Another Kwan article - "Miracle on Nice" | Golden Skate

Another Kwan article - "Miracle on Nice"

Matt

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 19, 2003
Nice article, but....

Kwan's legacy is more than and longer than Dorothy Hamill, Kristi Yamaguchi, Peggy Fleming?!?!? I'm a Kwan fan and into the MK lovefest as much as anyone, but that's taking it a little too far...
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Yeah, that was kind of silly on the reporter's part. He must have been referring to the fact that in the past, people went pro after their amateur careers, whereas now the top stars like Michelle can be a pro and an amateur at the same time.

Peggy, Dorothy and Kristi went on to even greater heights after exiting the competitive scene, and to this day they are three of the most influential names in the sport.

Tara, too, to the extent that her injuries allowed. As for Sarah, who is to say what the future might still bring?

(But Michelle's the greatest, even so, LOL.)

Mathman :)
 

Skate Sandee

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
In terms of the majority of people (i.e. NOT the people that visit figure skating boards on the internet), Peggy and Dorothy are still remembered as icons in the sport. Kristi, no. She has done amazing things, but she never secured the iconic status of Fleming and Hamel. But she's done better than Lipinski or Hughes, who havent established even Kristi-level legacy.

That can't be debated on a figure skating board where we are all so knowledgeable about skaters. Go into any sports bar and ask a die-hard football or baseball fan who has NEVER watched figure skating outside of the Olympics (and then only under duress) to name "a famous American figure skater", I would bet Fleming, Hamel and Kwan's name would be the top 3.
 

attyfan

Custom Title
Medalist
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
Skate Sandee said:
... That can't be debated on a figure skating board where we are all so knowledgeable about skaters. Go into any sports bar and ask a die-hard football or baseball fan who has NEVER watched figure skating outside of the Olympics (and then only under duress) to name "a famous American figure skater", I would bet Fleming, Hamel and Kwan's name would be the top 3.

I hope that you are correct -- and it would be Fleming, Hamill and Kwan. I always figured it would be Kerrigan and Harding (the third name would be up for grabs).
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
These interviews with reporters who don't regularly cover figure skating are always interesting. This guy says about the CoP,

"Her presence in Turin won't depend on how she adapts to the new scoring system, which plays to her strengths,..."

Well, I hope he turns out to be right.

One thing that always comes through -- Michelle must have some kind of charm in person. Every article you read about her is like this one.

About Kristi's status, I think it depends on the age of the respondent, whether she has the same name recognition as Dorothy Hamill and Peggy Fleming. To the generation of people who grew up after the 1970s, I bet she is right up there.:love:

Mathman
 

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Arm Chair Skate Fan
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
We have to remember too that Kristi's reign as the Oly champ was short lived, only two years compared to four. What she has done for figure skating since her 1992 win has been admirable to say the least........42
 
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