The MEN (also worth getting excited about).

gmyers · Jan 1, 2011

Petrenko had mistakes but so did Wylie. He had little flaws on a lot of the jumps he did. I think that is why some judges could put him 5th. The Japanee and Italian judges had him third. You see a lot of the judges were working for their skaters. The Czech judge placed him fifth because of Barna and the Canadian judge was Wylie, Browning, Petrenko. The ex soviet judge was nicer than the Czech judge and placed Wylie 4th. I was prepared to see a great program but there were flaws all over. Much better performance in a free skate than Hamilton gave in 1984 but not as good as Boitano's in 88-which amazingly is still the abolute Gold Standard (no pun intended) of American Mens performances at an Olympics!!! When will America produce someone as good as Boitano?!?

Mathman · Jan 1, 2011

gmyers said:
The Czech judges placed him fifth because of Barna and the Canadian judge was Wylie, Browning, Petrenko. The ex soviet judge was nice than the Czech judge and placed Wylie 4th.

This is quite depressing, actually. What a bunch of crooks.

This was the same Olympics that featured the Yuri Balkov - Jean Senft affair

Joesitz (RIP) · Jan 2, 2011

As I said above the competition was during Soviet times. How many Russian skaters of today can compare with the results of the Soviets during that era?

gmyers · Jan 2, 2011

Are you saying 1992 was Soviet Times because of the Unified team? When did Soviet times end in your view? 1994 because there was no Unified team anymore? Right now it is a fact that many judges from ex-soviet countries live in Russia-and maybe some from Eastern Europe too! Wylie was just so surprising and out of nowhere and he wouldn't win even now!

Joesitz (RIP) · Jan 3, 2011

In his pro skating, Viktor used gimmick after gimmic and never did a serious skate as a pro.

Mathman · Jan 3, 2011

^ You mean dancing a mambo with a life-sized doll isn't serious skating? :laugh:

Tonichelle · Jan 3, 2011

Joesitz said:
In his pro skating, Viktor used gimmick after gimmic and never did a serious skate as a pro.

actually he did have a few. He's just remembered more for his more humorous programs.

and Paul gets "Paul Who?" just as often as Viktor. When I heard him speak in 2006 the people around me thought he was Brian Boitano :laugh:

gkelly · Jan 5, 2011

Mathman said:
This [1992] was the same Olympics that featured the Yuri Balkov - Jean Senft affair [1998]

No it wasn't.

Tonichelle said:
actually he did have a few. He's just remembered more for his more humorous programs.

For example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czp9uOf_fPc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MnSGPdgrms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-2YJ0wlQwQ

Looks like for pro competitions he would choose a more serious program for the "technical" portion and more lighthearted for the "artistic" portion.

Mathman · Jan 5, 2011

gkelly said:
No it wasn't.

Oh.

The nineties were kind of a blur for me. Not as much as the sixties, but still.

Joesitz (RIP) · Jan 11, 2011

Back on Topic

There will be, imho, and upset in Men's competition. (probably Ladies too). How will the Select Committee handle it?

Mathman · Jan 11, 2011

The Committee will not have a problem. Their deliberations will take about ten seconds.

mskater93 · Jan 11, 2011

Joesitz said:
Back on Topic

There will be, imho, and upset in Men's competition. (probably Ladies too). How will the Select Committee handle it?

Pick the top 2 or top 3 depending on if it's ladies or men...

unless they are ineligible for some reason (age)

Joesitz (RIP) · Jan 11, 2011

mskater93 said:
Pick the top 2 or top 3 depending on if it's ladies or men...

unless they are ineligible for some reason (age)

Since they have an official right to select the World Team and they automatically select the Nats results, there is no need to have a Select Committee except for a non top skater who is seriously injured but expected to survive in six weeks with or without practice.

Should not an Orthopedist be part of that Committee? I think Kwan had a doctor on call who said she could skate and the Oly practice session proved that her private audition with the Committee was wrong as was her doctor. No?

