- Joined
- Feb 24, 2012
As we are in the "off" season I thought it might be interesting to celebrate skaters and performances where the skater/team had their ONE MOMENT IN TIME when they maybe were more than they ever could be. When they reached their full potential despite other failures/struggles. Of course it is open to interpretation - ie one moment - one skate, one competition or season but still I thought it would be interesting.
Here are some some of my "nominations" or suggestions.
1. Liz Manley at the 1988 Olympics especially her freeskate. There were many ways she could have and perhaps should have won Olympic gold but especially that freeskate. In front of her home country she skated a powerful, fast, exuberant and joyful program. She did difficult jumps and had a spark that quite honestly overshadowed the melodrama of Witt's Carmen or the disappointment of the other Carmen Debi Thomas. It continued to the 1988 Worlds. This was the lady who always had the potential but fell apart. She did it when it counted. this was the skater who struggled with depression, hair loss, weight gain, being told by her former competitor and national champ nasty comments about her appearance. She rose above it all and stood tall - on that podium.
2. Paul Wylie in 1992 at the olympics gave an amazing performance. He always had wonderful classical lines but he did it and almost won gold. An elegant and technically solid performance when other bigwigs fell apart.
3. Elena Bechke and Denis Petrov at the 1992 Olympics Elena was considered too fragile; unable to compete under pressure especially the jumps. But when it came to the olympics she stuck those landings and won that OSM!
4. 1996 US Nationals and worlds. Rudy Galindo. Everyone loves a good story. A challenging life - losing his coach to AIDS. Losing his skating partner in pairs just when they were on the cusp on the world podium as she decided to skate and focus on singles Not always accepted by the world because he was gay. He was on fire at Nationals and then to stand on that world podium with a bronze. Just a feel good moment. Such powerful, inspired skating. These were great skates.
5. 1986 Canadian Nationals the once great hope Tracey Wainman disappeared from the skating world and came back despite growth, despite losing her jumps, despite Skate Canada losing faith in her, money issues - look at her skating dresses. She was deemed the next great thing. She came back at Nationals and landed her double axels and triple salchow and took the national title.
6. Holly Cook - I don't remember when but she got a bronze medal at worlds. Wasn't inspired skating but she did it when it counted .
7. Maria Buytrskaya at the 1999 World figure skating championships - she WON the title. Yes, Michelle Kwan may have been ill and or lost her power witht he hacking of her locks and yes Maria had won other big medals but this was inspired skating when despite the loss of confidence from her skating federation she skated with power, grace and prowess to climb to the top. It wasn't merely because Michelle made an error in the short or was sick. She won the title.
8. Elena Sokolova winning her WSM was a year and time whee she was magical especially her triple triple.
9. Adelina Sotnikova - forget the so called Sochi scandal she was the no. 2 Russian skate and she won OGM. NO matter what you think she was on fire technically and artistically.
10. The girl in the red dress- Yulia Lipnskaya - yes she won other big medals but her freeskate n the team event at Sochi was mesmerizing. It stands out more than the top three skates in the individual event and that was despite Kim, Sotnikova and Kostner skating amazing.
11. Martini and Underhill coming back from a disastrous 1984 Olympics to win in their home country the world title. They fulfilled their potential. They skated perfectly.
12. 1988 World Championships - Valova and Vaisliev - people forgot they were the 1984 Olympic champion and since then the worse they did was second. THey were second a lot because they were from Russia/Soviet Union and Gordeeva and Grinkov were competing But they won the world title with a magnificently difficult freeskate which used different music than what they usually did (classical) to contemporary powerful driving music.
Here are some some of my "nominations" or suggestions.
1. Liz Manley at the 1988 Olympics especially her freeskate. There were many ways she could have and perhaps should have won Olympic gold but especially that freeskate. In front of her home country she skated a powerful, fast, exuberant and joyful program. She did difficult jumps and had a spark that quite honestly overshadowed the melodrama of Witt's Carmen or the disappointment of the other Carmen Debi Thomas. It continued to the 1988 Worlds. This was the lady who always had the potential but fell apart. She did it when it counted. this was the skater who struggled with depression, hair loss, weight gain, being told by her former competitor and national champ nasty comments about her appearance. She rose above it all and stood tall - on that podium.
2. Paul Wylie in 1992 at the olympics gave an amazing performance. He always had wonderful classical lines but he did it and almost won gold. An elegant and technically solid performance when other bigwigs fell apart.
3. Elena Bechke and Denis Petrov at the 1992 Olympics Elena was considered too fragile; unable to compete under pressure especially the jumps. But when it came to the olympics she stuck those landings and won that OSM!
4. 1996 US Nationals and worlds. Rudy Galindo. Everyone loves a good story. A challenging life - losing his coach to AIDS. Losing his skating partner in pairs just when they were on the cusp on the world podium as she decided to skate and focus on singles Not always accepted by the world because he was gay. He was on fire at Nationals and then to stand on that world podium with a bronze. Just a feel good moment. Such powerful, inspired skating. These were great skates.
5. 1986 Canadian Nationals the once great hope Tracey Wainman disappeared from the skating world and came back despite growth, despite losing her jumps, despite Skate Canada losing faith in her, money issues - look at her skating dresses. She was deemed the next great thing. She came back at Nationals and landed her double axels and triple salchow and took the national title.
6. Holly Cook - I don't remember when but she got a bronze medal at worlds. Wasn't inspired skating but she did it when it counted .
7. Maria Buytrskaya at the 1999 World figure skating championships - she WON the title. Yes, Michelle Kwan may have been ill and or lost her power witht he hacking of her locks and yes Maria had won other big medals but this was inspired skating when despite the loss of confidence from her skating federation she skated with power, grace and prowess to climb to the top. It wasn't merely because Michelle made an error in the short or was sick. She won the title.
8. Elena Sokolova winning her WSM was a year and time whee she was magical especially her triple triple.
9. Adelina Sotnikova - forget the so called Sochi scandal she was the no. 2 Russian skate and she won OGM. NO matter what you think she was on fire technically and artistically.
10. The girl in the red dress- Yulia Lipnskaya - yes she won other big medals but her freeskate n the team event at Sochi was mesmerizing. It stands out more than the top three skates in the individual event and that was despite Kim, Sotnikova and Kostner skating amazing.
11. Martini and Underhill coming back from a disastrous 1984 Olympics to win in their home country the world title. They fulfilled their potential. They skated perfectly.
12. 1988 World Championships - Valova and Vaisliev - people forgot they were the 1984 Olympic champion and since then the worse they did was second. THey were second a lot because they were from Russia/Soviet Union and Gordeeva and Grinkov were competing But they won the world title with a magnificently difficult freeskate which used different music than what they usually did (classical) to contemporary powerful driving music.
