Your top ten ladies of all time?
- Thread starter Bijoux
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- Mar 5, 2004
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Yes, absolutely!
Now for the ladies. This is also hard to limit to 10.
1. Midori Ito
2. Yuka Sato
3. Michelle Kwan
4. Kristi Yamaguchi
5. Dorothy Hamill
6. Katia Gordeeva (pairs and singles - I love how she "reinvented" herself)
7. Joannie Rochette
8. Caryn Kadavy
9. Sasha Cohen
10. Fumie Suguri
I also really like Shizuka Arakawa, Yuna Kim and Mao Asada (please Mao, I want to see you smile again - I'm so proud of you especially after such a tough season so far).
Beautifully said.
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2004
SOme people have very funny choices, like Miki Ando for eg. Like... hello?
Anyway in order of merit:
1) Michelle Kwan
Yeap heard it all before but before her I never saw artistry as it was. And after her everyone strove to be like her in terms of artistic expression, phrasing to the music combined with technical merit. Enuff said.
2) Yu Na Kim
I think for some reason she will still improve, esp on the artistic front although that is already excellent. I think she will skate to more mature type music and take things to the next level. DOn;'t know if her technical abilities will hold for many years to come though. But she has absolutely nothing to lose.
3) Mao Asada
Shame she is forever under the shadow of her Korean mate, because she could well be the real star had it not been for Her. SHe still has the highest degree of softness on the ice, although not very quick, she is a bit like bubble bath on water or ice. Not to mention the incredible triple axels. We keep forgetting, just because she has done so many of them, how difficult they actually are to land. Go Mao.
4)
Anyway in order of merit:
1) Michelle Kwan
Yeap heard it all before but before her I never saw artistry as it was. And after her everyone strove to be like her in terms of artistic expression, phrasing to the music combined with technical merit. Enuff said.
2) Yu Na Kim
I think for some reason she will still improve, esp on the artistic front although that is already excellent. I think she will skate to more mature type music and take things to the next level. DOn;'t know if her technical abilities will hold for many years to come though. But she has absolutely nothing to lose.
3) Mao Asada
Shame she is forever under the shadow of her Korean mate, because she could well be the real star had it not been for Her. SHe still has the highest degree of softness on the ice, although not very quick, she is a bit like bubble bath on water or ice. Not to mention the incredible triple axels. We keep forgetting, just because she has done so many of them, how difficult they actually are to land. Go Mao.
4)
Well said:thumbsup: But don't forget Mao did have like 2 yrs in the spotlight before Kim took over.
Well, of course I have to agree with you on this! There's no one like Kurt.
As for ladies, I'd hold to my original list but add Gordeyeva; thanks for mentioning her, all who did. I forgot—shame on me!—because of course she never competed as an amateur singles skater. But as a soloist, her speed, lightness, and musicality made her mesmerizing. Her skating was simple, honest, and heartfelt. She gave each program meaning; she never just moved to background music. I still remember one professional program she did to "I Will Wait for You" from the movie The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. It just went straight through me.
My top ten. Just for fun, I added my 6.0 marks for each skater at their very best (Technical-Artistic), allowing for differences of 0.05:
Midori Ito, 6.0 5.75 (just awesome; her sheer power and energy made up for any lack of "pretty" moves)
Lu Chen, 5.8 6.0 (she just flowed; it always looked like she was just spontanously moving to the music right then and there)
Michelle Kwan, 5.85 5.95 (consistency and ability to show her emotions more than anyone else)
Katarina Witt. 5.75 6.0 (not the best jumper, but watch that Carmen program and see how her moves go perfectly with the music)
Kristi Yamaguchi 5.85 5.95 (solid in all areas, worked hard to improve both technically--adding the t.lutz-t.toe years before Yu-na--and
artistically)
Yu-na Kim, 5.9 5.9 (not in the Top 5 quite yet, but well on her way; I do think she's the greatest Short Program skater ever already)
Tonya Harding, 6.0 5.75 (so unpredictable in so many ways...)
Nicole Bobek, 5.75 5.9 (when she was on... wow... that spiral was !!!)
Sasha Cohen, 5.75 6.0 (like others have said, some of her positions were simply moving art)
Elizabeth Manley, 5.85 5.85 (amazing LP at '88 Olympics)
Midori Ito, 6.0 5.75 (just awesome; her sheer power and energy made up for any lack of "pretty" moves)
Lu Chen, 5.8 6.0 (she just flowed; it always looked like she was just spontanously moving to the music right then and there)
Michelle Kwan, 5.85 5.95 (consistency and ability to show her emotions more than anyone else)
Katarina Witt. 5.75 6.0 (not the best jumper, but watch that Carmen program and see how her moves go perfectly with the music)
Kristi Yamaguchi 5.85 5.95 (solid in all areas, worked hard to improve both technically--adding the t.lutz-t.toe years before Yu-na--and
artistically)
Yu-na Kim, 5.9 5.9 (not in the Top 5 quite yet, but well on her way; I do think she's the greatest Short Program skater ever already)
Tonya Harding, 6.0 5.75 (so unpredictable in so many ways...)
Nicole Bobek, 5.75 5.9 (when she was on... wow... that spiral was !!!)
