that the other gals were sloutches just because Henie was able to beat them more often than not.
Yes, Henie was "special", but as you yourself said, so is MK. I wouldn't call Tara, Maria, Sarah, or Irina people who changed how we look at the sport or incredible artists who started a new style. IMHO, non of them are "legends", so your point of "HEAVY competiton" is lost on me.
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2004
first post ever
I had no intention of ever posting, just wanted to lurk, but I love polls!
My favorite skater was always Janet Lynn, until Michelle. She can move me to tears because her skating,imho,is like watching an artist paint something beautiful. So I vote Michelle Kwan!
I had no intention of ever posting, just wanted to lurk, but I love polls!
My favorite skater was always Janet Lynn, until Michelle. She can move me to tears because her skating,imho,is like watching an artist paint something beautiful. So I vote Michelle Kwan!
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Hi Skatefan46. I'm glad you decided to post. Now that you have taken the plunge, I'll be looking for you on the Edge.
Bijoux, as much as I like Michelle I can't fault anyone who likes Kristi for this honor. Do you have an opinion on why Kristi is so often left out, with all the kudos going to Peggy Fleming, Janet Lynn and Dorothy Hamill?
Maybe it will be Jenny Kirk for the first half of the twenty-first!
Mathman
PS. But I still like Michelle the best.
Bijoux, as much as I like Michelle I can't fault anyone who likes Kristi for this honor. Do you have an opinion on why Kristi is so often left out, with all the kudos going to Peggy Fleming, Janet Lynn and Dorothy Hamill?
Maybe it will be Jenny Kirk for the first half of the twenty-first!
Mathman
PS. But I still like Michelle the best.
Besides Michelle Kwan, it should be Dorothy Hamill. Michelle keeps her eligible career for so many years while Dorothy Hamill keeps her professional career even longer. How many lady or man skaters have skated progessionally over 25 years? Only Dorothy has done. Over the years her spins, jumps, and edge flow are kept as same as her competing time.
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2004
Hmmm...I wish you had Kristi Yamaguchi up there. I think she's the greatest...Maybe just because she's my favorite, but whatever.
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
I agree, Kristi should definitely be considered. She had that "fire breathing dragon" quality of attack (just as I think Michelle does). She was so sublime during her amateur career (especially at the 91 Worlds and 92 Nationals), and her professional career was even more impressive because she sustained the same level of excellence in all aspects (and even made some improvements!).
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- Joined
- Mar 21, 2004
I voted for Oksana. But for me, it is a really close choice between Oksana, Katarina Witt and Kristi Yamaguchi. There's just something about Oksana's skating that I've always loved. Even when her skating wasn't at its best, she still had something special.
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