Figure Skating Chat!- Page 10

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 1:45pm

Actually, I think Tonya's short program was skated to "Moon River".

Nancy was also an inconsistent skater. She medaled in the 92 Olympics and Worlds, but who could forget her disastrous skate at the 93 Worlds.

Kristi Yamaguchi had already turned pro by the 94 Olympics, so I doubt she'd have any reason to whack Nancy!! And lo and behold, there was a young, Michelle Kwan waiting in the wings.

[KMF_NYC]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 1:55pm

from someone who was in the arena in Detroit all week and heard the Nancy cries of "Why....Why me" -- it was heartbreaking. Kerrigan was in amazing form that year and week -- with the benefit of the 2 year wait when the Summer/Winter games shifted, NO ONE was going to beat her for the gold -- yes, Tanya is a far more athletic skater but never could match the grace that Nancy had (keep in mind these are relative comparisons). And then to see Tanya totally melt at the Olympics -- oh my....

It did change the face of skating -- and made it hugely popular -- perhaps too far and now we are experiencing the decline of interest and search for the telecast -- is it on EPSN27??? But that is what over exposure does -- and then toss in a judging scandal and the "general public" who simply can not understand the new system -- hell, I consider myself very well versed and I am having a hard time getting it...but that is another rant.

For those of you who know me -- it is no secret I am a fan of the classic and graceful skater -- the one who you knew would pull in the 5.9 and 6.0 in the old presentation marks -- the skater who has the perfect mix of athletics, grace and artistry and the total package of costume, music and character...in today's roster that's Kwan and Weir....but alas they will have o chance at winning gold this year in Turin -- Michelle is just too green and this sort of reminds me of Detroit when she was a skinny kid and burst onto the scene and we knew we were watching the future of skating....that unfortunately will not be her Turin experience...and for Weir -- no one deserves the total package gold over him -- he simply can't be beat...but the new system is forcing skaters to always think of adding points on and improving point value -- watch Weir's face when he skates...the "joy" of his expression and love for the ART of skating and letting go is gone (compare any performance to last year Nationals)...

Wow -- that just sort of came out -- thanks for listening!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 2:05pm

Thanks, KMF. I don't like the new scoring system either. I believe Michelle also said that she constantly has to think now during her program (i.e., how many revolutions in her spins, etc.). Unfortunately, some skaters have adapted quite well to the new system (i.e., Irina Slutskaya). I also think it has taken some of the suspense out of the results too (especially since I don't understand it).

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 3:30pm

Thanks Dottie. The joke about Kristi whacking Nancy would only have been true if Tonya won the 1992 Games, because if Kristi didn't win she was going to continue on to 1994. In fact, that's really what she was planning to do because she has said in interview that she, herself, didn't even think a gold was possible, and that Midori Ito was the huge favorite.

Also, Glad to see your back KMF! I miss you here!

Also, while Nancy Kerrigan wasn't a trailer park girl, her family was very much "Working Class". Her dad(like mine) is a welder and while they make good money, skating is hard to pay for. Also, I'm pretty sure(but not positive) that Vera Wang donated Nancy's dresses to her(or atleast didn't charge her what she could probably charge someone for an original dress). I know that she design Michelle Kwan's dresses for free(Michelle being someone who COULD afford them). Vera Wang, being a former skater herself, probably has invested interest in skating.

This new system is hard for me too, as I'm not sure where the artistic mark comes into play. However, I do think it is making skating more fair in the judging and that was the intent of it.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 3:37pm

How I enjoy participating on this particular thread. I learn something new every day! Only a few more days until we find out Michelle's fate.

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 3:49pm

MTVMANN-whatever. you get my drift. I think it's clear that Tonya isn't in the same socioeconomic class as the Kerrigans. I saw plenty of footage of Nancy's family, and I'm not feeling too sorry. My limited knowledge of the sport and everything connected to it suits me fine.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 3:52pm

Nicole Bobek...oh my. Now THAT is inconsistency.

As far as Tonya goes, she made her bed, so I feel no pity for her. However, I do believe she is not her biggest mistake, so I would not assume she is evil like so many do.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 3:58pm

Michelle's Fate? What are you refering too? Is that that her figuring skating test thing?

BTW, Last Year on amazon.com marketplace I bought this movie that I had seen when I was younger and it is now a Guilty Pleasure of mine!

It's called "Attack of the 5.2 Woman" and one of the stories was about Tonya!!!!!! There are SO MANY skating references, like Nancy telling Oksana "at least I have parents!" Even the way they made Oksana look was funny. Oh and remember Nancy and her bunny "Oh be bad bunny, Oh be bad bunny......"

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 3:59pm

Touch me-yes, haha Nicole. I was always on her side and routed for her. She seemed to try so hard and cried when she messed up. You could see the sheer joy on her face when she did well. I especially admired her form and I actually liked her costumes. What's with her now?

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 4:06pm

I had read a few short months ago that Bobek was shooting "All the Kings Men" with Sean Penn.

No, this is not a joke.

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 4:09pm

Ok, it's not a joke, but it's got me laughing, thanks!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 4:11pm

MTVMANN, regarding Michelle's fate, I meant, we all find out if she passes the test of the USFSA.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 4:16pm

Here is what I like about Nicole!

First of all her spirals rival Sasha Cohen's!!!!!! Yes, it was actually Nicole who could do a perfect spiral like Sasha does first!!!!!!
She had good speed, good positions in her spins and worked very well with the music! She was a real show girl! Which is way she's good at professional skating. She could also jump too! At the 1995 WC(before she fell 2 times in her LP)she landed a triple lutz-triple toe combination. She was also VERY PRETTY and always looked VERY PRETTY on the ice.

