- Joined
- Oct 19, 2009
Prettykeys, I don't know if I agree with you about 1998, but I have always wondered what possessed Kwan to leave Frank Carroll (and Lori!) and not have a coach at all (!) for the Olympics. Someone (doubtless someone from this site) once pointed out that no matter how good you are, you can't tell for yourself how your jump approaches and positions are decaying. You need a coach's eye on you every day. If she had had Carroll shepherding her, she most likely would have stayed on her feet for the entire Long Program in 2002 and would have won. As someone else said recently on this site, your father can't coach you to a gold medal. (Unless your father is a coach of the level of Yuka Sato's father, Nobuo Sato, of course.) She's still my favorite for so many reasons, but I do wish she hadn't decided that that was the year she needed to rebel.
I think Sasha at her best was a great performer and had eye-popping moves that made audiences go "Wow". Lu Chen was artistically subtle, and deep. And, I have never disrespected Tara; I think her skate in Nagano in 1998 was awesome, and I consider it to be the toughest Olympic program from a lady I have seen yet (including over Sarah's, which I felt had more technical flaws.) I hesitate to call Kwan the most "artistic"; I don't think it's quite the right word. If artistry is something visually stunning, then Sasha in some ways has a leg up on her (pun intended ). If artistry is painting images on the ice, I think Lu Chen did it just a little bit better. However, from what I can tell, Kwan has so far been the most transcendental skater. She didn't do it all the time, even when she won, but at her best she transcended the skating and the competition itself. It's something I wish YuNa had been able to do (and sometimes she looked so close to reaching that point; I fear that YuNa may give up skating competitively too soon); it's something I hope to see Mao achieve one day.I enjoy your posts, mostly Prettykeys. Thanks for your opinions. I don't "adore" Michelle. I'm rather objective. But she has had such stellar, moving skates. Actually, I prefer the balletic style of Sasha. But Sasha was no great competitor. I just cannot make a case for any other skater to do what Michelle did for 10 years. As a fan you must know how extraordinary it was. Yes, she was the crowd and insider fave. Some folks said she did not deserve all that. But it's pretty groundless, don't you think, Prettykeys? Love your avatar as that is a real smile on YuNa's face, BTW. Tara won in Nagano because she did two triple/triples and the most difficult one. Michelle skated earlier and the judges left room. Some think Chen Lu was far more exquisite. You may disagree but Tara was an incredible skater and very mature and polished. She was no flash in the pan. She had reasons for going pro and good ones. So did Sarah, yet they get bashed for not having the longevity of Kwan.
I actually think (and I disagree a little with gentle Olympia here), like you, that Michelle going with her gut feelings and having her dad by her side rather than Carroll was right, as well. I imagine (though I can't be sure) that there was a little strain between Michelle and Carroll leading up to 2002, perhaps stemming from Michelle wanting the Oly Gold so much and Carroll wanting it so much for her, too. At that point in her career, I am unsure whether Michelle's issues were technical matters, or things of a different nature. In any case, if Michelle felt that Carroll was not helping her at that point in time, it was right for her to have her Dad support her in a way she felt she needed in Carroll's stead....in SLC. Michelle fell. I don't think it would have mattered a bit if Carroll was there as MK said she felt she had gone as far as she could with him and implied she had learned all he could teach her. Was she arrogant to think she could win without a coach?? Not at all. She was a very experienced, very decorated compeitor at 21 in her second Olympics. Something else happened that we might never know. Doubtless someone here has an idea but I don't. Some say it was money issues. Michelle was wise not to just get any old coach to stand by the boards. She loves and trusts her dad. Makes sense to me Later on she went to Artunian as she knew she needed a jump coach. Her presentation/style was fixed and as matured as it would ever be long before Salt Lake. There are those who bashed Tara Lipinski to bits and Sarah for having the gaul to take away Michelle's gold. I saw an interview where Flemming says she was devastated Michelle lost to Tara and called her a "showoff." This was a private interview, not during her commentary, but still, it shows how Michelle was loved inside the community. It surprised me. The comment, I mean coming from PC Peggy.
My statements were rhetorical, not my actual opinions, but they mirror the way I feel when you say things like "YuNa's hype" prevents her from improving herself, or her coaches from pushing her. Of all people, it seems YuNa least believes in her own hype and in some abstract notion of invulnerability. She clearly remains unsure; she openly questions whether she is as good as the marks she posts at times. "YuNa's hype" - that phrase alone implies some sort of arrogance on her part, and that the laurels/admiration she receives are, in some way, undeserved in your eyes. It's not a pleasant thing for me, and probably some others, to read.
Her US Nationals performance of Lyra Angelica was superior, and if you search YouTube for the first video that pops up, my comment on it is in there somewhere. That, and her 1996 Worlds SP Romanza are my two fav programs she's done, I think.I think you can feel or believe whatever, it's who you enjoy that matters most, and for any reason. That's valid. But if you watch Lyra Angelica at US Nastionals 98 and her Olympic performance of it, I think you might see a masterpiece.