Thanks, it interesting to see how many people like the same skaters you do and how many are not fans of skaters you absolutely loved.
Your five favorites of all time in each discipline
- Thread starter TheGrandSophy
- Start date
Thanks, it interesting to see how many people like the same skaters you do and how many are not fans of skaters you absolutely loved.
Excellent choices here. I think your choices on #1-#4 are generally popular (no complaints from me that's for sure) but #5 is an inspired choice. The Bulgarians never got full respect for their efforts, but it was great to see them win back-to-back world titles in 06 / 07. Also, the comment about Fusar-Poli: she was what we call "full-court drama", over the top, like a soap opera. Watching her in the K&C was always compelling and I wondered if it was exhausting to live her life, more so than any other skater. I miss her so much.
Scott Hamilton is a political mouthpiece. That's why his commentary is inconsistent over the years (and even within the same competitions).
The first pair to attemp the quod was Marina Cherkasova and Sergei Shakrai at the European Championship in 1977.
However I don't think it was properly executed as you can see from this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OInB6DYemw
Katia and Sergei executed a perfect quod during National, Worlds, European in 1987 and Skate Canada 1986.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjMQKE5Gj24
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2014
Ladies:
Mao (top 1 on my list)
Sasha (i love her spirals and spins)
Michelle Kwan (performer on my eyes)
Chen Lu
Yuna ( i love her during 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons and her senior debut season)
Men
Takashi Daisuke -love his musicality
Kulik
Pairs
G/G
Shen/Zhao
Mao (top 1 on my list)
Sasha (i love her spirals and spins)
Michelle Kwan (performer on my eyes)
Chen Lu
Yuna ( i love her during 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons and her senior debut season)
Men
Takashi Daisuke -love his musicality
Kulik
Pairs
G/G
Shen/Zhao
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
- Country
-
I have been watching skating so many years that it is hard to pick just 5 per discipline. The following list is not in order, and my choices are driven by listing those whose performances I watch over and over on YouTube, those whose outstanding performances I was lucky enough to see live, and those I found unique, no matter how successful or unsuccessful they were.
Dance
Pakhomova & Gorshkov- Their performance at the 1976 Olympics was so amazing, it hooked me on ice dance for life.
Torville & Dean- Their unison was perfect, their routines were completely unique, and their OSPs were so special that I still remember them as The Best Paso Doble ever, the best Rhumba ever, the best Blues ever, and the best 50's Rock ever.
Davis & White-I have liked this team since they were in juniors, and they have never disappointed me. I particularly like their OD's and Sd's. They have almost always managed to portray the character of the dance beautifully (the one exception being their rumba Sd, and even then the dance was a coherent Latin club routine). Giselle and Bollywood are two of my all time favorite dances, even more remarkable since they include CD sequences seamlessly. They have a great sense of timing, and an infectious joy on the ice, coupled with blinding speed and quickness of foot.
Rahkamo & Kokko-Every little thing they did was so interesting, and the stories they told gripping.
Usova & Zhulin- most beautiful posture and extensions of any team ever, and gorgeous CDs.
Pairs
Protopopovs-best ever, always
Berezhnaya & Sikuralidze- would be on my list if their only highlight was their Lady Caliph SP
Shen & Zhao-great love story, a magic performance at Worlds 2003, and long term high quality
Castelli & Shnapir-unlike anyone else, exciting, may never succeed, but I don't care. I love their Survivor SP and their Santana SP.
Hao Zhang & partners-I just like him. Shoot me.
Men
Toller Cranston-Toller was one of the most unique performers of all time. His Strawberry Ice Show was remarkable. His every move was thought out and gripping.
Brian Boitano-Both of Brian's Olympic programs are on my rewatch list, as is his skate on a glacier. He had an innate grace on the ice.
Alexei Yagudin. Any guy who will do a routine with 2 daggers, rubber or not, has my vote for daring; His Winter SP, just Winter Wonderland.
