Your favorite ladies Olympic competition

[LiamForeman]

LOL. Remember when Tiffany Chin burst onto the scene, and Uncle Dick kept referring to her as a beautiful china doll???? It confused me because my grandmother had this fabulous collection from the early 1900s of dolls made out of porcelain china. I kind of cringed a bit when he referred to her as that, her being the first Chinese American to make it big. But you have to give some slack to different generations/upbringings. He meant it as a compliment. I mean, I wouldn't be offended if someone referred to my white-bread All-American good looks... lol Look at the INTENT and just stop being ready to pounce on something with great offense. It totally derails discussion when someone says something nice about a skater and then is called racist and sexist. There's another skating board online for that kind of bickering.

 

[jenaj]

I think it might have been a little of both. Yuna won the Olympics with such a huge gap over a good performance by Mao, and then controversially she won Worlds with a flawed performance. In any case the ISU responded by lowering GOEs, raising the value of a triple Axel, and disallowing skaters to cover up the lack of a jump (loop in Yuna's case) by doing three double Axels.

Yuna fans thought that the ISU was deliberately targeting Yuna and specifically elevating the chances of her chief rival, most likely thanks to sinister politicking by the Japanese federation. I don't know about all that, but they did tinker with the code of points in a way that they thought would produce more balanced results.

She won the long program at Worlds with a flawed performance. Mao won overall. Regardless of how the points were awarded at the time or the reason for the scoring change, there was something wrong when a mostly clean program with 2 triple axels (one was downgraded under the rules at the time--it would only get an under-rotation in the current system) scored lower than a program with a fall on a triple jump and a popped double axel. The PCS difference was not that great, nor should it have been.

 

[skaterr]

She won the long program at Worlds with a flawed performance. Mao won overall. Regardless of how the points were awarded at the time or the reason for the scoring change, there was something wrong when a mostly clean program with 2 triple axels (one was downgraded under the rules at the time--it would only get an under-rotation in the current system) scored lower than a program with a fall on a triple jump and a popped double axel. The PCS difference was not that great, nor should it have been.

You mean 2010 worlds? Yuna didn’t want to participate 2010 worlds. Why she had to take part in 2010 worlds in the first place? I heard KSU officials did pay the visit at icerink in Canada to persuade Yuna to participate. They pressured her. I don’t understand which country KSU represents. Her condition was not good. She wasn’t supposed to go there.

 

[matmuh]

You mean 2010 worlds? Yuna didn’t want to participate 2010 worlds. Why she had to take part in 2010 worlds in the first place? I heard KSU officials did pay the visit at icerink in Canada to persuade Yuna to participate. They pressured her. I don’t understand which country KSU represents. Her condition was not good. She wasn’t supposed to go there.

well, she did go to worlds and was 2nd overall

 

[skaterr]

well, she did go to worlds and was 2nd overall

I know the results. Yuna didn't want to participate 2010 worlds but KSU officials pressured her to take part in. sorry my english is not good. Did I say something wrong?

 

[matmuh]

I know the results. Yuna didn't want to participate 2010 worlds but KSU officials pressured her to take part in. sorry my english is not good. Did I say something wrong?

opss sorry, not your fault, i misread your post, thought you said " yuna didnt participate", :hopelessness: i agree that she didnt skate like her heart was in it, i wonder what would happen if they didnt force her to compete there

 

[Jammers]

Yuna was not right at Worlds in 2010. Amazing how with all that pressure at the Olympics Yuna was perfect but it seemed like she was just exhausted especially mentally at Worlds and it finally caught up with her. She should have just not gone and rested.

 

[karlowens2]

How did Kim's skate transform women's skating? Other skaters were doing triple-triples at the the time and beforehand. Kristi Yamaguchi did a triple lutz-triple toe at the 1992 Olympics. Kim skated very well. She raised her own game, that's for sure, but there was nothing transformative about her programs.

I would agree Kim didn't add new elements - others were doing these things. In two ways I think she raised the bar of the sport. Technically, she was doing ALL the difficult elements with pristine GOEs - always striaght in the air, always a long running edge, etc. . Artistically, her programs were subtle and specific. Yes, skaters were doing exotic skates of Delilah, dying swan - a program. But, her Bond and Concerto in F programs contained irony, seduction, bond girl poses. After those skates it was clear if you were going to get on the podium you would have to be able to do all these things. No Sonya Bonaly with a little Egyptian eyeliner was enough (I actually admire her)

Maybe this is why Kim's Oly score has held up so long.

 

[jenm]

I think of all the ladies, Yuna has more controversial losses than wins. The quality that she brings in both TES and PCS are just truly admirable and very rare and that's why when she wins, she WINS.

Edited to add: And seeing the hyperinflation right now with so many controversial wins, scores and premature unofficial world records, why would anyone bring up ONE controversial Yuna win 5 years ago in a segment that didn't even change the final result at all, other than just, idk, criticize a retired multi-gold medalist? It's pretty pathetic to be honest.

