Correct me, was it Carol Heiss herself who highly praised Kwan at one of USFS console meeting back in 2003 when she(MK) was awarded something called 'Ten Years Brianliant' in figure skating? If you so give credit to Carol Heiss, why don't you take her words a little? .....If it is so easy to do to stay in sport, why diddn't Christi, Aksana B., Nancy, Tara, Sarah, etc. ?soogar said:
Psyching out competitors?
- Thread starter yoy_mama
- Start date
soogar said:
First, when Michelle started doing events like SA, there was no such thing as the GP. Kwan started doing them at the end of '93; the idea of packaging six of these events into a series with points leading up to a final didn't exist until 1996. Also, it wasn't until 1996 that they even offered prize money at Worlds. So, when Michelle was in the same place that Kimmie and Emily are now, she wasn't lining her pockets by competing. Second, the fact that Michelle and Sasha earn money by touring and endorsements are good reasons why they should NOT do the GP. Let the skaters who don't make touring money, and need the prize money compete.
Third, and most important, is that Michelle and Sasha will get nailed no matter what . When they don't compete, they get accused of selfishness or greed. When they compete, they (especially Michelle) get criticized for not letting other skaters have their time in the spotlight. After all, last season, the failure of Michelle and Sasha to do the GP meant that American TV audiences got introduced to other skaters, such as Joannie Rochette, who would not have gotten the exposure if Michelle and Sasha had been there.
mzheng said:
Yeah, that's why the speed skating world champions (for each event) got awarded a whopping $5,000 a few years ago. There were speedskating events that awarded only $500 to the first place winner.
:sheesh:
The winner at junior worlds got $10,000 (a few years ago). A GP winner got $30K (now it's $18K), the World Champion got $65K a few years ago (I think it's $45K now).
Who do you think benefitted the most from the TV contract?
attyfan said:
I'm all for unknown skaters having their shot. However if attendance suffers and events need to be cancelled, those unknown skaters won't have an opportunity to compete (and earn money).
Michelle competed in the GP for years after they started awarding money and Open events. She was able to earn money from tours to support her skating from the start of her career and in between Olympics.
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2003
mzheng, I know you weren't laughing at my pain. I just went back to work today because my doctor said I wasn't "faking my injury" to get out of moving those nasty files on my desk. Quite frankly, my right leg was numb which happens when my sciatica nerve acts stupid and decides I shouldn't feel myself walk. I think, though, I really need that doctor that will let me stay home when I'm really stressed. I mean, come on, someone give the doctor up because mine just tells me to do all this de-stressing stuff. He's so not understanding me and my pain.
soogar, we aren't talking about a trial here. No one's paying an "expert witness" to testify on their behalf. I, for one, find it hard to believe that either of these doctors would go out on a limb like that. And yes, "expert witnesses" can be paid for by either side, so if Speedy doesn't believe these doctors, then have the ISU doctors examine both skaters. I choose to believe Kwan, Cohen and their doctors. You choose not to. Alrighty then!
Cohen withdrew last year because she had hurt her back again. The timing of all this makes Cohen's injury more suspect than Kwan's. But I firmly believe that BOTH skaters are doing the right thing. And since I don't much care for the GP Series and find that it causes skaters to wear themselves out before their own countries' Nationals and Worlds, it's a yawn for me. I wouldn't buy tickets to go see specific skaters anyway (IF I went to a GP Series competition). I'm all for the GP Series not having seeded skaters at all, but for being a steppingstone for little seen skaters. Then I might be able to appreciate it more.
soogar, we aren't talking about a trial here. No one's paying an "expert witness" to testify on their behalf. I, for one, find it hard to believe that either of these doctors would go out on a limb like that. And yes, "expert witnesses" can be paid for by either side, so if Speedy doesn't believe these doctors, then have the ISU doctors examine both skaters. I choose to believe Kwan, Cohen and their doctors. You choose not to. Alrighty then!
Cohen withdrew last year because she had hurt her back again. The timing of all this makes Cohen's injury more suspect than Kwan's. But I firmly believe that BOTH skaters are doing the right thing. And since I don't much care for the GP Series and find that it causes skaters to wear themselves out before their own countries' Nationals and Worlds, it's a yawn for me. I wouldn't buy tickets to go see specific skaters anyway (IF I went to a GP Series competition). I'm all for the GP Series not having seeded skaters at all, but for being a steppingstone for little seen skaters. Then I might be able to appreciate it more.
