Latest Kwan News (?)

[TNT2012]

Why not? While she's there,she could do the remake of 'All About Eve' playing Margo to Pricilla Hill's Eve! with Robin Wagner in the Monroe role. Of course, Tony, you would be Addison DeWitt.

Joe

Buy Joesitz, she would have to give up something very personal to her by moving to California...

HER FURS! Lolz..

Furs and LA is a no-no even if they do happen to look splendidly on Madame Tarasova.

 

[heyang]

don't understand where people are actually thinking that TT would be considering a move to the East-West Ice Palace. That makes no sense at all -- because it would mean moving her co-workers (Evgeny Platov and others) as well as her ice dance teams, the singles skaters she is coaching (including Shizuka when she is in the US), not to mention finding a new place to live and making arrangements for her house in CT.

IF she does move, it won't be the 1st time....after all, she did move from Russia to Simsbury, CT. If her health is failing (as reported when Sasha switched to Robin), the weather in SoCal is much better for her. Also, as I pointed out, flying from LA to Russia is a lot briefer than the flight from Simsbury to Russia. So, there would be some advantages to her moving to SoCal.

Didn't Ilia & Katia move from LA back to Simsbury because of the lack of convenient quality ice?

 

[Mathman]

I agree that skipping the GP would be idiotic, but I think she needs pre-Olys CoP experience from international judges in something more serious than a cheesefest.I think the 4CCs is two weeks before opening ceremony; the ladies don't skate until the last week of Olys, so I figured that if she did the 4CCs, she would have about a month before she had to compete at Olys. Also, this year, the 4CCs are in Colorado, so travel should not be much of a problem for her.

I am still not settled in my mind about Michelle's options. I do not think (but I might be wrong) that the ISU can enforce their threat to withhold Olympic eligibility from a skater who elects not to do the Grand Prix. The reason why I think this is that you cannot have an eligibility rule that applies to some skaters but not to all.

Now, to be sure, not all skaters have an equal opportunity to do the Grand Priix in the first place. But that falls under the heading, "life is unfair," rather than "the ISU rules relating to Olympic eligibility are unfair." The IOC, for instance has something to say about the latter, but not about the former.

However, this is not a fight between the athletes and the ISU. We are all on the same team here. Suppose Michelle decides that it is better strategy for her to pace herself by not doing the GP, trading the chance to practice her programs in front of ISU judges in exchange for not wearing out her body by overtraining. There are plenty of armchair quarterbacks on the Internet to tell her what a big mistake that would be, but only Michelle knows the toll that 12 years of triple jumps and incessant practice have taken on her.

I don't see any reson why she couldn't sit down with Mr. Cinquanta and say something like, "I'm not exactly injured, but I'm feeling enough worrisome pains and twinges that I don't think I can skate my best in a full fall season. My body is telling me that my best chance of peaking at the Olympics is to play it slow in the fall season."

I'm not saying that I think this would necessarily be a good stategy, but I'm not the one who has to go out there and skate.

So, anyway, to conclude my little scenario: Then Cinquata says, "Why of course you can skip the Grand Prix if you want to. You're Michelle Kwan!" Showing what a prince of a fellow Speedy is after all!

Mathman

 

[heyang]

I don't know the exact rule, but I think it should be ok to skip GP's as long as the skater isn't performing in a cheesfest, instead. If the excuse is not wanting to risk injury during a competition, then they shouldn't be risking an injury during a cheesefest. However, if the skater isn't competing or appearing in anything whle GP's are occuring, then they shouldn't be forced to compete at GP's. JMHO.

I know that Nicole B wasn't given a medical bye (to Nationals?) because she chose to tour with Nutcracker on Ice instead of training. Todd was given a medical bye to Oly's(?) in 1992 because of his injury, which many felt was unfair to Mark Mitchell who won bronze at Nationals; I think Paul Wylie gave up World's to allow Mark to go instead & I think he decided that before winning the silver at Oly's - but I could be wrong about the last bit. And of course, Nancy got her by after getting whacked on the knee - no doubt about that injury.

 

[mzheng]

So, anyway, to conclude my little scenario: Then Cinquata says, "Why of course you can skip the Grand Prix if you want to. You're Michelle Kwan!" Showing what a prince of a fellow Speedy is after all!

Mathman

Or just to show his integraty to the public, he would say "I would put you out on ice with your sleeping dress. After all I put Plushenko there with his pajama".
LOL.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

If the rumor is true about the new choreographer, then wouldn't you think that the new choreographer would want to see her creation in action in an international competition before the Olys so as to further prepare her for the ultimate in figure skating?

