East German Figure Skaters | Page 5 | Golden Skate

East German Figure Skaters

thisthingcalledlove

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 24, 2003
Auferstanden aus Ruinen

tdnuva said:
IIRC Ironically (thinking of our debate above) it started with something like "Built up from ruins".

Risen from the ruins and faced towards the future,
Let us serve you for the good, Germany, united fatherland.
Old woes we will have to conquer, and, united, so we shall,
For it lays within our power that the sun, beautiful as never before,
Shines over Germany. (bis)

Happiness and peace be granted Germany, our fatherland.
All the world now longs for peace, so go forth and extend your hand.
When as brothers we unite, we defeat the people´s foe.
Let it shine, the light of Peace! so that no mother again must
Mourn her son. (bis)

Let us plough, let us build, learn and work as never before,
And, in confidence and strength, a free generation will come forth.
German youth, the best endeavor of our people combined in you,
You will give Germany new life. Then may the sun, more beautiful than ever
Shine over Germany
 
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SkateFan4Life

Guest
That sounds like a war song to me, a cry to battle, etc. It almost conjers up images of the Hitler Youth, of building a sort of German "master race". Scary stuff, IMHO.
 
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SkateFan4Life

Guest
And the lyrics of the East German national anthem are quite off the mark, IMHO, as they refer to a "united fatherland". For a whole generation and more there were two very distinct Germanys - the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) which was a prosperous, "free" nation, and the German Democratic Republic (what a misnomer - East Germany) which had been seized by the Soviet Union after World War II and was a communist puppet state.

The two Germanys couldn't have been more different. Granted, they had the same language, much of the same culture, and families were torn apart, as some lived on both sides of the fence. But to call the GDR a "united fatherland" is just ridiculous, IMHO.
 
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SkateFan4Life

Guest
Katarina Witt was a big-time media hit in the United States, even though she was not an American (obviously). She lived and trained in a culture that placed great emphasis on results, and the rewards she received - two apartments, a car, and some spending money - are paltry compared to what today's top figure skaters can earn.

When she returned to East Berlin following the 1988 Olympics, she was met by a small delegation from the GDR government. There were no fans, as such, to welcome her home.

In contrast, when Elizabeth Manley, the 1988 silver medalist, landed home in Ontario, the airport terminal was packed with screaming fans, welcoming their favorite daughter home.
 

JonnyCoop

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2003
I tried to post on this thread a few weeks ago, but due to modem problems the reply never posted, so by now it's gotten off the track it was on earlier, but I'm going to ask anyway --

Were Simone Koch and Simone Lang the same lady? I remember Simone Koch as being the East German #2 behind Witt and seemed all ready to take over as the Next Big East German Sensation once Witt left the scene, but in the 88-89 season, suddenly in results there was a Simone Lang, but no Simone Koch. Since I only saw Simone Koch skate once (serious Level 5 Blue Eye Shadow, I remember that) and never saw Lang, I don't know for sure.

There was to be more about this subject in the original post, but by now I've forgotten what most of it was.....
 
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SkateFan4Life

Guest
JonnyCoop said:
I tried to post on this thread a few weeks ago, but due to modem problems the reply never posted, so by now it's gotten off the track it was on earlier, but I'm going to ask anyway --

Were Simone Koch and Simone Lang the same lady? I remember Simone Koch as being the East German #2 behind Witt and seemed all ready to take over as the Next Big East German Sensation once Witt left the scene, but in the 88-89 season, suddenly in results there was a Simone Lang, but no Simone Koch. Since I only saw Simone Koch skate once (serious Level 5 Blue Eye Shadow, I remember that) and never saw Lang, I don't know for sure.

There was to be more about this subject in the original post, but by now I've forgotten what most of it was.....

I may be incorrect (and if I am, I'm sure someone out there will correct me!!!)
but I believe that Simone Koch and and Simone Lang are two distinct ladies. Simone Koch was rather tall and elegant, while Simone Lang was a shorter girl with quick-stepped skating. Lang won the bronze medal at the 1989 Skate America competition, behind Tonya Harding and Jill Trenary, and she (Lang) wore a costume that greatly resembled the very attractive gypsy costume Katarina Witt had worn for her 1984 Olympic short program. Lang's stroking and choregraphy greatly resembled Witt, which wasn't surprising, since she was also coached by the reknown Mrs. Muller.
 
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SkateFan4Life

Guest
soogar said:
As for Annette being forced out of skating: Annette had already won the gold medal. With Katarina Witt coming up in the wings, I can see why Annette would be "pushed aside." However it just wasn't realistic that she could beat Katarina even if she had hung in there for another 4 years. Things like this happen in the US all the time. Reading about Tina Noyes in the Inside Edge, she finished second to Peggy for three straight years and went to the Olympics. She stayed on for another year to win a National title and I think in 1969 she came in 3rd. Brennan implied in her book that the judges didn't favor her anymore [because the younger skaters had more potential]

I agree with you. :agree: The same thing happened to Lisa-Marie Allen, the tall, langy Californian who had finished second to Linda Fratianne at US Nationals from 1978-1980. Allen stayed in the competitive arena after the 1980 Olympics, for one more shot at a US title. By the time 1981 came along, Elaine Zayak had exploded on the scene with her multi-triple jump programs, and she won the US title that year. Allen had to settle for the bronze medal.

Another thought - East Germans Katarina Witt and Annet Poetszh skated to American music at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics. Poetszch skated to the soundtrack from "Funny Girl" at Lake Placid, and Witt skated to a Gershwin medley ("Embraceable You", "I've Got Rhythm", etc) at Sarajevo. Their coach, Mrs. Muller, obviously wanted them to be well received by Western audiences and judges.
 
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