Looking back on the careers of Yu Na Kim and Michelle Kwan

[pangtongfan]

Now that Yu Na Kim's career is likely over it is time we concede she is nowhere near the legend of the great Michelle Kwan. The only way the two would maybe be even comparable is if Kim had won her 2nd OGM, which she failed to, skating cleanly and still losing to a mediocre skater no less. Yu Na has only 2 world titles, less than half what the vastly superior Michelle Kwan managed, even with much tougher competition. I am not sure if Yu Na is even the best skater of her own era anymore. Mao has more world titles, more grand prix final titles, more grand prix wins, more Four Continents titles, basically everything on Yu Na minus the Olympic gold. She also is a much more artistic and polished skater, with much better spins and spirals, who pushed the envelope much more technically than Yu Na Kim.

Michelle competing years earlier regularly did 7 triples vs Yu Na who only does 6, had better spins, much better spirals, better footwork, and more artistry. She was equally good at toe jump and edge jumps, unlike Yu Na who is far better in toe jumps than edge jumps. The two are not in the same league, now that Kim has failed (in miserable fashion no less) to win her 2nd OGM.

 

[volk]

Nowhere near? I disagree. While Michelle clearly had a better career, Yu Na is not far behind. Kim is clearly a better jumper and in the same league with artistic expression. But 5 World title is a lot and even with Olympic and 2 Worlds Kim can't match that.

 

[gmyers]

Oh I think Yuna took care of business.

 

[VirMo]

Competition career wise, yes maybe. Celebrity wise, Michelle wins just because she's American. If Yuna were American, she would be having lunch with Obama or Chair of UN and on talk shows and stuff.
Artistry wise, some people like Michelle Kwan's programs, some people like Yuna's, some people like both, so you can't really say.

 

[Barb]

Pangtongfan, now you going to pretend that you are not a Yuna fan, common

 

[Jump]

Michelle had 19 first place finishes during her senior international competitions. Yuna had 16 first place finishes during her senior international competitions. That's pretty close. Yuna also has something Michelle and other skaters can't claim: Olympic gold medal and never having finished off the podium in any senior competition.

As for 7 vs 6 triples, Yuna did 7 triples earlier in her career. You can say the same about Michelle and triple/triple. And it's easy to claim 7 triples when you're allowed to flutz. Michelle never had 7 true triples. But you know that.

 

[nimi]

OP manages to combine Queen Yuna, Holy Kwan and Scandalous Sochi Ladies Judging (referring to Adelina as "mediocre") in one thread.
Flame baiting level 4, +3 GOE?

 

[aschiutza]

Both have great career, any skater will dream to have.

I don't think anyone can compare one with the other. They skated in different era with different requirements. They learned different skills to maximise their winning potential.

 

[Jump]

5 world and olympic golds >>>>> 3 world and olympic golds, especialy when Kwan had about twice the competition Yu Na does and still managed that. Michelle did not flutz btw.

So Michelle won Olympic gold?

 

[cptnhastings]

OP manages to combine Queen Yuna, Holy Kwan and Scandalous Sochi Ladies Judging (referring to Adelina as "mediocre") in one thread.
Flame baiting level 4, +3 GOE?

On topic, I couldn't care less who's subjectively number 1 in other people's minds. There's no way to legitimately compare people of different generations.

 

[louisa05]

So Michelle won Olympic gold?

5 World golds + 0 Olympic golds = 5 World and Olympic golds.

2 World golds + 1 Olympic gold = 3 World and Olympic golds.

And don't tell me you could not figure out what pangtongfan meant.

 

[Miss Ice]

I think it is a joke to say "Yuna failed to win a 2nd OGM in a miserable fashion." It is like saying Michelle Kwan utterly failed in Nagano. Your complete one sided analysis is really difficult to take seriously when it has serious gapslike this.

The scoring systems are different. You don't know how Kwan would have done under CoP, and unlike Yuna at the end of her career she started having considerably less difficult programs than during the beginning of her career.

And why are we talking about this? We should watch the Hero program they skated together. That says it all.

