Re: my thoughts
Engrsktr,
I've read this and Apache Apache's threads over the past few days. I have not been a Michelle fan in the past and described myself as a "Kwan Neutral." There were things I always admired about her skating (her consistency, her edging, etc) but also things I criticized about her skating (stiffness in the knees and torso, arm usage, speed, etc). Other posters here can vouch for this, I'm sure
However, I was thrilled with the improvements Michelle has made in her skating this season. In the past, I was only captured by two programs and the way Michelle did them: "Winter" and "Rush." However, seeing the way Michelle skated at Nats really impressed me. I was very happy and excited to see the way she extended everything about her movement; got down into her knees and into the ice more; skated out and beyond herself from deep in her center; and had a deeply genuine approach to her skating that, IMO, gave her performances a new and more profound authority. I could break it down more, but I've written it all in other posts in the "Worlds" folder. In the past when Michelle got slews of 6.0s for presentation at Nats, I'd be thinking "5.9s, but not 6.0s." This year, at Nats and Worlds, I would have given Michelle more 6.0s for presentation than she got.
Anyway, that's just where I'm coming from and here's my 2 cents for what it's worth: I think you make a number valid points in general terms, especially those concerning why 3/3s haven't become a regular part of the jumping repetoire of the top skaters, especially since skaters like Kristi and Nancy were doing them in the early '90s, even Debi Thomas in '88. I'm not trying to change your opinion, but here are the differences I see between Kristi et al. and Michelle. Debi, Kristi, and Nancy only trained a 3/3 combo or sequence for a couple of seasons then they turned pro. Michelle has been eligible for 10 years. To train 3/3s for 10 years is very different from training them for two or three. And as tvudragon said and as I read (sorry, don't have the link), Michelle tried training the 3t/3t this year and last, but it causes her to have hip pain. I think she made a very intelligent and the only wise decision, which is to stop training the 3t/3t. Sure, maybe another 3/3 combo or a 3/.5/3 sequence might not bother her hip, but I think Michelle had other priorities. I don't know her of course, but from what she's said in the press, I think her priorities were to improve her skating skills all around and discover her own style of skating and choreography, the latter of which is something I don't think she had before and IMO, getting it has improved her overall skating immensely. The tension is gone; she has improved speed and positions on her spins; her jumping is more secure and on some jumps, noticeably higher; her performance seems to come from a deeper, more authentic place than before; and as I said before, she's now skating from a strong center. To me, these are immensely impressive improvements, something that makes me admire Michelle for having the insight and self-confidence to say to herself, "People say I'm the best but I know I can be better." For me, Michelle making these improvements is as important as her getting a consistent 3/3.
Your assertion that if Michelle was truly as competitive as she says she is, she would have a 3/3 is an interesting one, but I see it differently. To me, being competitive is not about having "everything"; to me it's about strategy and intelligently analyzing your strengths and weaknesses. Training the 3t/3t caused pain in Michelle's hip. It was too late this season to try to develop another 3/3 combo, although one could argue that she could have tried for a 3/.5/3 sequence. However, I think Michelle's strategy was to focus on things that were probably prioritized and for her this year, having a 3/3 combo or sequence probably went down on the list of priorities when she started experiencing hip pain. She gambled that exceptionally strong choreography, presentation, skating skills (edging, flow, ice coverage, speed, etc.), and stronger jumps would be enough to win. It was a risk, but it paid off. Other skaters have the 3/3, but they have not been consistent, which is one of Michelle's greatest strengths. Sokolova didn't even make the GPF and she skated very poorly at the beginning of the season. Irina skated poorly all season and hasn't landed a 3/3 since I can't remember. Although your argument that if she were a true competitor she would have done a 3/3 for herself is an interesting one and of course you're entitled to it, IMO it's not that simple. I think there were other factors to be considered and that Michelle is indeed very competitive but in a creative way. She's not just going about it in terms of "Everybody is talking about 3/3s so I better have one," but rather, IMO, she analyzed the fact that it is mostly just talk and very little realization of 3/3s in competition and that for her, the 3t/3t is causing pain and would likely cause injury. Thus I think she played up her strengths to compensate for not doing a 3/3. This is why I think Michelle has become an even more intelligent competitor than she was before.
