The Kween and the Queen | Page 7 | Golden Skate

The Kween and the Queen

aftertherain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
I am only here to protest against certain prejudice, injustice, and political incorrectness that I sometimes see in this forum - it's subtle, but it's pervasive.

Then I'd ask you to stick up for Mao, Laura, and other skaters as well.
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
Heck, yeah! I'm from Detroit, and the Detroit Pistons had a guy named Joe Dumars who had Michael in his pocket. Here's Joe (number 4) on the cover of Sports illustrated in 1990.

http://www.rayimre.com/d/940-2/Joe+Dumars+11-6-89.JPG

We tore up Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs on the way to the 1989 and 1990 NBA championships.

Then in 1991 those cheating NBA referees got together with the crooked politicians in the NBA commissioners office -- personally, I think the Chicago mob made them an offer they couldn't refuse -- so they let Michael win in 1991. :cool:


Knicks fans didn't like Michael, either--because he kicked their team's butt!
 

Kwanford Wife

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Yuna gave two of the absolute best performances in the history of figure skating at the Olympics, owns all the world records, and no one has ever approached near her scoring level, and you want to point out the "faults" in her skating... lol.

I wonder if Michael Jordan had so many "critics" when he was at his peak? Why is it that some people have hard time just admiring a truly wonderful thing and must try to be a cynic all the time? My suggestion is take a deep breath, and try to enjoy and appreciate what life offers you.

Anyway, I absolutely love Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezic. They have jobs as commentators, but they also don't hide the fact that they are true admirers of Yuna. I could probably fill up 10 pages of this thread with amazing things Scott and Sandra have said about Yuna on air.

As for being an "artist", Yuna is one of the greatest artists there is, who also happen to be one of the greatest jumpers.

Personally, I have never seen more artistic and moving performances than Yuna's Danse Macabre and Gershwin by any individual. I grew up watching Michelle Kwan when she was at her peak, but I never felt the same sense of sheer awe that I now feel when watching Yuna. The only other skater that actually came close was Gordeeva/Grinkov.

Oh, YunaBliss I feel your pain. As a proud member of Kwan Nation, I understand the dismay when other posters don't see the sheer perfection of our favorites and see that they are beyond the mere mortals that compete against them - its a burden we must share.

How I get through it is to keep in mind that in sports there is no such thing as perfection. All athletes, including Kwan Yuna and Jordan, have areas in which they could and should improve... For example, Kwan continued to work on her speed and spins, Jordon on his defensive play and Yuna, hopefully, on developing a complete set of triples and her spirals. Sports are about constant, consistent improvement and if you want to be the best - you have to earn it.

As for Sandra & Scott - I love 'em when they love my favorites, hate them when they don't and annoyed when they don't do their jobs - witnessed at the 2010 Olympics.
 

princess9

On the Ice
Joined
May 1, 2010
Yeah, that's another important thing about spirals, no? Showing off how strong enough you are to hold your leg up? It's one thing I've noticed about Mao, for instance, she has great flexibility but she does that spiral where she holds her leg up at the knee. So it's prettier than Yuna's but maybe Yuna's shows off her strength more, I dunno ... people can feel free to correct me, I'm just wondering...

I know what you mean about that inside leg hold at the knee. Maybe she sees it as a signature move the way Nancy used to do her spiral. Dick was not a fan of that position and would criticize Nancy.

On watching Danse Macabre again, I realize you are right Layfan. It is her best program and I think more difficult to perform. Who doesn't love Gershwin, though and it was a great choice for her Olympic program. She really is a different skater now with the sexy, confident Bond Girl. Lark Ascending is a nice look back at innocence in her skating from that time. I can only say David Wilson is a wizard. Lori and he are skating choreographers I admire most. They are in a league by themselves.

