"Heartbreak" Ice Moments | Golden Skate

"Heartbreak" Ice Moments

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SkateFan4Life

Guest
:cry: Probably a lot of you remember watching and/or have seen videotapes of Tai Babilonia/Randy Gardner's heartbreaking experience at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.

Tai and Randy were the five-time US champions and the reigning World champions. Granted, their 1979 World title was a bit tainted, as the longtime World and Olympic champions, Soviets Irina Rodnina/Alexandr Zaitsev, had taken the 1979 season off, as Irina had given birth to their first child. Still, Tai and Randy were at the top of their game, and an Olympic gold medal was a real possibility, and on their home ice, to boot.

Unfortunately, Randy pulled a groin muscle in a practice session a few weeks prior to the Olympics, and he had reinjured himself at a practice just a few days before the Olympic short program. He and his coach, John Nicks, kept the injury private. Tai was completely unaware that her partner was seriously injured.

Then, filmed on live television, Tai and Randy took to the ice for their short program warmup. They skated their side-by-side stroking movements cleanly and with power. Then they attempted a side by side double axel, and Randy crashed on the ice. They attempted it again, and Randy fell again. Clearly, something was wrong, and they skated to the boards to confer with Nicks.
They left the rink, and the competition began. When it was their turn to skate, Randy came out on the ice alone, skated around a bit, and attempted to land a double flip. Crash, down on the ice. He skated to Tai and their coach, and they withdrew from the competition.

Dick Button and Jim McKay were commentating for American television. Dick said, "My heart is in my mouth", and Jim replied, "I can hear it." After Dick announced the withdrawal he said. "I feel so badly for Tai and Randy. I don't feel badly because they are Americans, but because they had worked so hard for so many years, and they were finally in a position to show their talents to the world. What a luck of the draw!"

Many Americans (myself included) sent a telegram of sympathy and support to Tai and Randy. When I spoke to the operator at Western Union about an hour afterwards, she told me she and her staff had been "swamped" with calls from throughout the United States and Canada.

President Jimmy Carter called Tai and Randy to express his sympathy and concern.

It was truly a moment to reach for the Kleenex. I can't imagine how devastating this must have been for them. A year later, I had the pleasure of attending a performance of Ice Capades, where Tai and Randy, now professionals, skated the short program they had been unable to skate at Lake Placid. It was a great program - fast, clean, dynamic - and it brought everyone to their feet in a long, standing ovation.
 

Vash01

Medalist
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
It must have been devastating to Tai & Randy and their fans, regardless of where they would have placed if they had actually skated. It was not about the color of a medal, it was about the dream of a lifetime being shattered. I have only faint memories of hearing about it, but looking back I feel very bad for them.

Perhaps equally bad- Sarah Abitbol broke her ankle just before the 2002 Olympics and she and Stephane Bernardis had to withdraw from the Olympics. Unlike Tai & Randy they were not medal contenders skating before a home crowd, but they too had worked very hard for that competition. However, A&B had at least competed in the 1998 Olympics, so they had the satisfaction of having tried once.

Paul Binnebose's career ending injury was also tragic. I guess all athletes - pairs skaters in particular- know the risks they are taking, but when it actually happens it must be heart breaking.
 

BronzeisGolden

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
The 2002 Olympics were full of "heartbreaking" moments for me. It was so heartbreaking to see Michelle narrowly miss the Gold yet again. It wouldn't have been as bad had she skated up to her potential and lost....but she didn't. I know that had/has to bother her. I was so proud of her for putting on such a bittersweet smile for the medal ceremony...I don't see how she held back the tears! I sure as hell didn't! The other heartbreaking moment was Todd Eldredge sitting in the K&C after his dismal SP performance. I so wanted him to perform well and finally get an Olympic medal...and "Carmina Burana" was a great program! But...it wasn't to be. At least he went for the quad and showed people that he wasn't affraid to take risks.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Kurt Browning, saying "I'm sorry" (to his Canadian fans) after his disastrous skate at the Olympics. That was heartbreaking.

