"Fighter" Programmes | Golden Skate

"Fighter" Programmes

Matt

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 19, 2003
OK, you know when a skater doesn't do so well in the SP, but then comes out swinging in FP and hits an amazing and memorable "performance of the day" programme? That's what I mean by "fighter" programmes, and IYHO, which programmes by which skaters are classic "fighter" programmes?

Here's my little list:

Kevin van der Perren, Skate Canada '03 (went from 11th (last ) place to finish 5th)

Rudy Gallindo, '96 Nationals (amazing free skate to win the title in his hometown)

Sarah Hughes, '02 Olympics

Lu Chen, '98 Olympics

Michelle Kwan, '00 Worlds

Nicole Bobek, '98 Nationals

Alexei Urmanov, Europeans (I forget the year, but he when from 6th place to 1st; this was with OBO judging)

Any others?
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
This is not quite on topic, but Michelle's 2001 Worlds qualifying round LP was a knockout, after the heel of her boot broke off.

MM
 

Kasey

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Mike Weiss, both this year's Nationals (from fourth to second after free skate), and last year's Lalique (fourth to first).

Griazev, this year's European's, from 13th after short to 8th after the long.

Hughes, '02 Olympics.

Yagudin, 2001 Worlds, coming back after the terrible qualifying round with a fantastic short program.
 

BronzeisGolden

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I'm going with Kasey on Yagudin's 2001 Worlds technical program. It wasn't perfect, but it was spirited and far cleaner than his disasterous qualifying round. Very gutsy and commendable!

Also, Michelle's "Red Violin" from 2000 Worlds was definitely a "fighting" program. She was backed in a corner and came out swinging.

Tonia Kwiatkowski - 1998 Worlds LP. She made a small mistake in the short and was punished for it. That would have made most skaters lose that inspiring energy...but she came out and skated a brilliant long program! I was so proud of her.

Tara Lipinski - 1996 Worlds LP. WOW! She had a terrible short program and her free skate from the 96 Nationals wasn't all that wonderful, but she was sublime in the Edmonton LP! That, for me, was the first sign that Tara was a force to be reckoned with. She could handle pressure and disappointment and lay down stunning performances.
 

Fossi

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 23, 2003
Sarah was a true fighter. Everyone wrote her off. She worked hard for what she got. The US sent her to the Olympics with the US bronze. Counted her out. Wrote her off. She knew she could do better. She practiced harder and harder and she pulled off the unthinkable.
She was a true fighter.
 

Lynn226

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Kasey said:
Mike Weiss, both this year's Nationals (from fourth to second after free skate), and last year's Lalique (fourth to first).

I thought that Mike went from 5th to 1st at Lalique 02?
 

heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I wouldn't categorize Galindo's LP as a fighter program by the initial definition of

when a skater doesn't do so well in the SP, but then comes out swinging in FP and hits an amazing and memorable "performance of the day" programme? That's what I mean by "fighter" programmes

In 96 Galindo pulled of spectacular SP and LP. He had been written off because of his poor performances during prior seasons [post split with Kristi]. I almost didn't record his SP that day, but decided to when the commentators mentioned it would be his last appearance at Nats. The only reason he was at Nat's that year was because it was in his hometown of San Jose. If it hadn't been there - if it had been somewhere outside of driving distance, we would've missed a lot.

As for Sarah's Oly Lp, it was wonderful, but she was skating more for herself and a possibility of a medal. She skated pretty early and it didn't seem likely that MK and Irina would both falter. Good for her.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
What abut Michelle's Tosca that we just saw. She didn't have to come from way behind, but that requires help from other skaters anyway.

However, if you look at the whole season: She lost to Sasha for the first time ever in the opening event of the season. She barely squeaked out a victory over Shizuka in her next contest, where everyone made mistakes. And at Nationals she was only in second place after the short.

And then -- POW! -- out she came with both guns blazing!

Mathman
 

Evdokia

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 24, 2003
What about Elena Sokolova at this year's Europeans, after a 6th place after the short she still managed to win a bronze medal? (And she attacked two triple-triple combinations in her free skate!):)
 
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Verbalgirl77

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Tara Lipinski - 1996 Worlds LP. WOW! She had a terrible short program and her free skate from the 96 Nationals wasn't all that wonderful, but she was sublime in the Edmonton LP! That, for me, was the first sign that Tara was a force to be reckoned with. She could handle pressure and disappointment and lay down stunning performances.

That's probably my favorite Tara moment! Her long program performance was absolutely awesome.
 

Koroleva

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 11, 2004
Evdokia said:
What about Elena Sokolova at this year's Europeans, after a 6th place after the short she still managed to win a bronze medal? (And she attacked two triple-triple combinations in her free skate!):)

I totally agree with you. After the start of this season with her injuries and surgery to being back in top form and coming back at Euros she is a FIGHTER. :D
 

Matt

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 19, 2003
I would second that. At the beginning of the season and through the GP, I had pretty much all but written off Sokolova as a major contender. I've never been a fan of hers, but after watching her free programme at Europeans again, I was impressed and thoroughly enjoyed her skating. Plus, doing two triple-triple combos is huge, especially right before Worlds.
 

Matt

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 19, 2003
heyang said:




In 96 Galindo pulled of spectacular SP and LP. He had been written off because of his poor performances during prior seasons [post split with Kristi]. I almost didn't record his SP that day, but decided to when the commentators mentioned it would be his last appearance at Nats. The only reason he was at Nat's that year was because it was in his hometown of San Jose. If it hadn't been there - if it had been somewhere outside of driving distance, we would've missed a lot.

As for Sarah's Oly Lp, it was wonderful, but she was skating more for herself and a possibility of a medal. She skated pretty early and it didn't seem likely that MK and Irina would both falter. Good for her.

I guess you could think of his entire performance at the 96 Nats as a "fighter programme". Going into the competition, he had pretty much been written off in the men's ranks in the US. He gave the Nats one more shot because it was in his home town, and pulled off two of the best programmes of his career. It was a "fighter" programme given that no one expected it from him.

The same for Sarah's Oly LP; even though she was 4th, I don't think anyone watching the LPs in SLC expected her to skate quite that well and put herself into the position she did
 

youarewhipped

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 1, 2004
Shen and Zhao at '03 Worlds:

She was extremley injured, most people in her condition wouldn't be able to walk, let alone skate and win worlds with a stunning program.

Oksana Baiul at '94 Olympics:
This is probably the most famous one, but she did go out there and fight and deserves recognition whether you feel she should have won or not.

Tonya Szwecenko her entire career:
She skated at the Olympics and crashed with Oksana, pulling I believe a 7th place finish overall. After that, she nearly died from these illnesses and bad blood tranfusions, but came back in the late 1990's to medal at several GP events including the final.

Midori Ito at 1991 Worlds:

First, she bruised a few ribs on the warm-up after Laeticia Hubert hit her (I've watched it over and over again, clearly Hubert's fault) and then during he program, she crashed into the camera well on her 3z-2t, smiled to the camera man, hopped out w/ out missing a beat and finished her program. She was a respectable 4th overall.
 
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