 

[jenaj]

I would agree Kim didn't add new elements - others were doing these things. In two ways I think she raised the bar of the sport. Technically, she was doing ALL the difficult elements with pristine GOEs - always striaght in the air, always a long running edge, etc. . Artistically, her programs were subtle and specific. Yes, skaters were doing exotic skates of Delilah, dying swan - a program. But, her Bond and Concerto in F programs contained irony, seduction, bond girl poses. After those skates it was clear if you were going to get on the podium you would have to be able to do all these things. No Sonya Bonaly with a little Egyptian eyeliner was enough (I actually admire her)

Maybe this is why Kim's Oly score has held up so long.

How do the changes in GOE scoring affect her score in comparison to more recent scores?

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

How do the changes in GOE scoring affect her score in comparison to more recent scores?

It seems skaters get higher PCS to compensate for the lower TES they can earn. Yuna didn't even get 72 in Vancouver for LP PCS and a decent number of skaters clear that score internationally now.

 

[mrrice]

And some of us grew up hearing that all Chinese people look alike.

So the concern over your posts should be perfectly understandable to you.

I'm going to try this one more. I happen to think that former Russian Tennis Star Nikolay Davydenko looks like Hockey player Val Bure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G0i5DeVOvk This is Val and Katia

And here is Nikolay Davydenko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKZ1YzTcBJw Actually, Nikolay looks a bit thin in this video but in person he looked like Val.

 

[anyanka]

I shall like to add the 1988 Olympics. It had Midori doing the technical showcase, Katya delivering drama, Liz delivering the skate of the night, and Debi closing down the show.

We ALL were glued to the 1994 ladies FS. It was as if time stopped, even if Tonya was not in the hunt. There was never another skating competition that, to the general public, delivered as much anticipation as that night.

The 2002 OG was a nail-biter. Down to the last ordinal of the very last skater. I was in New York at the time and not too far away from Long Island, where Sarah Hughes was from, and the next day when I went into Manhattan New Yorkers were agog about it when I heard it in conversation just riding the subway and video footage was playing in Times Square. This was back when Americans still watched figure skating as a mass audience.

2010 had one of the very best final flights in ladies FS. No one fell, and there was incredible pressure. Yuna gave THE performance for the ages, Mao fought to the very end, Joannie delivered, and Mirai was the great surprise (but let's face it, she was 5th in the FS and had some UR calls, and was behind even Laura Lepisto whose technical difficulty came from 1987) at the end. BTW: Mirai was too far behind in the SP to win the bronze medal, emotional moment aside. People always forget that.

2014. I have my opinions on it and as someone else said, the podium was reversed for me, with Caro on top, Yuna 2nd and Adelina 3rd. But I stress that controversy and debate aside, the correct three competitors, based on their overall performances, won the medals, regardless of order. Also, Mao with her 8 triples should have scored over 150.

 

[Maribelle]

I see that no one mentioned 2006. So I am going to give Sasha's SP a shout-out! Definitely one of my faves.

I loved Sasha in the Olympics too!

 

[ines42575]

2014, because that was the first Figure Skating competition showed in my country (Uruguay), it was something that changed my life!! As I didn´t knew anything about skating I wrote the names of the skaters I liked to search them later. But going back to the competition, it was mao´s FS, Yulia´s flexibillity and Caro´s programs what made a difference to me. I also have to say I enjoyed Isadora Williams SP (she represents brazil).

 

[anyanka]

2014, because that was the first Figure Skating competition showed in my country (Uruguay), it was something that changed my life!! As I didn´t knew anything about skating I wrote the names of the skaters I liked to search them later. But going back to the competition, it was mao´s FS, Yulia´s flexibillity and Caro´s programs what made a difference to me. I also have to say I enjoyed Isadora Williams SP (she represents brazil).

So glad that it brought you to the sport. You should look up any of the final flights of skaters we mentioned. There's a TON of videos from 1994, 1998 and 2002. I think there are fewer from 2010 but Yuna, Mao, Joannie and Mirai are completely unmissable. (Rachael wasn't bad and Miki was tentative that night.)

 

[mrrice]

So glad that it brought you to the sport. You should look up any of the final flights of skaters we mentioned. There's a TON of videos from 1994, 1998 and 2002. I think there are fewer from 2010 but Yuna, Mao, Joannie and Mirai are completely unmissable. (Rachael wasn't bad and Miki was tentative that night.)

You know who else was good in 2002, Sylvia Fontana. Especially her SP. There may a ton of videos from 2002 but I haven't found Sylvia's SP. So, if someone has it, I know I'd like to see it again and hopefully other's will like it as well.

 

[anyanka]

You know who else was good in 2002, Sylvia Fontana. Especially her SP. There may a ton of videos from 2002 but I haven't found Sylvia's SP. So, if someone has it, I know I'd like to see it again and hopefully other's will like it as well.

Oh good one! Yes, thank you, will try and look

 

[mrrice]

Oh good one! Yes, thank you, will try and look

I found it. There's no KnK and they don't even show her taking her bows. So, if someone has a better copy, I'd love to see it.

Sylvia Fontana 2002 Olympic SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMJX0mVgM94

 

[anyanka]

Yuna was not right at Worlds in 2010. Amazing how with all that pressure at the Olympics Yuna was perfect but it seemed like she was just exhausted especially mentally at Worlds and it finally caught up with her. She should have just not gone and rested.

She did admit she lacked motivation at that point, but I think the KSU needed her to secure two spots for 2011W, so she felt obliged to compete.