Mathman · Jan 11, 2011

Joesitz said:
Should not an Orthopedist be part of that Committee? I think Kwan had a doctor on call who said she could skate and the Oly practice session proved that her private audition with the Committee was wrong as was her doctor. No?

Yes, the Committee was wrong.

Sylvia · Jan 11, 2011

If people really want to rehash what happened in 2006 re. Kwan, can a separate thread be started elsewhere? (From what I recall, the 2? journalists present seemed to indicate that Kwan may have skated well enough in that private monitoring session to justify the committee's decision to send her to Torino.)

Mathman · Jan 11, 2011

Sylvia said:
From what I recall, the 2? journalists present seemed to indicate that Kwan may have skated well enough in that private monitoring session to justify the committee's decision to send her to Torino.

Well, it's always easy to see what to do after the fact. Now we know that Michelle was never in any shape to skate competitively, no matter that she managed to bite back the pain and do a double Axel or whatever in her test skate.

So, yes, in retrospect the Committee made a mistake. But at the time, I agreed with the Committee. In the first place, this was Michelle Kwan. The same Mivchelle kwan who carried U.S. figure skating on her back for ten years. If Michelle wants to go to Torino, Michelle goes to Torino. :laugh:

Secondly, I think the USFSA was under a certain amount of pressure from NBC. I remenber the interview Sasha Cohen did with Katy Curic, in which all Curic wanted to talk about was Michelle Kwan, and Sasha was like, what am I, chopped liver?

Well, yes. In terms of NBC's hyping the Olympics, everyone else except Michelle was chopped liver.

So it all worked out for the best after all. Michelle put in a token appearance for the TV cameras and Emily Hughes (who knew enough about the situation to keep on training) got the Olympic experience that she earned.

Tonichelle · Jan 11, 2011

Mathman said:
Well, it's always easy to see what to do after the fact. Now we know that Michelle was never in any shape to skate competitively, no matter that she managed to bite back the pain and do a double Axel or whatever in her test skate.

*I* said it at the time that she wasn't ready... but everyone just chalked it up to me being a nonfan lol

gmyers · Jan 11, 2011

The Kwan example is like the only one I can ever think of (except also the Kerrigan situation) in which someone who did not participate in nationals was sent somewhere-worlds or Olympics. It's always the top 2 or 3 finishers depending on spots and who are age eligible of course. Nagasu was too young to be sent one year. I also am reading Johnny Weirs book and he states without names that should have been sent instead of Mroz in 2009 because he was a first year senior (when many are still called juniors!) - and I guess Ryan Bradley as well as he was 4th but whatever.

Tonichelle · Jan 12, 2011

gmyers said:
The Kwan example is like the only one I can ever think of (except also the Kerrigan situation) in which someone who did not participate in nationals was sent somewhere-worlds or Olympics. It's always the top 2 or 3 finishers depending on spots and who are age eligible of course. Nagasu was too young to be sent one year. I also am reading Johnny Weirs book and he states without names that should have been sent instead of Mroz in 2009 because he was a first year senior (when many are still called juniors!) - and I guess Ryan Bradley as well as he was 4th but whatever.

IMO the Kerrigan going to the Olys without nationals was fair, MK not so much. They were riding on the hope of ratings more than anything else, she was so not ready to compete and everyone knew it.

Joesitz (RIP) · Jan 12, 2011

Tonichelle said:
*I* said it at the time that she wasn't ready... but everyone just chalked it up to me being a nonfan lol

I said she wasn't ready since 2004 when she began to tweek new programs by leaving out elements which would harm her injured back. The made lots of money, though, and it paid for Danny's rink.

The MEN (also worth getting excited about).

gmyers

Mathman

Joesitz (RIP)

gmyers

Joesitz (RIP)

Mathman

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

gkelly

Mathman

Joesitz (RIP)

Mathman

mskater93

Joesitz (RIP)

Mathman

Sylvia

Mathman

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

gmyers

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

Joesitz (RIP)

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