One Moment in Time | Golden Skate

One Moment in Time

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
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.
 

Matthew

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 24, 2020
Haven't there been more such "moments in time" since year 2000? Suspect that you just honour your old memories.
 

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.
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Mar 3, 2014
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including links may be more interesting ... just saying. :)

I can post one in which I could not agree more with Skater Boy:

Rudy Galindo, 1996 US Nats (and the KnC is as good as the skate) . A skate and a moment for the ages::clap:

 

4everchan

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 7, 2015
Country
Martinique

Bonnie F

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
I would nominate Philippe Candeloro who gave his greatest performances at the Olympics and walked away with two bronze medals that no one really saw coming.
 
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skylark

Gazing at a Glorious Great Lakes sunset
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Aug 12, 2014
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Tarah Kayne and Danny O'Shea at 2016 US Nationals. Music of the Night was Danny's choice, and it brings out everything good about them as a pair. Danny simply glows as he expresses the character of the music. Tarah's nerves didn't fail her, and they skated clean SP and FS. Jim Peterson really knew how to choreograph to their strengths. Tara Lipinski said, prophetically, "This is their moment; this is their Nationals."



Karina Manta and Joseph Johnson skated a dynamite program to Sweet Dreams at 2019 US Nationals. I was in the audience, and there were so many electrifying moments in that whole FD event -- Hubbell/Donohue - powerful, charismatic, passionate as Romeo and Juliet, Chock/Bates with their Elvis number, and more. Even though I'm not primarily an ice dance fan, this event was unforgettable.

Karina and Joe came in 7th. And this skate (Karina later said "... and the freaking standing ovation at Nationals!") indisputably proves that that One Moment in Time doesn't necessarily have to do with medals or placements. They were indisputably one of the standout performances.

 

Arriba627

TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION šŸ”„
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Javi had many highlights in his career, and his Guys and Dolls performance at 2016 Worlds was a great one. He was really on! There was a little uncertainty prior to the performance, because he had been having trouble with his foot, but you'd never know it by this skate!


I'll never forget Grant Hochstein's FS at 2016 Worlds. He got to a point in the program where he was just about running on empty, and the audience lifted him up with their applause and cheering. He had a rousing finish. Sometimes you're a winner, even if you come in 10th! Great skate for Grant!

Jason's 2014 U.S. Nats Riverdance was amazing!

Adding: I was going to put Tarah and Danny's FS from 2016 U.S. Nats, but I see skylark has already listed that one. That was such a strong skate for them!
 
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Arbitrary

Medalist
Joined
Sep 5, 2018
Second gold for Grischuk-Platov.

He was so out of his mind Tarasova had to spill a bottle of water to his face right before the skating. And Grischuk was and is crazy this time and before like nobody else.

And of couse, Tonya. My absolute Number 1 of female FS.
 

CrazyKittenLady

Get well soon, Lyosha!
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Feb 2, 2019
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Austria
A much more recent one, Sofia Samodurova - the whole 2018/19 season, culminating in her winning Euros! The girl just took every chance she got and delivered! Sofia started her senior debut season with just one GP assignment, Skate America, where she won the bronze medal. Subsequently she got the host spot at GP Rostelecom where she came second behind reigning Olympic champion Alina Zagitova. With these results Sofia qualified for the GP final (I still remember her apologizing in an interview to Zhenya Medvedeva, whom she narrowly beat to make the final). She finished fifth with a new personal best score.
At RusNats Sofia came sixth overall, but as the third ranked lady eligible for international senior competition, she was named to the team for the European Championships. Again Sofia felt the need to apologize, this time to team mate Liza Tuktamysheva, who also had an amazing season but had to miss RusNats due to pneumonia and therefore failed to make the Euros team.
At the 2019 European Championships in Minsk Sofia had the skates of her young life, finishing second in the SP and showing nerves of steel and delivering a clean FS to beat Zagitova and crown herself European Champion!
And though the following seasons were hard for Sofia and she never managed to repeat her first successes but got buried under younger, more technically advanced skaters, she will always be a European Champion! šŸ„‡

Sofia Samodurova, Euros 2019, SP: https://youtu.be/ZrQluv9m9Vc
Sofia Samodurova, Euros 2019, FS: https://youtu.be/UGZLZEEXMrE
 

ladyjane

Medalist
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Jun 26, 2012
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Netherlands
You've mentioned some really nice ones @Skater Boy. @el henry has already posted Rudy Galindo's phenomenal 1996 US Champions skates (that K&C moment always makes me cry). I also adore Philippe Candeloro (thank you @Bonnie F ). While I love Jason's River Dance, I wouldn't call it his 'moment' as I've seen even better skates of his since then (more recently) but Javiers Guys and Dolls in 2016 was one of his two moments (his La Mancha skate at the OG in 2018 is one I keep on rewachting) - thank you @Arriba627 . And Sweet Dreams by Manta and Johnson was also unforgettable (lovely @skylark ).

