Ladies Calgary 1988

Yup, another Kati Witt question I watched Magic Memories on Ice I-which shows skating highlights up to the 1988 Olympics. I have some questions about the ladies comp.
I know Katerina Witt got the gold, Liz Manley the silver-won free skate, and Debi Thomas the bronze.

Debi Thomas apprently had a melt down-but the clip of her only showed her stepping out of triple-triple combo. It was obviously an error, but didn't seem like that big of a mistake. The narrator said she "went downhill from there"-what other mistakes did she make, what jumps did she land?

The clip they showed of Witt was her rolling on the ice in Carmen's death scene. What jumps did she land?

Thanks

lulu Without going back to examine any film footage what I recalll is that Thomas attempted at first a triple-toe-loop/tiple-toe-loop combination. Thomas landed the first triple and then underrrotated and two-footed the second triple. Thomas then had trouble with two more triples after that. Once touching the ice with her hand to keep from falling. One school of thought is that Thomas after the first of the two-footed triple jumps (just 20 seconds into her program) just quit mentally.

What jumps Katarina Witt made, I'd have to go back and examine the film footage.

And once again on Katarina Witt (if I may editorialize here) I believe that her East German upbringing and the questions that lurk out there yet today about Witt's history in regards to the East German government (evident in an earlier thread here) only contributes to her "star" femme fatale. Katarina Witt will never be described as bland. But for the sake of pleasing the politically correct - I'd better wrap it up here- because according to numerous people Witt's history/upbringing is no longer on the subject of figure skating.

Katarina landed two triple toe loops and at least one triple salchow and possibly another, but she most definitely did three triples I'm sure (and maybe 4, not sure if she did a second triple salchow). However, this was no one near what she had done at the 1987 Worlds and certainly didn't stack up to what Elizabeth Manley would put down in Calgary. As for Debi, it really was a shame to see her give up. The glitch on the 3t/3t wasn't THAT bad, but I guess it unnerved her and she botched a triple loop and triple salchow. Elizabeth Manley was just sensational! That triple lutz was a beauty!

Katarina did a (not in this order) 3toe-2toe, a 3toe, a 3salchow-steps-2flip, a 3salchow, a 2loop, an a 2axel. She might have done another 2axel too, not sure without checking.
Liz Manley did (IIRC) an AMAZING 3lutz (with a crowd reaction to match), a 3toe, a 3loop, a 3salchow, two 2flips, a 2flip-hop-2toe, and two 2axels.
After the mistake on the 3-3 attempt, IIRC Debi messed up two other triples, and didn't look very sharp throughout - looked like she "gave up", maybe lost all her confidence or spark.

Midori was awesome as well. I think she did 6 triples. I thought she should have won the lp. Oh, well.

Calgary Ladies review

Hi everyone

IIRC, the tally of completed elements in the SP and LP of the competitors we remember well included:

SP:

Witt: 3toe-2loop/2axel/2flip---the axel and flip were mandatory, and the combination had to be with a double loop in any order

Thomas: 2loop-3 toe
Cadavy: 3loop-2loop (fantastic SP by Toller Cranston)
Trenary: 3flip-2loop
Ito: 2loop-3loop (!!!!!!)
Ivanova: 3 toe-2loop (not clean)
Manley: 3sal-2 loop

The winners were based on speed, power, flow, quality, choreography, charm and presentation of the elements. Cadavy was under marked with a program that connected every single required element with choreography----very few cross overs in this program filled with skating content and great jumps.

Ito was under marked on presentation, but she did get the 5.7s and 5.8s she deserved in technique. Her jumps and spins and footwork were all superior, but lacked extension and line.

Trenary made costly errors on silly things, like being one turn too short in her back camel spin, or not having any flow out of her combination, or not closing her footwork sequence completely, but she had the best presentation marks after Katarina.

Overall, Thomas and Ito had the best elements per se, Katarina had all the content and was charming in her presentation, and Cadavy and Trenary were really good, and held down a little. Manley was nice in her program, but wasn't as secure in her combination and her program was kind of forgetable in the SP.

LP:

Katarina did the standard 4 triple program of two different triples repeated in combination or sequence, her 2 double axels and her posing routine. SHe did not do her 3 loop as she did in 1987 Worlds, and her technical marks were held back a bit to allow for someone else to skate great and win.

Cadavy was vomiting and couldn't skate. Trenary did a 3 triple program doubling important jumps like her 3 flip and her second 3 toe. She was lovely in a pretty program, but she only did 3 triples. Thomas did her 3toe-2 footed 3 toe, 3 salcow, 3 loop under rotated step out and 3 salcow hand down in addition to her 2 double axels. Her marks were very low in the 5.5 to 5.6 range. Manley did 4 triples---ALL DIFFERENT, which was the stand out of the final six---the lutz, loop, toe and salcow, and with good presentation marks---she beat Katarina in the LP 6 to 3.

Ito was under marked in terms of presentation and held down. She was the stand out performance of the LP, and she did all the following perfectly----

3 lutz (bigger than Boitano's)
3 flip (huge)
2axel-half loop-3 salcow
3 loop
3toe-3toe (at the 3 minute mark)
3 salcow
two split falling leaf into 2 axel (final 20 seconds)

She did a 7 triple performance with a 3 - 3 combination, all the spins and footwork and was very exciting and engaged by her program. It was the first of the programs at a major event to include all the different triples and the triple triple combination.

This program would still hold up 15 years later, and this shows what kind of a jumping and skating talent Midori was----she deserved a 5.9 in technique and whatever in presentation----but in hind sight, she was by far the very best of that entire competition (except for her figures, which were always kind of mediocre), both SP and LP, in terms of technique in jumping and spinning.

This competition should be part of any fan's collection, and one of my favorites.

AS

No offence but this is the sort of subject we need from May through September. I hope you all remain with us during those doldrums.

Joesitz

the88 LP

Ok...i know this belongs in the tape topic, but who has it? I will pay money =) for it =P

This thread certainly has my "skating" juices going. I'm not much of a Katarina fan, but I am assuming that she never mastered a triple lutz or a triple flip? If this is so, quite an accomplishment to win an Oly Gold with only two triple jumps......(especially when there were others, such as Midori, who had them all).......there go those pesky figures to ruin perfectly good figure skating......:sheesh: 42

Show42,

I'm fairly sure Katarina could land a triple flip in the early 80s, at the 1982 Worlds I believe. I never heard about her having a consistent triple lutz, though. And obviously, the triple flip didn't last long.

Ugh, poor Caryn. If only she'd felt better she could have snatched the bronze medal, I'm sure. She's such a stunning skater.

I loved how Midori always put that 3-3 combo at the end of her program. I am surprised that other skaters haven't followed suit and done the same. I would imagine now, especially under COP it would help bring in extra points. That's such an impressive, gutsy move.

Liz was great, but Midori was mindboggling, at least to me.

I think the only top skaters with a 3 flip were Midori and Jill. Midori's was textbook and Jill's was solid enough to put in an Olympic SP. Having that 3flip really helped her overall quality as someone who could concieveably win all 3 phases of the ladies competition if she was clean.