Rudy Galindo - I loved him in pairs, too. He and Kristi just did unprecendented things on the ice. They were the only mirror pair that ever really worked IMO. In singles, his 2 programs from 1996 were stellar-my favorite Swan Lake, as Baron Rothbart, and a lyrical Pachelbel's Canon. Amazing spins, beautiful extensions and positions, and attention to every detail.
Jason Brown -Both at 2011 nationals and 2014 nationals, Jason had my favorite 2 programs of the whole event, while he may never win a world medal, he will always hold my attention for his musicality and joyous style. And I love the skating of his choreographer, Rohene. Jason gives the performances I always wanted to see from Rohene.
Ladies-not my favorite discipline
Dorothy Hamill-Dorothy only has to skate across the ice with a group of kids in an ad, and I want to watch it over again, both for the smoothness of her skating and the joy on her face
Midori Ito-Midori was never just a jumper. Even as a tiny sprite, she could gather up an audience in the palm of one little hand. And then her jumps were the best ever.
Debi Thomas-Debi was the best ever interview in skating. Never a dull moment-a skater whose whole personality projected beyond the boards, including her humor and irony. Her Wanda Beazel routine is a classic, as is her exhibition with Kotin. She had a great feel for rhythm, something I really appreciate.
Elaine Zayak- Elaine made an art form of jumps, sandwiching them between moves in the field of every type.
Michelle Kwan-Michelle could suggest so much with just small gestures. Her control of her landings was sublime.
Dance
Pakhomova & Gorshkov- Their performance at the 1976 Olympics was so amazing, it hooked me on ice dance for life.
Torville & Dean- Their unison was perfect, their routines were completely unique, and their OSPs were so special that I still remember them as The Best Paso Doble ever, the best Rhumba ever, the best Blues ever, and the best 50's Rock ever.
Davis & White-I have liked this team since they were in juniors, and they have never disappointed me. I particularly like their OD's and Sd's. They have almost always managed to portray the character of the dance beautifully (the one exception being their rumba Sd, and even then the dance was a coherent Latin club routine). Giselle and Bollywood are two of my all time favorite dances, even more remarkable since they include CD sequences seamlessly. They have a great sense of timing, and an infectious joy on the ice, coupled with blinding speed and quickness of foot.
Rahkamo & Kokko-Every little thing they did was so interesting, and the stories they told gripping.
Usova & Zhulin- most beautiful posture and extensions of any team ever, and gorgeous CDs.
Pairs
Protopopovs-best ever, always
Berezhnaya & Sikuralidze- would be on my list if their only highlight was their Lady Caliph SP
Shen & Zhao-great love story, a magic performance at Worlds 2003, and long term high quality
Castelli & Shnapir-unlike anyone else, exciting, may never succeed, but I don't care. I love their Survivor SP and their Santana SP.
Hao Zhang & partners-I just like him. Shoot me.
Men
Toller Cranston-Toller was one of the most unique performers of all time. His Strawberry Ice Show was remarkable. His every move was thought out and gripping.
Brian Boitano-Both of Brian's Olympic programs are on my rewatch list, as is his skate on a glacier. He had an innate grace on the ice.
Alexei Yagudin. Any guy who will do a routine with 2 daggers, rubber or not, has my vote for daring; His Winter SP, just Winter Wonderland.
Rudy Galindo - I loved him in pairs, too. He and Kristi just did unprecendented things on the ice. They were the only mirror pair that ever really worked IMO. In singles, his 2 programs from 1996 were stellar-my favorite Swan Lake, as Baron Rothbart, and a lyrical Pachelbel's Canon. Amazing spins, beautiful extensions and positions, and attention to every detail.
Jason Brown -Both at 2011 nationals and 2014 nationals, Jason had my favorite 2 programs of the whole event, while he may never win a world medal, he will always hold my attention for his musicality and joyous style. And I love the skating of his choreographer, Rohene. Jason gives the performances I always wanted to see from Rohene.
Ladies-not my favorite discipline
Dorothy Hamill-Dorothy only has to skate across the ice with a group of kids in an ad, and I want to watch it over again, both for the smoothness of her skating and the joy on her face
Midori Ito-Midori was never just a jumper. Even as a tiny sprite, she could gather up an audience in the palm of one little hand. And then her jumps were the best ever.
