- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
Jenny Kirk is blogging again!
- Thread starter Tonichelle
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2004
Double Wow.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
It's so interesting to read her take on Kwan's Olympic disappointment. She can definitely relate to the pressure Michelle was feeling, and it makes the accomplishments of skaters like Baiul and Kim that much more amazing. It's one thing to win Olympic gold; it's quite another to win and carry the pressure of being a clear favorite.
I have a feeling the 2002 Olympics being in the USA contributed to the increased pressure on Kwan. She couldn't get away from it no matter what.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
This is a great commentary how to get through life in general - not just skating. There are so many people who seek perfection, whether it be sports, body image, etc. When I think about it, people admire work ethic a great deal and work ethic is also a strong component of success, much more than talent by itself.
Her insights on seeking perfection should probably be discussed with all of the skaters who are probably thinking about that perfect performance and trying to measure up to expectations.
Her insights on seeking perfection should probably be discussed with all of the skaters who are probably thinking about that perfect performance and trying to measure up to expectations.
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
As much as I agree with you, I don't think I could listen to her commentary for an extended length of time unless her voice has dropped a bit...
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2011
I loved jenny Kirk and she had it tough trying to compete against MK, Sasha and Hughes. I would see Jenny do the only 3x3 in her sp and never understood why she was often undermarked. She definitely was a wonderful performer. My theory was that Cohen early on felt Nationals belonged to MK, and so did Jenny and Angela. Sasha's self esteem and nerves were always worst at Nationals. I really would like an expert skater or long time watcher/expert tolook at Jenny and see if she was undermarked at any performances. It seemed to me she was.
I think after the quick rise and departure of Tara L, MK was cemented to judges, fans, etc after her gracious defeat at Nagano, silver and her PR sense of what to say and how. After Nagano, she was absolutely who the crowd loved and the judges responded. I think no one felt they could beat Kwan at Nationals, and indeed, no one did. Internationally she had losses, mainly to 1 Russian Gal.
Great for MK, but very intimidating to be a less consistent jumper and go up against her at the yearly love fest. I think Sasha was the ultimate victim, with all her talent, of knowing how deeply the skating fans preferred MK to her, to any lady. Tara has spoken about how it hurt that the press loved Michelle and didn't care for her.
Jenny's Roxie progam was a delight. It seemed we had a glut of princess for ten years or more, with Kwan leading the pack. I always wonder what it was like for people to compete with Kwan at Nationals unless you were the rare fearless wonders named Tara or Sarah. Hugely talented but so, so confident. The myth didn't phase them a bit, so it seemed.
Jenny's desire for perfection sounds like words of Sasha's at times. But if you have no hope of beating the frontrunner, it must have been tough. Despite the voice, I have always loved and admired the Jenny Kirk who is indeed a fighter. Wish you well, Jenny. As a young person, she had some demons, but not unlike most elite skaters.
Question...when didshe revive her career with Fedor and what went wrong there?
I think after the quick rise and departure of Tara L, MK was cemented to judges, fans, etc after her gracious defeat at Nagano, silver and her PR sense of what to say and how. After Nagano, she was absolutely who the crowd loved and the judges responded. I think no one felt they could beat Kwan at Nationals, and indeed, no one did. Internationally she had losses, mainly to 1 Russian Gal.
Great for MK, but very intimidating to be a less consistent jumper and go up against her at the yearly love fest. I think Sasha was the ultimate victim, with all her talent, of knowing how deeply the skating fans preferred MK to her, to any lady. Tara has spoken about how it hurt that the press loved Michelle and didn't care for her.
Jenny's Roxie progam was a delight. It seemed we had a glut of princess for ten years or more, with Kwan leading the pack. I always wonder what it was like for people to compete with Kwan at Nationals unless you were the rare fearless wonders named Tara or Sarah. Hugely talented but so, so confident. The myth didn't phase them a bit, so it seemed.
Jenny's desire for perfection sounds like words of Sasha's at times. But if you have no hope of beating the frontrunner, it must have been tough. Despite the voice, I have always loved and admired the Jenny Kirk who is indeed a fighter. Wish you well, Jenny. As a young person, she had some demons, but not unlike most elite skaters.