With Yu-Na it's not just spiral position, they are bouncy, not solid like Michelle's. Her spins vary in quality. In the past 6.0 skaters could work hard on these elements. They are part of what I enjoy most. I agree Tinymavy15 she is perfectly packaged. Very glam lady. Do you know who did her LP dress this year? I loved it, though I wondered who did her Gala dress. Too blah. She looks great in bold colors.
 

aftertherain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Very glam lady. Do you know who did her LP dress this year? I loved it, though I wondered who did her Gala dress. Too blah. She looks great in bold colors.

Finally! Someone who agrees with me about the Gala dress! A lot of people fawned over it, saying that it was simple and elegant. I just thought it was a bit ... matronly.

&Who doesn't love her LP dress? :)
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Oh, YunaBliss I feel your pain. As a proud member of Kwan Nation, I understand the dismay when other posters don't see the sheer perfection of our favorites and see that they are beyond the mere mortals that compete against them - its a burden we must share.

How I get through it is to keep in mind that in sports there is no such thing as perfection. All athletes, including Kwan Yuna and Jordan, have areas in which they could and should improve... For example, Kwan continued to work on her speed and spins, Jordon on his defensive play and Yuna, hopefully, on developing a complete set of triples and her spirals. Sports are about constant, consistent improvement and if you want to be the best - you have to earn it.

Nation? We have a nation? I demand a passport and a flag. (Designed by Vera Wang.)

As for YuNa's dresses: I loved both the long program dress and the short program dress. I love that they are a simple, sleek shape, not fussy. Michelle seemed to have the same taste. Both Michelle and YuNa do look best in strong colors and in black, I agree.
 

Lilith11

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Finally! Someone who agrees with me about the Gala dress! A lot of people fawned over it, saying that it was simple and elegant. I just thought it was a bit ... matronly.

&Who doesn't love her LP dress? :)

Well... some think her LP dress was TOO simple XD Imagine! Never thought I'd hear that in figure skating, considering all the grumbling I hear from non FS fans about how figure skating's not a sport because the outfits are too over-the-top (some even calling for no pretty outfits! :O) XD
 

sunny0760

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Thank you Layfan and others for the insight about Yuna's spirals. Glad to hear you liked Danse Macabre, princess9.

This may not be the best spiral even from the Yuna's standard. A little shaky. But interesting to listen to what the commentators are saying about her spiral sequences, especially the speed, which I think is the very quality that only a few other skaters have. She does have good edges too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CW8FAj7Wbc

Hearing complaints about Yuna's spirals so many times, I have seen other skaters' spirals for comparison. And my conclusion is that I like Kwan's the best. Solid and magnificent... Sasha's is good but not quite my cup of tea because of the position that I don't usually like. Mao's is slower, sometimes pretty but not my cup of tea. People say Alissa's is one of the best but I wondered why I felt a bit of stiffness there though she is one of the most flexible ladies. But I am not an expert so please enlighten me.

Anyway, I don't think this Worlds 1996 performance shows Kwan's best sprirals either but she was only 16. However, really impressive overall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKmUW8wPB0s
 

miki88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Thank you Layfan and others for the insight about Yuna's spirals. Glad to hear you liked Danse Macabre, princess9.

This may not be the best spiral even from the Yuna's standard. A little shaky. But interesting to listen to what the commentators are saying about her spiral sequences, especially the speed, which I think is the very quality that only a few other skaters have. She does have good edges too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CW8FAj7Wbc

Hearing complaints about Yuna's spirals so many times, I have seen other skaters' spirals for comparison. And my conclusion is that I like Kwan's the best. Solid and magnificent... Sasha's is good but not quite my cup of tea because of the position that I don't usually like. Mao's is slower, sometimes pretty but not my cup of tea. People say Alissa's is one of the best but I wondered why I felt a bit of stiffness there though she is one of the most flexible ladies. But I am not an expert so please enlighten me.