Debi Thomas-Debi was the best ever interview in skating. Never a dull moment-a skater whose whole personality projected beyond the boards, including her humor and irony. Her Wanda Beazel routine is a classic, as is her exhibition with Kotin. She had a great feel for rhythm, something I really appreciate.
Elaine Zayak- Elaine made an art form of jumps, sandwiching them between moves in the field of every type.
Michelle Kwan-Michelle could suggest so much with just small gestures. Her control of her landings was sublime.
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Ladies.
1. Yuna Kim - her FS at Worlds-2013 was the best I ever seen.
2. Akiko Suzuki - so nice, but unfortunely so unstable. Her best skating of her best programs - so beautiful.
3. Irina Slutskaya. Love her style.
4 and 5 - these places are reserved for ladies who are now too young to solve who is best and what is best. Hope they will progress.
1. Yuna Kim - her FS at Worlds-2013 was the best I ever seen.
2. Akiko Suzuki - so nice, but unfortunely so unstable. Her best skating of her best programs - so beautiful.
3. Irina Slutskaya. Love her style.
4 and 5 - these places are reserved for ladies who are now too young to solve who is best and what is best. Hope they will progress.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2014
In no particular order:
Ladies
Mao Asada
Yuna Kim
Sasha Cohen
Ashley Wagner
Carolina Kostner
Men
Jeremy Abbott
Yuzuru Hanyu
Jason Brown
Johnny Weir
Kevin Reynolds
I don't follow ice dancing or pairs skating very closely, but I always love watching Davis/White (their consistency and artistry are undeniable), Ilinykh/Katsalapov (they have great chemistry, and personally I think their professional split is a huge mistake) and the Shibutanis (I just adore their youthful energy). Being American, I'm biased towards Castelli/Shnapir (I also wrote a math paper on them once, but that's a different story) and Zhang/Bartholomay (their signature handshake is adorable) but unfortunately I can't see either pair rising to the top of their field anytime soon.
Ladies
Mao Asada
Yuna Kim
Sasha Cohen
Ashley Wagner
Carolina Kostner
Men
Jeremy Abbott
Yuzuru Hanyu
Jason Brown
Johnny Weir
Kevin Reynolds
I don't follow ice dancing or pairs skating very closely, but I always love watching Davis/White (their consistency and artistry are undeniable), Ilinykh/Katsalapov (they have great chemistry, and personally I think their professional split is a huge mistake) and the Shibutanis (I just adore their youthful energy). Being American, I'm biased towards Castelli/Shnapir (I also wrote a math paper on them once, but that's a different story) and Zhang/Bartholomay (their signature handshake is adorable) but unfortunately I can't see either pair rising to the top of their field anytime soon.
women
Michelle K
Mao
Akiko
Julia
Oksana B
Men
Daisuke
Johnny W
Lambiel
Sandhu (when he was on)
Jason B
Pairs
Shen/ Zhao
Smirnov/ Kavaguchi
Marinan Totmianina
Pang/ Tong
Dance
Belbin/ Agosto
Davis/ White
Virtue/ Moir
Not sure of my spelling on these but I'm sure you know who I mean
Michelle K
Mao
Akiko
Julia
Oksana B
Men
Daisuke
Johnny W
Lambiel
Sandhu (when he was on)
Jason B
Pairs
Shen/ Zhao
Smirnov/ Kavaguchi
Marinan Totmianina
Pang/ Tong
Dance
Belbin/ Agosto
Davis/ White
Virtue/ Moir
Not sure of my spelling on these but I'm sure you know who I mean
The great thing about a list of favorites is that it can be so personal. We can include people who stand out to us for various reasons, not just for a quantifiable record. Skating excellence isn't just found in, say, the top three skaters per discipline of all time. There are skaters such as Toller Cranston or Elaine Zayak who commanded the ice when they were on it, whose skating kindled something in us, and who perhaps made some significant contribution even though it didn't get them to the top rank. Of the people from your post whom I've cited here, I especially love Toller Cranston (who I think was a sort of co-pathfinder for modern men's skating along with John Curry) and Debi Thomas, whose flow and innate connection to musical rhythms I also loved. I was so sorry she clutched in Calgary, because--no offense to Katarina Witt--she was a far more interesting skater than Witt.
