So it's the off-season, so I decided to watch some good ole tapes "when skating quality was better" and noticed many underrated performances by some ladies that have been forgotten.
Anna Rechnio - 1999 Worlds - 6th Place Overall
QUEEN OF EDGES!! So can sure teach a thing a two to these new jumping bean queens on what real strong edges are, and how to perform a strong spiral sequence without the needed super high leg position. Her SP was amazing and should have been rank 2nd like she was in 98 Worlds, and her FP was not worthy of a 7th place placement. A would have place her 4th ahead of Gusmeroli and Soldatova, which would have granted Malinina the Bronze.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pmHHUPYxc8&feature=related
Krisztina Czako - 1997 Worlds Short Program - 5th Place
T.Toe-T.Toe Combo with a T.Lutz, wonderful spins, interesting and inventive moves, and yet she was held back down to 5th. Butyrskaya was shaky, Kwan's step-out, and Lipinski juniorish skating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1tOf8uW1A
Jennifer Robinson - 2002 Worlds Free Program - 8th Place
Her forgotten masterpiece to Liberstraum. Beautiful program, beautiful skating, and jam pack with jumps. Indeed was had a bad SP, but this FP should have been rank 4th or 5th. Cohen blew it in the FP, Onda was sloppy, and Liashenko was so-so. Volchokova who finish 7th performed poorly yet edge her out. Can you believe a judge gave her a 5.1 for this? Honestly, this was Robinson best chance to medal...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfyl6DNvkyQ
Andrea Gardiner - 2000 US Nationals FP - 5th Place
Her break out performance, however got marks ranging all over place cause the judges didn't know what to do with her. She had strong jumps despite a crazy lutz, good spins, quality edges and some artistic flair. This was Nikodinov worst program that she ever did (come on...the mummy...!!!) prior to her transformation and her FP should have been ranks 5th, giving Gardiner the trip to Worlds and Grand Prix placements the following season.
Vanessa Gusmeroli - 2000 Europeans FP - 3rd Place (4th Overall)
Skater of her life with her highly regarded Legends of the Falls Program. Really strong by performances by Slutskaya and a solid one by Butyrskaya, however it was shaky and lack the quality that Gusmeroli had. 6/3 Split favoring Butyrskaya and sloppy Volchkova takes the bronze again at Euro's.
AND THE MOST FORGOTTEN PERFORMANCE IN MY OPINION:
Vanessa Gusmeroli - 1997 Worlds - Free Program - 2nd Place
Ok, it was well-recieved by the judges and brought her into the spot light. However, I believe this SP is probably the most interesting, inventive, and difficult program in the 90's period. I have very high regards for the program and believe that skaters today should take something from it. Should have won the SP ahead Lipinski...but it was a 5/4 split, costing Kwan a better chance of defending her title.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWa4ajz7KOM
Anna Rechnio - 1999 Worlds - 6th Place Overall
QUEEN OF EDGES!! So can sure teach a thing a two to these new jumping bean queens on what real strong edges are, and how to perform a strong spiral sequence without the needed super high leg position. Her SP was amazing and should have been rank 2nd like she was in 98 Worlds, and her FP was not worthy of a 7th place placement. A would have place her 4th ahead of Gusmeroli and Soldatova, which would have granted Malinina the Bronze.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pmHHUPYxc8&feature=related
Krisztina Czako - 1997 Worlds Short Program - 5th Place
T.Toe-T.Toe Combo with a T.Lutz, wonderful spins, interesting and inventive moves, and yet she was held back down to 5th. Butyrskaya was shaky, Kwan's step-out, and Lipinski juniorish skating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1tOf8uW1A
Jennifer Robinson - 2002 Worlds Free Program - 8th Place
Her forgotten masterpiece to Liberstraum. Beautiful program, beautiful skating, and jam pack with jumps. Indeed was had a bad SP, but this FP should have been rank 4th or 5th. Cohen blew it in the FP, Onda was sloppy, and Liashenko was so-so. Volchokova who finish 7th performed poorly yet edge her out. Can you believe a judge gave her a 5.1 for this? Honestly, this was Robinson best chance to medal...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfyl6DNvkyQ
Andrea Gardiner - 2000 US Nationals FP - 5th Place
Her break out performance, however got marks ranging all over place cause the judges didn't know what to do with her. She had strong jumps despite a crazy lutz, good spins, quality edges and some artistic flair. This was Nikodinov worst program that she ever did (come on...the mummy...!!!) prior to her transformation and her FP should have been ranks 5th, giving Gardiner the trip to Worlds and Grand Prix placements the following season.
Vanessa Gusmeroli - 2000 Europeans FP - 3rd Place (4th Overall)
Skater of her life with her highly regarded Legends of the Falls Program. Really strong by performances by Slutskaya and a solid one by Butyrskaya, however it was shaky and lack the quality that Gusmeroli had. 6/3 Split favoring Butyrskaya and sloppy Volchkova takes the bronze again at Euro's.
AND THE MOST FORGOTTEN PERFORMANCE IN MY OPINION:
Vanessa Gusmeroli - 1997 Worlds - Free Program - 2nd Place
Ok, it was well-recieved by the judges and brought her into the spot light. However, I believe this SP is probably the most interesting, inventive, and difficult program in the 90's period. I have very high regards for the program and believe that skaters today should take something from it. Should have won the SP ahead Lipinski...but it was a 5/4 split, costing Kwan a better chance of defending her title.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWa4ajz7KOM
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