Ladies go for Gold! Free Skate

[maruru]

I followed nbc's online live of the final group at work, and I can't wait watch their LPs tonight! I'm so happy for Shizza, she's a beautiful, complete package skater and her gample to change both the programs right before the Olys paid off so handsomely. Looks like Sasha and Irina couldn't bring their A-games though... that's too bad. It was supposedly their Olympics, but for that very reason they had to deal with massive pressure and all.

I thought this when the sp was on, and I thought it again seeing the podium picture... Irina looks ill, and her face looks a bit swollen. I hope she is okay.

 

[yelyoh]

I was at work watching this on Chinese TV video streaming. It was great to see it live and not have to wait for the damn tape/commericals from NBC.

Well I got my Oly wish in that Shizuka won. I would have liked to have seen Fumie on the podium but am happy Sasha got a medal as she's an American and bully for Irina for pulling off a bronze with all she's been through. I frankly did not want Sasha to surpass MK's Oly results or Irina to get gold after all her SLC bellyaching about how she deserved the gold over Sarah. I also felt SA was the best skater and deserved to win but her skate was hardly stellar. Anyway, on to Worlds.

Oh and congrats to Joannie R for a great LP. And to Kimmie for top six and Emily for top seven. I did not expect either to do better than 10th so good for them.

 

[joey08]

Will Irina retire after these olympic games?
But congrats to Shizuka for the upset!

 

[Sk8n Mama]

You know, the judging was fair. I think if Joannie Rochette had been in the final group she might have gotten a little more but she did well and the judges pulled her up. I thought Fumie wuz robbed when I watched but with the new system you really have to check the post-game protocals. She needed the flip that she doubled. I can't complain about Cohen staying in the silver medal position with two errors because she got it on the second mark. It's no longer figure jumping. The same system that gave Jeff Buttle the bronze gave Sasha the silver. Her 'performance' was probably the best one out there but Shiza had the whole package. Even clean, I don't think Sluty could have beat Shiza today. IMO, CoP worked today.

 

[rain]

Kudos to Cohen for pulling it together after the worst possible start to her program to deliver a performance worthy of the silver medal at the Olympics. There are other skaters who would have figured, ok, it's over for gold and maybe silver so I might as well give up. I'm really proud of her.

 

[JaeJ]

Well, at least my 30 year streak of picking the wrong lady to win the OGM is intact! :yes:

LOL! This is the first time I've been right about the Lady's OGM since I started picking them in 1994! Good for Shiz -- can't wait to see her skate tonight!

I was hopeful for Sasha after the short, but her history of losing focus in the FS didn't give me confidence that she could pull off two clean programs at the OLYs -- sounds like she fought through it for the silver, though, so :thumbsup: to her. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her to take gold at Worlds!

I feel badly for Irina. I'm one of the few (judging from the comments here!) that really liked her short program, but when she's under pressure (like SLC), her skating tends to look kind of choppy to me. I had a feeling that would happen with her FS here as well, but am surprised that she actually fell.

 

[Kwan101]

Are you speaking for the entire country or just those without taste?

I'm saying that, in general, Americans are going to be disappointed that Sasha fell twice and didn't get gold and that, in light of that, most of them won't care if she ended up bronze or silver.

Personally, I'd prefer she got the bronze if it would save us from whining from Russians like after 2002.

But if you and others disagree, that's fine.

 

[equestrianguy]

To be honest I'm only watching the ladies free tonight for two reasons. I want to see Sasha's face when she falls and Irina's face after her scores come up and she see's she got the bronze.

 

[soogar]

Originally Posted by Piel
FINALLY a podium of ladies instead of little girls!

I just don't get it. Why do people find it necessary to disrespect young women who achieve success? Don't you want American girls to strive for anything?

Were you all so very embarassed by Sarah, Tara and Kristi that you clump them into a group of "little girls"? Did they misrepresent American female-hood somehow?

Why not be happy for their accomplishments and be gracious about them achieving their goals at such a young age..... sheesh!

Tenorguy

Exactly, and I don't think little girls who bust their a$$es should be robbed to hold up the older skaters. Little Elena G. had wonderful spins and jumps. She should have been higher in the SP. Why should she be robbed just to help out older skaters.

And many of those people hating on the little girls somehow feel that Michelle at 17 was so much more mature than Tara at almost 16. Whatever.

 

[rain]

I'm saying that, in general, Americans are going to be disappointed that Sasha fell twice and didn't get gold and that, in light of that, most of them won't care if she ended up bronze or silver.

Personally, I'd prefer she got the bronze if it would save us from whining from Russians like after 2002.

But if you and others disagree, that's fine.