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2013
Ladies only:
Kim, Asada, Ito, Kwan, and... either Yuka Sato or Akiko Suzuki...
Kim, Asada, Ito, Kwan, and... either Yuka Sato or Akiko Suzuki...
I will be the first to acknowledge my American bias. Woops. My lists also reflect the fact that I am from a younger generation of fans.
Ladies:
1) Ashley Wagner
2) Sasha Cohen
3) Alissa Czisny
4) Michelle Kwan
5) Carolina Kostner
Pairs:
1) Castille/Okolski (So. Much. Potential. 2007).
2) Sale/Pelletier
3) Shen/Zhao
4) Castelli/Shnapir
5) Totmianina/Marinin
Dance:
1) Davis/White
2) Delobel/Schoenfelder
3) Ilinykh/Katsalapov
4) Aldridge/Eaton
5) Pechalat/Bourzat
Ladies:
1) Ashley Wagner
2) Sasha Cohen
3) Alissa Czisny
4) Michelle Kwan
5) Carolina Kostner
Pairs:
1) Castille/Okolski (So. Much. Potential. 2007).
2) Sale/Pelletier
3) Shen/Zhao
4) Castelli/Shnapir
5) Totmianina/Marinin
Dance:
1) Davis/White
2) Delobel/Schoenfelder
3) Ilinykh/Katsalapov
4) Aldridge/Eaton
5) Pechalat/Bourzat
Men
Patrick Chan
Denis Ten
John Curry
Kevin Reynolds (He is always special for me!)
Jeremy Abbott or Jeffrey Buttle
Ladies
Yuna Kim
Carolina Kostner
Akiko Suzuki
Michelle Kwan
Kaetlyn Osmond
Pairs
Savchenko/Szolkowy
Pang/Tong
Ice Dance
Virtue/Moir
Weaver/Poje
Grishuk/Platov
Pechalat/Bourzat
Patrick Chan
Denis Ten
John Curry
Kevin Reynolds (He is always special for me!)
Jeremy Abbott or Jeffrey Buttle
Ladies
Yuna Kim
Carolina Kostner
Akiko Suzuki
Michelle Kwan
Kaetlyn Osmond
Pairs
Savchenko/Szolkowy
Pang/Tong
Ice Dance
Virtue/Moir
Weaver/Poje
Grishuk/Platov
Pechalat/Bourzat
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2011
5? too impossible.
John curry
Toller
Robin Cousins
Scott
Brian and Brian
Kulik am and pro
Wylie Pro
Yagudin
Plush whole career
Kurt was the best.
Elvis was great fun, too
Arrrrggggg all I typed on ladies and pairs just gone so shorthand great women one can still go ooh and aah for many reasons. Sonja Henie athlete entertainer and level 8 spins. Peggy had it all as did Dorothy. Janet Lynn was the best skater and was seamless. She is a skaters skater as was yuka sato. The phenoms midori Tara and Yuna for her man sized jumps while looking princessy. Beautiful to watch were Kristii as pros and Caryn kadavy. Young Baiul is awesome. Best Swiss were the awesome Denise Bielmann and Lucinda Ruh. Just wow to watch them. The amazing champions of the new IJS are Mao and Yuna incredible for jumps and skating skills. For sheer joy Akiko and for majestic elegance the queen Caro when on. I must say the next wave of amazing will come from Russia. Kwan was consistent an athlete and gave us a great 10 years. Peerless in this respect. Mention to Rochette as best Canadian lady thus far.
Pairs? everyone loves number 1 forever. No one will replace Katia and Sergei as kids as pros because they are forever young and beautiful and in love. She skated for him obviously. We got to watch. Thank you Two esp Sergei in heaven. Other mentions are great Russian pairs like B and S and V and T. I'll never forget Shen and zhao who will be best Chinese pair for long time. I loved Sale and Pelletier in their heyday and Brasseur and Eisler would have gold were they Russian. For what was and should have been I loved Tai and Randy. Hope we someday have a golden pair again.
