Kimmie Meissner on theToday Show

KellyWil70 · Feb 11, 2005

3 spots

Everyone is assuming that USA will have 3 spots to Turino. I think it is fair to say that there is a chance that may NOT happen with this year's world championships.

If only 2 women can go, then who do you think it will be?

chuckm · Feb 11, 2005

The US would qualify 3 Ladies spots for Torino if two US ladies finished even 4th and 9th, 5th and 8th, or 6th and 7th. I don't see it ever happening that both Kwan and Cohen would finish out of the top 6, especially after the Ladies debacle at Europeans.

Joesitz (RIP) · Feb 11, 2005

chuckm said:
The bottom line is that every Ladies OGM winner had appeared on the World podium at least once before winning Olympic gold.

Kimmie will be skating in the JGP again next fall, so if she makes the Olympic team, the Torino Olympics will be her very first Senior international event. Top ISU judges will be seeing her for the first time, so even if she performs very well, it is highly unlikely that she will even make the podium.

Kimmie's lack of Senior international experience will also make US judges hesitant to make her the 2006 US Champion. They will want to send a US champion who has a real chance to win Olympic gold, and that means Kwan or Cohen.

Top paragraph is true.

Next paragraph, I think we can consider two GPs and possibly GP Final for Kimmie to give int'l judges a close look at this skater. It certainly didn't hurt Irina's comeback whose previous skate in Dortmund was so-so.

I agree the US judges will be more interested in Kwan attaining a new Nats record and with Cohen's attempt to stop that. This is a crucial Nats and Kimmie will not be apart of that duo.

As to sending a gold possible USA skater to the Olys. One can't help think that Kimmie's age is a big plus.

Joe

nymkfan51 · Feb 11, 2005

millie said:
History may repeat itself with the Olympics! Look at the past Olympics, Skaters won the gold that weren't expected to win--Oksand Baiul, Tara, Sarah--Kimmie will probably do the same in the next Olympics. The same things were said about the past three champions, they have nothing to lose or prove and they go out and skate the skate of their lifetime andthey always win the Gold. The same thing will happen to Kimmie.

millie ... the point I was trying to make is that if they hype Kimmie up over the next 12 months, then there will be many expectations upon her that were not there for Tara or Sarah. But as some have stated here already, Kimmie has a ways to go yet before her presentation reaches that of the top senior ladies. Add to that the fact that landing a 3A at the Olympics will be a great deal more difficult than at your first senior Nationals. (especially if the world has been reminded the past 12 months that you are the one who can do the 3A) Those "big" jumps have a way of disappearing under Olympic pressure.

attyfan · Feb 11, 2005

chuckm said:
Kimmie's lack of Senior international experience will also make US judges hesitant to make her the 2006 US Champion. They will want to send a US champion who has a real chance to win Olympic gold, and that means Kwan or Cohen.

IMHO, the best thing that the USFSA can do to insure that an American wins Oly gold is to make Kimmie the 2006 Nat. Champion -- after all, the past two American OGMs were not the Nat champ, in part, because the champ gets the hype and the pressure. If Kimmie wins Nats, Kwan and Cohen get to occupy the "she doesn't have a chance, so there is less pressure" spots filled, respectively, by Tara and Sarah.

Fossi · Feb 11, 2005

If Sasha doesnt' show the judges that she can skate 2 clean programs (maybe 3?) at Worlds this year, I think the judges will be happy to reward Kimmie next year. The judges want to send someone that they are confident can get a medal. Kimmie has shown she has nerves of steel ala Lipinski in a pressure filled moment. Sasha has always blown it when it counts. Why would the judges want to send a liability to the Olympics over someone that CAN nail it when it counts?
Gooooo Kimmie!

R.D. · Feb 11, 2005

Fossi said:
If Sasha doesnt' show the judges that she can skate 2 clean programs (maybe 3?) at Worlds this year, I think the judges will be happy to reward Kimmie next year. The judges want to send someone that they are confident can get a medal. Kimmie has shown she has nerves of steel ala Lipinski in a pressure filled moment. Sasha has always blown it when it counts. Why would the judges want to send a liability to the Olympics over someone that CAN nail it when it counts?
Gooooo Kimmie!

But Kimmie has not competed in a senior international event yet, and here's the irony...because the past two Olympic medal winners were American teenagers, Kimmie will actually have more pressure on her than the previous two because people will actually expect her to win! IMO, this does not look favorable to her. She and MK (this is assuming they both make it to the Olympics) will have a lot of pressure on them. I don't know about the third (Cohen, maybe?)