Anyway, I don't think this Worlds 1996 performance shows Kwan's best sprirals either but she was only 16. However, really impressive overall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKmUW8wPB0s

Personally, I think Yuna's spirals are fine if she didn't have to do all these required positions. I believe most ladies do the beillman because it can rack up points. Some spirals such as the beillman do require good flexibility to appear aesthetically pleasing. Under the old system, Michelle were given more freedom to do spirals that enhanced her strengths.
 

aftertherain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Well... some think her LP dress was TOO simple XD Imagine! Never thought I'd hear that in figure skating, considering all the grumbling I hear from non FS fans about how figure skating's not a sport because the outfits are too over-the-top (some even calling for no pretty outfits! :O) XD

WHAAAAT? Dang. I was thankful that it was simple. It was quite elegant and beautiful. One of the most beautiful I've ever seen, IMO.
 

YunaBliss

On the Ice
Joined
May 11, 2010
All athletes, including Kwan Yuna and Jordan, have areas in which they could and should improve... For example, Kwan continued to work on her speed and spins, Jordon on his defensive play and Yuna, hopefully, on developing a complete set of triples and her spirals. Sports are about constant, consistent improvement and if you want to be the best - you have to earn it.

Just to be clear, Yuna mastered the complete set of triples (lutz, flip, loop, salchow, toe) by her 6th grade, excluding axel of course. And I have a feeling that with the potential new changes in the rules, she will be bringing back her triple loop.

I have a question - has Mao ever performed Triple Lutz in competition?
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
You've been given some great advice by fellow diehard fans. I would suggest you listen a bit more to them and be open to what they and others have to say.
 

SkatingAnalyst

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
You've been given some great advice by fellow diehard fans. I would suggest you listen a bit more to them and be open to what they and others have to say.

I don't find anything wrong with yunabliss' postings.
Even though yunabliss praises yuna more than anybody, everything is based on facts.

And many many many silent fans agree with yunabliss...including myself.
 

Zora

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Yeah, that's another important thing about spirals, no? Showing off how strong enough you are to hold your leg up? It's one thing I've noticed about Mao, for instance, she has great flexibility but she does that spiral where she holds her leg up at the knee. So it's prettier than Yuna's but maybe Yuna's shows off her strength more, I dunno ... people can feel free to correct me, I'm just wondering...
I don't think lack of strength is the reason she does it that way, because last year in Paris she actually failed to get into her usual position so she had to do it without the hand assistance:
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/1203/mao4t.jpg
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3716/mao5.jpg

And I think in her 2006-2007 sp she always did it that way.
 
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miki88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
I don't think lack of strength is the reason she does it that way, because last year in Paris she actually failed to get into her usual position so she had to do it without the hand assistance:
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/1203/mao4t.jpg
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/3716/mao5.jpg

And I think in her 2006-2007 sp she always did it that way.

Lack of hand assistance is the arabesque spiral. Mao usually does the kerrigan spiral and the beillman which requires hand assistance. She did the arabesque spiral in her Nocturne SP.
 

PROKOFIEV

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Comparing Michlle with Yuna???? They are totally different skater. I know I am very biased about Michelle. But to me, Michelle can not be compared with anyone. She is not flexible like some of the current skaters, but I was so impressed when she opened up to go into her spiral position. Michelle was the most charismatic skater I have ever seen. I really do not know what it was, but when she skated I felt shiver on my back. She put 1000 percents effort everytime she skates. I really miss that time when both Sasha and Michelle were competing. I just do not feel that kind of excitement and emotion when I look at Yuna or any other current skaters competing.
 

YunaBliss

On the Ice
Joined
May 11, 2010
Hehe. I would say the exact opposite and say that Yuna cannot be compared with anyone. In fact, just exchange the word "Michelle" with "Yuna" in your post and I would agree with you 100%!
 

woshisunnya

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Sorry about the post been so long and my poor english, but it is just some feeling about Yuna that I want to share.

One thing I very impressive about Yuna is how her improved evey year during her first debut to the senior level.

