Who should skate LAST in the COI? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Who should skate LAST in the COI?

Who should skate LAST in COI?

  • Michelle Kwan

    Votes: 48 36.4%
  • Sasha Cohen

    Votes: 6 4.5%
  • Evgeni Plushenko

    Votes: 38 28.8%
  • Stephane Lambiel

    Votes: 9 6.8%
  • Kimmie Meissner

    Votes: 3 2.3%
  • Shizuka Arakawa

    Votes: 28 21.2%

  • Total voters
    132

soogar

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
hockeyfan228 said:
As much as I love Totmianina/Marinin, I voted for Plushenko, who has dominated Men's skating for the last four years. (They'd never let a pair close.) There have been arguments that if Kwan didn't close, people would leave after she skated, but if she had the penultimate spot, I doubt many would leave before Plushenko skated and the finale. And if they did, getting out of the parking lot would be easier for those of us who stayed.

Where is Arakawa skating?

Quite a few people left during Michelle's performance to get to their cars quickly. I don't think it matters who is skating if a person is someone like that.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
soogar said:
Quite a few people left during Michelle's performance to get to their cars quickly. I don't think it matters who is skating if a person is someone like that.
Truly. They could have stayed home and really beat the crowd.

About the audience's reaction to Michelle's performance (no wild applause after), I think I can understand this even for big Kwan fans. It hurts to see her hurting. Plus, since there are no big eye-popping moments in the program itself to get people on their feet, I could see where the whole effect would be sort of subdued and melancholy.
 

Vash01

Medalist
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
I envy you all east coasters. I am going to COI on Aug.9th, and I know this is not their last stop. I wonder how many skaters will feel burned out by that time? I just hope COI does not cancel the show here the way they have done at other places.

I really hope Shizuka will skate here, but I will be satisfied with Plushenko, T&M, and Michelle (even without the jumps).

Vash
 

tripleflutz

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 14, 2003
Collins doesn't want to do anything to rock the boat with Michelle, he know that SOI is going to come knockin on her door with an offer very soon.

But, the way it used to be the current Olym, World, and Nats champs would outrank Michelle. Since thats most of the skaters in the show, Michelle might have been the opening act. LOL But that was then, and fair or not, Michelle's fame has created a new reality.
 

merrywidow

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Closing the show has to go to the skater who is most likely to keep the audience members in their seats. That is Michelle. Put a foreign champion in that position & half the audience will either have left or will get up & leave in hopes of beating the rush. Sasha & Johnny & Evan aren't that well known to the general public as yet. Michelle is a super star in the US whether you are a fan of hers or not.
 

Kwanford Wife

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
merrywidow said:
Closing the show has to go to the skater who is most likely to keep the audience members in their seats. That is Michelle. Put a foreign champion in that position & half the audience will either have left or will get up & leave in hopes of beating the rush. Sasha & Johnny & Evan aren't that well known to the general public as yet. Michelle is a super star in the US whether you are a fan of hers or not.

Stop it. You know people don't like acknowledge the Diva/Super Star that is Michelle Kwan... shame on you...:laugh:
 

diamondqueen

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 4, 2003
Michelle Kwan:rock: . She is the reason most of us go to this event. I love many on the skaters who are there but honestly no one brings the house down like Kwan. She deserves to be the last one skating with or without jumps, she is that special:clap:

diamond
 

Grgranny

Da' Spellin' Homegirl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I agree that it should be Kwan. Americans prefer Americans and she probably has more medals than anyone. I don't know if Plushy has that many or not but she has been American's sweetheart for quite a long time now.
 

debdelilah

On the Ice
Joined
May 6, 2006
Shizuka! The more I see of her, the more I like her. I've been watching a bunch of youtube videos, and I rewatched her Olympic skate. She's becoming my favorite. I voted "Shizuka" in the poll awhile ago, but didn't feel as strongly then as I do now.
 

Jaana

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Country
Finland
I can understand well that it is good for a show to have a very popular skater like Kwan to end the COI show. On the other hand I have understood from reviews that she has not been that impressive because of her injuries now and her number is not the highlight of the show. Under the circumstances of today it would be a good idea to have e.g. a skater to close the show who is really impressive (and also is the current Olympic champion = Arakawa).
 

Turandot

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 18, 2006
I love, love, love Michelle Kwan but I had to vote for Shizuka Arakawa. She won the Olympic Gold, one that I don't most people intended her to have. I think that she deserves the glory and her name deserves getting out here in the United States.
 

Jaana

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Country
Finland
Joesitz said:
Can you imagine Averbach putting Cohen ahead of Plushenko in the Russia show?

Joe

I could under the circumstances that Plushenko was not a current Olympic medalist, had not competed for a year and would not be able to do any jumping because of injuries and his programme would not be so impressive otherwise either. If Sasha were the current Olympic gold medalist, I could see her closing a Russian show. Besides, I understand that she (as well Weir) are really popular in Russia.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Turandot said:
I love, love, love Michelle Kwan but I had to vote for Shizuka Arakawa. She won the Olympic Gold, one that I don't most people intended her to have. I think that she deserves the glory and her name deserves getting out here in the United States.
I am a big Michelle fan, too, but I agree with this post. Especially since Shizuka was not part of the cast for the whole tour, I think COI missed an opportunity to play up the Olympic champion angle.

Here's what would have been really classy: have Michelle come out at the end and introduce guest star Shizuka as the final act. :yes:

MM :)
 

SeaniBu

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 19, 2006
Mathman said:
Here's what would have been really classy: have Michelle come out at the end and introduce guest star Shizuka as the final act. :yes:

MM :)

It would have been nice to have some one be mic'ed on the ice, that would have been good. I wonder though if that would have meant Plushy and then Arakawa to keep with the gold theme - then the whole bunch (Ira seemed to be most "smiley" when she was paired with Plushy). They also did solos during the fanalle and I believe it was Shizuka that had the last "spot solo." One thing Kinda nit-picky was the announcement would say "New Olympic Champion." I believe "Current Olympic Champion" might have been more appropriate.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Well, at least they didn't say (like they always do when advertising a TV show that is not a rerun) "An All-new Olympic Champion!"

BTW, when I saw the show in Detroit, the show-stopper was Totmianina and Marinen. They are not listed as an option in this poll, but that would be a dramtic ending order, too: Michelle, Plushenko, Arakawa, then T&M.

In fact, to me, the pairs have stolen the show three years running. Last year Pang and Tong, and the year before Shen and Zhou, closed the first act and brought the house down.

MM :)
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Jaana said:
I could under the circumstances that Plushenko was not a current Olympic medalist, had not competed for a year and would not be able to do any jumping because of injuries and his programme would not be so impressive otherwise either. If Sasha were the current Olympic gold medalist, I could see her closing a Russian show. Besides, I understand that she (as well Weir) are really popular in Russia.
Popularity and that is why some skaters skate last in certain countries.
 

Kasey

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
It's an American tour. I think the nationality of the tour and the skaters is looked at, as well as "popularity". If this were the Averbukh tour, I am sure Plushenko or Slutskaya or Tot/Mar would skate last. But it's an American tour, IN America. The most popular American skater is the closer. that is the business decision that's been made, and that's that.
 
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