Pangtong, i agree about the marks for Ruh. She should have medaled. She was a breath of complete fresh air in skating, entirely her own person, and what she brought to skating was something that few other people could contribute. Thank goodness she was able to spend some time as a pro skater, and of course that we can now see her on YouTube. That second video link (thanks so much, Rain!) is a favorite of mine: her 1999 long program. She also uses a neglected and gorgeous piece of music, the harp concerto by Russian composer Reinhold Gliere. Skaters like Ruh, Czisny, and Lambiel have spoiled me rotten where spins are concerned. As Mathman noted earlier, you don't just look at the speed and the position of the spin (and Ruh's are phenomenal, her positions largely self-invented), you look at the standing leg. Good spinners are like a drill boring into the ice: they stay in one spot until they change position, and then maybe the push-off moves them a tiny sliver. Wowie zowie! This is skating at its best.
