Video for Lu Chen Viewers (Heartbreaking as it is inspiring). | Golden Skate

Video for Lu Chen Viewers (Heartbreaking as it is inspiring).

miki88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Thanks for this video! Her comeback is so remarkable and touching. I admit I was immersed in the gold rivalry between Michelle and Tara and didn't pay too much attention to Lu Chen back then. Fortunately, I've had the chance to revist her performances later on and they were really beautiful especially considering the struggles she had to overcome to be there.
 

Nadine

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 3, 2003
The late Mr. Greenspan will be greatly missed. I can recall getting up early as a child on Saturdays to watch "The Wide World of Sports" and the famous line "the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat" accompanied with compelling video!

Needless to say his Olympic features are truly works of art, iconic like him, and compelling. When watching one can't turn away even for a second, especially during LuLu's. I'm so glad he chose her to focus on during that Olympics, how apropos. :)
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
That was absolutely beautiful. I remember at the time, how great of a victory it was for her, but this story really brought it home. I was tearing up at the end!
 

reynycpr

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 25, 2007
thank you for sharing. I loved her skating so much. shes one of my 'old school' favs :thumbsup:
 

prettykeys

Medalist
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Thanks for sharing...! I never knew the story that was behind Lu's tears after her performances. I'm happy she got her redemption.
 

OS

Sedated by Modonium
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Thank you so much for this. It really moved me to tears.

As a Chinese female, I have to salute Chen Lu who really proved it can be done, despite whatever crap the real world throws your way (politics, social, financial constraints, bad press, lack of support etc.). Her bronze was such an inspiration and her story is well known among the Chinese fans, Nagano was her farewell competition. Of course ButterFly lovers being a well known Chinese traditional music (based on one of the greatest Chinese folk love stories) used on the world stage for the 1st time also touches the heart in more ways than one. I absolutely love what Sandra Bezic have done with it, and how her see Lulu as the butterfly. It is her atonement; poignant, melancholy, redeeming and inspiring.

Truly, figure skating is a beautiful sport, not only because what goes on the ice. It being an individual sport that is financially draining, heavily political, difficult to remain consistent with growing spurts, and one that easily lead to complex even career ending injuries makes it a fascinating and unpredictable sport to spectate.

It is full of unique stories like Lulu, having to fight their own inner demons with real life problems that may beat them down, and have press/critics writing them off. How they are able to rise to the occasion, defy expectations and demonstrate what human spirit are capable of is just awe inspiring and as beautiful as what goes on 2mins 50 sec and 4 minutes on ice that can define the rest of their lifes.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I can't wait to watch this. But I wanted to check in beforehand and say that what I remember was the way she bowed at the end of her performance. Like most Americans, I was caught up in the Michelle/Tara suspense, but Chen Lu's performance caught my eye even so. Now that I know more about skating, and about Lulu, I know I'll get so much more out of her program. I remember how thrilled Bezic was to see her program so beautifully skated. Os168, I so agree with you that skating is beautiful not just because of what happens on the ice. All the human stories involved in it--like Chen Lu's, like Petrenko helping the American pair when one of them was injured in a competition in the U.S.S.R., like Michelle's friendship with Irina, her main rival, like Arakawa's remarkable renaissance in 2006--add to the beauty. Skaters aren't just a collection of statistics. They're human beings, and they demonstrate, as you say, what the human spirit in all of us is capable of.
 

russell30

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 14, 2004
Just a beautiful story and LuLu was so lovely to watch, it was great to see her get the bronze :)

She was so tough to get through all that fight. I know what it can be like with your federation, lack of money and coming back from injury.

It was great to see all the greats there that evening, Lipinski, Kwan, Bonaly (very much the bridesmaid) Butyrskaya (who took world honours the following year at 26) and a young Slutskaya (who achieved so much).

We salute them all!!

And for Lulu a special salute!!
 
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