Sasha, Michelle, Irina

[oleada]

Is it just me or do the days of Irina and Michelle seem like the "good old days"???
Boy I sure miss those days!



hwell:

After watching the SPs at Worlds last year...I don't...at all!

 

[Tonichelle]

Kurt Browning landed the first quad at the World Championships in 1988 when he wasn't in contention for a medal. But did he include that jump in subsequent years when he was World Champion?

According to Kurt it was put in his LP the next year for worlds, but it just didn't have the height and he changed it to a triple...

 

[dogwood]

According to Kurt it was put in his LP the next year for worlds, but it just didn't have the height and he changed it to a triple...

That was my point. I certainly wasn't crticizing Kurt. If it didn't have the height he was wise to leave it out of the program. He didn't need it. Failure on that move could have cost him a world championship and wouldn't that have been a pity.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

About speed, I agree with Joe that it is the control of speed and the variation of speed in relation to the music that is important.

Irina Slutskaya and Shizuka Arakawa were impressive because they could accelerate so quickly, with just a couple of stokes.

What is about this speed anyway. Sometimes I think fans want Eric Heiden to figure skate and that great Pole Vaulter to jump so high on figure skates.:scratch:

Yuka Sato for me had the most quiet and fastest speed in figure skating and no matter who is mentioned as a speedster, it's still Yuka for me. What she had was incredible stroking in the cutbacks (I think you say back cross overs).
Cutbacks are the prime means of getting speed for a jump. ( If you remember Katrina Witt who huffed and puffed which I think she was just selling it. It wasn't any faster than any one else.)

I remember seeing Yuka LIVE where she was at one end of the ice, and I was watching at the other end. She did 2 cut backs came forward with a smooth rocker and took off on a lutz right in front of me. Zip! and totally with the music.
I think she still has that controlled fast skate. Watch her and see if you can hear anything too?

Joe

 

[hockeyfan228]

Irina Slutskaya and Shizuka Arakawa were impressive because they could accelerate so quickly, with just a couple of strokes.

And Arakawa could do this through deep knee action, perfect posture, and almost complete quietness in the rest of her body.

 

[show 42]

Michelle Kwan did exactly what all the great champions,both male and female, before her did. She showcased the things she could do better than anyone else. She was consistent. She was confident. I feel sorry for the skaters under this system. It must be demoralizing to have to skate in competition week after week knowing you only have a 50% chance of staying vertical. It certainly doesn't build confidence and it doesn't expand the fan base.

I totally agree........42