Sasha Cohen, 5.75 6.0 (like others have said, some of her positions were simply moving art)
Elizabeth Manley, 5.85 5.85 (amazing LP at '88 Olympics)
Pretty fun, and I agree with amost all your marks except I'd give Michelle a 6.0 in artistry and move her to the top. I suppose from a purely musical standpoint Lu Chen and others might have an edge but Michelle Kwan was just so memorable.
Also, I'd like to nominate Sasha Cohen as the second-best short program skater after Yuna.
Malaguena and Dark Eyes ... Just wow. apart from the flutz I've never seen two more perfect skating pieces, especially Malaguena at 2004 worlds.And I'd add Oksana Baiul and give her a 5.7. on tech and 6.0. on artistry.
Only the ones I've seen in actual competitions on tv (from Albertville and on)
Michelle Kwan Long live the Kween!
Yuna Kim Long live the Queen!
Oksana Baiul Although her skating as a pro really scared me
Kristi Yamaguchi The first one I remember watching at Albertville (my first real memory of watching figure skating)
Midro Ito The second one I remember watching at Albertville
Sasha Cohen Well, not my fave, but the beauty in her skating cannot be denied
Mao Asada Light as a feather!
Irina Slutskaya Daring and athletic
Tara Lipinski Not my fave, but she did win OGM
Shizuka Arakawa A solid skater all around
Michelle Kwan Long live the Kween!
Yuna Kim Long live the Queen!
Oksana Baiul Although her skating as a pro really scared me
Kristi Yamaguchi The first one I remember watching at Albertville (my first real memory of watching figure skating)
Midro Ito The second one I remember watching at Albertville
Sasha Cohen Well, not my fave, but the beauty in her skating cannot be denied
Mao Asada Light as a feather!
Irina Slutskaya Daring and athletic
Tara Lipinski Not my fave, but she did win OGM
Shizuka Arakawa A solid skater all around
Me too, re Kristi! I say Kristi, a clean, Kristi would have beat Oskana in 94... At least I would have placed her first.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2010
I know it's all subjective and personal choice.
But still it gives me some strange feeling to see active competitors being in the list named 'top ten of all time' along side with likes kween, witt, yamaguchi.
Don't get me wrong. I do think Yu-na/Mao's achievements deserve to belong to that prestigious club. But it's like to see active baseball players got into HOF even before retiring.
But still it gives me some strange feeling to see active competitors being in the list named 'top ten of all time' along side with likes kween, witt, yamaguchi.
Don't get me wrong. I do think Yu-na/Mao's achievements deserve to belong to that prestigious club. But it's like to see active baseball players got into HOF even before retiring.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2007
Skaters with GREAT ARTISTRY
1. Yu-Na Kim
2. Mao Asada
3. Kristi Yamaguchi
4. Sasha Cohen
5. Katarina Witt
6. Oksana Baiul
7. Tara Lipinski
1. Yu-Na Kim
2. Mao Asada
3. Kristi Yamaguchi
4. Sasha Cohen
5. Katarina Witt
6. Oksana Baiul
7. Tara Lipinski
Buh?
Don't get me wrong. Tara made my list of favorites, too. But I've heard so few people call her artistic ... I'm curious to hear why you do ...:think:
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2007
Skaters with Great Technique
1. Yu-Na Kim
2. Kristi Yamaguchi
3. Tara Lipinski
4. Midori Ito
5. Irina Slutskaya
6. Michelle Kwan
7. Oksana Baiul
1. Yu-Na Kim
2. Kristi Yamaguchi
3. Tara Lipinski
4. Midori Ito
5. Irina Slutskaya
6. Michelle Kwan
7. Oksana Baiul
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2007
Just watch her Olympic performance! She won the 1998 Olympic with ARTISTRY. Hard to believe?
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2010
Yes.
Bwaha. Just kidding. Maybe.
I hope you're not ranking her on artistry on just one competition though.
My extremely subjective and unrepresentative list due to my lack of knowledge of some of the historical greats.
In chronological order,
1. Kat Witt
2. Midori Ito
3. Tonya Harding
4. Kristi Yamaguchi
5. Michelle Kwan
6. Irina Slutskaya
7. Shizuka Arakawa
8. Fumie Suguri
9. Mao Asada
10. Yuna Kim
I really want to include Peggy Fleming since her olympic performance is one of the youtube videos I watch over and over again, but that wouldn't be fair to other "older" skaters.
In chronological order,
1. Kat Witt
2. Midori Ito
3. Tonya Harding
4. Kristi Yamaguchi
5. Michelle Kwan
6. Irina Slutskaya
7. Shizuka Arakawa
8. Fumie Suguri
9. Mao Asada
10. Yuna Kim
I really want to include Peggy Fleming since her olympic performance is one of the youtube videos I watch over and over again, but that wouldn't be fair to other "older" skaters.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2007
The judges fell in love with Tara with that performance... except U.S. judge.
No. not just the Olympic performance.
No, I've always thought so. I thought she managed to close the artistry gap between her and Michelle Kwan for that one performance, especially since Kwan was cautious that night and Tara skated with abandon. The judges made the right decision.
But I don't know if just based on that night I'd put Tara on a list of great artists and leave Michelle out!
