Michelle makes it official!!!

[Mathman]

In this article Michelle says she made up her mind when she hooked up with other Olympians in New York, sharing stories and speading the excitement.

She also says she has not committed to doing any grand Prix events yet.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/olympics/05/26/bc.oly.kwan.olympics.ap/index.html

Mathman

 

[Eeyora]

Go Michelle!!!!

I am so happy she is competing. I am pulling for her to win gold. I actually didn't expect to hear an announcement until July. I would guess she is constructing her programs. I doub't she will reveal them until the cheesefest depending on the format or SA if she decides to compete.

 

[heyang]

I'm glad she's not backing down. Even if she's not going in as a reigning World medalist, there's still going to be a lot of media attention on her 3rd attempt for gold. I hope that she can really cut loose of her internal pressure and the external pressure and have the performance of a life time a la Brian Boitano.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

In this article Michelle says she made up her mind when she hooked up with other Olympians in New York, sharing stories and speading the excitement.

She also says she has not committed to doing any grand Prix events yet.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/olympics/05/26/bc.oly.kwan.olympics.ap/index.html

Mathman

After reading the article I can surmise that she will skate the Olys and enjoy herself. She may even win a medal.

Her comments about the Grand Prix leaves me thinking that she will not skate the Olys to win. I believe she's got CoP testing to do at the Grand Prix, and without them we will be 'waiting for the surprises' at Worlds. hmmm.

Irina who is older than MK, came back from illness and worked hard; entered the GPs, and then went on to win Gold in Moscow. hmmm.

Me thinks Campbells will be just another run through of the 6.0 system.

Joe

 

[nymkfan51]

Her comments about the Grand Prix leaves me thinking that she will not skate the Olys to win. I believe she's got CoP testing to do at the Grand Prix, and without them we will be 'waiting for the surprises' at Worlds. hmmm.

Huh? I don't know how you determined from this article that she will not skate the Olympics to win. I had to reread it a few times to see if I missed something.

I do agree that the GP would certainly help her, but it's not a deal breaker for me. The cheesefests will be judged under COP this year, so she won't be going into Nationals without any feedback.
I expect she will work very hard this season, but she's not going to push herself into an injury. That's the one thing that none of us can give an educated opinion on. I have suspected all along that her body has been giving her some problems the past few years, and she is being careful to avoid an injury that would effectively put an end to any competing. And what Irina did has nothing to do with Michelle. Everyone is different.
Having said that, I don't think she has decided against the GP. My bet is she will do them, but probably won't confirm until later.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Having said that, I don't think she has decided against the GP. My bet is she will do them, but probably won't confirm until later.

I hope your are right. IMO, she needs the feedback of the GPs. She's done many GPs in the past and has many medals. She doesn't need aother GP medal. But she does need feedback if she intends to win the Olys. One Campbells will not do that skating against her own 'club' members with non international judges.

If I am sounding down on MK, it is because I do want her to be more competitive. I don't join in the fans' excuses for her not participating more in the sport except for cheesefests and waiting with baited breath for the 'surprises' at Worlds or Olys.

Joe

 

[Doggygirl]

I hope your are right. IMO, she needs the feedback of the GPs. She's done many GPs in the past and has many medals. She doesn't need aother GP medal. But she does need feedback if she intends to win the Olys. One Campbells will not do that skating against her own 'club' members with non international judges.

If I am sounding down on MK, it is because I do want her to be more competitive. I don't join in the fans' excuses for her not participating more in the sport except for cheesefests and waiting with baited breath for the 'surprises' at Worlds or Olys.

Joe

Well said Joe. I also keep wondering why the issue of the "challenge of the switch to COP" keeps coming up in so many MK interviews. Yes, a change in scoring system is challenging I'm sure, but EVERY senior skater in every dicipline has had to go through it. Whether an elite level skater of today is 24 or 22 or 18 or 16 they have all been competing for more than two years, so by default they have all had to change strategies and adapt. So I get concerned that MK is making this more of a boogie monster in her head than it needs to be.

DG

 

[attyfan]

I agree that Michelle needs CoP feedback -- and not just from cheesefests. I wonder, though, if that feedback has to come from the GP. Could Michelle get the necessary CoP feedback in time to tweak her program before Olys by doing the 4CCs instead of GP? I know one of her problems with the GP is the jet lag imposed by travel (and she doesn't have the three week delay between Opening and having to skate that she gets at Olys), but 4CCs are in Colorado this year, so jet lag shouldn't be a problem. Also -- after the letter sent last November, threatening skaters and federations with sanctions for no GP (especially if Kwan is doing cheesefests), will she have a choice in the matter?

