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- Nov 10, 2007
:agree: Thanks for saying exactly what I was trying to figure why I always feel something is lacking with Tara's skating! I think I would enjoy more of her skating if she had the chance to fully develop the artistry and polish.
That Night -- 1998 Olympic Ladies FS
- Thread starter blue dog
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Is this the performance where Hubert lost all her motivation at the middle of the performance and didn't even hold her check positions when she failed her landings? Yuka Sato was doing commentary at this event at the Japanese broadcast and she was like, "This is a shameful attitude of hers as an Olympian." Although I totally understand Hubert's dissapointment and frustration, I must agree with Yuka. It would be nice if skaters keep making efforts until the last moment even when their performances have not gone in the ways they wanted. Many figure skating coaches are pretty strict in terms of manners, courtesy, and respect to the audience and those who have supported the skaters. Dancers would practice the bow and the coaches would stress the feelings involved in it. I think that those kinds of things are very important in dance performances.
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- Jun 21, 2003
But now try watching them side by side with the music off. I can hardly tell the difference.
At U.S. Nationals not only is she skating to the music better, but the crowd is going crazy for her thoughout the performance, which also contributes to our evaluation.
Coming out of lurkdom to say Tara did react way before she saw her scores. She hardly had any ending pose before she started shrieking and running across the ice.
It is still hard for me not to be bitter about Nagano. If those Olys were "a business trip for the Kwans", it sure was a "photo op" for Tara. For the 2 wks before the ladies' FS, we got to hear how Tara was joyfully playing without a care in the world, while sobersides Michelle was missing out on the joy of the Olys, even missing the opening ceremony...no mention was made of her staying in the US for more therapy on her foot. With such a media blitz, (Mike Berg was a genius) it's no surprise that some judges and some fans were influenced the way they were.
Michelle was not required to skate Lyra Angelica identically to her Nats performance to win Oly gold...she was required to skate better than her competitors at that competition. IMO, she did.
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- Jan 23, 2004
Thank you.
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- May 7, 2008
She was 15 years old going to the Olympics not expecting to win and just skated like that. She obviously was pretty excited, but the screaming and jumping came when she saw her 2nd marks. If you go by their reactions before marks came up, even Michelle was crying WAY before the scores came up. She didn't fall or anything so I think we can assume they were "good" tears.
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- Mar 22, 2004
Nagano ladies was one of those competitions where there's no one definitive 'right' result and any result will be controversial for some. That is both Lipinski over Kwan and Kwan over Lipinski are defensible positions. Both were far ahead of the pack (like Orser/Boitano in Calgary or GG/DM in Lillehammer). The eventual winner was just the result of how the judges at that particular competiion scored it, and a different panel could come up with a different result.
I personally enjoyed Kwan's LP more but there is a difference between personal enjoyment and determining which was a better program. If I were a judge I don't know which I'd choose (Lipinski delivered harder jump content Kwan had generally better everything else).
I don't know if being 'slow' hurt Kwan as much as the wonky flip (as I keep saying the flip seems to go wrong more than any other triple in world level elite competition it really should get as many points as a lutz).
I personally enjoyed Kwan's LP more but there is a difference between personal enjoyment and determining which was a better program. If I were a judge I don't know which I'd choose (Lipinski delivered harder jump content Kwan had generally better everything else).
I don't know if being 'slow' hurt Kwan as much as the wonky flip (as I keep saying the flip seems to go wrong more than any other triple in world level elite competition it really should get as many points as a lutz).
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- Jul 26, 2003
I think it was 98 when my friend said that the Oly's were the wettest she's ever scene. I think some of the skaters cried from the relief of skating well - such as Michelle. I didn't see her tear as joyous, but as those of relief from the pressure. 98 was her 1st Oly's and she was the front runner. She did not want to disappoint herself or her family or her friends or Frank by putting in a sub-par performance.
The commentators did say that MK's performance was a gold winning one as compared to past Oly winners, who also skated restrained.
The commentators did say that MK's performance was a gold winning one as compared to past Oly winners, who also skated restrained.
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- Mar 12, 2007
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- Dec 16, 2006
My old ballet teacher used to say, after we had watched these two performances, that Michelle's was more "high" art, whereas Tara's was more "pop" art. Less people found Lyra accessible because it was more on the ranks of...Kiri Te Kanawa, whereas The Rainbow was more along the ranks of Mandy Moore. I don't know if I would agree, but that is how she put it.
MM, you might be on to something there. The crowd certainly helped Michelle in '98 Nats--and I remember in '98, skating analysts were warning skaters that Japanese audiences aren't as boisterous as they're used to.
MM, you might be on to something there. The crowd certainly helped Michelle in '98 Nats--and I remember in '98, skating analysts were warning skaters that Japanese audiences aren't as boisterous as they're used to.
Olympics of 1998 and 2002 saw the gold medals go to ladies who went all out in the FS...We saw inspired, record-breaking performances. (So great that we are still pontificating about them.) Then along came 2006 Olympics.... Arakawa was as fine a skater as either of the two previous gold medalists, but she skated late in the FS skate order. Her closest rivals skated earlier, and less-than-stellar. Shizuka just relaxed (if that's possible at O's) and won without taking chances with the high-risk combos. Alas, she won with a beautiful, but toned-down 5-triple program. It is said that in practices and warm-ups she was throwing 3/3's and even 3/3/3's. What a shame that we didn't get to see her skate to her utmost ability, a la Tara's and Sarah's earlier gold medal performances. But just wait....Vancouver lies ahead! I'm predicting it will be a record-breaking, spectacular ladies' event. With all of the focus on Yu Na and Mao, I'm thinking that the svelte, speed demon from Italy could race and jump to the gold in 2010! (Judges never seem reluctant to reward her efforts with high marks. And she never seems to get caught in political cross-fire!) Notwithstanding, I look for it to be another record breaker!
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Actually the freeskate start order was this:
http://www.isufs.org/results/owg2006/SEG004.HTM
19. Gedevanishvili
20. Cohen
21. Arakawa
22. Suguri
23. Meissner
24. Slutskaya
I cannot see Arakawa being able to do much relaxing with Slutskaya as the last to skate, LOL. The result after short programme:
http://www.isufs.org/results/owg2006/SEG003.HTM
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- Jan 23, 2004
Vancouver should be very exciting indeed. I am not one to predict because you just don't what will happen, but your scenario is entirely possible and I have to admit that it has crossed my mind more than once.
Yes, I agree totally. I loved Arakawa´s "Turandot" (both in 2004 Worlds and 2006 Olympics and have rewatched it many times.
