2009/2010 Programs

[Dipyramidal]

Mao Asada choose her EX music for the 2009-2010 year with "One" from A chorus Line.

 

[Medusa]

not very good quality but here it is
Debi Thomas 1988 Olympics LP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGa0XEDqBkQ

Watching that - I started watching Midori Ito. Was she fantastic or was she incredibly fantastic?

Look at that. Look at the jumps - there are no underrotations! I mean, how did she do that? So much height, so much "snap" going into the air. So much speed and power over the ice. That program would still kick major butt these days. Incredible.

 

[Mikoto]

In recent interview, she wondered how others can land underrotated jumps.

And she should have won the FS, imo.

 

[seniorita]

ladies back then had very different body types, they seem so strong and fast..i m amazed..

 

[janetfan]

She should have been drowned in Tech 6.0s

and to think that this free skate placed only 3rd...

There were also school figures - I think Kat would easily beat Midori and Debi at that. And Kat always had a clean SP.

I was trying to find a clip of Debbi from '88 US Nationals. Her performace was much better than Calgary. Poor girl felt the pressure that night.

Midori was an amazing skater. If not for the unbearable pressur she would have won in '92. Then Kristi would not have retired and won in '94. (Unless Tanya's crew got to her first!!!)

 

[Mikoto]

There were also school figures - I think Kat would easily beat Midori and Debi at that. And Kat always had a clean SP.

I was trying to find a clip of Debbi from '88 US Nationals. Her performace was much better than Calgary. Poor girl felt the pressure that night.

Midori was an amazing skater. If not for the unbearable pressur she would have won in '92. Then Kristi would not have retired and won in '94. (Unless Tanya's crew got to her first!!!)

Witt was not very good at figures. She had lost some events due to figures till 84. In fact Thomas was 2nd and Witt was 3rd in figures in the event. Ito, ugh...

 

[janetfan]

Witt was not very good at figures. She had lost some events due to figures till 84. In fact Thomas was 2nd and Witt was 3rd in figures in the event. Ito, ugh...

Thanks for the infos. I meant that for a good free skater Kat she was OK at figures. Where was Midori after the figures? (Below 10th ?)

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

She should have been drowned in Tech 6.0s

and to think that this free skate placed only 3rd...

There was a lot of skeptical judging in those days, and Japan was comparatively new to top drawer figure skating. Were the Eastern European judges working together? We do not know for sure.

Well, it wasn't my idea, just wondered. But if Joe is looking for innovation I'm not really sure that he will find it in Debbie's skate although she did not make the mistake to wear red, maybe there is still hope...

Here's a link to Debbie, Joe, in case you want to give us your take on it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGa0XEDqBkQ

Thanks for the link. Debbie kept to rhythms of the music and the story did come about. I guess one could say she was just showing the essence of Carmen while Wittwas batting her eyelashes at the judges and then dying by an imaginery Don Jose. Oh, the tragedy of it all.:boohoo:

I would say that Witt was somewhat better but for me, it was kind of banal. Debbie had a lot of talent over Witt but she made those flubs and in a comp they just dont get credit. Anyway, the Canadian gal won the Free Skate To be honest, I do not remember Midori but I just got excerpts of the comp.

In very tight competitions, judges seem to look more carefully at mistakes than they do verity. Can't blame them. How would you judge Asada v. Kim if both skate almost perfect routines?

 

[Mikoto]

Thanks for the infos. I meant that for a good free skater Kat she was OK at figures. Where was Midori after the figures? (Below 10th ?)

She was 10th after the figures. But that was the best placement for her in the Worlds/Olys at the time.

 

[Medusa]

There was a lot of skeptical judging in those days, and Japan was comparatively new to top drawer figure skating. Were the Eastern European judges working together? We do not know for sure.

Sure, because the Eastern Europeans won everything among the Ladies, especially after 1988. Oh, that dominance! I remember Todja Chardingva, Katja Yamaguchova, Julia Trenarinovna and of course Nadja Kerigava. They were the highlight of the Soviet skating system and all the judges on the east side of the Rhine made sure that they would win.