 

[tharrtell]

I'm not surprised by the decision to go for it. I didn't think she'd have stayed in the game this long and decide to skip out on the Olympics, but I'm often wrong!

Grrr ... as to her comments on the GP. I believe she NEEDS to skate it, both politically as well as to get more COP and competition experience. Her last two Worlds competitions, to me, said she was a little rusty in the competition area. 2003 - qualys - seeming not to care much. 2004 - clearly not being familiar with the new system. She might have years of competition under her belt, but those skills need to be trained like any other skills.

It's really silly, but I want her to win the gold so much, I'm not sure I can handle the time leading up to Torino! I remember the months leading up to 2002 - how unprepared she looked at the Goodwill Games, firing Frank - knowing she's a smart girl, but wondering what the heck she was doing! I don't know if I can do it again! Of course, I know I will

 

[emma]

It's really silly, but I want her to win the gold so much, I'm not sure I can handle the time leading up to Torino! I remember the months leading up to 2002 - how unprepared she looked at the Goodwill Games, firing Frank - knowing she's a smart girl, but wondering what the heck she was doing! I don't know if I can do it again! Of course, I know I will

OMG...I know exactly how you feel!!!!!

I also agree with Doggygirl...or I should say I wonder if Kwan is making CoP out to be much harder than it has to be for her, or if it is just a PR tactic (hoping it's the latter).

And about GP's...if she really is having trouble with CoP...mentally and physically, then DO GP's...if it is just talk to keep the questions at bay (and not just the press but the competitor's too), then I think it really depends on how much work she gets done this summer...is she can put together two great programs and really get comfortable with them, then I don't really think she NEEDS GP's (and since she doesn't seem to like all the travel and time, they may actual be a negative pressure on her). The problem is not just how can WE know that, but more how does Kwan and team Kwan know. Based on this past year I just have this feeling that something went wrong....Here's hoping to me being wrong and/or that not happening next season.

In the meantime, between now and then, and between Kwan committing and Zhao recuperating from injury (and my list is actually longer, these are just my two biggies), I'm going to have a permanent stomache ache.

 

[nymkfan51]

tharrtell, I actually think politically it would be more of a harm not doing the GP, than the COP feedback issue. The ISU will not forgive her for this one, and she doesn't need to head into Torino with one strike already against her,
Joe, I understand where you are coming from. Look, I would love nothing more than for her to do the GP. If she chooses not to, I don't think it will be because she feels she doesn't need to, or because she hates to travel, or because she's lazy. If she doesn't do it, it's because she doesn't feel her body will hold up. That's my honest feeling.
In the last 3 years she has made a few inferences to an injured hip and last year her back. I honestly don't believe she would still be skating today competitvely if she had gone full out since 2002. I think she will do as much as she can without hurting herself. I can't ask any more of her.

 

[mzheng]

Irina who is older than MK, came back from illness and worked hard; entered the GPs, and then went on to win Gold in Moscow. hmmm.

Joe

ill or no ill she's taken time off from skating after SLC. her old body and mentality got some rest/relax period. There is difference.

Just like work. Day in day out you work the same job in same enviroment every day and sometimes tight dead line for new production crash on you. Though you love what you do in general, feel the chanlange and like to meet the chanlange. But after couple of years, you were kind of bored and stressed. What you do? In a good job market, you changed job, got fresh start in a new env, work in a new product and got selfraised salary, all sounds good. But in a bad job market, you take a vacation break, throw all your thoughts about the work out the window (get to the point, forget all the passwords at work. lol). When you back, you are fresh, recharged, more motivated, work more efficient, ready for another cycle of worn down.

ETA.
Just read nymkfan51's comments. Yes, there is another difference between IS and MK. The medicine IS took for her sickness helps killing the body pain (according to some posters who took the same medicine), not matter the pain is caused by her sick or practice 3/3s. While MK, especially Danny, dosn't believe those pain killers. If there is pain caused by 3/3 practice or other jump practicing, she let it heal naturally.

 

[tharrtell]

I have no problem with how Michelle has approached the last few seasons. I don't don't that her pacing has been both physically and mentally beneficial. I think it's smart and don't think she was coasting as has been inferred. (I'm not saying people here are saying that, but I know I've read such things.) I just hope that she will come back and wow is with two awesome, COP-friendly programs. I feel like she could really benefit from the COP, but hasn't shown that yet. And, I think that she needs to test this all out in the GP. The fact is, figure skating has changed since she started changing. I almost feel that if she doesn't adjust, there is really no point in continuing on. If she's going for Torino, I want her to really go for it!

 

[R.D.]

