In honor of Kwan's Hall of Fame induction

[skateluvr]

You get to pick 1 SP, 1 LP and one exhibition skate/pro am little comp skate since they are not her herculean efforts.

If its young Kwan, pre loss, I have my picks, but the MK I honor is at the end of her career.

It's hard to choose 1 you wanted to see in person, esp when I see two Michelles-Before Nagano/After Nagano.

I picked my skates from post Nagano, post Olympics

Most compelling SP from her mature hit list? I loved The Feeling Begins 2004 Worlds (hope I remember year)

Most amazing freeskate from the latter days of Kwan? Has to be Tosca, Nationals, 2004.

I am choosing for exhibition Dante's Prayer. I loved the mood she evoked.

There are so many, I purposely stayed away from 1996-1998 Kwan as so many choose this period of masterpiece skating programs.

How do you feel? I stayed up late revisiting wonderful memories, with more to return to.

 

[Olympia]

Not possible to choose! I always gravitate to the 1998 Nationals performance of Lyra Angelica and the 2001 Worlds performance of Black Swan, and they're both long programs. Then there are the three versions of East of Eden, which I believe she first did in 1995 and did again as a 1998 exhibition program and as her 2002 short. And what about Ariane and also The Red Violin? And her early Yellow River Concerto?

The ones you mention are wonderful, too.

Not possible to choose.

 

[Mathman]

Most moving for me personally:

Exhibition: 1. The preview version of The Red Violin performed at the 1999 Worlds gala.

2. Fields of Gold, 2002 Olympic gala.

3. East of Eden, the 1998 pro-am in Washington, D.C.

Competitive programs: 1. The Rachmaninov short program at the 1998 Goodwill Games.

2. Song of the Black Swan, 2001 Worlds qualifying round.

3. Tosca LP, 2004 U.S. Nationals

 

[verte76]

Hard to say all of her programs are good.

 

[Mathman]

Welcome, verte76. Thanks for joining us. Post often, post long!

 

[MK's Winter]

Exhibition: 1997 Worlds Winter and On My Own

Short: 1998 Rachmanioff Nationals and 97 Dream of Desdemona

Long: 1998 Lyra Angelica, 2000 Red Violin and 2001 Song of the Black Swan

These are my stand out Kwan performances.

 

[Tonichelle]

I thought she was just nominated and that the official decision hadn't been made, or did I misunderstand the other thread?

 

[TelmoFe]

Exhibition: Olympic Games 2002 - Because the lyrics means a lot for her and for the moment.. and She cried and skated beautifuly like always.

Short: Worlds 2001 - It wasn't a perfect performance, but it's so so so beautiful.

Long: Worlds 2003 - Because it was her last world title, in home, perfect performance, great interpretation and in the final she moves up her arms and the public stand up in same time.

 

[Mathman]

I thought she was just nominated and that the official decision hadn't been made, or did I misunderstand the other thread?

Not to worry, I have already rigged the computer that counts the votes.

 

[Tonichelle]

Not to worry, I have already rigged the computer that counts the votes.

that explains how she won so many times over the years, too...

 

[Olympia]

Isn't she the only nominee in this category?

Besides, how is Michelle Kwan not going to win on the first try?

Yeah, that 2003 Worlds long was so splendid. Her exhilaration added to the effect. I thought she was going to take to the air in the footwork sequence.

 

[jenaj]

These are not necessarily my absolute favorites (though some are), but I think they are the quintessential Kwan:

1998 Pro Am: East of Eden
2001 US Nationals SP: East of Eden
1998 US Nationals LP: Lyra Angelica

 

[dorispulaski]

Not to worry, I have already rigged the computer that counts the votes.

Isn't she the only nominee in this category?

.

How do you think Mathman rigged the computer

 

[evangeline]

If I had to choose.....

SP: Dream of Desdemona (1997 Worlds)
LP: The Red Violin (the version from 1999 Skate America--not quite as perfect as at Worlds, but I liked the choreography better at Skate America)
Exhibition: East of Eden (1998 Pro Am)

 

[skateluvr]

I thought she was just nominated and that the official decision hadn't been made, or did I misunderstand the other thread?

Tonichelle, would there be any way in hell she WON'T be inducted?

 

[skateluvr]

that explains how she won so many times over the years, too...

LOL, curious Toni, which performance did you feel she should have lost the gold? I find only 1 in all those years. curious what you feel she was "given."

 

[MKFSfan]

^^And I'd love to hear which gold you think she should've "lost"!!!

For me, best SP is 1998 Rach, best LP is 2003 Worlds and best exhibition is 2002 Oly FOG.

Honorable mentions are 2005 Nationals Spartacus SP, 2004 Nats Tosca LP (Oh wait, I LOVE World '02 SOTBS!) and 2004 Nationals Exhibition to YRMU.

 

[skateluvr]

It was impossible to choose, so I chose the skates during the CoP era because her content/footwork was much improved.

If I had to choose the young Kwan, I'd pick Salome at Worlds at worlds as she felt invincible, and she was transformed in the 95 year from jumping bean to exquisite chinese beauty. Like most fans I don't think there are many performances in skating from a 17 year old that were like Lyra-both Nationals and Olympics might be the two best performances ever. In Song of the Black Swan Worlds QR 2001, I find another masterpiece.

Since this is an honorary thread to see what other Kwan fans pick from this 10 year body of work, I'll refrain from saying right now one performance where an imperfect Sasha maybe should have won over a perfect, clean Kwan. There are maybe even two times I might have given the gold to Sasha, but I'll leave that to be picked up later.

I knew everyone would say FOG for her exhibition so I picked a pro skate (which were like easy exhibitons for her-only Yuka or Kristi could compete with her-so I see those pro-ams as not real competitions for Michelle.) I see a nice representation of her work as athlete/artist.

 

[Tonichelle]

How do you think Mathman rigged the computer

 

[MKFSfan]

Since this is an honorary thread to see what other Kwan fans pick from this 10 year body of work, I'll refrain from saying right now one performance where an imperfect Sasha maybe should have won over a perfect, clean Kwan. There are maybe even two times I might have given the gold to Sasha, but I'll leave that to be picked up later.

I can only speculate you think Sasha with a fall and a badly 2-footed triple at 2004 Nationals should've beaten a clean (albeit w/a double) Kwan. That is your opinion and your are entitled your opinion, no doubt. I personally find it very telling that for every Nats title Michelle has won, no one else earned a 1st place ordinal for the LP. Now, surely Mathman couldn't have rigged EVERY competition!!!