My personal favourite is Aljona and Bruno's skate at the OG 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bNOnXTe4Ok
I really enjoyed that, and I know they skated even better at the WC a month later, but this was their 'the moment' for me.


Finally, I've looked up that wonderful skate of Maria's (with some background info and interviews too) from 1999. The moment and a wonderful skate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyp2xnlzx8w .
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
I agree with everyone but Fernandez because he was simply a pretty good, consistent skater so maybe he had a one lift in time lol. Maybe Candelero should Two Olympic moments in time. Some say he has a horseshoe in him, but he skated big when it counted.
 

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
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Mar 14, 2007
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I can post one in which I could not agree more with Skater Boy:

Rudy Galindo, 1996 US Nats (and the KnC is as good as the skate) . A skate and a moment for the ages::clap:

I agree. This is one in my bucket of ā€œskating videos I watch when Iā€™m depressed.ā€
 

Matthew

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 24, 2020
You've mentioned some really nice ones @Skater Boy. @el henry has already posted Rudy Galindo's phenomenal 1996 US Champions skates (that K&C moment always makes me cry). I also adore Philippe Candeloro (thank you @Bonnie F ). While I love Jason's River Dance, I wouldn't call it his 'moment' as I've seen even better skates of his since then (more recently) but Javiers Guys and Dolls in 2016 was one of his two moments (his La Mancha skate at the OG in 2018 is one I keep on rewachting) - thank you @Arriba627 . And Sweet Dreams by Manta and Johnson was also unforgettable (lovely @skylark ).

My personal favourite is Aljona and Bruno's skate at the OG 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bNOnXTe4Ok
I really enjoyed that, and I know they skated even better at the WC a month later, but this was their 'the moment' for me.


Finally, I've looked up that wonderful skate of Maria's (with some background info and interviews too) from 1999. The moment and a wonderful skate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyp2xnlzx8w .
Somehow, I'm familiar with the music of Maria's FS. :)
 

mrrice

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 9, 2014
My top two are on your list. Maria Butyrskaya and Rudy Galindo. I chose these 2 because unlike some others, these two had to overcome some difficult times. Rudy, when Kristi decided to skate singles and broke up their career in pairs. Maria, when she failed to make the free skate at Worlds in 1993 and was dropped from the team. Both came back and made a statement with their Titles. Here's a Profile on Maria and her Worlds LP from 1999 https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=maria+butyrskaya+1999+worlds
 
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Joined
Jun 21, 2003
About Maria Butyrskaia's music, I bellieve tht she was the first (in 1997) to skate to Otonal (it was released im 1991). Since then of course it has become a figure skating staple, for both men and women, having been used by quite a few skaters, most notably Johnnie Weir and Yuzuru Hanyu.

But I liked her short program music even better: St James Infirmary. I think her version was taken from the soundtrack to Once Upon a Time in America, but the song itself has a tamgled history going back more than a century. In fact, the copyright case reached the U.S. Suprmeme Court.

 

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.
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@Arriba627 , I need to thank you for the links for Grant and Javi, as they are not the ones that I have been watching, and I love the commentary, especially B ESP on Grant. When it's time for my 586th time to watch Grant at Worlds, I will watch that one. :)
 

Arriba627

TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION šŸ”„
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@Arriba627 , I need to thank you for the links for Grant and Javi, as they are not the ones that I have been watching, and I love the commentary, especially B ESP on Grant. When it's time for my 586th time to watch Grant at Worlds, I will watch that one. :)
Yes, they are definitely favorites. I am happy to report I was in the audience screaming my head off with everyone else. I remember hearing later that Grant said at a certain point he was just totally spent and was really "rubber legged". The audience really helped him get through the skate. I always love seeing (on the slo-mo replay) Peter Opp. at the boards cheering him on. And all that because Nathan couldn't be there because of his hip injury! Strange how things work out...I met Grant at one of the FOFS breakfasts -- super nice guy.
 
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