I didn't mean to sound anti-European by saying that Kat wasn't on a lot of greatest-skater lists. I suppose that's a factor over here, but a lot of us Americans (me certainly included) have Japanese skaters all over our lists of greatest skaters. I just don't think Kat's skating was unusually spectacular for its time.
Obviously I can't compare Witt to what skaters do today. I take that into consideration when thinking about her. What I'm saying is that few people say that Witt is great because of, say, her amazing spins or the way she made other people have to do lutzes as good as hers, or her speed across the ice. I've only ever heard her complimented on her competitive cool when all others faltered. This was her edge.
By contrast, YuNa, for example, has those huge, textbook triple-triples. Mao at her best could execute at least one triple axel in every competition, which is more than even Tonya Harding ever could do, plus she has such smoothness and musicality. Lucinda Ruh spun in a way that no one else had ever envisioned.
I don't have the technical knowledge to make my point with any greater depth than that. On paper, Witt is one of the most accomplished skaters ever. But in terms of technique or musical creativity, was she a giant of her time? I'm not sure. Of course, she made wonderful contributions to skating, both as an amateur and as a pro. I enjoyed her career and her personality. As Skateluvr points out, she looked like a mature person, not a preteen sprite, and that in itself is a contribution.
Fanz Beckembauer, Gerd Müller, Lothar Matthäus, Oliver Kahn, etc. :yes: The Germans always have very good teams and very good players. But you are right, Yuna is like Kat in her era.