Question...when didshe revive her career with Fedor and what went wrong there?
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
she didn't revive, she worked with Fedor right before her final season IIRC. It was just in fun. Jenny's written in previous blogs (around the last olympic season maybe?) that she really started hating skating... and was trying everything to find the love for it again.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
From a non-expert's perspective, I thought that she was not undermarked. To me she had a juniorish quality and very little height on her jumps (similar to Lipinski). Here is a program where Peter Caruthers thought she was undermarked (he complains about a judge giving her 4.9 for RE, and the US judges gives her a 5.0):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhT9uQT6j90
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Yay Jenny! Boooooo judges! That was great!
That is such an interesting blog entry. If you ever met Jenny off-ice, "perfection" was exactly the impression she gave. Like she had just stepped out of the hair and make-up booth on her way to a photo shoot.
http://skaterscookbook.com/JenniKirk.jpg
http://www.usfsa.org/content/events/200405/uschamps/backstage/kirk-backstage.jpg
On-ice, too.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rnERrcZ9Y7I/SkjoWdZW2aI/AAAAAAAAJfo/4RxvUFVMuTg/s320/jennifer+kirk.JPG
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2011
It is a good piece. But I think it is presumptive of her to tell us what Kwan felt or thought in SLC. She was not in Michelle's head. It seems like she is projecting how she would have thought or reacted onto Kwan as well as Browning and Eldredge. She may be right about their Olympic experiences. But she may not. Those are their stories to tell if they choose to and their feelings and experiences were not necessarily the same as hers.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
I found her insight valuable. No one knows what was inside Kwan's head, but Jenny at least understands the various pressures associated with athletes at the elite levels of skating. Whether she's right or wrong, I find her perspective more credible than the biased journalists who have no experience as a competitive skater (I'm looking at you Phil). While I didn't feel like Kwan had lost the gold before she stepped on the ice, I did feel uneasy for her and Irina after Sarah skated so well.
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2011
There is some kind of logical fallacy in this; I'm just not sure which one because I am tired and preoccupied with writing end of semester papers.
If you agree that no one can get in someone else's head, then the notion that it is okay for Jenny to try because a) she has had similar experiences and b) other journalists try without having had similar experiences...that doesn't make sense.
The argument could also be made that she has not had similar experiences to Kwan's or Browning's respective Olympic experiences. Both failed under the pressure of being favored to win. Kirk was never in that position even at Nationals let alone on the huge stage of the Olympics. She writes about internal pressure that she put on herself while Kwan and Browning were both also dealing with immense external pressure. Those are two very different things.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
Where is the logical fallacy there? Are you saying it isn't ok for Jenny to have her opinion? Because she has been a SKATER I believe she is in a better position to express the mental challenges associated with competitions. No two experiences are identical; Kwan cannot speak for Kurt and vice versa. That doesn't mean that they do not have valuable insights.
It is clear that, because of scientific limitations, we cannot currently enter someone's head. Just because you learned about logical fallacies in your college philosophy class doesn't mean they apply when you don't like someone's opinion.
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2011
Where is the logical fallacy there? Are you saying it isn't ok for Jenny to have her opinion? Because she has been a SKATER I believe she is in a better position to express the mental challenges associated with competitions. No two experiences are identical; Kwan cannot speak for Kurt and vice versa. That doesn't mean that they do not have valuable insights.
It is clear that, because of scientific limitations, we cannot currently enter someone's head. Just because you learned about logical fallacies in your college philosophy class doesn't mean they apply when you don't like someone's opinion.
Because I am a silly little 18 year old that has no idea what I am talking about so please enlighten me.
I am a non-traditional graduate student who spent eight years teaching communications during the 16 that I taught a billion different subject areas.
Basically, you said "yes, A is impossible. But since person 2 has attempted A, person 1 should therefore attempt A because I perceive person 1 more qualified than person 2." If A is actually impossible, qualifications for the attempt are irrelevant.
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