Is Kimmie Meissner underrated?

[rtureck]

The idea that Sasha wasn't sure about worlds, when her biggest comeptitos weren't there, told me that Sasha didn't necessarily think she was in condition to win Worlds...

06 worlds was Sasha's to lose, and she lost. She sound like she wasn't sure b/c she spent all the post Torino time playing at Hollywood. She had messed up priorities. Hollywood over the best chance to win a world gold. OTOH Kimmie and Fumie prepared for Calgary.

I still think that people don't give Meissner enough credit.. She won with a huge technically demanding program and she actually stood up on her jumps..

I give Kimmie huge credit at worlds 06.

Back to topic, I think Kimmie is rated just right.

 

[R.D.]

Actually, Meissner was pretty hot that day. I'm not sure she would have been beaten even if Cohen and/or Suguri were better. Certainly yes if either of them was at their BEST, but like the three previous Worlds, that night was Kimmie's, and hers only.

Worlds is a funny event where most of the time in recent memory, one skater just seems to throw caution to the wind and rise to the occasion.

 

[bekalc]

I think the question should be not if Kimmie Meissner is underrated, because I don't think judges underrate Meissner at all.

I think the question is: Is Meissner underappreciated? And I do think that US figure skating fans probably don't appreciate Meissner as they should.

Meissner may not be the flashiest or the most talented figure skaters we ever had. But she is a very hard worker, and she always gives it her all.. She's a good girl, and I'm thrilled for her that she won that worlds, because I remember thinking she may not get another worlds with the new talent coming, and so well this is a reward for all of her hard work.

 

[R.D.]

Good point. That really was her shining moment, although personally I thought the performance was just jump, skate, jump, skate, spin. But that's beside the point...she should have a good future ahead of her, whether she continues to skate or does something else.

 

[Mathman]

...I'm thrilled for her that she won that worlds, because I remember thinking she may not get another worlds with the new talent coming...

Ladies who have won more than one World Championship in the last twenty-five years:

Slutskaya
Kwan
Yamaguchi
Witt

 

[bekalc]

Ladies who have won more than one World Championship in the last twenty-five years:

Slutskaya
Kwan
Yamaguchi
Witt

True But I meant that I think it was her best shot at a world title. Because I still think Mao and Yu-na are stronger then her.

 

[R.D.]

^ wow, shows how rare such a feat is. Still, Meissner needs to fight her way back onto the World Podium if she doesn't want to be perceived as a one-hit-wonder or flash-in-the-pan.

 

[Mathman]

^ wow, shows how rare such a feat is. Still, Meissner needs to fight her way back onto the World Podium if she doesn't want to be perceived as a one-hit-wonder or flash-in-the-pan.

I don't know about that. Here are the flashes-in-the-pan (one world championship) going back to 1981.

Far from one-hit-wonders, it is a who's who of figure skating.

Denise Bielmann
Elene Zayak
Rosalyn Sumners
Debi Thomas
Midori Ito
Jill Trenary
Oksana Baiul
Yuka Sata
Lu Chen
Tara Lipinski
Maria Butyrskaya
Shizuka Arakawa

 

[Fossi]

I don't know why anyone would call Kimmie a one hit wonder. Was Tara called a one hit wonder for winning one National and World title? Kimmie won Worlds her first time out. Nobody expected that she'd win Worlds year after year. SHe is still young and improving. If she never wins another Worlds, she will still have accomplished what many couldn't.

 

[kandidy]

After seeing her at GP events so far this year, she is not underrated by the judges. She is OVERRATED, esp, in PCscore.:chorus:

 

[slutskayafan21]

I don't know about that. Here are the flashes-in-the-pan (one world championship) going back to 1981.

Far from one-hit-wonders, it is a who's who of figure skating.

Denise Bielmann
Elene Zayak
Rosalyn Sumners
Debi Thomas
Midori Ito
Jill Trenary
Oksana Baiul
Yuka Sata
Lu Chen
Tara Lipinski
Maria Butyrskaya
Shizuka Arakawa

Every single one of those skaters is superior to Sarah Hughes who is a 1 hit wonder at the Olympics instead.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

^ wow, shows how rare such a feat is. Still, Meissner needs to fight her way back onto the World Podium if she doesn't want to be perceived as a one-hit-wonder or flash-in-the-pan.