However, if you have ever read Christine Brennan's 2 skating books she documents all of Bobek's problems. How she had a HORRIBLE work ethic and took all her talent for granted, how she changed coaches MANY MANY times.

I remember how she did this Nutcracker Tour in the fall of 1995 with Todd Eldridge too(they had the same coach at the time), and how they were advised not to do it by the USFSA. Then Nicole gets an injury because of it and can not skate well at the 1996 Nationals at all and tries to petition on the world team. The committee BARELY went against Nicole and that allowed the 1996 U.S. Bronze Medalist Tara Lipinski to compete at worlds. Tara had just started skating with Richard Calahan, whom Nicole Bobek had just left. The fact that Tara competed at those 1996 Worlds(where she ended up like 15th) was the only reason she got to compete at the 1997, which she won. They changed the age rule after 1996, however skaters who were at the 1996 worlds were "grandfathered" into the other competitions until they became of age.
If just 2 people on the committee would have voted in Nicole's favor Nicole would have got to go 1996 WC, and Tara would have missed both the 1996 and 1997 WC.
Michelle won the 1996 WC and would have also won the 1997 WC, if Tara wasn't there. So with that on her record, she would have gone into the 1998 Olympics as the reining 2-time WC and Tara Lipinski would be going into her first major international event. It would have been very unlikely that Tara would have won, as Michelle skated inspired and clean at the Olympics.
Interesting to think about!!!!!!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 4:26pm

I never liked Tara Lipinski either! I have no respect for these one trick wonders (people who didn't defend their titles).

[KMF_NYC]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 4:31pm

I just about lost it when Tara "retired" at what -- 14 or 15...chicken.

I was a friend of Nicole's -- Brennan was VERY KIND in her published words...VERY KIND.....

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 4:31pm

I'm with you on that, Dottie. She sure went from star to WEHT, no?

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 4:40pm

Yeah, so if Tara was 2nd at the 1998 Olympics, which she would have been had what I said above happened.

But yeah, by 2002 her jumps might have still been around, but there is NO WAY she would have still been doing the triple loop-triple loop. Triple-doubles maybe, but no triple-triples, her hip wouldn't have let her. So that would been interesting to see what would have happened, but obviously thing worked out for her.

Also in all their interview and stuff, the Lipinski's have NEVER understood what has made Michelle so special. Not to downgrade Tara, but they always talked like Tara was on this total different level than Michelle......not true at all, unless Tara is on a lower level.

About Nicole. I didn't know about the movie, but it doesn't surprise me at all that she would dip her hand into Hollywood.
But I saw some "where are they now"thing on VH1 about Figure Skating and Nicole was on it.

on her feature
Nicole owned a VERY NICE HOUSE(think MTV cribs) and had a BEAUTIFUL blue covertable car. She also had a boutique that her mother ran and Nicole probably just popped up from time to time. She was also living her boyfriend who was a figure skater too and the two of them were working on Pairs Figure Skating, as he was a former pairs skater. They showed him lifting her, I've also read an article about the two of them in International Figure Skating Magazine. I would think they were going to do it just as professionals, but the way they made it sound was that they were actually going to try to compete as pairs. I guess that never really took off though.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 4:49pm

Between MTVMANN and KMF, I know where to go when I have figure skating questions!!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 4:53pm

Now I realize why I can't stand Meredith Viera. It was during the 98 Olympics and I avoided the news as to not find out what happened during the ladies competition and she blurted the results out on The View (on purpose I think because the event was being telecast on NBC that evening).

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 5:11pm

Gee I hope Plushenko's in the olympics.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 6:55pm

KMF, you knew Nicole and Brennan was being kind......my she must have really been a wild one! No wonder coaches didn't want her. I kept thinking, "Gee if they would stick it out, She'll probably take them all the way to the Olympics."

Jane2, I sure that Plushenko will be in the Olympics. He just won the European Championships, and although he was sick and fell to the ice when he finished his program, I'm sure he'll be there. Come to think of it, It seems like at every major competition, they talk about how Plushenko is either sick or injured and he usually always competes and competes well, so it will take a lot of knock him down. The one exception being last years WC, when he withdrew after the SP. Because he withdrew Russia will only get 2 spots for Men at these Olympics, but Plushenko will get one :)

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/24/06 at 9:17pm

I didn't know he fell to the ice. I guess I didn't see that performance, damn!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/27/06 at 6:43pm

Michele Kwan has been deemed healthy enough to participate in the Olympics.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 1/27/06 at 7:55pm

I just watched Michelle's press conference. She landed 4 triples in her long and her elements were 3 and 4s.

If her layout, as reported in the press, is correct, it looks like she is backloading her programs ala Mao Asada, which is pretty smart under the new COP.

Glad to see her get to go. I was a volunteer at 2003 Worlds and she was, by far, one of the sweetest and down to earth skaters- not to mention an amazing competitor and artist to boot.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 4:16am

I'm so glad that I found this thread!

Here is a detailed report of Kwan's test skate:

http://www.usocpressbox.org/

I'm so glad that you guys didn't think there was a big controversy regarding Kwan's petition which seems to show that it's not really a big deal outside figure skating fan circles.

I think Kwan can and will adapt to the new COP. I know a lot of people are counting her out right now and think she'll have to fight to even medal, which may be true because this field is sooo deep, but I don't think a gold medal is out of the question for Kwan.