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
Soogar how about Irina? She took an entire season off...how dare she disappoint all of those fans and let figure skating down. You would think after all of the opportunities figue skating has given her she would be ashamed for missing a season and then give some obscure illness as an excuse. As quickly as she bounced back how do we know she was REALLY sick? Maybe she just wanted a reason to be able to take steroids "legally". I'm sure one of those corrupt doctors wouldn't mind helping her out.
Piel said:
Look how fast Irina returned to skating. I'm not an Irina fan, but she missed a season due to her condition (could barely skate at Worlds but was so happy that she could skate at Worlds). I never said that injuries couldn't happen/were never real. I would bet anything that Klimkin would have dearly loved to have competed in the GP. I just think it's suspect when skaters make a habit out of skipping the GP and then claim injury. Or in Sasha's case, skip events as a strategic decision.
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
Let's see Mzheng......
*She wears those VW dresses that's not fair to the skaters who can't afford designer costumes.
*Now that she has her own rink it's not fair to the skaters who can't get unlimited ice time.who does she think she is Kate Mosely?
*She goes to all of those award shows and get so much publicity that judges are more exposed to her, not fair to skater who are not as well known.
*Too many Kwaniacs at competitions sitting together....noise is distracting to other skaters....sekret sources say this season they all plan to breathe in unison to create wind shear in arena to the detriment of other skaters.
*Kwaniacs have depleted the nations supply of chicken causing Cohen to become too thin.
*Kwan took up too much of Tarasova's time and now Johnny's and Shiz' skating is suffering because of it.
*Kwan firing Frank upset him so much that Lycochek's skating is suffering because of it.
*Kwan training with Timmy caused him to lose the quads.
*Kwan is trying to hold up Tanith's citizenship because she wants to ice dance with Ben after retiring from singles....we all know how GREEDY she is
*She wears those VW dresses that's not fair to the skaters who can't afford designer costumes.
*Now that she has her own rink it's not fair to the skaters who can't get unlimited ice time.who does she think she is Kate Mosely?
*She goes to all of those award shows and get so much publicity that judges are more exposed to her, not fair to skater who are not as well known.
*Too many Kwaniacs at competitions sitting together....noise is distracting to other skaters....sekret sources say this season they all plan to breathe in unison to create wind shear in arena to the detriment of other skaters.
*Kwaniacs have depleted the nations supply of chicken causing Cohen to become too thin.
*Kwan took up too much of Tarasova's time and now Johnny's and Shiz' skating is suffering because of it.
*Kwan firing Frank upset him so much that Lycochek's skating is suffering because of it.
*Kwan training with Timmy caused him to lose the quads.
*Kwan is trying to hold up Tanith's citizenship because she wants to ice dance with Ben after retiring from singles....we all know how GREEDY she is
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
soogar said:
Well now she coiuld have not gone to World's and given another Russian skater a chance.
You have questioned whether or not Cohen and Kwan were really injured. Their skating or not skating had no bearing on Klimkin. Czisny/Hughes are benfitting from Kwan/Cohen withdrawing.
I think the only strategic part of Cohen's decision was to choose not to risk further injury by returning before she was ready. Lookinig at the big picture.....skate at SA and risk more injury or miss SA, rehab the injury and be 100% for the bigger competitions later in the season. She would be an idiot not to do that.
Piel said:
I was under the impression that the Russian ladies performed so dismally at Euros that year that Irina was sort of "drafted"/encouraged to skate at Worlds. I guess the thinking was that a sick Irina would have done a lot better than the two ladies who finished in the teens at Euros.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
Lately every Kwan thread has turned out to be a yawner.:scratch: Her fans really need to realize that there are people out there who simply do not like Michelle, her skating and etc, posting back and fourth to argue with them is not going to change the fact. Pack it up and move on.Its geting to the point where I ask my self, why bother, in reference to posting under a Kwan therad, its going to turn out to be a joke anyway.Is GS forum becaming Kwan-centric? Too many Kwan threads going on at the same time.
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