Back to 06, I knew Yuna was the current junior champion and Kimmie was the current world champion when I first watched them in TEB and I was quite surprised the different between these two when I saw them skate because Yuna seemed more mature and her tango program showed very good musicility espically during the steps, she hit the steps nicely with the music. And her larking ascending lp, it was so difficult choreographed with so much detail and in-betweens in every movement and it was very fit her, she just like a little bird tried hard to fly into the sky, it was very touching when I saw it. However, at that time, I thought she still a bit unpolish and the movements here and there seemed unfinished sometimes, her spiral was terrible,and she totally had no energy at the end of the program. Anyway, at the first time I saw her, I thought she has a lot of potential to be a great skater.

In 2008, As for some personal issues, worlds free skate was the first time during that season I was able to watch skating, and I knew Yuna had a big mistake in short so only was 5th in ranking. To be honest, I was quite disappointed about her Miss Saigon lp. In my opinion, it was a step back from the lark program. It seemed on focus on jumps and not a lot of in-betweens in the elements. I knew some Yuna fans complained about the results, but I think the result was fair in that competition. Yuna was not at her usual standard because her injures, she tried her best to finish the program. So although I was disappointed about her program, I admired her very much for did her program with the injures. After world, I went home and watched some of her performance in GP and I found although I don’t like the lp, she made some improvement of her skating over the summer. Like the spiral, the sit spin, and the strengh and the body movement and I actually quite like her sp. It was very cute and steps was well designed with the music.

2008-2009 was the season that I followed skating during GPs while watched Russian Webtv and I was “Wow” when I saw her Danse Macabre sp. Everything in this program, the music, the movements, the dress, the makeup were so fit her, and her performance at worlds was the best I’ve seen from her both technicily and artisticily. I also thought she improved a lot again during the summer. She had very deep blade, seemed flying cross the ice and her spiral also improved. I knew she was not flexiable, but her edge became very steady, and she controlled herself very well. It was not just fast fast fast, it was actully change speed in the program and I thought it was qi\uite difficult to control but Yuna did well in worlds. I was very happy that she won the worlds that year with her performance but I still not so much love about her lp, it was a lot better than Miss Saigon, but not as good as the lark ascending in my opinion.

Then its 09-10, the Olympic season. Firstly, I must say I was quite surprised about her music choice for the Oltmpic. Bond and Gershwin, Wow, never thought these two pieces would be combined together. But after I saw the programs in TEB, I must say I was again impressive bu her programs and for the first time since 06-07, I liked her lp a lot than her sp. To be honest, I think her bond sp was quite similar to dance macabre. The elments placed in the same place, but the music edition was very good, better than I expected and Yuna was actully quite into the bond girl role in a good way. So I was enjoy her performance but not like the sp as much as I like dance macabre. But her lp, I really like it even since the first time I saw it. Although in TEB, yuna seemed not masterly with the program but the program itself got me “wow”. It was totally different designed from her last year program with full of the trasctions between elments. In addition, it was lots of one foot skating and always change direction during the programs. It was a really difficult program and so good with the music. And I admired her to change 3-3, put entrance to her 2-2-2 and 2-3 combo, and I love the footwalk, it was not as difficult as Mao’s, but it went with the music so well, the whole program just liked a dream. However, I was worried about Yuna because she seemed not able to perform the program with its potential during the GP.

And then it was the Olympic. What can I say about her performance. I think OS168 aleady put amazing words about the progams. I kept about 10 different version of her Olympic Lp and just like NBC said “the result is yours forever, but the skate is something truly is the most memorable things about the olympic experience.” I think I will remember her Olympic performance, and like Yuna herself said in an interview before Olympic, if she wons the Olympic, she would said to her coach, good job and congratulate. Really, congratulate to you, Yuna.

Although she decided not retire yet, but I still think she’ll not compete again. Maybe she will leave in Oct, and I wish her all best in the future, and hope one day she look back her younger year and think, Look at what I achieved, it was a fantsitc job.
 
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