Underhill and Martini - Barb's skate boots were new and she was not used to them - came to a crashing halt at the end of their Olympic program. Very heartbreaking - they were so close.

Of course, the famous finish for Bourne and Kraatz at the last Olympics - not what they expected! Truly heartbreaking for them and for their fans here in Canada.
 

thisthingcalledlove

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 24, 2003
The moment that broke my "skating heart" most was Michelle's exhibition at the 2002 Olympics. At the very end, I had tears in my eyes, just as she had...
 

Matt

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 19, 2003
Bourne/Kraatz's FD at the Olympics is definitely a heartbreak moment b/c I remember it was just after Fusar-Poli/Margaglio's slip-up in the FD, and the bronze medal should have been a lock for them after that. Plus, it was "the last thing the judges see"

The Hartsells pulling out of Nationals in the warm-up for the LP (year?) I just remember Danielle's face completely in tears

Emanuel Sandhu's LP at 2004 Worlds was somewhat of a heartbreak, too, especially he won the GPF and we finally though he had gotten the demons behind him. Alas.
 

miffy

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 15, 2003
When i saw pictures, and later a video of Lang & Tchernyshev withdrawing from US Nats i was so devastated - just the look on Peter's face was truly heartbreaking. :cry:
 

Lynn226

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Matt said:
Emanuel Sandhu's LP at 2004 Worlds was somewhat of a heartbreak, too, especially he won the GPF and we finally though he had gotten the demons behind him. Alas.

Actually, the SP was the heart break moment because we knew that he probably wasn't going to be on the podium.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Miffy, I, too, felt so bad for Lang and Tchernyshev, especially since it was shaping up to be an exciting contest between them and Belbin and Agosto.

I'm glad you decided to post -- welcome to the forum!

Mathman:)
 

TripleL

Spectator
Joined
Jul 24, 2004
Vash01 said:
Paul Binnebose's career ending injury was also tragic. I guess all athletes - pairs skaters in particular- know the risks they are taking, but when it actually happens it must be heart breaking.

What happened to Paul
 

icenut84

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Michelle Kwan's "Fields of Gold" exhibition in the 02 Olympics, and the look on her face at the end.

The look on Christopher Dean's face in the Kiss n Cry at the 94 Olympics FD, when their marks came up.

Kurt Browning after his 94 Olympic SP, saying "I need a hug".

Evgeny Plushenko in the 04 Euros LP. I was watching without knowing the results, and my hands flew to my face in shock on that first crash on the axel. He tried to put a brave face on it at the end, but looked like he didn't really know what to do with himself. It was clear he'd tried so hard though.

Abitbol & Bernadis in their 03 Worlds LP. Sarah's injury still wasn't right, and after doubling the 3toe, she went for the throw 3salchow and just couldn't do it, she looked in so much pain and was holding her ankle, telling Stephane she couldn't carry on. After talking with their coach, then decided to try to make it through the rest of the programme, leaving out the twist. She even went for the throw 3loop (which wouldn't affect the injured ankle like the salchow would), but fell - but still amazing that she went for it. It was a struggle for her but she got through the programme, kudos to her for that.

The look on Victor Kraatz's face at the end of their 02 Olympic FD, as he lay on the ice and as they bowed. He looked totally crestfallen.
 

thisthingcalledlove

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 24, 2003
icenut84 said:
Abitbol & Bernadis in their 03 Worlds LP. Sarah's injury still wasn't right, and after doubling the 3toe, she went for the throw 3salchow and just couldn't do it, she looked in so much pain and was holding her ankle, telling Stephane she couldn't carry on. After talking with their coach, then decided to try to make it through the rest of the programme, leaving out the twist. She even went for the throw 3loop (which wouldn't affect the injured ankle like the salchow would), but fell - but still amazing that she went for it. It was a struggle for her but she got through the programme, kudos to her for that.
.

