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- Jul 28, 2003
If NJS would be in place, very possible Plushenko could win whole thing in SLC.
Dee
Yagudin vs. Plushenko
- Thread starter demarinis5
- Start date
Dee
Alexei Yagudin was superb in SLC and certainly not boring and apparently (1) the audience agreed because they were on their feet before his program was over in the LP and remained there until his marks came up and (2) the judges agreed because he is the only man to receive all 5.9's and four "6.0's" in skating history.No amount of spinning is going to change the facts about SLC.
Agree. No matter how you spin it, Alexei Yagudin OWNED the men's event at the Salt Lake Olympics. Everything was nearly perfect for both programs: his look, the costumes, the music, the choreography, the execution....everything was polished, intense or playful (depending on the mood required), and confident.
"Winter" became an instant classic right out of the gate...I think it will go down for the ages with the likes of "Bolero", or at least it should. Even today, when audiences catch a black-and-white glimpse in the dark of his Winter costume as he takes the ice, the atmosphere turns electric because they're watching a living legend perform a re-creation of skating history.
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- Joined
- Jul 28, 2003
Yep. He did OWN that event, it's not even debatable (sorry)! I'm glad there are no hard feelings about Scott Hamilton's comment, but it just irks me everytime I hear it. So, I just shake my head and consider that 2002 was a bad Olympics for commentators.
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- Joined
- Mar 14, 2006
I'm really glad this point was made. I always wondered about Scott's commentary there, but Yags' performance was so overpowering and memorable that Scott was like a little dog barking in the background. Nonetheless, it's good to hear from more knowledgeable viewers that he really was off-base.
lol The judges decided a case in Yag's favour before SLS when they gave a gold medal to Alexei instead of Plush at GPF that season and instead of Sasha Abt at Europe2002.
But Plush's jumps, skating skills, footwork, speed, lines and overall skating quality were much better than Alexei's.
It was a split vote for Alexei/Plushenko at the GPF but to say they gave him the gold metal there is a joke, right? Alexei skated with jumps, skating skills, footword, speed, lines and overall skating with HEART and PASSION, he EARNED the GOLD METAL. Perhaps some of the judges realized that Plushenko poising and standing in front of you and shaking your buns was not considered skating. It could have gone either way with Abt/Alexei at Europe 2002 but it was a split vote and Plushenko benefited from FAVOR from judges at WORLDS 2003 where he skated sloppy and Goebel was better but it is all HISTORY now. Alexei skated brilliantly at the Olympics beginning with WINTER (unforgettable), Man in the Iron Mask (fantastic) and the memorizing OVERCOME. It is now 2007 and yet Alexei is still skating Winter, especially in Russia, and the people still ask for encores. So like I said before, no amount of spining is going to change the facts that Alexei was brilliant at the Olympics and throughout his career.
I will agree that Sasha Abt should have taken the gold at Euros 2002.
And I've often thought that if he did, it may have changed EVERYTHING. Alexei would have gone to Salt Lake feeling very shaky, having lost to not Plushenko - but ABT - at a major event just weeks before the Olympics. Plushenko would have felt emboldened by Yagudin's loss. I think everything had the possiblity of turning out very, very different if the judges had given Abt the nod at Lausanne Euros, and it was close - a split decision.
At the 2001/2002 GP Final it was dangerously close - I think Alexei only beat Plush by something like 1/10 of one judge's points...some razor thin margin.
Back to Abt at 2002 Euros: I asked Alexei once if he felt Sasha should have been placed ahead of him and he said definitely not - that he felt Abt's program was 'full of places to rest' and that due to the more difficult choregraphy of his own program (his opinion - not mine), and since the execution of his was close he felt that he completely deserved that win.
And I've often thought that if he did, it may have changed EVERYTHING. Alexei would have gone to Salt Lake feeling very shaky, having lost to not Plushenko - but ABT - at a major event just weeks before the Olympics. Plushenko would have felt emboldened by Yagudin's loss. I think everything had the possiblity of turning out very, very different if the judges had given Abt the nod at Lausanne Euros, and it was close - a split decision.
At the 2001/2002 GP Final it was dangerously close - I think Alexei only beat Plush by something like 1/10 of one judge's points...some razor thin margin.
Back to Abt at 2002 Euros: I asked Alexei once if he felt Sasha should have been placed ahead of him and he said definitely not - that he felt Abt's program was 'full of places to rest' and that due to the more difficult choregraphy of his own program (his opinion - not mine), and since the execution of his was close he felt that he completely deserved that win.
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Spoken like a true Plushenko fan as opposed to someone looking at the results without any bias.
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2003
If all of what you are saying is true, then why did Evgeni and Mishin dumped that program???
Dee
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2006
That's interesting and everything but why do you keep calling him "Sasha" Abt??? His name is Alexander.
~Z
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2006
Sasha is the Russian diminutive for Alexander/ra. Thus Alexandra Pauline Cohen is also Sasha.
That's also correct - works for guys and gals.
Example here on my site where I call him Alexander in one shot, and Sasha in another: http://www.ka-bangs.com/ice/Photos.aspx?AlbumID=81
Now, when he refers to himself, he always calls himself Alexander, but none of his friends refer to him that way.
Example here on my site where I call him Alexander in one shot, and Sasha in another: http://www.ka-bangs.com/ice/Photos.aspx?AlbumID=81
Now, when he refers to himself, he always calls himself Alexander, but none of his friends refer to him that way.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
True but it is used for the male son more than the daughter who usually gets Sandra.
Joe
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2006
Interesting.
~Z
~Z
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- Feb 5, 2004
That is an interesting comment from Yags because love "man in the iron mask" as i do (and i really do love it) there are plenty of rest spots on that program.
Ant
Alexei was wonderful in his SP program and awesome in um at the least the first half of his LP. But overall, he definitely deserved to win. Plushenko should have been 5th or lower in the SP, though his LP was better and more entertaining, if not equally cringe worthy at times. To whoever said Tim should have gotten silver - are you high? He's artistry should have scored no more than a 4.0, it was painful to watch him skate with his horrible posture and underwhelming presence. In my opinion, Alexei has better transition, lines, footwork than any men in the field past or present. There is just such a smooth, float like quality to his skating that I haven't seen from anybody else, nor his ability to bring precision to every move and making them appear uncalculated and spontaneous. I can watch gladiator over and over again 
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