Ice dance has so much talent but I lost interest after Torvil and Dean. We had great ice dancers who couldn't get a break in the days of soviet dominance and wait your turn so I have deleted them from my greats as it was so unfair. I will fast forward to 4 teams who are great to me: Marlie, Voir, Shibs and I and K whose swan lake was so great in Sochi. For once I was happy with the dance podium though I think Marlie held back while Voir gave it all. Meryl is better with Max on wood for me. So ice dance is a discipline where the top 10 are so close. I loved p and b this year. This discipline is so about the choices made in music choreo, costume so hard to tell great from good for me. Well that's it for now. Trying to use IPad... Hard to type and correct on this little keyboard!
John curry
Toller
Robin Cousins
Scott
Brian and Brian
Kulik am and pro
Wylie Pro
Yagudin
Plush whole career
Kurt was the best.
Elvis was great fun, too
Arrrrggggg all I typed on ladies and pairs just gone so shorthand great women one can still go ooh and aah for many reasons. Sonja Henie athlete entertainer and level 8 spins. Peggy had it all as did Dorothy. Janet Lynn was the best skater and was seamless. She is a skaters skater as was yuka sato. The phenoms midori Tara and Yuna for her man sized jumps while looking princessy. Beautiful to watch were Kristii as pros and Caryn kadavy. Young Baiul is awesome. Best Swiss were the awesome Denise Bielmann and Lucinda Ruh. Just wow to watch them. The amazing champions of the new IJS are Mao and Yuna incredible for jumps and skating skills. For sheer joy Akiko and for majestic elegance the queen Caro when on. I must say the next wave of amazing will come from Russia. Kwan was consistent an athlete and gave us a great 10 years. Peerless in this respect. Mention to Rochette as best Canadian lady thus far.
Pairs? everyone loves number 1 forever. No one will replace Katia and Sergei as kids as pros because they are forever young and beautiful and in love. She skated for him obviously. We got to watch. Thank you Two esp Sergei in heaven. Other mentions are great Russian pairs like B and S and V and T. I'll never forget Shen and zhao who will be best Chinese pair for long time. I loved Sale and Pelletier in their heyday and Brasseur and Eisler would have gold were they Russian. For what was and should have been I loved Tai and Randy. Hope we someday have a golden pair again.
Ice dance has so much talent but I lost interest after Torvil and Dean. We had great ice dancers who couldn't get a break in the days of soviet dominance and wait your turn so I have deleted them from my greats as it was so unfair. I will fast forward to 4 teams who are great to me: Marlie, Voir, Shibs and I and K whose swan lake was so great in Sochi. For once I was happy with the dance podium though I think Marlie held back while Voir gave it all. Meryl is better with Max on wood for me. So ice dance is a discipline where the top 10 are so close. I loved p and b this year. This discipline is so about the choices made in music choreo, costume so hard to tell great from good for me. Well that's it for now. Trying to use IPad... Hard to type and correct on this little keyboard!
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2006
Ladies
Yuna Kim (she is basically the reason I fell in love with skating
)
MK (Though not in her later seasons; probably the 1998-2002 period where she peaked)
(in no particular order)
--- Just those I like to watch in general
Kristi Y.
Chen Lu
Mirai Nagasu
Men
PLUSHENKO!! Until 2006.
Johnny (I skated at the same rink as him! I was too timid to say anything. Sorry, random fact.)
Lambiel
Pairs
G&G (Grinkov & Gordeeva) -- They are in a league of their own. One cannot deny that their special connection really elevated their skating... Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY7HFPSmx8M
Marinin&Totmianina
Yuna Kim (she is basically the reason I fell in love with skating
)MK (Though not in her later seasons; probably the 1998-2002 period where she peaked)
(in no particular order)
--- Just those I like to watch in general
Kristi Y.
Chen Lu
Mirai Nagasu
Men
PLUSHENKO!!
Until 2006.Johnny (I skated at the same rink as him! I was too timid to say anything. Sorry, random fact.)