Wow, I'm not suprised by her announcement, but this is good news. Surprising, too, because I would have thought she'd have waited at least until the fall or winter to announce the news to avoid the media attention. I'll expand later.

 

[kyla2]

Opinion on GP Series

I am certain that Michelle will not win Gold at the Olympics without participating in the Grand Prix Series, and for many reasons. Politically it would be disasterous not to compete. The judges will never forgive her for not competing during an Olympic year and the marks will show it. They will think it reflects a lack of seriousness on her part. She needs the feedback from other than Cheesefests. She needs the experience competing under CoP, and history shows that competing in general, helps her with the major competitions at the end of the year, not the reverse. ITA with Joesitz on this issue. I don't think this has anything to do with injuring herself for even one minute. She has to commit to competing in the Grand Prix Series or the gold at the Olympics is a pipe dream.

 

[euterpe]

I can understand Kwan's reluctance to commit to doing the GP. It's not the events themselves, it's the fact that there would be (likely) THREE events (SA, CoC, GPF), two requiring lengthy travel, and one of those just weeks before Nationals. For a skater who hasn't been doing much early season competing (cheesefests, with just one FS, no SP, no exhibition), that is a huge change of pace---and one that might, indeed, cause pain and injury.

Michelle has mentioned off-ice training, and it may be she will do that even more intensely this season to build up her body and fend off injury.

And you can't compare Irina and Michelle. Irina did not compete at all from the GPF in 2003 until Worlds 2004, and was confined to bed for much of that time. Her body did get plenty of rest and recovery time, even though she may not have welcomed it. This past season, Irina was very strong in the early season, but her later performances (GPF, Nationals, Euros FS, Worlds QR, SP) she wasn't skating as freely as she had earlier. Her spectacular performance in the Worlds FS no doubt owed much to sheer will and adrenaline skating in her home country.

Irina competed the entire last season with a muscle strain in her knee. She has not allowed aches, pains and exhaustion to interfere with her competitive schedule, and that is because she has a chronic illness and faces a future when she may not be able to skate at all. Irina has indicated an interest in becoming a TV commentator after she stops competing, so she has already made plans for an off-ice career after Torino.

Michelle, with a long pro career in the offing, has to be concerned with the condition of her body.

But I do hope she will commit to doing the GP, because she needs to execute the CoP choreography many times in competition in order to gain the muscle memory she must have to deliver a brilliant performance in Torino. Perhaps she would be best focusing on refining her CoP choreography during the GP and not be concerned with winning medals (and then she wouldn't have to do the GPF!). After all, Kostner pretty much bombed the GP last season, and it didn't keep her off the World podium, while Rochette won three GP medals and faltered badly at Worlds. And Cohen has won over and over in the GP and then had less than spectacular results at Worlds.

 

[curious]

I am certain that Michelle will not win Gold at the Olympics without participating in the Grand Prix Series, and for many reasons. Politically it would be disasterous not to compete. The judges will never forgive her for not competing during an Olympic year and the marks will show it. They will think it reflects a lack of seriousness on her part. She needs the feedback from other than Cheesefests. She needs the experience competing under CoP, and history shows that competing in general, helps her with the major competitions at the end of the year, not the reverse. ITA with Joesitz on this issue. I don't think this has anything to do with injuring herself for even one minute. She has to commit to competing in the Grand Prix Series or the gold at the Olympics is a pipe dream.

Doing the GP this year is going to help michell alot,but there's no guarantee that she will win olys,not if she continues to skate the same way she has for the past three years

 

[kyla2]

Curious

I totally agree with you, and it pains me a great deal to say it. She has to REALLY up the ante or its over before it began.

 

[swannanoa54]

She is undecided about whether she will compete at any Grand Prix events this year

Since this portion of the article wasn't quoted directly from Kwan as the rest was, I have to wonder if the author is just assuming she hasn't made up her mind about the GP Series yet.

Frankly I can't stand the GP Series. Never have. I could care less if she skates in it or not. With that said, I think she NEEDS to compete in them if just to get her programs in front of international judges under COP. She doesn't need to win it, just get the feedback. I also think that if Speedy has his way, she won't have any decision to make. She'll have to do them just like everyone else.

I also haven't had any problem with the way she has done her skating since 2002. I'm just glad to see she plans to compete at the Olympics one more time.

 

[mzheng]

Since this portion of the article wasn't quoted directly from Kwan as the rest was, I have to wonder if the author is just assuming she hasn't made up her mind about the GP Series yet.

Yeah. She is just officially commited to Olympics. Yet so many already jump the gun assuming she is not going to do the GP....She got to talk to her coach before she commited to anything right? otherwise there is endless criticising that she's not listen to her coach right?