PJ Kwong's All-Time Top 10 Ladies

Olympia · Nov 5, 2011

Pretty good lists, Pangtongfan and russell30. I'd pretty much go with Pangtongfan's except I'd love to squeeze Shizuka and Mao on there. (I love Yuka Sato, but I think she wouldn't fit onto a top ten list.) In good conscience I can't remove Henie, but I'd switch out Hamill and either Witt or Slutskaya for Asada and Arakawa. I'm sure there could be arguments each way, but I'll go with subjective feeling on this. Asada has an Olympic silver and two world championships, and she has both the jumps and the artistry. Arakawa has, like Hamill, a world gold and an OGM.

Like you, Pangtongfan, I'd put Kwan at the top. Also like you, I'd definitely put Peggy Fleming on rather than Lipinski, for reasons of preference (I've always loved her style) as well as for her consistency and longevity (three Worlds, five national championships, and the OGM). Though Ito isn't a top fave of mine in terms of making me shed tears or forget to breathe, I admire and like her tremendously, and indeed she is miles ahead of any other woman in so many ways--plus she was a lot more musical than people gave her credit for. She wasn't just a power skater. So:

1. Michelle Kwan
2. Midori Ito
3. YuNa Kim
4. Mao Asada
5. Janet Lynn
6. Shizuka Arakawa
7. Kristi Yamaguchi
8. Sonja Henie
9. Peggy Fleming
10. Katarina Witt

Not completely sure about the order, but that's close enough.

Tonichelle · Nov 5, 2011

blue dog said:
Not to mention, she was the first lady to the double axel.

AND she was Snow White to the Three Stooges (IIRC)

ETA: Kwan wouldn't make my personal list, and in so far as my trying not to be biased top ten list she'd not be on top either.

Blades of Passion · Nov 5, 2011

pangtongfan said:
My list:

1. Michelle Kwan
2. Midori Ito
3. Janet Lynn

List stealer!

Jammers · Nov 5, 2011

russell30 said:
Maybe:

1) YuNa Kim
2) Sonja Henie
3) Michelle Kwan
4) Katarina Witt
5) Irina Slutskaya
6) Shizuka Arakawa
7) Midori Ito
8) Miki Ando
9) Mao Asada
10) Tara Lipinski

(I know most of them are modern day)

LOL Ando on the list?

demarinis5 · Nov 5, 2011

Tonichelle said:
AND she was Snow White to the Three Stooges (IIRC)

ETA: Kwan wouldn't make my personal list, and in so far as my trying not to be biased top ten list she'd not be on top either.

Really Toni, I always thought you were a Kwan fan. (You know I am joking)

skateflower · Nov 5, 2011

My list(by using P.J's methology)

1. Mira Leung
2. Cynthia PHANEUF
3. Amelie LACOSTE
4. Joannie ROCHETTE
5. Hughes
6. ...
7. ...

Olympia · Nov 5, 2011

KKonas said:
Madge Syers entered the 1902 Worlds, which had no ladies event, but no rules against women entering the men's event and finished second to Ulrich Salchow. In 1903 the ISU Congress barred women from competing against men, but in 1906, it created a separate Ladies event, called "Ladies Championship of the ISU," which Syers won for three consecutive years. She was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1981. She died of heart failure in 1917 at the age of 35.

What an eventful life, and how tragically short. I looked her up, and she seems to have had endocarditis, a bacterial infection of the heart that can damage the valves. These days, there are treatments, especially if it's caught early, though it can still kill someone.

Tonichelle · Nov 6, 2011

demarinis5 said:
Really Toni, I always thought you were a Kwan fan. (You know I am joking)

I will try to forgive you... it will be hard... very, very hard...

rain · Nov 6, 2011

Dragonlady said:
I think the list is very personal to PJ. These were skaters who influenced her, inspired her, and many that she knew personally.

Who you would put on your list depends in part on where you live and grew up.

Exactly. I can't believe the people that are hating on/making fun of the author just because her personal list isn't the same as their's is.

I mean, there are names on her list that I'd switch out too — Hughes among them. And I'd probably include the likes of Lu Chen over, say, Slutskaya or Lipinski. And I think it's important to note that any top 10 list will, necessarily, leave off some great/influential skaters.

I think it's a fun exercise to make such a list, I just wish people didn't have to get so ugly about it.

KKonas · Nov 6, 2011

Well Kwong did lay herself open to criticism when she asked readers if they agreed or disagreed and who they would list as the top 10, so the fact that she opened "sesame" so to speak is her own fault. I don't think the response has been mean - just rather incredulous at some of her choices.

rain · Nov 6, 2011

KKonas said:
Well Kwong did lay herself open to criticism when she asked readers if they agreed or disagreed and who they would list as the top 10, so the fact that she opened "sesame" so to speak is her own fault. I don't think the response has been mean - just rather incredulous at some of her choices.