You noticed?

 

[kyla2]

Hmmm.......

O.k. for those of you who have relegated Sasha to just being known for her flexibility and in the category of Nicole Bobek (your words, not mine), first TRY to forget that you don't like her. Try to be objective. Look at her skating. It was exquisite, even though not perfect. She was a phenomenon from the first time she stepped onto the ice at Nationals. Michelle knew it,Frank Carroll knew it, and so did everyone who saw her that first time. As for perfection, Janet Lynn wasn't perfect either, but SHE WAS an exqusite skater. All skaters tried to emulate her. Janet and Sasha will be remembered as exquisite skaters. Like John Curry. They elevated it to an art form. Kimmie hasn't and won't, I am sorry. One World Championship, or two for that matter, isn't going to put her in the category of unforgettables. She is a solid, capable, emotionally grounded skater, with no particular brilliance in her skating. She brings nothing special to the sport. Could she develop into a skater for the ages? I doubt it. She doesn't connect to the music, which is crucial. She is very business-like in her approach to the sport. Which helps her in some repsects and hurts her in others. Michelle had it all, a connection to the music, beautiful jumps, longevity, an ability to integrate difficult choreography into her program, and a rock hard spine when it came to competing under pressure. Nothing was superfluous in her skating. Elegance personified. She is one for the ages. Maybe we will see that with Caroline Zhang, Yu Na Kim, or Mao Asada.

 

[R.D.]

O.k. for those of you who have relegated Sasha to just being known for her flexibility and in the category of Nicole Bobek (your words, not mine), first TRY to forget that you don't like her. Try to be objective. Look at her skating. It was exquisite, even though not perfect. She was a phenomenon from the first time she stepped onto the ice at Nationals. Michelle knew it,Frank Carroll knew it, and so did everyone who saw her that first time. As for perfection, Janet Lynn wasn't perfect either, but SHE WAS an exqusite skater. All skaters tried to emulate her. Janet and Sasha will be remembered as exquisite skaters. Like John Curry. They elevated it to an art form. Kimmie hasn't and won't, I am sorry. One World Championship, or two for that matter, isn't going to put her in the category of unforgettables. She is a solid, capable, emotionally grounded skater, with no particular brilliance in her skating. She brings nothing special to the sport. Could she develop into a skater for the ages? I doubt it. She doesn't connect to the music, which is crucial. She is very business-like in her approach to the sport. Which helps her in some repsects and hurts her in others. Michelle had it all, a connection to the music, beautiful jumps, longevity, an ability to integrate difficult choreography into her program, and a rock hard spine when it came to competing under pressure. Nothing was superfluous in her skating. Elegance personified. She is one for the ages. Maybe we will see that with Caroline Zhang, Yu Na Kim, or Mao Asada.

A while back I said Cohen would make a much better show skater. Now she's doing Christmas specials, tours and misc. shows. I think this is where her strength is, and even without doing any jumps she still has the capability of wowing a crowd. I don't know if she personally likes this kind of lifestyle but I think it works well for her. At least she has the Olympic medal as a valid credential to drum up some publicity.

As for Meissner, I don't see an "artist" but I do see a much improved skater from two years ago. Way too soon to know what impact, if any, she will have because she hasn't retired yet (i.e. she has unfinished business)!

 

[museksk8r]

O.k. for those of you who have relegated Sasha to just being known for her flexibility and in the category of Nicole Bobek (your words, not mine), first TRY to forget that you don't like her. Try to be objective. Look at her skating. It was exquisite, even though not perfect. She was a phenomenon from the first time she stepped onto the ice at Nationals. Michelle knew it,Frank Carroll knew it, and so did everyone who saw her that first time. As for perfection, Janet Lynn wasn't perfect either, but SHE WAS an exqusite skater. All skaters tried to emulate her. Janet and Sasha will be remembered as exquisite skaters. Like John Curry. They elevated it to an art form. Kimmie hasn't and won't, I am sorry. One World Championship, or two for that matter, isn't going to put her in the category of unforgettables. She is a solid, capable, emotionally grounded skater, with no particular brilliance in her skating. She brings nothing special to the sport. Could she develop into a skater for the ages? I doubt it. She doesn't connect to the music, which is crucial. She is very business-like in her approach to the sport. Which helps her in some repsects and hurts her in others. Michelle had it all, a connection to the music, beautiful jumps, longevity, an ability to integrate difficult choreography into her program, and a rock hard spine when it came to competing under pressure. Nothing was superfluous in her skating. Elegance personified. She is one for the ages. Maybe we will see that with Caroline Zhang, Yu Na Kim, or Mao Asada.

