Caroline Zhang and Michelle Kwan

[Spun Silver]

Were people talking this way about Kimmie at 13? Or Emily? (Was she a star from age 5? cf vid of her w/Katie Couric or whoever it was, shown at Nats.)

 

[SeaniBu]

Somehow Kimmie and Emily aren't good enough.

Interesting way to put it

But yes, it must be that they were not a comparable. Of course they were also skating and got notoriety prior to Kwan's departure. Now we have a youngster in MKs wake and all toughs who wished they watched her climb to the top more carefully can vicariously do it thru CZ and / or Mirai.

 

[jsteam4501s]

There is a cute article on Caroline Zhang

Mathman - I thought you said quite emphatically sometime back that you did not like the word "cute" . Or was that Red Dog?

The main thing I noticed during the Nats Exhibition telecast is that Caroline seems much more open and at ease talking to adults than Michelle was at that age. As for "cute", Michelle was very cute at 13 and Caroline is also very cute.
Just cute, cute, cute. Is that cute enough for you guys?

 

[R.D.]

JS- I think that was me. Or if it was MM you're referring to, let me say I agree 110%...and then some

 

[antmanb]

are people comparing her to Kwan as we know her TODAY, or Kwan when SHE was 13?

Let's ask this same question four years later.

I think she shows more musicality at this age than Kwan did. Kwan was an exuberant jumping been when she was 13. Her love of skating shone right out but it was the technical skills she had that stood her apart. In that respect i think they are quite different.

Ant

 

[Mathman]

Well, the article didn't say that Caroline was like the young Michelle, only that she admired her.

I agree with those posters who have pointed out that Michelle at thirteen was known as a "jumping bean." It was over the next four years that she developed the artistic component to her skating.

Caroline is already a "complete package" skater. It will be fun to see what happens.

(To jsteam -- Cute? I love cute. How could someone be a figure skating fan if he didn't like cute?

Ilia Kulik )

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I remember the 'jumping bean' tag. Indeed, Michelle was the Mao of her era when she started out.

For me, Caroline is cute in the best of the meaning. Michelle is pretty. Caroline, however, skates pretty. She has an uncanny way of projecting a much older little girl when blade hits the ice. Any further GROWTH by her will just mean that we will not have enough superlatives. At her age, and her talent, why bother with negatives? She will either win the Junior Ladies Championship or have one of those 'bad hair' days. Let's see.

Why compare her to someone else? she's Caroline Zhang. Esa es.

Joe

 

[dizzydi7]

I don't believe the article was comparing Kwan and Zhang, I thought a poster made that comparison. Perhaps I'm wrong about that.

As far as Sasha winning 6th as a novice at 13 comparing to Caroline's success, that wasn't exactly what I meant. I was comparing skating styles. Because I like Sasha's style more than Caroline's (at present) doesn't mean anything except it's just my opinion.

I do believe that Caroline is a beautiful skater and certainly my favorite among the new skaters I've seen so far among the US skaters. Also I'm impressed with Caroline's composure on the few occasions when I've seen an interview. If she keeps her interest focused on skating (as I've read that she has other interests) and provided she can stay relatively injury free, she has a wonderful skating career ahead of her.

As far as Kimmie and Emily and the lack of comparisons to Michelle......perhaps the reason is that neither Kimmie or Emily have that "special" element about their skating that really makes them stand out among other skaters. The fact that Kimmie has won a National and World title is impressive, yet (IMHO) there is something very ordinary in her style although she has improved this year.

Many skaters have a "cookie cutter" look about their skating. The skaters who really have something special are those who make us sit up and take notice whether that be spectacular spins, presentation skills, extremely high jumps or just something that appeals to one's taste. That's as well as I can explain it.

Dizzy

 

[jennylovskt]

Sasha Cohen and Caroline Zhang have different artistic style. Sasha's style is a true ballerina style and no one could touch that so far. I haven't seen any of the top skaters who could match hers.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Sasha Cohen and Caroline Zhang have different artistic style. Sasha's style is a true ballerina style and no one could touch that so far. I haven't seen any of the top skaters who could match hers.

Jenny - Don't get me wrong, but I see a lot of ballet during the year, and I don't expect or want to see it on the ice. I want to see good figure skating on the ice and see what the performer has to offer. JMO.

Joe

 

[Mathman]

That is an excellent point, Joe. I am far from knowledgable about ballet, but the only skater I ever saw that made me think of real ballet on ice was John Curry.

 

[jennylovskt]

Jenny - Don't get me wrong, but I see a lot of ballet during the year, and I don't expect or want to see it on the ice. I want to see good figure skating on the ice and see what the performer has to offer. JMO.

Joe

I understand. I have no desire for changing figure skating to ballet-on-ice. I don't expect everyone skates like a ballet dancer. Particularly, I don't want to see all the men skate like ballet dancers. I do love ballet the most for the ladies but luckily I appreciate other styles too.

I do think that ballet training for skaters (men and women) will help them tremendously for their artistic presentation though. For example, Kurt Browning, Jeffrey Buttle, and Emanuel Sandhu.

 

[jennylovskt]

That is an excellent point, Joe. I am far from knowledgable about ballet, but the only skater I ever saw that made me think of real ballet on ice was John Curry.

I would never crown myself as a knowledgeable person for ballet. I have never seen John Curry before. After you pointed it out, I went to Youtube to see it. He did look like a ballet dancer in his 1980 special Ice Dancing. Mesmeric. It's interesting that John Curry's 1976 Olympics exhibition program reminded me of Scott Hamilton. They both had almost exact position, the arms spread and waved on backward crossover.

 

[Eddie Lee]

Caroline's artistry and aura on the ice are something very rare. I witnessed it first-hand in Spokane in the Junior competition. As ususual, I don't stay for exhibitions, so it was only very recently that I saw the exhibition on television. Wow! Caroline's star quality shone even brighter over the small screen. Fantastic! I'm convinced! I must say Kwan doesn't compare in that aspect. But then there is the matter of jumps....and that might limit Zhang's climb to the pinnacle! (She had a fall in the SP as well as the FP--which cost her the Junior Title.) We must face it. Jumps, jumps, and more jumps. Can't make it without them! I catch myself rewinding the DVR (or racing it ahead) to see Zhang's exhibition performance. It's sheer poetry. (I do think her choice of music was a bit questionable for a youngster---would have been more appropriate if she had chosen an instrumental-only version. Even so....it was a wonderful performance!

 

[Mathman]

Good points, Eddie Lee. Thanks for posting and welcome to the forum!

Maybe a better comparison to Caroline so far would be Yukina Ota.