Lambiel
Pairs
G&G (Grinkov & Gordeeva) -- They are in a league of their own. One cannot deny that their special connection really elevated their skating... Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY7HFPSmx8M
Marinin&Totmianina
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2013
This is a toughy, I really had to give it some thought.
Ladies:
Sasha
Yuna
Lu Chen
Ashley
Lucinda Ruh
Men:
Alexei Yagudin
Daisuke Takahashi
Yuzuru Hanyu
Evegni Pluschenko
Tomas Verner
Pairs:
Totmianina/Marinin
Berezhnaya/Sikarulidze
Pang/Tong
Shen/Zhao
Savchenko/Szolkowy
And I'll leave dance alone since I don't know enough about the rules to choose proper favorites. I'm sure I've botched the spelling on some names, but you get the point
Ladies:
Sasha
Yuna
Lu Chen
Ashley
Lucinda Ruh
Men:
Alexei Yagudin
Daisuke Takahashi
Yuzuru Hanyu
Evegni Pluschenko
Tomas Verner
Pairs:
Totmianina/Marinin
Berezhnaya/Sikarulidze
Pang/Tong
Shen/Zhao
Savchenko/Szolkowy
And I'll leave dance alone since I don't know enough about the rules to choose proper favorites. I'm sure I've botched the spelling on some names, but you get the point
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2014
The first time I remember watching FS is 1992, so all my favorites are since then!
Men- I have a lot of favorites in this category, so it's hard to choose only 5.
Petrenko
Kulik
Yagudin
Takahashi
Hanyu
(Honorable metion- Abbott, Oda, Lambiel)
Ladies
Asada
Yuna Kim
Kwan
(I like a lot more, but those are the only 3 I would consider "favorites")
Pairs
Gordeeva and Grinkov
Mishkutenok and Dmitriev
Volosozhar and Trankov
Dance
Davis and White
Virtue and Moir
Ilinykh and Katsalopov
Weaver and Poje
tied for 5th- Klimova and Ponomarenko, Pechelat and Bourzat, Shibutanis
Men- I have a lot of favorites in this category, so it's hard to choose only 5.
Petrenko
Kulik
Yagudin
Takahashi
Hanyu
(Honorable metion- Abbott, Oda, Lambiel)
Ladies
Asada
Yuna Kim
Kwan
(I like a lot more, but those are the only 3 I would consider "favorites")
Pairs
Gordeeva and Grinkov
Mishkutenok and Dmitriev
Volosozhar and Trankov
Dance
Davis and White
Virtue and Moir
Ilinykh and Katsalopov
Weaver and Poje
tied for 5th- Klimova and Ponomarenko, Pechelat and Bourzat, Shibutanis
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2014
Pairs:
1.The Protopopovs
2.Mishkutenok & Dmitriev
3.Brezhnaya & Sikhuralidze
4.Volosozhar&Trankov
5. Pang&Tong
Men:
1. John Curry
2. Ilia Kulik
3. Alexei Yagudin
4. Daisuke Takahashi
5. Candeloro
Ice Dance:
1. Moiseeva&Minenkov
2. Klimova&Ponomarenko
3. Grishuk&Platov
4. Usova&Zhulin
5. Torvill&Dean
6. Virtue&Moir
Ladies:
1. Michelle Kwan
2. Slutskaya
3. Mao Asada
4. Chen Lu
5. Sasha Cohen
Special mention Yuna Kim. She is not my fav. but she certainly is among, if not the greatest.
Yulia is my absolute fav. now but it's too early to call her all time fav. She certainly has become the most interesting skater I've ever seen.
I loved her LP in Vancouver. I don't know why so many people thought it wasn't right for her.
The main thing why I always loved Mao as a skater is because to me she is so elegant and lyrical, and yet so powerful and dramatic.