I'm not going to weigh in on the American psyche and whether they don't care about anything but gold, however since this seems to be an ongoing topic.....Cohen did not fall twice. She fell once and had a two-hand down landing on her second jump. Look at the scores. One deduction, not two for a falls.

 

[Ogre Mage]

The constant attempts to put down both Michelle and Sasha around here are pathetic.

 

[cell]

I'm not going to weigh in on the American psyche and whether they don't care about anything but gold, however since this seems to be an ongoing topic.....Cohen did not fall twice. She fell once and had a two-hand down landing on her second jump. Look at the scores. One deduction, not two for a falls.

That's true - the second one wasn't really a fall, but I don't like how even with a fall you still score points.

 

[rain]

The constant attempts to put down both Michelle and Sasha around here are pathetic.

The negativity towards these two wonderfull skaters bothers me as well. So what, neither won the Olympics....Both will be remembered as truly great for a long time to come in this sport, whatever their strengths and weaknesses. Between them they have a busload of medals of all colours from the most prestigious events in skating. Personally, I salute them both - as I do Slutskaya, by the way. But on Kwan and Cohen - these two have both redefined this sport artistically speaking, raising the bar substantially. I have nothing but praise.

 

[76olympics]

I don't wish for anyone to fall! Yuck! It would be laughable for me to do so--when any novice skater could put me into 1000th place. All of these skaters have worked mega-hard to get to the Olympics.

 

[Dee4707]

The negativity towards these two wonderfull skaters bothers me as well. So what, neither won the Olympics....Both will be remembered as truly great for a long time to come in this sport, whatever their strengths and weaknesses. Between them they have a busload of medals of all colours from the most prestigious events in skating. Personally, I salute them both - as I do Slutskaya, by the way. But on Kwan and Cohen - these two have both redefined this sport artistically speaking, raising the bar substantially. I have nothing but praise.

Rain and Ogre Mage, I agree. Thanks for posting that. I can't believe some of the posts here.

Dee

 

[ladysarahchatto]

I don't think everyone was hyping Sasha. I think almost everyone thought she couldn't do it and she didn't, which is very sad not to support her.

Dee

And any 'hype' isn't Sasha's fault. I would never wish an athlete off a podium because of any feelings towards media coverage. That is just wrong.

I think everyone skated their hearts out. Congratulations Shiz! Japan's first Gold!

Congratulations to Sasha for sparkling to a Silver-and keeping the U.S. ladie's streak alive! Now she has an Olympic medal to add to her trophy case!

Congratulations to Irina for winning burnished Bronze! Russia's greatest skater by far! And one of the oldest ladies I think to ever make the podium at an Olympics in the ladie's skate.

You all ROCKED these Olympics ladies! SOO much better than the Men's competition, and I enjoyed it more than Pairs, except for the first Throw Tripla Axel by the Americans, and the Chinese Pairs, and maybe even Ice Dancing-except for B & A, and the STARE seen round the World1

 

[ladysarahchatto]

Congratulations to Shiz, Sasha, and Irina! At least the ladies gave us a competition. Thank You Ladies for all of your efforts!

Nothing against the kids but I am SOOO happy to have seen three women all over 20 on the Olympic podium. The new COP may not be too bad after all. Now, I say revise to rules, no more than one or two Bielmanns allowed! They can call it The Dick Button Catch Foot Rule!!

 

[ladysarahchatto]

Was happy for them but happier to see some ladies who have stayed in there come up with the big prize. Let's hear it for the old broads!

Yes! Let's hear it for the old broads!

The last three Olympic Champions were I think 16 (Oksana), 15 (Tara), and 16. (Sarah).

Someone mentioned Kristi-how old was she in 1992? I thought she was 20 at the time. Maybe not.

 

[julietvalcouer]

In the shots in the warm-up room, they were showing Sasha adjusting her shirt and when it rode up you could see a white patch on her back near her hip. I was wondering if that was some kind of heat/relaxing patch for a strain.

I'm very happy for Shizuka, and if Russia whines about it they can look at their medals in Pairs (lucky them Z/Z fell), Men's, and Dance (who didn't see that coming?) I hope there isn't any griping on their part. Why rain on Japan's parade? Their ladies have been busting their butts for a long time to get to this point. As for Sasha, she's on the podium, which is better than she did in SLC, and she had a great SP. She doesn't have anything to complain about.

 

[Ogre Mage]

Yes! Let's hear it for the old broads!

The last three Olympic Champions were I think 16 (Oksana), 15 (Tara), and 16. (Sarah).

Someone mentioned Kristi-how old was she in 1992? I thought she was 20 at the time. Maybe not.

Kristi was 20 in '92.