Another Figure Skating Felon? - Move over Tonya- Page 2

[Liverpool]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 9:20am

I had a blurb in the National Enquirer during the whole lead up to the Tonya Harding olympics.

[LaurenB]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 11:47am

"That is scary ..... has there EVER been a flattering mug shot?"

Tom DeLay, best mug shot ever. Lesson - smile for the camera!

Speaking of bad boy Christopher Bomman, the link below shows how wonderfully he skated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMRW1HmNiVI

Compulsory figures - I think it's a shame to have eliminated them. The younger skaters do not have a mastery of edge conrol, imo. However they will never be brought back, sadly. Rink owners couldn't wait to have them eliminated, as they couldn't make enough money on patch time.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 11:56am

The compulsories (the "figures" of figure skating) may have added another layer to nationalist cheating, which was a WAY bigger deal back during the cold war...but that isnt a reason to get rid of them...why not then get rid of the free dance or short program?

I remember watching the compulsory part of the competitions back then and there was no talk of impropriety. Easter block skaters were just MUCH better than the westerners. The only controversy was that Americans didnt practice them enough and USSR skaters did them ad nauseum and if they didnt were sent to the gulag. It never seemed biased in the judging tho.

[LaurenB]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 12:19pm

There were suggestions about bringing back the figures as a separate event. You know, if swimming can have race after race after race, with different strokes, different lengths, relay teams, and medleys, then surely there should be room for real "figure" skating. I hate the new scoring system.

[lusciouslace]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 6:02pm

I just thinking about Nicole a few months ago...wondering what happened to her. Now we know. That's awful.

As for her bad girl stuff, I do remember when I was younger hearing a story on the news that she and some other people got in trouble for trashing a house and major vandalism. I think it might have been local to Chicago, since it was on the Chicago news. Can't remember the details.

I really liked her though back in the day.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 8:26pm

The vandalism was related to her breaking into the house of another skater just before Nationals when she was training with Richard Callaghan in Michigan.

To anyone who has followed skating, this is not really an extreme surprise that she got herself into a little trouble though I never thought it would end up quite this bad. I did love her spiral though, but was not a thrilled person when she made the '98 Olympics over a duller yet more consistent, hard working skater.

Updated On: 7/9/09 at 08:26 PM

[Liverpool]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 8:33pm

Nicole Bobek made the olympics? When?

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 8:48pm

1998 with Michelle Kwan and Tara Lipinski. She had a dismal go at it though.

[Liverpool]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 8:50pm

Oh, well thats why i don't remember her, it was the the year that Lipinski screwed Kwan (who was such a sweet girl)

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 8:52pm

Liverpool, I totally agree with you on that assessment.

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 8:54pm

I tried but was not able to be a Tara Lipinski fan.

[Liverpool]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 8:56pm

Its hard to root for the girl that looks like a chimp.

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 9:04pm

yeah, she looks like Howdy Doody.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 9:13pm

Unfortunately Tara had a better performance when she needed it. I was bummed that Michele didn't win in '98, but her long program was so flat. I respect Michele because she came back year after year to defend her titles, where as Tara and Sarah Hughes quit before they attempted to do that.

[Liverpool]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 9:14pm

I was able to get behind Sarah Hughes, but i NEVER liked Tara Lipinski.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 9:19pm

Sarah had an amazing long program (I won't take that away from her), and Michele just wasn't on her game that night. I never liked Tara either.

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 9:19pm

Talk about Sarah Hughes, she was fine but her sister! oy vey. Sorry, but I thought Emily was like a bison on the ice. Very heavy on her skates and not graceful.

I'm liking that Flatt girl these days!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 9:25pm

Jane2, I love Rachel Flatt and a couple of the other up and coming US skaters. She (Rachel) is very understated.

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 9:38pm

Dottie, I remember the night they all started their competitive careers, and you and I posted that we liked Rachel and a couple of the other girls right off the bat.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 9:48pm

That we did!! I will say though I'm very disappointed in Alysa Czyzny (sp?). She has an elegant quality to her skating, but she's just too inconsistent.

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 10:05pm

yes, she was one of my favorites also. It's weird how some of the most brilliant skaters are inconsistent. Alicia, Sasha Cohen, Nicole Bobek.

I remember that early in his career, Johnny Weir was extremely inconsistent. He really did a great job of getting it together!

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 10:17pm

I was not a Lipinski fan by any stretch, but she physically couldn't defend her titles. Her hip was virtually gone.

And Johnny Weir is far from the model of consistency today but I agree with those who think Flatt has a future. I like Zhang's artistry but her technique is scary.

[Jane2]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 10:32pm

"And Johnny Weir is far from the model of consistency today "

the model-maybe not, but the long list of titles he's won is nothing to sneeze at and I'm proud of him for his progress.

What I was getting at was how far he's come from the days of careening into walls and crying all the time.

[Liverpool]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 10:35pm

Weir has such a terrible attitude.

[supportivemom]

Posted: 7/9/09 at 10:52pm

I loathed Tara Lipinski1 LOATHED HER! My favorite Will and Grace episode is when Grace and Jack bonded over their love for Michell Kwan and Surya Bonali- hilarious! I used to like Jenny Kirk- she was lovely!