How do you feel about Michelle Kwan's skating | Golden Skate

How do you feel about Michelle Kwan's skating

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GBMalwayz

Guest
How do you feel about Michelle Kwan's skating

I am curious, and since it's anonymous and no one needs to post unless they want to, why not a poll?

I think there are various levels of opinion, but everyone seems still interested in her after a decade on the scene.

Michelle.....
 
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BronzeisGolden02

Guest
Still the Best

I think when Michelle is really "on" there is nearly no one that can touch her. She blends all of the elements so well and still has some of the best moves in skating. Its just a question of whether she'll be on or not. When she's skating and spinning fast and landing jumps with the ease we know she's capable of, she's breathtaking. As for the judges holding her up, I certainly don't see that, especially in international competitions. When she isn't clean and perfect, her technical marks in international competitions almost always reflect this. Just look at her marks during the past two grand prix seasons, they are a far cry from her earlier years. You can pick and choose competitions and say she was held up at this one or the other, but overall, I think she gets the marks she deserves.
 
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sk8ing lady2001

Guest
Re: Still the Best

BronzeIsGolden02, I completely agree. :D
 
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lilicedancer

Guest
Re: Still the Best

I think she needs to move on. She just can't compete with these kids technically. Please igonore my spelling. She's still great artistically, but she's just gonna keep falling in the standings, it's the way the sport works.
 
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GBMalwayz

Guest
Re: Still the Best?

A lot of people seem to feel she should move on, or take a break for a couple years if she plans on Turino.

She is the one skater that the USFSA still wants at any and every event, and I wonder if she was not such a moneymaker, would they judge her more harshly? I suspect there is a lot of resentment towards her from the other top ladies. Like Princess Diana, Michelle seems to be number 1 in the fans' hearts. She is the legend she wanted to be. It must be hard to know when it is enough.

I think she is having a very hard time deciding what road to take and her fanatical fans at the very large forum maybe plead with her to stay in. I have mixed feelings as she has won everything several times over, and the others deserve fair marks, opportunities etc.
 
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BronzeisGolden02

Guest
About Moving On

That's a tough one, the question of when to move on. I imagine it must be one of the toughest questions Michelle has ever faced. There are other younger skaters that do want to reach the top, but I don't think Michelle needs to retire for that to happen. If Michelle wants to stay, she should stay, and as many have said before, she should just expect to have more silver and bronze than she is used to. The judges don't hold up her up so it isn't hard to imagine Sasha or Sarah or anyone having a slam-bang performance and winning over Michelle. I think skaters retire far too early in this sport as of a late. I'd like to see more 20-something ladies on the ice, they bring something the 15-16 year olds can't touch...yet. So, while she has the drive and heart, why waste it on a dwindling professional world?
 
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mmandel

Guest
Re: is still the best female skater today bar none.

MK is still the best female skater today bar none.:D :D :D :D :D :D :D
 
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Joesitz

Guest
Re: is still the best female skater today bar none.

This thread is going to be a: KWANIACS ON PARADE. Michelle is fine. She's reclusive; she's everything a star can be; she should be married to be Brad Pitt. Win or lose, Michelle will prevail. Let's get on with the Nats.

Joe
 
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Ogre Mage

Guest
Thoughts about Michelle

Michelle Kwan's LPs from 1996-99 -- "Salome," "Taj Mahal," "Lyra Angelica" and "Ariane" -- were stunning and full of exquisite choreography. Even on the occasions when she did not skate well, the programs themselves looked great.

Michelle's programs from 2000-02 have been more threadbare and less original. However, in terms of her performance, many of her skates equal if not surpass the Michelle of '96-'99. It was during this period that she made a deliberate attempt to increase the technical difficulty to keep up with a few of her rivals, which is probably one of the reasons the choreography suffered. She was often able to get by because of her extraordinary artistry, in spite of the fact the programs themselves were sometimes lacking.

I would not worry that other skaters will be stifled because of Michelle. Look at the 2002 Olympics and Worlds. Michelle was not at her best in either case and the judges awarded the gold to Hughes and Slutskaya, respectively.

