Biggest upset in Olympics or Worlds

[Vash01]

What was the biggest upset or the most surprising/unexpected gold medal in Olympics or worlds?

[Germanice]

I've chosen Alexei Urmanov! Absolutely deserved and undisputed IMO, but of course a huge surprise to win over such cracks like Boitano, Browning and Petrenko. Nobody would've predicted that before.

Anke

[Matt]

I chose Grischuk/Platov's gold at the '94 Olys b/c, IMO, they didn't deserve it. Usova/Zhulin and Torvill/Dean skated much better programmes (Torvill/Dean especially ) and when they showed footage of it afterwards, they were clearly in violation of the "no more than 5 seconds apart" rule in place at the time.

[RealtorGal]

I voted for Urmanov, but I hesitated because Sarah Hughes upset victory was equally as compelling and surprising.

Now that I look back, I have to wonder whether the comeback of Boitano & Petrenko was more hype than substance. I mean, Boitano didn't even win Nationals that year. It was just expected that they would sweep the podium based on past accomplishments. Boitano and Petrenko hadn't competed in at least several years prior to the Olympics, and in Boitano's case it had been MANY years since his amateur days. Kurt was reigning World Champion but had lost Canadian Nationals that year--I don't know what was up with THAT.

[Vash01]

Realtorgal,

You made an intereseting point- Boitano, Petrenko, Browning may have been more hype than substance. IMO particularly Boitano and Petrenko since they had not competed in the amateur comp since their Olympic gold medals. IIRC both Boitano and Browning had lost in their national chapmpionships. Browning at least was the reigning world champ so it was not too far out to expect him to win the Olympic gold.

I think many people forgot the importance of having to land jumps in the SP, under the Olympic pressure. Many assumed that these past champions would easily land them. When the networks were trying to 'predict' the 94 mens champ, Urmanov was not even being mentioned. Stojko was the only one being mentioned along with the big three.

Vash

[Germanice]

Realtorgal,

You made an intereseting point- Boitano, Petrenko, Browning may have been more hype than substance. IMO particularly Boitano and Petrenko since they had not competed in the amateur comp since their Olympic gold medals.

Sorry, correction! I have no idea what happend at US Nationals, but I know for sure Petrenko became 1st at European Championships before, an amateur comp!

Anke

[icenut84]

Toughie - I could have voted for several of them, such as Sarah Hughes in 02. Prior to SLC, I was convinced that either Michelle or Irina would win, and I couldn't really fathom someone else beating them. I remember when I was watching it - when they announced that Sarah was the winner, I just stared gobsmacked at the screen, lol. I voted for Oksana Baiul in 93 though - it was her first ever Worlds! Even though she'd won silver at Euros (right?), I imagine nobody was expecting her to win the World title.

[Vash01]

Sorry, correction! I have no idea what happend at US Nationals, but I know for sure Petrenko became 1st at European Championships before, an amateur comp!

Anke

You are right. Viktor skated GREAT at the Europeans in 94, before the Olympics. I am sure that added to the expectations for him. He was, afterall, the defending Olympic champion at that time.

[Vash01]

Toughie - I could have voted for several of them, such as Sarah Hughes in 02. Prior to SLC, I was convinced that either Michelle or Irina would win, and I couldn't really fathom someone else beating them. I remember when I was watching it - when they announced that Sarah was the winner, I just stared gobsmacked at the screen, lol. I voted for Oksana Baiul in 93 though - it was her first ever Worlds! Even though she'd won silver at Euros (right?), I imagine nobody was expecting her to win the World title.

Oksana burst onto the International scene at Europeans 93 and won the silver. She had not competed at the junior level and it was a shock. Still, she was not expected to WIN at worlds. Speculation was that she might medal. However, Nancy Kerrigan had a melt down in the LP, and Oksana ended up winning the gold.

[ice_princess]

I say Sarah winning the Olymics. Like icenut84 said most people expected Irina or Michelle to win.

[Antilles]

I voted for G&P at '94 Olympics. U&Z were their countrymen and reigning World Champions, so it was odd to see them usurped (this is ice dance). Mostly I chose it because of T&D. They had been gone ten years, but so many people seemed to be looking for "Bolero 2" and another string of 6.0s.

[berthes ghost]

I went with G&P fro all of the reason Antilles mentioned. It was the Olys, and just a month earlier at Euros they were 3rd. That result was just truely shocking.

Oksana in 93 was a jolt as well, as she was unknow, but it was the worlds after Olys when new faces often apear and a new champ is often crowned.

I can't for the life of me understand why so many pick Sarah. She beat them both at SC and was considered the Dark Horse winner. Now, maybe if Sasah or Liashenko or someone who had never beat MK & Iran had pulled it off, but lots of people we're picking Sarah as the most likely spoler to the Irina/MK battle.

[chuckm]

I picked Sarah Hughes because 3/3s notwithstanding, IMHO she was a flawed technical skater, and sometimes looked just plain awkward on the ice because of her stooped posture. She just did not have the look of a champion. She won the OGM because she had the best skate of her life on a night when Kwan's and Slutskaya's performances were below par.

After finishing 4th in the SP (and that was a generous placement, considering her horrid flutz and that high-kick into all her pick jumps), NO ONE expected Sarah to win the FS and the OGM, and that included Sarah. Sarah herself said she had nothing to lose by just letting loose and skating her heart out. In my memory, that was the ONLY time she ever did let her hair down and skate. Not one of her earlier performances showed the spark of enthusiasm she had that night.

She never skated before as well as she had that night, and she never did afterwards, either, not even at COI.

[RIskatingfan]

I picked Sarah Hughes too and because unlike most other options, the key for her winning was everybody else faltering. The skaters in the other options could still do very well and possibly win the same even if the main contenders skated fairly well. Not Sarah because the quality of her skating isn't that good. She was terrific that night, the performance of her life, but even so, an average program from Michelle and Irina would beat her. Happens that they didn't even manage to do that. She was even 4th after the SP, I doubt there was one single person out there who believed she could win.

I have no idea why Tara Lipinski's victory is in this poll. How can someone say that was an upset? She was a US National Champion and the reigning World Champion. Michelle had won Nationals that year, but that doesn't mean anything. When there is a rivalry, sometimes one skater wins, other times it's the other.

[icenut84]

I went with G&P fro all of the reason Antilles mentioned. It was the Olys, and just a month earlier at Euros they were 3rd. That result was just truely shocking.

Actually the results of Euros that year were:
1 - Torvill & Dean
2 - Grishuk & Platov
3 - Usova & Zhulin