Analyzing Kerrigan and Baiul's Oly programs

stella luna said:

I did like the short despite the two-footed landing. I will have to compare it to Ashley's Black Swan program.

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Just watched it. Ashley needed a headpiece, like Oksana's. Oksana could surely bring the drama!

I'd say I'd rank NK higher but as far as I'm concerned, they should have given two silver and no gold that year. Haha. Disappointing event. Chen and Sato fan here.

drivingmissdaisy said:

Oksana had bigger jumps, better spins, stronger footwork, more speed.

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How were her spins in the LP better? One of her spins was a totally basic upright position held for 2 turns and that's it, definitely inferior to Kerrigan's scratch spin at the end of her program. They both did a simple flying sit that were roughly equal. Oksana's other spins were a short back camel in donut position and then a nice flying camel. Nancy did 2 combination spins with more turns and changes of position in comparison, although she didn't show any single position as good as Oksana's donut.

Oksana had nice rhythm to her footwork in parts of the program and overall better fluidity, but no actual footwork sequence and no difficult transitions, in comparison to Nancy doing a spread eagle into her double axel and turning stars into her flying sit. Nancy's spiral was obviously better as well.

As for jumps Oksana did a better Triple Loop (although Nancy's was good too) and that's about it. Nancy did her Lutz late into the program and had a very good Triple-Triple combination, which puts her clean Triple jump count ahead and is additional difficulty on its own. Speed, yes that can be given to Oksana, but it's not like her speed was always continuous.

I would score it as 5.7/5.8 for Nancy and 5.5/5.9 for Oksana. I don't like how some people are calling either of these performances hot messes. They both had very good musicality, the movement is more organic than what we usually get these days. No counting of spin revolutions, no random positions added in for no reason other than hitting a level, no footwork sequences that look like an overlong compulsory figure on steroids and acid. Oksana in particular had some really great body movement, directly to the music. Nobody has moved like that on ice since her.

In the Short Programs I would have gone with 5.8/5.9 for Nancy and 5.6/5.8 for Oksana. That was a great performance from Nancy, delicate and powerful and emotional and perfectly clean.

Oksana's SP was nice but felt like it was trying to do too much, while at the same time the choreography is a bit repetitive - all of her spins use a sideways layback and/or donut position, in fact sideways layback is the ONLY upright spin position she does in the whole program and she doesn't do a sit spin at all! The performance shows some good positions and fluidity, but it's overly mannered. Several of Oksana's expressions and body placements feel inauthentic, it's just her going "this is what I'm supposed to do and I'm TRYING to sell it", and this problem is exacerbated by her ending the program way after the music.

Speaking of Oksana ...
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york...kater-oksana-baiul-lawsuits-article-1.2631085

I think it's beating a dead horse and that discussion is bound to lead nowhere. I don't know who should have won that day and I have a problem with the statement.

I find Oksana more entertaining to watch but both Baiul and Kerrigan strike me with archaic quality in their skating. Nancy with all her qualities was dull & slow by comparison. The difference between those two and modern top ladies is just huge when you watch their performance and contrast them with 21st century.

stella luna said:

Speaking of Oksana ...
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york...kater-oksana-baiul-lawsuits-article-1.2631085

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How do her frivolous suits make America great again?

.... here is just my impression when I watched them both in 1994

I was deeply surprised, when Oksana won. I did not know anything about figure skating from the professional point of view ( neither I do now) back then, and I was not watching in order to analyze jumps or whatsoever. I simply love and loved figure skating. I do feel sorry till this very day that Nancy did not win, but that is my personal opinion which might be wrong. Oksana was so...I would say with such a labile nervous system, that could not enjoy/watch her. I am not writing this in order to argue or discuss anything, just to express my impression from 1994. And once more- sorry for my clumsy English.

I had never seen either of their programs from that event , so I watched them today and I think that Nancy was far above Oksana technically but Oksana had better programs. However, Oksana's two-foots drove me crazy (say what you will about IJS, but at least it attempted to get rid of THAT), so I'll hand it to Nancy.

drivingmissdaisy said:

How do her frivolous suits make America great again?

