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Flashback - 1993 World Championships
The 1993 World Championships, held in Prague, featured the gamut of figure skating - some perfectly wonderful programs and some perfectly dreadful programs. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat were evidenced in this championship.
<span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>WOMEN:</strong></span>
Oksana Baiul of the Ukraine, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere to win the silver medal at the Europeans, shocked the skating world by winning the World title in her first-ever appearance at the World Championships! It was stunning. She skated a strong short program to be in second place heading into the long program, and then she completely charmed and captivated the judges and the audience with a long program chocked-fill of triples and innovative, artistic choregraphy. Oksana was a 15-year-old then, but she skated with the poise and maturity of a seasoned champion.
Nancy Kerrigan, who had recently won her first US title with a rather lackluster long program, came into the Worlds as the favorite, as she was the reigning Olympic bronze medalist and World silver medalist from the previous season. Kristi Yamaguchi had turned pro, Tonya Harding had been banned for life from USFSA-sanctioned competition, and Midori Ito had also retired from competition. Nancy seemed to be a champion in the waiting. It was not to be. Nancy suffered a complete and embarrassing meltdown in the long program. She singled her opening triple flip, and it went downhill from there - hands down on jumps, stumbles, and falls. She looked as though she wanted to flee from the rink when she finished her program, and when she received her cruel (but accurate) marks, she appeared to be in shock. She said, "I should have landed my jumps!" Kerrigan finished ninth in the long program, which dropped her to fifth place, out of the medals.
It was a bad competition for the American women. Lisa Ervin, the US silver medalist, finished a disappointing 13th, and US bronze medalist Tonia Kwiatkowski finished 16th in the qualifying group and did not qualify for the long program. In
1992, the US women finished 1, 2 and 6. In 1991, the US women had swept the medals. In 1993, they did not medal
(the first time that had happened since 1969). The poor showing of the US women meant that the United States would be able to send only two women to the 1994 Worlds.
Surya Bonaly of France won the first of three consecutive World silver medals. Her skating was reminisent of a jumping bean - up and down, up and down, with little connecting steps and precious little artistry.
Lu Chen of China won another World bronze medal.
<span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>MEN:</strong></span>
Kurt Browning of Canada regained his World crown with an absolutely fantastic "Casablanca" long program. Attired in white waiter's jacket and black pants, he looked like Humprey Bogart on ice. In one sequence, he flicked the ashes from a held cigarette, and he played to the audience with his usual flair. It was a great program, and it was wonderful to see that his back was healed.
Elvis Stokjo, Kurt's Canadian teammate, won the World silver medal with two strong programs. Alexei Urmanov of Russia won the bronze medal.
The US men finished out of the medals, as the women had done. US champion Scott Davis finished sixth, and US silver medalist Mark Mitchell finished fourth. Mitchell, particularly, was in an excellent position to medal, but he made several mistakes in his long program.
<span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>PAIRS:</strong></span>
Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler of Canada won their first and only World title with two dynamic programs. Mandy Wotzel and Ingo Steuer of Germany won the silver, and Evgenia Eltsova and Andrey Bushkov of Russia won the bronze medal. The Canadians in the audience went wild with the victory in pairs (not to mention Kurt and Elvis 1-2 finish).
Jenni Meno and Todd Sand of the US finished fifth, and Calla Urbanski and Rocky Marval (the "Waitress and the Truck Driver") finished eighth.
<span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>DANCE:</strong></span>
The Russians swept the medals, with Maia Usova and Alexander Zhulin of Russia winning gold, Oksana Grishuk and Evgeny Platov winning silver, and Anjelika Krylova and Vladimir Fedorov winning the bronze medal.
US champions Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur finished 11th, and silver medalists Susan Wynee and Russ Witherby finished fifteenth.
Overall, the 1993 Worlds were characterized by the stunning emergence of Oksana Baiul as the new World champion and by Kurt Browning's regaining of his World title.
It was a disappointing championship for the US team, who returned home without winning a single medal. The poor showing meant that the 1994 World team would be reduced in size.
