"Waiting Your Turn"

Posted by: Peachstateski8er

If Michelle had had one fall they still would have handed the title to her. But three mistakes, would have been too obvious, she gave them no choice.


Yep -- three mistakes, and you lose the gold medal. Had the judges held up Michelle's marks and awarded her the title, with Tara Lipinski's strong long program, there would have been a lot of hooting and hollering about the justice of figure skating judges.

Sorry, but IMO Tara's skating was not as strong in '97. She skated very much like a junior. I don't think the judges were playing any "wait your turn" game with her.

I'm not saying that the judges played the "wait your turn" game with Tara Lipinski at the 1997 Nationals. She won because Michelle Kwan self-destructed in the long program. Under the normal sequence of events, Tara would not have won the title in 1997, had Michelle skated a clean program or perhaps made only ONE mistake in the long program.

My "waiting your turn" tag refers to instances in which a skater clearly outskates the competition but is held back in the marks because he/she is new to the national or international scene.

Perhaps the skater in question would not have won the competition or even medaled, but the marks would have been higher, all things being equal, if that skater wasn't a rookie.