The alternative is that her forgiving fans will definitely repeat the litany of the last two years: "Michelle will surprise us". Yeah, from 3rd to 4th in two years. I guess you could say she did surprise us.

I think if a skater is afraid of an jury (if that is the case) then the skater should do something else. I would never compete in a horse race. duh! Well, Poker is getting big play these day. hmmm.

Joe

 

[Doggygirl]

Why not? While she's there,she could do the remake of 'All About Eve' playing Margo to Pricilla Hill's Eve! with Robin Wagner in the Monroe role. Of course, Tony, you would be Addison DeWitt.

Joe

You crack me up!!

 

[Doggygirl]

I am still not settled in my mind about Michelle's options. I do not think (but I might be wrong) that the ISU can enforce their threat to withhold Olympic eligibility from a skater who elects not to do the Grand Prix. The reason why I think this is that you cannot have an eligibility rule that applies to some skaters but not to all.

Now, to be sure, not all skaters have an equal opportunity to do the Grand Priix in the first place. But that falls under the heading, "life is unfair," rather than "the ISU rules relating to Olympic eligibility are unfair." The IOC, for instance has something to say about the latter, but not about the former.

However, this is not a fight between the athletes and the ISU. We are all on the same team here. Suppose Michelle decides that it is better strategy for her to pace herself by not doing the GP, trading the chance to practice her programs in front of ISU judges in exchange for not wearing out her body by overtraining. There are plenty of armchair quarterbacks on the Internet to tell her what a big mistake that would be, but only Michelle knows the toll that 12 years of triple jumps and incessant practice have taken on her.

I don't see any reson why she couldn't sit down with Mr. Cinquanta and say something like, "I'm not exactly injured, but I'm feeling enough worrisome pains and twinges that I don't think I can skate my best in a full fall season. My body is telling me that my best chance of peaking at the Olympics is to play it slow in the fall season."

I'm not saying that I think this would necessarily be a good stategy, but I'm not the one who has to go out there and skate.

So, anyway, to conclude my little scenario: Then Cinquata says, "Why of course you can skip the Grand Prix if you want to. You're Michelle Kwan!" Showing what a prince of a fellow Speedy is after all!

Mathman

Here's my take. If MK chooses not to do the Grand Prix, that will all work out just fine. I really think anyone of her caliber can find a way to opt out. Speedy might get PO'd, but I don't think there is anything he can do about it other than make idle threats.

I really don't think MK's problem in 2004 or 2005 World's had anything to do with COP outside of her own head. I think she has gotten "rusty" competing in international forums outside of the USA, where "taking the ice" doesn't have the same feel as it does within the USA. That is purely my own opinin. I formed that opinion based on the assumption that MK seems to really "feed" off of the audience, and she doesn't have the screaming audiences outside of the USA that she does here.

While MK talked quite a bit about her own consternations with COP when interviewed, her base values weren't all that bad. Her execution was not up to MK standards. That was the problem. I don't think she will overcome that problem by staying on USA soil up to Torino where the audience support / reaction is SO much different.

2 Cents..

DG

 

[Ptichka]

Also, as I pointed out, flying from LA to Russia is a lot briefer than the flight from Simsbury to Russia.

Actually, if you're flying to European Russia (such as Moscow where TT has her family), the flights go through East Coast; more expensive and more time consuming.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I don't see the argument about her body being so weak she can not do the GPs. Of course, she knows best. Everyone knows their body best. Check out Armstrong. That grueling race is a heluva lot tougher than a trip to Atlantic City but he does it anyway Why continue skating? It's because of the love of competitions but not Atlantic City - too tough a trip! Travelling with COI was more than enough.

The scenario:

However I will skate Campbells and Marshals wherever they are held, and do my thing. I'll surround myself with American judges until the Olys and after it's over I will then explain "I held back". I'll still be the first lady of figure skating and you are all invited to my public sessions at the family rink.

What's wrong with the scenario?

Joe

 

[RIskatingfan]

As someone once said, I'll eat my socks if Tarasova moves to California

I think it's very likely that she will return to Moscow after the Olympics, I read recently about that option again. Of course she she's been saying that for years, but one time it will happen and I don't doubt it's now. From the skaters she coaches, Arakawa will turn pro and Griazev already trains in Moscow for part of the year with Elena Vodorezova, Tarasova's friend. As for her dance couples, Evgeni Platov does a great job with them so if he stays in the USA, who knows if they don't stay with him.

So yes, I think it's possible she relocates after the Olympics. To Russia.