The 1993 World Championships, held in Prague, featured the gamut of figure skating - some perfectly wonderful programs and some perfectly dreadful programs. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat were evidenced in this championship.
<span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>WOMEN:</strong></span>
Oksana Baiul of the Ukraine, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere to win the silver medal at the Europeans, shocked the skating world by winning the World title in her first-ever appearance at the World Championships! It was stunning. She skated a strong short program to be in second place heading into the long program, and then she completely charmed and captivated the judges and the audience with a long program chocked-fill of triples and innovative, artistic choregraphy. Oksana was a 15-year-old then, but she skated with the poise and maturity of a seasoned champion.
Nancy Kerrigan, who had recently won her first US title with a rather lackluster long program, came into the Worlds as the favorite, as she was the reigning Olympic bronze medalist and World silver medalist from the previous season. Kristi Yamaguchi had turned pro, Tonya Harding had been banned for life from USFSA-sanctioned competition, and Midori Ito had also retired from competition. Nancy seemed to be a champion in the waiting. It was not to be. Nancy suffered a complete and embarrassing meltdown in the long program. She singled her opening triple flip, and it went downhill from there - hands down on jumps, stumbles, and falls. She looked as though she wanted to flee from the rink when she finished her program, and when she received her cruel (but accurate) marks, she appeared to be in shock. She said, "I should have landed my jumps!" Kerrigan finished ninth in the long program, which dropped her to fifth place, out of the medals.
It was a bad competition for the American women. Lisa Ervin, the US silver medalist, finished a disappointing 13th, and US bronze medalist Tonia Kwiatkowski finished 16th in the qualifying group and did not qualify for the long program. In
1992, the US women finished 1, 2 and 6. In 1991, the US women had swept the medals. In 1993, they did not medal
(the first time that had happened since 1969). The poor showing of the US women meant that the United States would be able to send only two women to the 1994 Worlds.
Surya Bonaly of France won the first of three consecutive World silver medals. Her skating was reminisent of a jumping bean - up and down, up and down, with little connecting steps and precious little artistry.
Lu Chen of China won another World bronze medal.
<span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>MEN:</strong></span>
Kurt Browning of Canada regained his World crown with an absolutely fantastic "Casablanca" long program. Attired in white waiter's jacket and black pants, he looked like Humprey Bogart on ice. In one sequence, he flicked the ashes from a held cigarette, and he played to the audience with his usual flair. It was a great program, and it was wonderful to see that his back was healed.
Elvis Stokjo, Kurt's Canadian teammate, won the World silver medal with two strong programs. Alexei Urmanov of Russia won the bronze medal.
The US men finished out of the medals, as the women had done. US champion Scott Davis finished sixth, and US silver medalist Mark Mitchell finished fourth. Mitchell, particularly, was in an excellent position to medal, but he made several mistakes in his long program.
<span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>PAIRS:</strong></span>
Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler of Canada won their first and only World title with two dynamic programs. Mandy Wotzel and Ingo Steuer of Germany won the silver, and Evgenia Eltsova and Andrey Bushkov of Russia won the bronze medal. The Canadians in the audience went wild with the victory in pairs (not to mention Kurt and Elvis 1-2 finish).
Jenni Meno and Todd Sand of the US finished fifth, and Calla Urbanski and Rocky Marval (the "Waitress and the Truck Driver") finished eighth.
<span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>DANCE:</strong></span>
The Russians swept the medals, with Maia Usova and Alexander Zhulin of Russia winning gold, Oksana Grishuk and Evgeny Platov winning silver, and Anjelika Krylova and Vladimir Fedorov winning the bronze medal.
US champions Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur finished 11th, and silver medalists Susan Wynee and Russ Witherby finished fifteenth.
Overall, the 1993 Worlds were characterized by the stunning emergence of Oksana Baiul as the new World champion and by Kurt Browning's regaining of his World title.
It was a disappointing championship for the US team, who returned home without winning a single medal. The poor showing meant that the 1994 World team would be reduced in size.