People are ALREADY expecting Kimmie to win. Did anyone expect Tara or Sarah to win?

And what's about all this "making" someone a champion? Last time I checked, the person who actually skates the best is the one that deserves to win (but in the world of FS, doesn't seem to happen)...

gezando · Feb 11, 2005

Red Dog said:
. Did anyone expect Tara or Sarah to win?

.

Of course she was the reigning world champ going into Nagano

R.D. · Feb 11, 2005

gezando said:
Of course she was the reigning world champ going into Nagano

Yes, but wasn't MK the reigning national champ who beat Tara, and she was her biggest competition?

gezando · Feb 11, 2005

Red Dog said:
Yes, but wasn't MK the reigning national champ who beat Tara, and she was her biggest competition?

For any international competition, the reigning world champ is always a favorite to win. In MK and TL case 1998, they were probably cofavorites

Hikaru · Feb 11, 2005

In 1998 I was rooting for Tara for the Olympics, but from Nationals that same year I had the feeling that most people and the media where supporting more Michelle. Now I don't deny that some people were also supporting Tara, but in those days I remember the media saying a lot that no US lady had won the Olympics without winning the National title on that same year (or something around those lines). That was the year Michelle skated IMO her very best at a National Championship, so I guess the media was going with previous history of US ladies winning Olympics.

Fossi · Feb 11, 2005

Anyone that paid attention to the actual skating in 1998 knew that Tara was one of the favorites going into the Olympics. That's what made the MK/TL rivalry so great. In 2002 anyone that paid attention to skating knew that it was Irina vs. Michelle and that Sarah had a chance considering she beat them both at Skate Canada, and outskated both of them at GPF 02 as well. It's not as if they were nobody's going into the competition.
Next year could very well be Kimmie's year. The judges didnt' hold anything back for Sasha and have been waiting to crown her something only she hasn't lived up to the hype. Kimmie HAS lived up to her hype. She landed the 3axel and got the bronze medal, taking some first place ordinals from Cohen in the LP. Even at Nationals '00, Cohen did NOT take any ordinals from Kwan. It was a 5/4 split between SARAH and Sasha for the Silver. (many think Sarah should've had silver) I think Kimmie is off to a great start!
So what if people are already expecting Kimmie to make the Olympic team next year. Heck, in '00 Sasha's camp was touting Sasha as the '00 National Champion......of the short program. :rofl:

Seriously folks. Kimmie deserves some hype and the predictions will be great. She landed what only one American lady has landed...the elusive 3axel. I believe this is why Cohen is suddenly working on that elusive quad again. Kimmie IS an excellent role model for her! GOOOOOO Kimmie!

R.D. · Feb 11, 2005

Fossi said:
Anyone that paid attention to the actual skating in 1998 knew that Tara was one of the favorites going into the Olympics. That's what made the MK/TL rivalry so great. In 2002 anyone that paid attention to skating knew that it was Irina vs. Michelle and that Sarah had a chance considering she beat them both at Skate Canada, and outskated both of them at GPF 02 as well. It's not as if they were nobody's going into the competition.
Next year could very well be Kimmie's year. The judges didnt' hold anything back for Sasha and have been waiting to crown her something only she hasn't lived up to the hype. Kimmie HAS lived up to her hype. She landed the 3axel and got the bronze medal, taking some first place ordinals from Cohen in the LP. Even at Nationals '00, Cohen did NOT take any ordinals from Kwan. It was a 5/4 split between SARAH and Sasha for the Silver. (many think Sarah should've had silver) I think Kimmie is off to a great start!
So what if people are already expecting Kimmie to make the Olympic team next year. Heck, in '00 Sasha's camp was touting Sasha as the '00 National Champion......of the short program. Seriously folks. Kimmie deserves some hype and the predictions will be great. She landed what only one American lady has landed...the elusive 3axel. I believe this is why Cohen is suddenly working on that elusive quad again. Kimmie IS an excellent role model for her! GOOOOOO Kimmie!

As other posters pointed out, all Olympic gold medalists have been on the world podium at least once before. Kimmie won't have that opportunity because of her age. I don't think it's a good omen to compare her to Cohen cause look what happened.

gezando · Feb 12, 2005

Fossi said:
It was a 5/4 split between SARAH and Sasha for the Silver. (many think Sarah should've had silver) I think Kimmie is off to a great start!