I don't know if you saw most of the pairs in the 1998 Olympic pairs final. They showed a Canadian pair (Savard-Gagnon/Bradet) skating to Gone With The Wind. She was really ill, and halfway through the performance, they had to come out of a lift early, and when she patted his back after he set her down, you knew they were about to give up. My heart broke then, but as soon as the crowd began clapping, they continued on with the performance, and even threw in a throw triple toe, and the crowd went wild. She looked extremely disappointed when they were taking their bows, though...
 

Matt

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 19, 2003
Wötzel/Steuer's performance at the '94 Olys, now that I think about it. As I remember it (I was 7 at the time, so spare me :laugh: ), they had been having all kinds of problems in the programme, and it finally came to a head when she fell during a sbs pairs spiral and injured her jaw. They stopped after that, and I remember the shot of Ingo carrying her off the ice in his arms.
 

heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Wötzel/Steuer's performance at the '94 Olys, now that I think about it. As I remember it (I was 7 at the time, so spare me ), they had been having all kinds of problems in the programme, and it finally came to a head when she fell during a sbs pairs spiral and injured her jaw. They stopped after that, and I remember the shot of Ingo carrying her off the ice in his arms.

Actually, they fell on a simpler move. He was holding her hands from behind her and they were simply skating forward. She caught her toe pick and tripped. Since he was holding onto her hands, she fell in her chin since she couldn't catch herself. Obviously, she had the breath knocked out of her and Ingo carried Mandy off ice. This happened while they were skating their Basic Instinct program. When they performed this routine again at World's, they changed the hand hold to avoid having a repeat fall.


I'll also add Nancy Kerrigan's meltdown at 93 Worlds'. Heartbreaking because she totally bombed and because she cost the US a spot on the Olympic team.
 

KwanFan1212

Joey Votto Fangirl
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
The most recent and hardest for me was actually being in the arena when Naomi and Peter withdrew from Nats in Atlanta. I actually started crying because we had watched them that week and while they weren't a hundred percent, they looked really great and ready to skate well. They got a standing ovation from the crowd after they withdrew. :cry:

I also remember two moments from US Nats 2002 that broke my heart. One was watching the Hartsells withdraw (oh wow, that was so sad but how classy of John Zimmerman to offer his condolences to Steve as they skated off the ice) and the other was seeing Angela crying backstage after she found out she didn't make the Olys team. Her performance broke my heart too because I was really pulling for her to make that Olys team. :(

The only other time I've found myself crying over heartbreak during skating was during Michelle's FOG program during the SLC exhibitions. I hadn't really reacted to her not winning the gold the previous night, so when I saw the emotion and tears in her own eyes during that amazing performance, I finally cried for what had happened the previous night. That was really rough for me. I wanted her to get that gold medal so badly and it just broke my heart for her. :cry:
 

Longhornliz

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 1, 2004
I get a little teary just remembering Michelle's FOG from the SLC olympics. I thought it was soooooo ballzy to skate to a song called fields of gold in a gold dress after not winning the gold. If she had not done it, people would have commented on her change of mind. By skating with her heart the way she did that performance she had EVERYONE hurting for her.
 

iluvtodd

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Country
United-States
:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Tai & Randy's withdrawal from the 1980 Olympics

Katia skating alone for the first time after Sergei's death

The Hartsells' withdrawal from Nationals 2002

Kurt at the 1994 Olympics - "I need a hug."

Abitbol & Bernadis at 2003 Worlds

Angela Nikodinov at US Nationals 2002

Todd after the free skate in the 1998 Olympics

Michelle's FOG at the 2002 Olympics

Naomi & Peter at 2004 Nationals

Brian Orser learning that he was second in the 1988 Olympics (he was still great, though)

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:
 
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thisthingcalledlove

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 24, 2003
Longhornliz said:
I get a little teary just remembering Michelle's FOG from the SLC olympics. I thought it was soooooo ballzy to skate to a song called fields of gold in a gold dress after not winning the gold. If she had not done it, people would have commented on her change of mind. By skating with her heart the way she did that performance she had EVERYONE hurting for her.

I thought it was heartbreaking, too, that the singer died of Leukemia before the Olympics...and because of the exposure given to her music by Michelle, and Kristi, she'd become even more famous in death :cry:
 
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