Who should have won that gold! Top ten robberies | Page 4 | Golden Skate

Who should have won that gold! Top ten robberies

WOW! have you ever seen this video? Was Mao robbed? :confused: I don't know....;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu7TQfAx844&feature=g-all-f

I don't think Mao was robbed. Emily Frankel is a well known dancer/novelist/playwright/critic. She was artist in residence at the University of Michigan when she did this broadcast.

Ms. Frankel says, "I think that "Mayo" ;) Asada should have won the gold medal. I know that Asada is the better dancer." She also says that Yu-na Kim is a fine performer and perhaps projects better to the audience than Mao.

But this was a skating contest, not a dance recital. Kim skated better. Ms. Frankel never addressed the question of who skated better, and probably lacks the expertise to do so, whatever her qualifications to judge other performing arts.
 
I don't think Mao was robbed. Emily Frankel is a well known dancer/novelist/playwright/critic. She was artist in residence at the University of Michigan when she did this broadcast.

Ms. Frankel says, "I think that "Mayo" ;) Asada should have won the gold medal. I know that Asada is the better dancer." She also says that Yu-na Kim is a fine performer and perhaps projects better to the audience than Mao.

But this was a skating contest, not a dance recital. Kim skated better. Ms. Frankel never addressed the question of who skated better, and probably lacks the expertise to do so, whatever her qualifications to judge other performing arts.

I remember when that video came out, right after the Olympics, and it generated a lot of discussion on here. It was very enjoyable to examine that aspect of skating so thoroughly. The upshot of that discussion was that many of us felt that though YuNa deserved to win the gold by virtue of her superior skating on that night, it was so lovely to have a dance expert praise Mao's special talent. For one thing, it proved that Mao is a very dancer-like skater--not just in the opinion of us skate fans, but in the opinion of a dancer. For another, dancers so often look down on skating in general as some sort of pseudo dance, so it was splendid to have an expert from that field pay attention and respond so favorably.

In other words, almost no one felt that any "wuzrobbed" had occurred during that Olympics. Things turned out as they should have. (I say that as a devoted Mao fan, though I also love YuNa.) The fact is that there were two extraordinary performances that night. Well, really there were five or six...but the top two were especially splendid.
 
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I enjoy a lot of what Emily Frankel said. Mao was indeed better in many ways and I love her scornful assessment of Bezic declaring Yu-Na Kim's performance one of the best ever. It was clean and strong and pleasant, not inspired or tremendously artistic.
 
I just rewatched both Asada's and Kim's olympic performances a few days ago and while Kim deserved to win, I would never call it "the best skate EVER". She had amazing jumps and looked really nice but the music reminded me of Kulik's 1998 performance. He came out as a Gershwin giraffe and did what he had to. I think it was Dick Button who said "Another day at the office". I felt the same with Kim. Not incredibly artistic but clean and confident- Another day at the office. Asada had superior lines and was indeed a better dancer, but her mistakes did not let her win.
 
Not just Sandra, English euro, BBC, CANADA, German, Sweden,,, ,, Even Russian Commentators declared OGM right after Yuna's FS.

Spain commentator stood up and applauded even before Yuna's performance.

I trust Professionals like judges, coaches, commentators more than Amateurs. Most commentators used to be competitive skaters. And I trust the ones to watch the game in stadium , not on TV.
 
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Um, yes, it was completely obvious Yu-Na would win and it was a thrilling moment for her...but that's unrelated to what we are talking about.
 
I trust Professionals like judges, coaches, commentators more than Amateurs. Most commentators used to be competitive skaters. And I trust the ones to watch the game in stadium , not on TV.

Both of these points are important, but the second one is something that as a fan I often forget, and it's good to remember it. When I watch a competitive program on TV, I miss a lot of what the judges are seeing (and they're not just in the stadium, they're down in front). I miss the speed and all sorts of other small elements that just don't come across on TV.

Many of the people on here have been fortunate enough to be in the stadium for a major competition. Several have actually attended the Olympics. This is not something I've yet been able to do. Still, it's hard to get a fan to suspend judgment. We all want to put in our opinion...even if a bunch of judges have ruled the other way. (Michelle won in 1998! Michelle! Michelle!) I guess it's an inescapable part of being so fond of our sport. We do not want to retire the term "wuzrobbed." I'm sure we'll have plenty of chance to use it in the next two years.
 
We do not want to retire the term "wuzrobbed." I'm sure we'll have plenty of chance to use it in the next two years.

