A perfect program

[iluvtodd]

Todd Eldredge's First Knight free skate - 1996 Worlds

Shen/Zhao's Turandot 2003 Worlds

Midori Ito's 1988 Olympic free skate

Javi Fernandez's Guys & Dolls 2016 Worlds

Jason Brown - Riverdance - 2014 US Nationals

 

[skylark]

Yes to Torvill & Dean for FS to Bolero, 1984. Perfection.

And also to Papadakis/Cizeron for "To Build a Home" at 2016 Worlds. Charlie White was commenting, but he was mostly quiet; like the audience in the arena -- the only word that comes to mind is "hushed." After P/C finished, Charlie said he'd forgotten that he was commentating, and added that it felt like being inside a work of art -- you just don't want it to end.

 

[frida80]

V/M Olympic FD 2010. Ethereal performance.

 

[Delienne]

I think in ladies, Yuna's Gershwin Concert in F in Vancouver 2010 is the definition of a perfect long program..I remember reading about it as "our Nadia Comaneci moment in figure skating", and I agree with that. Every moment was just sheer perfection.

I would pick Yuzuru's Hope and Legacy at worlds 2017 for men, Savchenko/Massot 2018 Olympics lp for pairs, and of course Torvill/Dean's Bolero for ice dance!

 

[macy]

Evgenia Medvedeva 2017 WTT

https://youtu.be/poOvm2tQGS8

Just perfect. This performance being the WR holder in the previous scoring system, and the ONLY 160+ ladies program in the previous scoring system just makes sense. It’s the epitome of the previous IJS era. I feel like it’s the blueprint for so much of what we see from young ladies these days. It’s so stunning, just perfect.

this is probably the easiest i've ever seen her jumps look. everything was so light, easy and airy and she finished rotation well before her blade hit the ice on most everything. that flip toe was sublime.

 

[Spiralgraph]

For me the first program I think of is Mishketunok/Dmitriev's FS to Liebestraum at 1991 worlds. Absolute perfection. Artistry passion and very solid technical merit. I still rewatch it often.

 

[LisaS]

Michelle Kwan Lyra Angelica at 1998 US Nationals

"Lyra Angelica" by William Alwyn and"Gymnopedie 3" by Erik Satie. The legendary performance.

www.youtube.com

 

[lappo]

There are many programs that are perfect to me but, if I have to mention only one, Yuzuru's Hope and Legacy at 2017 Worlds.
Many would put Seimei or Chopin over the more abstract H&L but, to me at least, that program embodies Yuzuru the best.
Honorable mentions for Yuna's Danse Macabre at 2009 Worlds, Daisuke's Eye at 2010 Olympics, Daisuke's Cyber Swan at 4CC, Jason Brown Riverdance at Nationals (that never fails to put a smile on me) and Yulia's amazing Schindler's List at the team event.

 

[AxelLover]

I will mention only men skates because men are the category I'm most into. Also, I will totally ignore short programs, otherwise the list would be too long.

Ilia Kulik's free skate at 1998 Olympics

Yagudin's free skates at 2002 Olympics and 2002 Worlds

Plushenko's free skates at 2001 Worlds, 2003 GPF and 2004 Russian Nats

Takahashi's free skate at 2012 Worlds

Patrick Chan's free skates at 2011 Canadian Nats, 2013 TEB and 2016 4CC

Javi's free skate at 2016 Worlds

Yuzuru's free skates at 2015 NHK, 2015 GPF and 2017 Worlds

Boyang's free skate at 2017 Worlds

Nathan's free skates at 2016 GPF, 2019 US Nats, 2019 Worlds and 2019 GPF


Honorable mentions:

Yagudin's free skate at 2000 Skate Canada
Plushenko's free skate at 2002 Olympics
Brian Joubert's free skate at 2006 Cup of Russia
Denis Ten's free skates at 2013 Worlds and 2015 4CC
Shoma Uno's free skates at 2017 Worlds and 2017 Lombardia Trophy
Yuzuru's free skates at 2014 GPF and 2019 Skate Canada
Javi's free skate at 2013 Euros
Maxim Kovtun's free skate at 2017 Euros
Han Yan's free skate at 2017 Cup of China
Kolyada's free skate at 2016 Worlds
Boyang's free skates at 2016 4CC, 2018 4CC and 2019 Cup of China
Nathan's free skates at 2017 US Nats, 2018 Olympics and 2018 Worlds
Daniel Samohin's free skate at 2016 Junior Worlds

 

[ladyjane]

Being a Pairs fan, my examples of 'perfect' skates tend to focus on that particular discipline. 'Perfect' for me generally means: rewatch, rewatch, rewatch and get moved all over again.