We cannot predict if MK will be in Turino. But I don't think she is done just yet. Her SP to "The Feeling Begins" is excellent and could potentially rival some of the programs from her prime era. She is still a huge medal threat in any event she enters. If her skating was truly going the way of post-Nagano Elvis Stojko I doubt people would talk (or complain) about her as much as they do.
 
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SteveKmetko374

Guest
Re: Thoughts about Michelle

she's a good gal, artistically I still think she's tops, but others are catching up .. Arakawa in particular, and that is a very good thing for skating.
 
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SteveKmetko374

Guest
Re: Thoughts about Michelle

Ogre, I just realized you are dissing 2 of Michelle's most masterful and artistic pieces.. that is to say "The Red Violin" and "The Black Swan!" How dare you! <img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif" />

I found them, when skated well, to be 2 of her most artistically complicated routines to date, and the ones I watch tapes of most frequently. They are certainly not as flashy or crowd friendly as Taj or Salome, but artistically speaking they are cabernet to her earlier zinfandel!
 
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LADSKATER

Guest
Re: How do you feel about Michelle Kwan's skating

I have never really seen her skate in person. I think she should probably move on. As for marrying Brad Pitt - I think Jenifer A. might have something to say about that! I don't think Michelle is developing technically enough to compete with the ladies out there today.

Ladskater
 
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Ogre Mage

Guest
Red Violin and SOTBS

TRV was one of Michelle's most dramatic and unusual music choices. When I first saw the program at SA at first I was turned off. After watching it a few times, though, I began to like its uniqueness. It's not an easy piece of music to interpret and I give full props to Michelle for being up the the challenge.

When I saw it at Worlds that year, though, it looked like some of the intricate choreography had been removed. I can't be sure since I'm not an expert. If so, it was understandable, since the jump difficulty of that program had definitely been increased. She certainly gave a command performance at 2000 Worlds, but if you discount her performance and just consider the choreography, I'm not sure it was her best.

To be honest, I never liked SOTBS. I didn't find it to be particularly imaginative and I don't think it was one of Lori Nichol's better pieces. Michelle stopped working with Lori after that season -- a telling point. By then, Lori was no longer focussed on just Michelle -- she was crafting programs for many different skaters and it showed.
 
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Lynn1951

Guest
Re: About Moving On

I have to agree with you BronzeisGolden. I have never understood the posts of some people who think that Michelle should retire just so that younger skaters (or that one's favorite) can win a competition. I feel that if one want's to win and be the best-then they should be prepared to beat the best and not just once but on a more or less consist basis. I may be in the minority but I think Michelle has more great programs and skates left in her So there's no reason she should quit unless that's what she wants to do. :)

Lynn
 
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GBMalwayz

Guest
Ijntersting stats so far....

ogre mage said:

"Michelle Kwan's LPs from 1996-99 -- "Salome," "Taj Mahal," "Lyra Angelica" and "Ariane" -- were stunning and full of exquisite choreography. Even on the occasions when she did not skate well, the programs themselves looked great.

Michelle's programs from 2000-02 have been more threadbare and less original. However, in terms of her performance, many of her skates equal if not surpass the Michelle of '96-'99. It was during this period that she made a deliberate attempt to increase the technical difficulty to keep up with a few of her rivals, which is probably one of the reasons the choreography suffered. She was often able to get by because of her extraordinary artistry, in spite of the fact the programs themselves were sometimes lacking."

I agree with most of this, though sadly her tech content didn't improve.

Despite her great showing at Nationals, she has tough competition now from several countries. I think Irina is back and the desire to defend her GPF titles and Worlds are very important to her. And OF Course THE BLOCK vote and anonymous system may give us some wild results. May the best skaters win, be it anyone of them.
 
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lubb anqel xD

Guest
Re: Ijntersting stats so far....

i dink she's still one of tha top sk8terz in tha world, but she shuld quit competing n turn pro. sonner or later tha teenz like sarah n sasha r goin to beat her technically.
 
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sk8guy2k2

Guest
Re: Ijntersting stats so far....

Kwan is simply THE BEST.
 
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dancervixen

Guest
opinions

...well...Frank Carroll would agree with you on that exact statement...
 
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