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https://i.sli.mg/Jmhk1f.jpg

Layback11 said:

I had never seen either of their programs from that event , so I watched them today and I think that Nancy was far above Oksana technically but Oksana had better programs. However, Oksana's two-foots drove me crazy (say what you will about IJS, but at least it attempted to get rid of THAT), so I'll hand it to Nancy.

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Whenever this discussion comes up, I think It's too bad that most people have completely forgotten about the Bronze Medalist and future World Champion...Lu Chen.

stella luna said:

Why all the controversy over Vera Wang costume? The way people talk, they act like she should have lost points for it. Wang used to be a figure skater, and a lot of successful skaters wear expensive costumes and don't get criticized like Nancy did. And her costumes were elegant. Seems kind of petty.

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I don't get the flack over Nancy's costumes at all. IMO, they were the best thing about her at the Olympics in 94'.

read my earlier post i certainly didn't forget about one of my two figure skating wives from the era (the other wasn't yuka... ) i think you can guess easily....

mrrice said:

Whenever this discussion comes up, I think It's too bad that most people have completely forgotten about the Bronze Medalist and future World Champion...Lu Chen.

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I think Lu Chen had, ideally, the best program at the Olympics and should have won 1993 Worlds with that program. The music comes from my favorite animated film ever, by the way. She didn't skate it the best at the Olympics, though. It's eerie to think about how frequently the Triple Flip has been a problem for the ladies at the Olympics.

stella luna said:

Why all the controversy over Vera Wang costume? The way people talk, they act like she should have lost points for it. Wang used to be a figure skater, and a lot of successful skaters wear expensive costumes and don't get criticized like Nancy did. And her costumes were elegant. Seems kind of petty.

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Oh come on stella luna - its off season we have to fun. But it is kind of sad to see a woman in a thirteen thousand dollar dress against the orphan waif who had to add feathers to her costumes because she grew. yes, nancy dressed like a queen but thankfully there is more to skating than that.

mrrice said:

I don't get the flack over Nancy's costumes at all. IMO, they were the best thing about her at the Olympics in 94'.

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Yes, folks Vera Wang had some lovely designs but fortunately there is more to skating than a designer dress. I mean now Christian Laboutin the soe guy is desinging dresses for Gracie - and like Gracie overrated

Skater Boy said:

Yes, folks Vera Wang had some lovely designs but fortunately there is more to skating than a designer dress. I mean now Christian Laboutin the soe guy is desinging dresses for Gracie - and like Gracie overrated

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For me it was so easy- I did not know how much her dress was neither I wanted or want to know.

I watched the event on tv in 1994 and had no such thoughts in my mind that Nancy should have been the winner.

Skater Boy said:

But it is kind of sad to see a woman in a thirteen thousand dollar dress against the orphan waif...

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It was the battle of the sympathy vote. Oksana's "orphan waif" against Nancy's "knee whack victim."

mrrice said:

Oh.......This subject. :disapp: Nancy was NOT robbed. Nancy was a lovely gal. However, she couldn't have chosen worse music or choreography. Her costumes were beautiful, She was beautiful. Unfortunately, I could have done a better job with her choreography in my sleep. Nancy was great in 1994 but, she was placed exactly where she belonged. In second.

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I couldn't agree more! There couldn't have been more disparity between her perfect appearance (especially in light of the hideous costumes everyone else wore!), and her stilted, boring style of skating. I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now. Oksana is riveting from the very second she steps on the ice. I know Nancy continues to feel she was robbed, and thinks the current system would have given her the gold. But, even if this system had been in place, she would have been given low performance points.

Tutto said:

Not being a fan of either skater I wish Nancy'd won purely because of all that happened in Oksana's life in the aftermath. Oksana was not ready to be Olympic Champion it literally ruined her life. A silver medal would have been a major success for her and the motivation to develop further.

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I'm not sure it was the medal that ruined her life. Those very difficult formative years were going to be hard to overcome no matter what she did. Immigrating is also very difficult to do - I'm an immigrant, so that much I know.