Savchenko and Massot, La Terre Vue du Ciel FS at the Olympics and Worlds 2018. Their 'Lighthouse' FS at Europeans 2017 comes close.
Mishkutionok and Dmitriev's Piano concerto 2 by Rachmaninov FS at the Olympics 1994.
Shen and Zhao Turandot at Worlds 2003.
Berezhnaya and Sikhuralidze Lady Caliph Short Programme at the Olympics 2002.

And Sui and Han, Rain in your Black eyes at Worlds 2019 closes the list.

​

 

[Fluture]

Just saw this thread and I‘ve found so many great performances through it that I‘d never seen before. Thanks for that.

My list (I think it‘s obvious that I‘m a quite recent figure skating fan )

1. Yuzuru Hanyu 2015 GPF FS
2. Savchenko/Massot 2018 Olympic FS
3. Jason Brown 2014 US Nationals FS
4. Alena Kostornaya JGPF 2018 SP
5. Yulia Lipnitskaya 2014 Olympic Team Event FS
6. Evgenia Medvedeva 2017 WTT FS

 

[Likeadream]

If I have to choose a single perfect program I say Yuzu's Chopin at the olympics 2018.

 

[SkatingWithEdges]

Adios Nonino for Kim Yuna at Sochi 2014

If you want to learn how to skated with the music perfectly!!! Watching this

The entire program is full of emotional sophiaticated , seamless connecting movement from different emotions (you can see in step sequence) , The idea of movement to the music purpose , The best interpretation & composition , the way she express +her dressed + the music itself : very mature

One of the best ever free skate in term of artistry , musicality & interpretations ever produced

And she's the one and only in my eye can perform almost clean skate at that atmostphere and all the pressure she was under , she's toghest competitior

How on earth !!!!she can skated clean under numerous pressure
- The reigning Olympics champ 2010
- The leader after the short program
- Skate last of competition
- Her farewell performance
- The Russian crowd in that stadium
- Millions of people entire korea waiting to watching her & around the world

 

[Bluediamonds09]

Sasha Cohen swan lake long program from 2004 Marshall's. Sublime.

 

[kolyadafan2002]

Votes to add in Hanyus recent Japanese nationals free skate?

 

[Fallingwater]

Gordeeva and Grinkov free skate Winter Olympics 1988.

 

[Lunalovesskating]

I have a long list of what I consider perfect programs (here snippet)

Katarina Witt 1984 SP Olympics
Katarina Witt 1988's Carmen FS at the Olympics
Kristi Yamaguchi 1992 FS US Nationals
Michelle Kwan 1998 FS Olympics
Sasha Cohen SP 2006 Olympics
Yuna Kim SP 2009 Worlds
Yuna Kim FS 2009 Worlds
Yuna Kim SP 2010 Olympics
Yuna Kim FS 2010 Olympics
Yuna Kim 2013 FS Worlds
Mao Asada 2014 FS Olympics
Ilinykh/Katsalapov 2014 FD Olympics
Jason Brown Riverdance 2014 US Nationals
Evgenia Medvedeva FS 2016 Worlds
Evgenia Medvedeva SP 2017 Worlds
Evgenia Medvedeva FS WTT 2017
Wakaba Higuchi SP Cup of China 2017
Satoko Miyahara SP 2017 GPF
Virtue/Moir FD 2018 Olympics
Evgenia Medvedeva 2018 FS Olympics
Wakaba Higuchi FS 2018 Worlds
Satoko Miyahara SP 2018 NHK
Evgenia Medvedeva SP Worlds 2019
Jason Brown SP 2019 Worlds
Evgenia Medvedeva SP Rostelecom Cup 2019
Evgenia Medvedeva FS Rostelecom Cup 2019
Satoko Miyahara FS 2019 Cup of China
Jason Brown FS 2020 US Nationals
Shoma Uno FS 2021 Japanese Nationals (performance wise perfect for me, I overlook the little tech mistakes )

 

[bouncy]

I would say Tatsuki Machida's East of Eden at Worlds 2014.
Humanity, tragedy and hope. I call it perfect.