Look at the post at the top of this page! I have no problem with people disagreeing/agreeing with her choices, as I said in my previous post, I wouldn't have the same list she does. However, the personal ridicule is out of line, and not in any kind of fun spirit.

jenaj · Nov 6, 2011

Sarah Hughes, but no Janet Lynn or Peggy Fleming? And Hughes above Kwan? It must be because Sarah's father is Canadian.

chuckm · Nov 6, 2011

All the Hughes children have dual US/Canadian citizenship.

jenaj · Nov 6, 2011

KKonas said:
Magnussen won Olympic silver in 1972 and world silver that same year and Janet Lynn won Olympic and world bronze. Magnussen also won the world title in 1973 and Lynn won silver. As to whether Magnussen was more artistic than Lynn, that's questionable.

Magnussen was better at figures than Janet Lynn. Judged by modern-day standards, which values free skating, Janet Lynn was a better, and certainly more artistic, skater.

jenaj · Nov 6, 2011

Mathman said:
P.J. rocks!

Here's my list.

1. Barbara Ann Scott (obvious)
2. Karen Magnussen
3. Elizabeth Manley
4. Constance Wilson
5. Joannie Rochette
6. Jose Chouinard
7. Jennifer Robinson
8. That Korean girl who was coached by Brian Orser
9. That American girl who was choreographed by Lori Nichol
10. Can't think of any more.

You forgot Cynthia Pfaneuf!

doubleflutz · Nov 6, 2011

My personal list:
1: Madge Syers
2: Cecilia Colledge
3: Maribel Vinson
4: Janet Lynn
5: Midori Ito
6: Yuna Kim
7&8 Jointly Held: Michelle Kwan & Irina Slutskaya
9: Lucinda Ruh
10: Lu Chen right now, but really could be any one of Lu Chen/Yukari Nakano/Yukina Ota/Mao Asada/Akiko Suzuki/Shizuka Arakawa/Yuka Sato/Joannie Rochette/Denise Biellmann/Tiffany Chin/Debi Thomas/Tonya Harding/Mirai Nagasu/Lisa-Marie Allen/Adelina Sotnikova/Ekaterina Gordeeva (she totally counts!)

My list, with PJ-style "personal criteria":
1. Midori Ito
2. Mao Asada
3. Tonya Harding
4. Elizaveta Tuktamyshewa
5. Tiffany Chin
6. Yukari Nakano
7. Ludmilla Whatsherface
8 Joint Holders: Kimmie Meisner, Mai Asada, probably some people I'm forgetting (Yoshie Onda?)
9. Melissa Bulanhagui
10 Joint Holders: Miki Ando, Surya Bonaly, Tonya Harding again

dorispulaski · Nov 6, 2011

Ludmila Nelidina?

Olympia · Nov 6, 2011

jenaj said:
Magnussen was better at figures than Janet Lynn. Judged by modern-day standards, which values free skating, Janet Lynn was a better, and certainly more artistic, skater.

Thanks. That's what I wanted to know. I remember hearing about Magnussen and know that she was one medal ahead of Lynn in both the 1972 Olympics and the 1973 Worlds, but I haven't heard enough about her or her influence since that time to figure out her place in the scheme of things. I wondered whether Americans tended not to mention her just because she was Canadian, but we certainly haven't ignored Kurt Browning, Brian Orser, or Elvis Stojko, or Toller Cranston for that matter, so I thought that it couldn't solely be chauvinism.

dorispulaski · Nov 6, 2011

There are only 3 things that I remember about Karen Magnussen:
1. She broke both legs, and they showed it on Wide World of Sports :eek:

(I was watching)
2. She came back to win Worlds the next year :clap:

3. After winning Worlds, she won an endorsement Blue Bonnet margarine. She was the worst spokesperson I've ever seen-they showed her enthusing about the margarine, biting into the bread with the margarine on it, and them making a face like she had bitten into the foulest thing she had ever tasted, but still had to say how good it was. :laugh:

Mathman · Nov 6, 2011

^ But she seems to like Honey Bee syrup just fine.

http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/on-line-exhibits/sports/pics/11900_karen_m_720.jpg

PJ Kwong's All-Time Top 10 Ladies

Olympia

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be

Jammers

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!

skateflower

Match Penalty

Olympia

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

rain

KKonas

rain

jenaj

chuckm

jenaj

jenaj

doubleflutz

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

Olympia

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

Mathman

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