Baiul vs Sato
- Thread starter krenseby
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
Yuka Sato... she has improved over the years... Biaul has gone no where but down. She is so embarassing to watch anymore... Yuka has always been a joy. Oksana is only a shadow of what she once was...
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2006
I was never much of a fan of Baiul's-- even when the press was gushing about her prior to the Olympics. I don't believe she should have won the OGM, and had CoP been in place back then, I don't think she would have.
Sato, on the other hand, is like silk. One never hears her blades on the ice, and she clearly enjoys skating.
Sato, on the other hand, is like silk. One never hears her blades on the ice, and she clearly enjoys skating.
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2004
Add me to the list of people who never really understood Baiul - i think she looks like she has really stiff knees in the performances i've seen and i was NOT really taken by her Olympic performances. Yuka, on the other hand, is a delight to watch - her basic skating and edging are almost unmatched and even now in her pro years she is still whipping off triple loops as if they are nothing. Not only that she's managed to pick up pairs very well and cas a cracking throw triple salchow!
Ant
Ant
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In defense of Oksana
Well, I think everyone's being too harsh on Oksana. Consider two important things.
1.) She was decent in her first few years as a pro. She landed her jumps and skated her programs with a passion. She was responding to the music emotionally and allowed herself to be inspired and carried away by the music.
2.) In the last few years, she has regained many of her jumps. I have watched many pro performances where she landed a few triples and doubles. Perhaps, that doesn't compare with Sato's consistency, but it's still respectable. Many skaters don't attempt to regain their jumps in their pro career and some let them go altogether. Oksana has made the attempt to retrain her jumping technique. The results are somewhat sketchy, but she has had some progres.
Well, I think everyone's being too harsh on Oksana. Consider two important things.
1.) She was decent in her first few years as a pro. She landed her jumps and skated her programs with a passion. She was responding to the music emotionally and allowed herself to be inspired and carried away by the music.
2.) In the last few years, she has regained many of her jumps. I have watched many pro performances where she landed a few triples and doubles. Perhaps, that doesn't compare with Sato's consistency, but it's still respectable. Many skaters don't attempt to regain their jumps in their pro career and some let them go altogether. Oksana has made the attempt to retrain her jumping technique. The results are somewhat sketchy, but she has had some progres.
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
I think a fairer comparison may have been Nancy Kerrigan or someone IMO. Yuka just seemed to get even better pro, going into pairs and continues to turn out some fantastic pros with her hubby too - that is just so darling and heart warming. Ice Wars 05 was a pretty good example of the best Oksi can be compared to Yuka lately(Oksana's Bunny Hops were incredible but don't recall one in 06???)....and 06 IW is ... well... it just was a let down from the "skating / choreography" aspect and Oksana past (comparison to Oksi of old or not). I can't recall ever being "let down" per say by Yuka.
I don't think this is a question of not liking Oksi, but the comparison it's self is just a stretch. Oksana has been though a lot of "tribulations" in her life (lest we forget life is relative) and I like her and admire what she is, as long as I believe she is true to herself now - which is still speculation. I still think she is attractive / sexy lady and might be looking for the validation that others still do as well - this acutely seems to be more important to her then her skating though whether she is regaining the jumps or not what it appears to be the most important thing is her appeal. But she and Yuka are just so different in their careers.
I don't think this is a question of not liking Oksi, but the comparison it's self is just a stretch. Oksana has been though a lot of "tribulations" in her life (lest we forget life is relative) and I like her and admire what she is, as long as I believe she is true to herself now - which is still speculation. I still think she is attractive / sexy lady and might be looking for the validation that others still do as well - this acutely seems to be more important to her then her skating though whether she is regaining the jumps or not what it appears to be the most important thing is her appeal. But she and Yuka are just so different in their careers.
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- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
I always found Biaul overrated. I much prefered the overall skating of Sato, Chen, Kerrigan, and even Chouinaurd(when she stood up her jumps)to anything Biaul brought while they where all amateur skaters in 93 and 94 in fact. Bonaly had her flaws but her jumping standard brought more to the table then anything Biaul brought for me, and I was happy that Bonaly beat her to win those 2 European titles. Harding I much prefered to watch when she was in shape to Biaul. Sorry I just didnt get her, she took forever to set up her jumps, her programs consisted of so much plain stroking and limited number of in between movements, her long programs included only 3 spins, all of them pretty short, and a short little spiral sequence, she had one string of moves between each jump or spin which could be interpreted as either an incredably posing attempt at a footwork sequence, but she had no true footwork sequence in her free skate at all. Her posture wasnt impressive at all, she skated from the waist up more then the skate up, and her moves looked coltish rather then mature or exquisite to me.
I love Yuka's skating. She was one of the most underrated skaters as an amateur, her long program at the 94 Olympics was the slam dunk skate of the night and was placed only 5th by the judges. Her spins were excellent, her footwork was the best in the World, her spirals and moves in the field were more then adequate, her jumps were also solid. Her basic skating, edge quality, flow, was impeccable. Her skating as an amateur lacked the emotion and passion it has now though, as a pro she blossomed even more but as an amateur she was underrated while Biaul was much overrated. I prefered Yuka even as an amateur no matter what their competitive records were, as a pro I would rather watch Yuka 20 times in a row then watch Biaul slouched over two-footed jumps laboured clunker Madonna wanabee programs once.
I love Yuka's skating. She was one of the most underrated skaters as an amateur, her long program at the 94 Olympics was the slam dunk skate of the night and was placed only 5th by the judges. Her spins were excellent, her footwork was the best in the World, her spirals and moves in the field were more then adequate, her jumps were also solid. Her basic skating, edge quality, flow, was impeccable. Her skating as an amateur lacked the emotion and passion it has now though, as a pro she blossomed even more but as an amateur she was underrated while Biaul was much overrated. I prefered Yuka even as an amateur no matter what their competitive records were, as a pro I would rather watch Yuka 20 times in a row then watch Biaul slouched over two-footed jumps laboured clunker Madonna wanabee programs once.
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- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
Sean - when you abbreviate programs and talk about a 'pro' skater in the same dialogue it's extremely difficult to understand what you're saying... if you want to shorten program maybe you should use 'prog' ?
just a suggestion.
just a suggestion.
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
just a suggestion.
:agree: Thanks, I am always open to suggestion. ITA.
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2003
thanks so much... i'm easily confused as it is! LOL any help to keep me from that state is great!
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