Yuna also has something Michelle and other skaters can't claim: Olympic gold medal and never having finished off the podium in any senior competition

This too.

 

[Blades of Passion]

Why do you always feel the need to do this. It's so ugly and pointless.

While I prefer Kwan, a large reason for that is due to CoP. The judging system didn't allow Yu-Na to develop and skate with the same level of artistry as Kwan.

Kwan is the most significant female skater to date, for me, but aspects of her skating could have been even better. The future of the sport has such potential and unfortunately it has been headed in the wrong direction. Kwan should be looked upon as the mother of modern skating, if modern skating were to progress in the right direction.

 

[Jump]

Michelle lost to another great skater. Yu Na Kim skated cleanly and STILL lost to a mediocre second rate skater. Big difference. Michelle Kwan in a million years wouldnt ever skate cleanly and lose to a skater like Sotnikova.

So now you're saying Michelle > Putin?

 

[Miss Ice]

Read my edited post. Watch the "Hero" exhibition.

Actually Michelle lost to Sarah Hughes too (I love Michelle btw, your argument just fails again though).... And you seem tbe completely oblivious to the fixed judging at Sochi. They would not let Yuna out of there with an OGM no matter what.

 

[Barb]

I was never a big Yu Na Kim fan. Just because I recognized in the aftermath what everyone does (Sotnikova's Olympic win was a farce) does not make me a Yu Na Kim fan. I can see how a very stupid individual might conclude that, but I am not worried about such individuals.

Ok, your logic is that Michelle is better because she has more worlds gold medals, and Yuna would be better with two olympic gold medal, soooo, if you really thinks that Yuna deserve the gold over Adelina, so it is like if Yuna really has two golds. I suppose you only want to do a fuss to yuna fans come to defende her and remember us the grandiose that she is. Otherwise you are totally lost, you had said that the system is a joke. That nothing is real, and now you are giving all the weight to medals to say if a figure skater is better than other?

 

[pangtongfan]

Ok, your logic is that Michelle is better because she has more worlds gold medals, and Yuna would be better with two olympic gold medal, soooo, if you really thinks that Yuna deserve the gold over Adelina, so it is like if Yuna really has two golds. I suppose you only want to do a fuss to yuna fans come to defende her and remember us the grandiose that she is. Otherwise you are totally lost, you had said that the system is a joke. That nothing is real, and now you are giving all the weight to medals to say if a figure skater is better than other?

Only official results matter. Just like you could say Yu Na maybe deserved the gold in 2014 (and yes I have said that as practically everyone else on the planet who saw the event did), you could say Michelle maybe deserved the gold in both 1998 and 2002, deserved the gold at the 1995 and 2004 worlds, and it could go on forever. Michelle has had as many controversial defeats as Yu Na, or more, so in the end comparing the two it is irrelevant. Michelle's career is now much better, as is her skating.

 

[Jump]

Only official results matter. Just like you could say Yu Na maybe deserved the gold in 2014 (and yes I have said that), you could say Michelle maybe deserved the gold in both 1998 and 2002, deserved the gold at the 1995 and 2004 worlds, and it could go on forever. Michelle has had as many controversial defeats as Yu Na, or more, so in the end comparing the two it is irrelevant. Michelle's career is now much better, as is her skating.

So do you feel better now knowing Michelle career > Yuna career?

 

[bara1968]

Is this really necessary? I thought somebody was joking around.

 

[Miss Ice]

I must have missed Michelle Kwan skating CLEANLY and losing to Hughes. Oh yeah that is since it never happened. Kim skated cleanly and still lost to someone like Sotnikova which would never have happened to Kwan. I also have disagreed with the Sochi results so no I am not oblivious to the fixed judging in Sochi, but the fact is that is the final result of the Sochi Games. Kim skating cleanly and still losing to a skater like Sotnikova.[/QUO
So you're saying Michelle > Putin? The question stistands.

Tara is also not that far removed from Hughes. You should read some Thomas Paine.

Oh and you keep ignoring the fact Yuna has never finished off the podium in her entire career....