US judges placed Cohen over Hughes unfairly. During the years when they competed against each other Hughes would be placed behind Cohen at nationals, and then beat Cohen at GP events, and of course SLC

So what if people are already expecting Kimmie to make the Olympic team next year. Heck, in '00 Sasha's camp was touting Sasha as the '00 National Champion......of the short program.

and they tauted Cohen to be the junior world champion too.

Seriously folks. Kimmie deserves some hype and the predictions will be great. She landed what only one American lady has landed...the elusive 3axel. I believe this is why Cohen is suddenly working on that elusive quad again. Kimmie IS an excellent role model for her! GOOOOOO Kimmie!

Cohen has always talked about the quad. It is unique jump in terms no US ladies has attempted it. It is good PR for her, she just has to talk about it, and talking about it keeps her in the headlines of "trying to be the first woman to land a quad in competition" That one was milked that one for a long time, even long after Miki landed hers

Joesitz (RIP) · Feb 12, 2005

Hikaru said:
In 1998 I was rooting for Tara for the Olympics, but from Nationals that same year I had the feeling that most people and the media where supporting more Michelle. Now I don't deny that some people were also supporting Tara, but in those days I remember the media saying a lot that no US lady had won the Olympics without winning the National title on that same year (or something around those lines). That was the year Michelle skated IMO her very best at a National Championship, so I guess the media was going with previous history of US ladies winning Olympics.

Actually, there is not that much interest in figure skating by the media. They love scandal and give that a lot of attention but the race between MK and TL was just another contest; each winning something leading up to the Olys. Not that much media coverage other than results either for the PreWorlds or for the Nats. On internet forums the fans hyped their own favorite. That's to be expected and both MK and TL got plenty of attention. On the media there are a few reporters who cover figure skating but their columns hardly bring in banner headlines. It's not Mike Piazza got married!

What is more interesting about that contest is the fact that the fans of Michelle Kwan didn't waiver one iota and say Tara is the best skater in the world. It was still Michelle as the best skater in the world. That was and continues to be disheartening to Tara, imo.

In this connexion, I can't imagine all of Sasha's and MK's fans considering Sarah as the best skater in the world. But,she was the best that night., imo, and I'm a Kwaniac.

Joe

gezando · Feb 12, 2005

Joesitz said:
What is more interesting about that contest is the fact that the fans of Michelle Kwan didn't waiver one iota and say Tara is the best skater in the world. It was still Michelle as the best skater in the world. That was and continues to be disheartening to Tara, imo.

Tara fans think she is the best, so she has plenty of fans rooting for her. I odn't think it was disheartening to Tara. It was disheartening to Pat Lipiniski, and blew up at jacket gate

euterpe · Feb 12, 2005

It WAS disheartening to Tara that after she won the OGM, she didn't instantly become THE American ice princess and the darling of US skating fans. In an interview during the 2003 US Championship, she expressed some bitterness that after her win, she didn't get good press and the fans didn't support her they way she thought they would. What she failed to realize was that it was her own mother, Pat Lipinski, who had caused the bad press, and was also the reason why the loyalty of many skating fans remained with Kwan.

hockeyfan228 · Feb 12, 2005

The skaters with national endorsements get press. This isn't surprising, since national advertisers pay the bills at magazines, newspapers, and TV stations. I doubt Michelle Kwan would get as much press without Chevrolet and Disney behind her. Kerrigan got an inordinate amount of press for any Olympic bronze medallist because she was a Campbell's Soup princess.

The only other times skating seems to garner press coverage is: local articles on local skaters, feel-good human interest stories (Sarah Hughes goes to Yale and then joins SOI), this or that skater is having this romantic crisis, personal tragedy, baby, scandal, engagement, marriage.

The rest of the time, there's not much interest by the press or the general public.

mpal2 · Feb 12, 2005

I think that Tara/Michelle at the 98 Olympics could have gone either way. One of the two was going to get sucker punched and Michelle was the one that got smacked. Take a different panel of judges or even a different skate order and you could just as easily be calling Michelle an OGM.

That could be one reason why so many Michelle fans still called her the best. The 98 Olympics just proved luck of the draw, not the best skater.

lavender · Feb 12, 2005

OGM or not Michelle IS actually the best skater over Tara. OGM or not there are a lot of better skaters than Sarah. This is the reason that Michelle is still loved and fans didn't turn on her. It's her skating that people are drawn to. The actual general skating skills of a skater speaks volumes...ask Kurt.

Kimmie Meissner on theToday Show

KellyWil70

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