What an outstanding observation. If wuzrobbed ever disappears from skating fans' vocabulary the sport will be officially dead.
 
Yes, I also agree what he said, but I'm not sure, Mao would have won gold with a clean FS. Yuna 's scores were too high.

Well, FlattFan would have personally given Mao gold with a clean Bells--but he/she didn't say that Mao would have scored higher than Yuna with a clean skate (that's a different argument). That music and choreography turns me off, though. A clean Bells would be technically superior with two 3Axels (never mind the missing Lutz or Salchow), but I doubt the judges would have scored it any higher than maybe 10 to 15 points. Still not enough as you say.

The ladies competition in Vancouver was hardly a wuzrobbed moment except for the most ardent Mao fans. If any lady wuzrobbed of a higher placement it might have been Mirai, or even Rachel with those Flip downgrades. But there were far more controversial ones like the men's competition.
 
I just rewatched both Asada's and Kim's olympic performances a few days ago and while Kim deserved to win, I would never call it "the best skate EVER". She had amazing jumps and looked really nice but the music reminded me of Kulik's 1998 performance. He came out as a Gershwin giraffe and did what he had to. I think it was Dick Button who said "Another day at the office". I felt the same with Kim. Not incredibly artistic but clean and confident- Another day at the office. Asada had superior lines and was indeed a better dancer, but her mistakes did not let her win.

Sorry, I don't see Asada's so-called "superior" lines, no matter what anyone says. And it was Bezic's opinion- she never said it was "the best ever", she said something like, "oh my goodness, it's one the best performances I have ever seen". Understand the difference? Why do so many people claim that Sandra said that it was the "best ever" when she clearly never said that. It's almost as if people want to make up these words just to put downgrade Kim's performance- that's just sad and pitiful.
 
Sorry, I don't see Asada's so-called "superior" lines, no matter what anyone says. And it was Bezic's opinion- she never said it was "the best ever", she said something like, "oh my goodness, it's one the best performances I have ever seen". Understand the difference? Why do so many people claim that Sandra said that it was the "best ever" when she clearly never said that. It's almost as if people want to make up these words just to put downgrade Kim's performance- that's just sad and pitiful.

Please look back at my post. Where did I ever mention Sandra Bezic's name? I did not refer to her. And in my opinion Asada had superior lines. You can disagree but that is what I think.
 
^^ Why did you bring up in quotes " the best skate EVER" when NOBOBY said that in the first place- it almost seems as if you're trying to say somebody did say that but at least you clarified that it's your own opinion. And after seeing Asada's performance, " Asada is totally overrated as a dancer." - just my opinion. Nothing that would make her even a quadrille or corps dancer in the remotest of ballet companies, lol.
 
Each "side" is entitled to their opinion, no need to start down this path of "defending to the death"... it's summer, let's TRY to have fun.
 
Sorry, I don't see Asada's so-called "superior" lines, no matter what anyone says. And it was Bezic's opinion- she never said it was "the best ever", she said something like, "oh my goodness, it's one the best performances I have ever seen". Understand the difference? Why do so many people claim that Sandra said that it was the "best ever" when she clearly never said that. It's almost as if people want to make up these words just to put downgrade Kim's performance- that's just sad and pitiful.

Her statement is actually even more qualified than that. She didn't say "the best skate ever", or "one of the best skate ever", or even "one of the best skate I have ever seen". She said: "It's one of the greatest Olympic performances I have ever seen." Even from her that's hardly a hyperbole. There are only a few great Olympic free skates by the ladies, given the Olympics comes around once every four years.
 
^^ Yup, absolutely. It was Bezic's opinion, and lol at everyone throwing around "the best skate ever" or the "greatest olympic performance ever" when it never was said.
And sorry Tonichelle, I will tone it down as a newbie, and NEVER write walls of text, which are worse imo than spirited, short discussions.
 
Actually. I think maybe it was the best ladies' Olympic performance ever. Better than Arakawa's, better than Hughes', better than Tara's, better than Oksana's, better than Kristi's, better than Witt's,...
 
^^ Why did you bring up in quotes " the best skate EVER" when NOBOBY said that in the first place- it almost seems as if you're trying to say somebody did say that but at least you clarified that it's your own opinion. And after seeing Asada's performance, " Asada is totally overrated as a dancer." - just my opinion. Nothing that would make her even a quadrille or corps dancer in the remotest of ballet companies, lol.

I am not trying to argue over this- It is not a big deal. Just some people think it was the best skate EVER and I disagree. I still don't get why you are connecting Sandra Bezic to that quote.
 
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