As for 3/3s in general, I watched the ladies Jr. Worlds Sunday morning and while it's true some of them landed 3/3s, one a quad, and one almost landed a 3Axel (it wasn't ratified because it was a half turn underrotated), these girls also fell a lot. It was not unusual to see a program with a great 3/3 and then falls or problems on other triples. And the presentation was nowhere near the same league as Michelle's, and as I said, in the past I have not been a big Michelle fan. True, there are skaters who can challenge Michelle when they skate their best: Sokolova, Irina, Cohen, Sarah, Fumie, Vika, Arakawa, Onda--and I love a lot of these skaters and would be happy to see them win with a great skate. But nobody pulled it off this year. Even though Sokolova won the silver, the rest of her season was so inconsistent and her presentation so weak that I've got to hold off until next season before I can assess where she really stands. Of the skaters who competed most this season, Sasha did the best in terms of medals, but her jump technique is weak and there is something in her or in the training that is not allowing her to skate a clean event and fulfill her potential. I could go down the line with all the top ladies like this. My point is, IMO seeing Michelle as lacking competitiveness because she does not have a 3/3 is like not seeing the forest for the trees. Since Nats, IMO, there is so much more in Michelle's skating on a consistent basis than any other lady has today. A year from now, this may not be true. Sokolova may improve her consistency and presentation; Fumie may put it all together; Sasha may find the key to fulfilling her potential; or some other skater may break out of the pack. After all, after five years out of Worlds, who would have expected Sokolova to show up and win a very strong silver?
Last thing: Injuries. You said that injuries from 3/3s are only a factor in young girls and that Michelle is at an age where 3/3s shouldn't be a problem. I disagree with this and don't think that the injury rates support your assertion. You cited the men doing quads and being fine, but that's not true. Last year Plush could not compete at Worlds because of a groin injury, which is one of the most common injuries for men doing the quad. Groin injuries (mostly tears of one or more of the hip adductor muscles) and other injuries have hindered Plush, Abt, Todd, Stojko, Urmanov, and many other male skaters doing the quad and groin injuries especially are very serious in terms of skating. For women in their 20s, we just don't know what the injury rate is for those who train and compete with 3/3s consistently because so far nobody has been able to do them for more than two or three years at a limited number of competitions, ie, Kristi, Nancy, Debi, Midori, and a couple of other ladies of that era, not even Irina. So I disagree that injuries are not an issue with 3/3s and female skaters if they are in their 20s. I think it depends on the indivdual's anatomy and physiology; how long they've been training 3/3s; and other factors. For me, I'd rather see Michelle skate until she's 30 and never try to land a 3/3 again than manage to do a 3/3 next year but wind up with a hip injury that limits her ability to skate. IMO, those are the possibilities she's faced with. Maybe another 3/3 besides the 3t/3t wouldn't injure her; maybe it would. Michelle has to work with these odds herself and be comfortable with them. Someday Michelle will probably be beaten again by somebody who has good enough presentation and spectacular 3/3s. But as we've seen with Onda and others this year, practicing all those jumps takes its toll. IMO, Michelle made the wisest choice by improving everything else in her skating and setting aside the 3/3. If she loses Nats and/or Worlds next season to someone with 3/3s, maybe she will try to work something in or maybe she will be content with skating at a level that she knows is at the absolute top limits of her abilities. We may never know.
Finally, I have to put in my standard plea for the hinged skate boot. My apologies to those who have seen my posts about this before. Apparently, the hinged skate boot makes multiple rotation jumps less stressful on the skaters' hips. If that boot were used, maybe then we would see Michelle doing 3/3s. But using 1940s boot technology, I think most ladies doing 3/3s today on a consistent basis will have a serious injury sooner or later, whether they are in their teens or 20s. JMO.
Anyway, Engrsktr, I thought you brought up a lot of interesting arguments. Any personal attacks probably (I'm just guessing) came out of some fans feeling so elated over Michelle's fifth World Championship that they probably weren't especially interested in hearing criticism of Michelle over not having a 3/3 when she just had such a tremendous and well-deserved triumph. In other words, I think it was probably a timing thing. [Edited to add: Although after reading the "Skating Careers" thread, I think you are pushing your agenda too hard.] I hope you stay and that you continue to state your opinions on Michelle [edited to add: but in a more way that is more conducive to constructive discussion.] If you feel someone unfairly attacks you, you can contact that person via PM to try to work things out or contact one of the moderators. It's true that there are a lot of Kwan fans here, but I think that's just because there are a lot of Kwan fans everywhere. Speaking from experience, generally speaking one can criticize Michelle's skating on GS without what I would call personal attacks against the poster. There have been some exceptions but I think most people who have been around GS for a while try to be respectful of minority opinions. Nobody called you an idiot or questioned your sanity, which is the kind of thing I've seen on other boards when a skater (any skater, not just Michelle) has been criticized. And for better or worse, a number of the posters at GS have tried to work out problems between different fan bases. We may not always be successful, but I think it's fair to say that most posters here do try to be reasonable when disagreeing with somebody in the minority. As I've seen already, several posters have noted their support for your right to express yourself. If a few said something inappropriate, again, I think it's mostly just the timing of it being just after Worlds. [Edit: I would probably word this differently had I read the "Skating Careers" thread before I posted this.]
That's it. Hope you stay and post about whatever you want [Edit: in a respectful way toward both skaters and posters]. For what it's worth, I think a discussion about what the role of 3/3s will be in ladies skating--all ladies, not just Michelle, would make for an interesting thread.
Rgirl
