Oksana Baiul- what is her standing in the sport and how is she today?

[Mathman]

Beautiful skate, but I wonder, on the forums then, were her costuming and hair and make-up criticized the way that of skaters is today. Thinking of the many critiques of Gracie's lp costume this year.

Oops. It was 1993, not 2003. There weren't any Internet skating forums then.

 

[Tonichelle]

Here is the latest Oksana news as of last month. She is suing her agency, William Morris, for 170 million dollars.

http://www.thewrap.com/gold-medalist-oksana-baiul-sues-wme-others-170m-alleges-widespread-theft/

In this way Oksana is the international skating version of Tonya Harding - bad publicity is better than none. Oksana has never figured out how to live outside the spotlight - probably because she translated that early on as a way to feel the love missing from her life. It's sad. She's definitely the figure skating equivalent to a child actor gone wrong.

Still she HAS come a long way from her "rebellious teenage behavior".

 

[Tonichelle]

Beautiful skate, but I wonder, on the forums then, were her costuming and hair and make-up criticized the way that of skaters is today. Thinking of the many critiques of Gracie's lp costume this year.

commentators and talking heads didn't like her pink dress, that much I remember.

 

[Skater Boy]

Yeah but the girl didn't have $13,000 for a Vera Wang either. She has done smoe great exhibitions and shows and she is a pure and rare talent. Sad she had some struggles though.

 

[Olympia]

As I recall, Kerrigan didn't pay for the dress. Vera Wang may have donated it. It was great publicity for her, and she as a former skater would have been happy to have her name associated with a possible Olympic champion. The Kerrigans were not wealthy.

 

[skateluvr]

After Nancy was assaulted, Vera I'm sure wanted to do something good for her. Sad that Oksana is still the same diva that mistakenly won the gold. She was amazing tho in a few skates in her teen years. She hit at the height of the money fame. Kwan was getting a million an appearance so Oksana likely was making much money, but that much? Seems unlikely.

 

[TontoK]

To my mind, she was one of those who captured lightning... but it was fleeting.

She had a compelling and sympathetic story and she was a good skater.

She will not go down in history as one of the great Olympic champions, but she deserved the win, I suppose. I preferred Kerrigan's skate, but I can see why the slim majority of judges preferred Oksana.

 

[tulosai]

As I recall, Kerrigan didn't pay for the dress. Vera Wang may have donated it. It was great publicity for her, and she as a former skater would have been happy to have her name associated with a possible Olympic champion. The Kerrigans were not wealthy.

Yes this. They were at best middle class. Her mother didn't work, and there were three children. IIRC her dad had a decent job but not a super great one.

 

[Tonichelle]

and Kerrigan skated in an era (mainly) that allowed for minimum sponsorships... though she made it big right around the time the rules were relaxed.

 

[chuckm]

Yes this. They were at best middle class. Her mother didn't work, and there were three children. IIRC her dad had a decent job but not a super great one.

Nancy's mother couldn't work because she was seriously visually impaired. She had to sit literally an inch in front of the TV screen to be able to see her daughter skate at all.

 

[BlackPack]

She is one of my favorite skaters. Before 1998, her programs were wonderful, and after 1998 it's almost as though she stopped trying. Her life is a tragedy. It wasn't fair to Kerrigan not to win the gold, but back then, the artistic impression was the tie-breaker. It was a poorly judged event. Some even said Oksana shouldn't even have won the bronze, as some ladies did a lot more technically. In that field, however, Oksana's natural artistic capabilities outclassed everyone else, and she was given much higher marks on that regard which covered up some of her technical deficiencies. It shouldn't have happened, but at the time, pre-Michelle/Yuna, she was a very special jewel. No one has moved on the ice like her ever since.

 

[tulosai]

Nancy's mother couldn't work because she was seriously visually impaired. She had to sit literally an inch in front of the TV screen to be able to see her daughter skate at all.

Yes I know. I meant no disrespect to her mother and no values judgment whatsoever- just stating the facts about their financial state.

 

[BlackPack]

There's no way that in the real world a publicity agency could do 170 million dollars' worth of damage to a figure skater, is there? Who is advising her?

Money-hungry attorneys and her vulnerability. Just a while ago, I read she sued some network for millions. Litigation seems to be a part of her game now. I'm worried that it's her attorneys making all the money, and she'll end up broke. She is probably nearly broke anyway, or she won't come up with fantastical lawsuits to milk some cash. Back in the 90s, there were rumors she spent 40K in one shopping spree. I can't imagine all the millions she made in the 90s are still intact.

 

[heyang]

I'm wondering how they came up with $170 million.

While Oksana stepped into the limelight just as figure skating 'exploded' in popularity in the US, I wouldn't 'value' her time as much as other skaters. She pretty much went pro after the Olympics, had performance issues due to her drinking and later body changes/injuries. Overall, she didn't maintain the same level of name recognition or skills as other skaters from her era. So, if she's basing her lawsuit on saying her career was as successful Kristi Yamaguchi's, I'd say she's overvalued her earnings potential.

 

[LiamForeman]

and Kerrigan skated in an era (mainly) that allowed for minimum sponsorships... though she made it big right around the time the rules were relaxed.

Umm, Evy found Nancy a very wealthy patron who paid her entire expenses. Kwan didn't pay anything after 11 years old. Find a sugar daddy/mommy and then deliver.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Some even said Oksana shouldn't even have won the bronze, as some ladies did a lot more technically.

She shouldn't have won the bronze for sure, because she should have been no lower than silver. Bonaly had an under rotated jump, a pop, and a fall to come in 4th, so that for sure should not have bumped Oksana off the podium. Lu Chen did 5 clean triples and a bad hand down on a 3F, but was arguably weaker artistically and unquestionably a weaker spinner. It was also no secret that she had a tendency to be a half turn short on the lutz; I have never seen a slow motion replay in which she has gotten it all the way around. As far Nancy, that decision could have gone either way because she did more technically but her programs just weren't that good.

 

[EricRohmer]

.

 

[Tonichelle]

I'm wondering how they came up with $170 million.

While Oksana stepped into the limelight just as figure skating 'exploded' in popularity in the US, I wouldn't 'value' her time as much as other skaters. She pretty much went pro after the Olympics, had performance issues due to her drinking and later body changes/injuries. Overall, she didn't maintain the same level of name recognition or skills as other skaters from her era. So, if she's basing her lawsuit on saying her career was as successful Kristi Yamaguchi's, I'd say she's overvalued her earnings potential.

I agree, and I don't think Yama's career was 170+ mill.

 

[Blades of Passion]

It was also no secret that she had a tendency to be a half turn short on the lutz

...what? She was definitely never that short.

I think there is certainly an argument for Lu Chen being 2nd or even 1st in the LP at 1994 Olympics. She had the best program, IMO, although Oksana gave an overall better performance.

Kerrigan, Baiul, Lu Chen, and Yuka Sato were all fairly close in the LP. Nobody knocked it out of the park, but it was all beautiful skating.

 

[Olympia]

(to Tonichelle:) I don't think that any skater's career was in the 170 million dollar range. (Maybe Sonja Henie, in equivalent value for her time!) That's why I can't see any court deciding for such an amount in Oksana's favor.