Re: What's Your Take on the GOLD?
Not that it's needed, but I'll just add my agreement with the majority that it is the body of work that is what counts, not the medal count or color. But I don't think body of work should be limited to eligible competition. Paul Wylie, for example, used his Olympic silver medal in '92 to launch is pro career in which he skated many superb and even transcendant performances. I daresay that most people remember and love Paul for his pro performances far more than those of his eligible career, with the exception of his Olympic performances. And although Kurt Browning won four (I think--correct me) World gold medals, he won no Olympic medals despite two tries, yet like Paul Wylie, the artistic and technical growth of his skating as a pro has endeared him to many fans who were not familiar with him as an eligible skater, although I think with Kurt it is the combination of his eligible and professional skating that makes his ouevre so special.
I don't mean to pick on Joe, but I have to disagree with the following statement: <blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>The last three ladies Oly champions took the gold and ran. That was their aim and they succeeded.[/quote] With Oksana, I don't think she had a choice in what she was going to do. From everything I've read, her coach and de facto caretaker, Galina Zmieskaya, made the decision that Oksana go pro. At that time, pro skating was where the money was and coming from such a poor background, who can blame Zmieskaya at her age for wanting to "cash in" on both Victor and Oksana as OGMs? I think Oksana did whatever Galina wanted. Afterall, what choice did she have?
With Tara, her hip was giving her problems even at the Olympics. I don't think Tara "ran"; rather I think she made the best choice she could considering her physical condition as well as her concerns about her parents. If she continued training as an eligible, her parents would have remained separated and I believe Tara was sincere in wanting to see her parents living together again.
As for Sarah, I think when she won the OGM, she probably had every intention of continuing on as an eligible skater and in fact, she did compete as an eligible skater in '02-03. Unfortunately, she had problems. She competed in the Campbell's competition and was slated to compete in the GP series. However, injury, weight gain, commitments as the OGM, and perhaps other factors changed things. Sarah did compete at Nationals and lest we forget, won the silver medal, and of course she placed sixth at Worlds. I would not call that taking the gold and running. I think Sarah wanted to continue her eligible career and from what she says, still desires to compete; however, I think she is coming face to face with the realities of trying to do school, OGM commitments, and eligible-level training--just as Michelle encountered the difficulties of going to college and trying to keep up her competitive schedule and training.
Personally, I don't think that continuing to compete as an eligible skater defines how good a skater is. I think some skaters are geared towards competition while others are geared towards creativity. I think this was the case with Ilia Kulik. Even as an eligible he stated in many interviews that he wanted to do things on the ice that no one had ever done before in terms of choreography and experimenting with technique. Continuing an eligible career is not conducive to this kind of expression. Kulik is perhaps not as well known in the US because of his choice to skate with SOI after he won his OGM, but he is achieving his personal goals of creativity on the ice. I think this also brings up the issue of what satisfies the individual skater. I've seen Kulik, Browning, Wylie, and Yamaguchi do programs with SOI that they could never do as eligibles, not even in exhibition. I have found them memorable, moving, and artistically challenging in a positive way. First with Chris Dean and then on his own, Kulik has introduced true hip-hop into his skating. Regardless of what one thinks of hip-hop, it is a new way of skating. Browning has down program after program using inspiration from muscial theatre, ballet, the circus, Spanish dancing, jazz, and rock. In so doing, he has become IMO the greatest overall mover on the ice today. Kristi too developed a repertoire during her decade with SOI that went from classic skating programs to almost unclassifiable programs such as "Doop-Doop," as well as her unforgettable "Bridge Over Troubled Water." And Paul Wylie's pro programs are remembered deep in the hearts of many, many fans.
Anyway, to imply that a skater's impact stops when they stop skating as an eligible is to me missing the contributions of many great pro skaters--and I didn't even mention G&G. Pro skating has been in a slump since about '99 and perhaps it will never be what it was in the mid-'90s. But you never know; things could cycle in such a way that pro skating has a resurgence.
Of course I love eligible skating and appreciate the great difficulty of continuing to do 7 or 8 triple programs year after year, but pro skaters do 7 to 8 triples a show night after night. IMO the top pro skaters' contributions to skating are just as important as the top eligibles; they just aren't seen by as many people. But it is from the pro ranks that a lot of the creativity comes that makes eligible skating more interesting, ie, in choreography by pros such as Sandra Bezic, Chris Dean, and Lee Ann Miller, to name just three.
So my take on the gold is that it is relative to the skater. Janet Lynn never won a World or Olympic gold yet she is one of the most beloved skaters among skating fans. I could go on with many examples. However, I do think that skaters WANT the OGM and as I think Jaana mentioned in Mathman's Olympic thread, because the Olympics is only every four years, winning an Olympic medal, especially the OGM, is a more elite club. And I do think there is something to be said for someone putting it all together under all the pressure of the Olympics. To me, it does not define a skater in general, but it does give them the cache of having done it under conditions of the most extreme pressure and I think that is nothing to sneeze at.
When I consider skaters like Oksana, Tara, and Sarah, I respect them for their Olympic and other accomplishments. When I consider skaters like Michelle, Irina, and Kurt Browning, the Olympics don't even enter my mind. It's their years of superb contribution to the sport that matters. Is one better or more important than the other? In my mind, no. But I can see how for others there might be a difference.
Rgirl
) They by their body of work & Year after year of great performaces. & by them Leading the pact or being in the leading pact. Had already moved beyond the award itself. They themselves became bigger than the award. The buzz was by the time the award cermony would come around was. Will Steven Get his Oscars or Susan Would she finally win her ward. They had won everthing else but. Michelle is like Steven & Susan. She has already pretty much transended the Olympic Gold. I know that she would love to get it 2006 ( if she is still skating) but, she has in some way moved past it. LIke it was stated. She is a Winner with or Without the Gold
, Thank God) </em>
( Means he is #1) his body of work proves it. If Plushkeno would have won it, it would mean that he was # 1. His body of work proved it. If Timmy G. won( Alexei & Plushenko would have to have to cut off their feet for that to happen) It would mean that Timmy skated the best that Night & was lucky that Both men made major mistakes for him to win.</em>