Okay, how is it an insult to be likened to Nicole Bobek? You must not like Nicole if you somehow saw my comparison as an insult to Sasha. I made the comparison and I by no means meant it as an insult. I absolutely loved Nicole's skating, but like Sasha, she could have achieved so much more than she did. Nicole was exquisite, but not clean, much like Sasha. Her downfall was always the jump elements, just like Sasha. Nicole was a phenom too with extraordinary musicality when she burst onto the scene as a little girl. Both of them had SO MUCH potential. Neither, however, could ever consistently match up to Michelle Kwan though. No one is perfect. A skater can only hope to come close to achieving perfection. Consistency, disciplined training, and the ability to handle the pressure of competition are necessary to come close and Nicole and Sasha both had problems with those aspects of their careers. That's not disliking them; that's being realistic.

 

[Fossi]

I agree. Just becuase you don't praise someone for their weaknesses doesn't mean that you don't "like" them. Some think Sasha was a beautiful skater. Some don't think it's beautiful when someone falls all over the ice. To each their own. I liked Bobek. She had talent and potential. Sasha also had talent and potential. I understood the comparison, and so do many other fans of figure skating. It's not uncommon to hear the comparisons between them. Some prefer Sasha, some prefer Kimmie's "business style" as someone called it. To each their own. That's why there isn't only one judge.

 

[bekalc]

A part of me thinks it's unfair to completely compare Sasha to Nicole because well Sasha was a lot more successful than Bobek. I think both girls though are examples of skaters who didn't achieve all they could...

But then you know what Arakawa did win a World championship/Olympic championship, but I'm willing to bet you that she could have achieved more in her career, if she had put her mind to it. Arakawa herself says the reason she wasn't as successful in her early years was she didn't work hard enough..So when is enough? Arakawa landed her first triple jump at 8 years old.. She was a natural, and probably could have been a multi-world and maybe even Olympic champion, if she had put her mind to being so.

I appreciate Kimmie because she may not be the most talented skater, but she's someone who works extremely hard, and will utilize whatever talent she actually has... And that's to be admired.

 

[Mafke]

Meissner's biggest problem is that she doesn't have (or want?) one crucial quality that world class athletes need - a diva personality.

She doesn't dramatize herself and her career enough and tends to suffer from Ivan Lendl syndrome - (as Sports Illustrated famously called him the 'champ who no one cares about').

She needs to have a public hissy fit or emotional breakdown (or stomp off out of the kiss 'n cry). A high profile feud with another skater might work, or a weird symbiotic relationship with her coach (dressing and talking alike) even starting to refer to herself in the third person help. As it is, she's just a little too down to earth.

 

[Mathman]

...symbiotic relationship with her coach (dressing and talking alike).

Kimmie's new look:

http://www.viewimages.com/Search.aspx?mid=51998524&epmid=2&partner=Google

 

[demarinis5]

Meissner's biggest problem is that she doesn't have (or want?) one crucial quality that world class athletes need - a diva personality.

She doesn't dramatize herself and her career enough and tends to suffer from Ivan Lendl syndrome - (as Sports Illustrated famously called him the 'champ who no one cares about').

She needs to have a public hissy fit or emotional breakdown (or stomp off out of the kiss 'n cry). A high profile feud with another skater might work, or a weird symbiotic relationship with her coach (dressing and talking alike) even starting to refer to herself in the third person help. As it is, she's just a little too down to earth.

Or better still some really sexy, vampy photos in a magazine.
(Just joking.)