1.The Protopopovs
2.Mishkutenok & Dmitriev
3.Brezhnaya & Sikhuralidze
4.Volosozhar&Trankov
5. Pang&Tong
Men:
1. John Curry
2. Ilia Kulik
3. Alexei Yagudin
4. Daisuke Takahashi
5. Candeloro
Ice Dance:
1. Moiseeva&Minenkov
2. Klimova&Ponomarenko
3. Grishuk&Platov
4. Usova&Zhulin
5. Torvill&Dean
6. Virtue&Moir
Ladies:
1. Michelle Kwan
2. Slutskaya
3. Mao Asada
4. Chen Lu
5. Sasha Cohen
Special mention Yuna Kim. She is not my fav. but she certainly is among, if not the greatest.
Yulia is my absolute fav. now but it's too early to call her all time fav. She certainly has become the most interesting skater I've ever seen.
I loved her LP in Vancouver. I don't know why so many people thought it wasn't right for her.
The main thing why I always loved Mao as a skater is because to me she is so elegant and lyrical, and yet so powerful and dramatic.
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2014
In reply to Alba. I just think Mao's LP in Sochi is the best performance I have ever seen, so powerfully moving and clean, and she ended it with so much triumphant joy that I love to watch it over and over again. but I loved Mao's performance of Bells of Moscow in Vancouver as well. It's just that I saw how sad she was when she missed her triple loop and caught an edge near the end. Most of all, I was upset when she cried in the interview afterwards because her performance had not lived up to her high expectations. However, Mao's performance of Bells at Worlds is my second favorite performance after her Sochi LP. I have written the following post about it. Believe me, I agree that it totally fits her and is such a stunning departure from her image of ethereal innocence:
In this peerless performance, the innocent princess transforms into a dark, nimble angel firing wildly rotating lightning bolts from gyrating limbs during her desperate step sequence. She is bewitchingly beguiling in her cat-like agility, as she springs into the air with a twin attack of triple axels, and an exquisite flurry of rotations that are synonymous with feline finesse. She strikes bizarre behind-the back, peek-a-boo and mask-like poses through a black glove with her arms and hands like figures out of Picasso’s modernist paintings: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Three Women. This leads into her picturesque arabesque and fully-open scissor-like leg extensions in her spiral sequence.
As for spins, she pulls herself into a crouching position, crosses one leg on her knee, fully extends her arms and locks her hands above her head, before rising upright and extending her leg all the way above her head in a rapidly revolving leg extension. Then, she wraps her head and leg sideways around her back, drops into a sit spin with legs parallel to the ice, before fully extending her head and right leg all the way up behind her back in a full-blown Bielmann. During the Bielmann, she does one of the most passionately beautiful poses I have ever seen by pulling her left hand in flush against her chest and fully extending her finger tips, which are cupped with a black glove. The beautiful tension it creates builds all the way till the final gong of the Bell and upright spin at the end. M&M- Magnificent and Mesmerizing!!!!!! Best of all since Mao is my favorite skater, it ended in the 2010 World Championship just like Roch 2 in 2014.
In this peerless performance, the innocent princess transforms into a dark, nimble angel firing wildly rotating lightning bolts from gyrating limbs during her desperate step sequence. She is bewitchingly beguiling in her cat-like agility, as she springs into the air with a twin attack of triple axels, and an exquisite flurry of rotations that are synonymous with feline finesse. She strikes bizarre behind-the back, peek-a-boo and mask-like poses through a black glove with her arms and hands like figures out of Picasso’s modernist paintings: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Three Women. This leads into her picturesque arabesque and fully-open scissor-like leg extensions in her spiral sequence.
As for spins, she pulls herself into a crouching position, crosses one leg on her knee, fully extends her arms and locks her hands above her head, before rising upright and extending her leg all the way above her head in a rapidly revolving leg extension. Then, she wraps her head and leg sideways around her back, drops into a sit spin with legs parallel to the ice, before fully extending her head and right leg all the way up behind her back in a full-blown Bielmann. During the Bielmann, she does one of the most passionately beautiful poses I have ever seen by pulling her left hand in flush against her chest and fully extending her finger tips, which are cupped with a black glove. The beautiful tension it creates builds all the way till the final gong of the Bell and upright spin at the end. M&M- Magnificent and Mesmerizing!!!!!! Best of all since Mao is my favorite skater, it ended in the 2010 World Championship just like Roch 2 in 2014.