 

[Kwanford Wife]

I don't see the argument about her body being so weak she can not do the GPs. Of course, she knows best. Everyone knows their body best. Check out Armstrong. That grueling race is a heluva lot tougher than a trip to Atlantic City but he does it anyway Why continue skating? It's because of the love of competitions but not Atlantic City - too tough a trip! Travelling with COI was more than enough.

The scenario:

However I will skate Campbells and Marshals wherever they are held, and do my thing. I'll surround myself with American judges until the Olys and after it's over I will then explain "I held back". I'll still be the first lady of figure skating and you are all invited to my public sessions at the family rink.

What's wrong with the scenario?

Joe

I'm sorry, but that was too funny... Mean but funny....

KW

 

[Ptichka]

I think it will depend much on what kind of conditions she's offered there. Look at Moskvina - she did return to Russia, but that was because she got an excellent deal at Yubilejny; in fact neither of the two coaching teams working there (Velikovs and Pavlova) had any leverage to stop her. Since I don't believe that Tarasova is anywhere ready to quit coaching, she will (IMHO) return only if she has comparable conditions.

 

[hockeyfan228]

If TT's offered a show in Russia, I think she might bite.

If I were part of the German Federation, I'd offer her the best deal possible at a German rink. Germany is where her husband teaches, and they've been separated by a continent for a long time. They could still have a dacha in Russia.

 

[mzheng]

If TT's offered a show in Russia, I think she might bite.

Was there a tribute to her for her excellence in coaching from the Rusian Federation the year she was parted with Sasha?
Was she also involved in some big FS show project back in Rusia?

 

[Mathman]

However I will skate Campbells and Marshals wherever they are held, and do my thing. I'll surround myself with American judges until the Olys and after it's over I will then explain "I held back". I'll still be the first lady of figure skating and you are all invited to my public sessions at the family rink.

What's wrong with the scenario?

Not a thing, Joe, if that's what she wants to do. (I don't think she will say, "I held back," though.)

Like Gezando said on another thread, nothing is forever. People move on. Things that are of first importance at one stage in your life drift to the background as new interests arise. And it may just be that Michelle has worked her life into exactly the place she wants to be. She does not owe Speedy any GP performances and she does not owe anything more to us, either. (But I, for one, hope that she will do the Detroit Marshall's invitational for years to come, LOL.)

When I first start out following an athlete's career, I am attracted to that person's skill and competitive prowess. In Michelle's case, as the years go by, I find myself (so it seems, perhaps in illusion) getting to know the person behind the performer. Little by little I catch (so I imagine) a glimpse or two into her character. I start to wish her well in life, as well as on the playing field. If what she is doing now is "going pro, Michelle style," I say, more power to her.

And if she wins an Olympic gold medal in Torino, hey, that's pretty cool, too.

Mathman

 

[nymkfan51]

What a nice post Mathman!

 

[cianni]

Mm

Oh MM a man after my own heart. I also feel as if she is my own child and have watched her grow up before my eyes. I agree she owes me nothing and the OLY Gold would be the cherry on top the sundae. As Dick said you think this audience doesnt think they own her, I loved that statement. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I think I own her. Cianni

 

[Ptichka]

If I were part of the German Federation, I'd offer her the best deal possible at a German rink. Germany is where her husband teaches, and they've been separated by a continent for a long time. They could still have a dacha in Russia.

Germany doesn't really much invest in skating, so I doubt that would happen, however much Tarasova may want to be on the same part of the world with Krainev.

 

[skatingfan5]

I don't see the argument about her body being so weak she can not do the GPs. Of course, she knows best. Everyone knows their body best. Check out Armstrong. That grueling race is a heluva lot tougher than a trip to Atlantic City but he does it anyway Why continue skating? It's because of the love of competitions but not Atlantic City - too tough a trip! Travelling with COI was more than enough.

The scenario:

However I will skate Campbells and Marshals wherever they are held, and do my thing. I'll surround myself with American judges until the Olys and after it's over I will then explain "I held back". I'll still be the first lady of figure skating and you are all invited to my public sessions at the family rink.

What's wrong with the scenario?

Joe

Several things. First of all, traveling to Atlantic City for SA is no big deal -- however traveling to China two weeks later and then to Tokyo 5 weeks later for the final (barely 3 weeks before U.S. Nationals) might be. Skating at Campbells and Marshalls may not be "surrounding oneself with American judges" -- they will be scored using COP and unless they are all-U.S. events, they likely will have a international panel of judges -- just like the fall events have had in the past. Finally, I really can't imagine Michelle thinking of herself as the "first lady of figure skating" no matter what some of her fans might think. But it might well be fun to skate at a public session at the East-West Ice Palace.