 

[Mathman]

I remember Todja Chardingva, Katja Yamaguchova, Julia Trenarinovna and of course Nadja Kerigava.

 

[Tonichelle]

Yamaguchova was and still is the most amazing!

 

[Medusa]

Yamaguchova was and still is the most amazing!

Definitely. I heard that she belonged to the very small minority of ethnically Japanese, living in a small area on the Eastern coast of Russia, just South of Kamchatka. It was a miracle that her talent was even spotted since the main bases of skating were in Peter and Moscow and it was quite rare that athletes came from the Asian part of the country. But rumour is that a Soviet officer, who was a decent skater himself, saw her skating on a lake, just for herself. He had connections to Moscow and made sure that people would come and check that wunderkind out. They were stunned by her talent and at the tender age of 8 she was seperated from her family and had to live in one of the Soviet sport schools. It was cruel, and after winning all those medals for the Soviet Union (who by 1992 had won the Cold war through politicking, which they learnt to perfection at figure skating competitions), she decided to defect to the United States in 1993, changed her name into the orginal Japanese form and embarked on a successful show career, that didn't make her rich since the US were very poor at that point (the Soviets had taken over the rest of the World and the US were isolated as the only capitalistic and free country), but extremely popular. She was known as one of the last "natural" skaters, because other Soviet skaters during her time were already genetically enhanced. This method would lead to the streak of Soviet men winning every Olympics till today (most impressive were the Yagudin 2.3 model and the Plushenko 3.1), as well as the pairs competitions and ice dance competitions.

 

[Tonichelle]

For Technical Merit: 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 5.7
For Artistic Impression: 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 6.0 ... 5.7

the last judge didn't get the memo that the judging panel was to be in your favor.

 

[Spun Silver]

Why is no one talking about Mikhaila Kwananina?!

 

[Buttercup]

Sure, because the Eastern Europeans won everything among the Ladies, especially after 1988. Oh, that dominance! I remember Todja Chardingva, Katja Yamaguchova, Julia Trenarinovna and of course Nadja Kerigava. They were the highlight of the Soviet skating system and all the judges on the east side of the Rhine made sure that they would win.

And the second post, too. The new Yags and Plush models made me think ot the Terminator movies .

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Sure, because the Eastern Europeans won everything among the Ladies, especially after 1988. Oh, that dominance! I remember Todja Chardingva, Katja Yamaguchova, Julia Trenarinovna and of course Nadja Kerigava. They were the highlight of the Soviet skating system and all the judges on the east side of the Rhine made sure that they would win.

Wasn't commenting on medals, just the commeraderie among a group of judges. Did it exist? Some high officials in the skating world, says it did. I don't expect those eastern europeans fans to consider that.

 

[seniorita]

And the second post, too. The new Yags and Plush models made me think ot the Terminator movies .

Lol i can imagine a movie 's credit titles now saying leading cast: Plushenkovich and Yagudinovich...
But was it Terminator?or Blades of glory numéro deux?

 

[janetfan]

Wasn't commenting on medals, just the commeraderie among a group of judges. Did it exist? Some high officials in the skating world, says it did. I don't expect those eastern europeans fans to consider that.

Sometimes I wonder how Oksana, with very few clean triples and mediocre choreo in her LP beat an almost perfect Nancy for the Gold medal in '94. Then I saw them skate Live at the same show - and was astonished by Oksana's beautiful skating and somewhat disappointed in Nancy.
Of course a COI skate is not the same as a competition - but medals should be awarded by what you do on the ice - and not potential.

 

[Tonichelle]

Wasn't commenting on medals, just the commeraderie among a group of judges. Did it exist? Some high officials in the skating world, says it did. I don't expect those eastern europeans fans to consider that.

just as those eastern European Fans don't expect anything less than "eastern bloc!" "politiking!" "cheaters!" comments from those of us in North America.