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<&lt;pooh&gt;>
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I am soooo SAD for Michelle Kwan. I wanted her to win so badly because she has done so much for figure skating and had every title except the Olympics. When I saw the exhibition skate and she did that song, Fields of Gold (where is that song from ... think Sting sang it originally. I'd like to get the version she sings to, does any body know the singer?), it made me cry even more.

I know Sarah skated her best and was the best skater that night, but she is still developing, whereas when Michelle skates, she has so many beautiful lines and interprets the music so beautifully. I guess it just shows you how much pressure it can be to be the favorite.

It's so sad. [Frown]
<&lt;jpelg&gt;>
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Why is this sad?

So many times, both here in the ballroom world, and in the skating world, we malign judges for giving results based on a competitors past performances. For example, was getting pretty tired of the NBC female commentator constantly referencing the fact the Sasha Cohen did not have any previous world-level competitive experience. All this despite her awesome, world-class performances at the Olympics. Yeah, well she almost blew the doors off of most of the other competitors this week, and certainly gave them a serious run for their money. But hey, I guess I like to root for the underdog.

Come on! This is a sport. Or at least we try to call it that. If the judges had not given those results, there would clearly be favoritism beyond what was skated that night. Sarah deserved the top markings in the long program, which by the scoring percentages, gave her the gold medal. She did not make one mistake in her program, hitting all of her jumps. Michelle did not. She choked on the night. Simple as that, which is how it should be. And after the earlier controversies (and lackluster performances, IMHO) that week, thank goodness. Many, many congrats to Sarah. BTW, did anyone else catch the look on Peggy Flemming's face when the camera panned to her in the stands as the final scoring was announced? Priceless!

I also do not see how Michelle has come to deserve all the personal accolades she has gotten over the past few years, either. She has done very little on her own to endear herself to the public. And unlike her predecessors like Peggy, Dorothy, and Kristi, she does not have the natural personality to have done so either. Not that this is her fault. She was so young when she was thrust on the world scene, and is still quite young. She has struggled to find her own personality throughout these growing years, and that has led her to some not-so-politically-correct decisions. I have never seen her do an interview that was more than the obligatory responses that I could have written for her. She is no great personality or humanitarian. In my eyes, it has always been the announcers and commentators that have bestowed such personal accolades. Why do they do this? But I digress.

Anyway, no sadness here. Now, if only ballroom coaches were not allowed to judge competitions...



Championship
Registered:: 12-19-2000
Posts: 1328
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I'm a long-time fan of Michelle Kwan's and although it's sad that she is jinxed at the Olympics, I certainly think the result was warranted. Although she can skate so much better, and even had a triple-triple combination at one point, she seemed slow and fell on that triple flip jump. On the night of the long program, she just didn't pull out a winning performance. She's got four World Championship titles at this point. so it's not like like her career was a waste.

I also feel a little badly for Irina Slutskaya, who all year has been considered to be Kwan's biggest rival. Slutskaya did not skate her long program as well as she could have, either. I think that if she had skated it as well as she did her short, the combination of the two would have won it all for her.

What is "sad", as jpelg asks, isn't that these two women didn't win gold medals, but that neither of them showed their skating off to the best of their ability. But as everyone who has ever competed knows, sometimes you just can't get it together.

Sarah Hughes put together two performances that were good enough to come in first place. And her long program had what it took to be a winner: clean, skated with speed and energy throughout, high technical content, good presentation.

In all, I can't quibble about the result, and was very suprised when the Russian's filed a protest saying that Slutskaya should have won the gold. I think that was just 'payback' for the whole pairs debacle.

Laura
Championship
Registered:: 07-11-2001
Posts: 3144
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It's called "sour grapes." Their threat to pull out of the Winter Games and not attend the next Summer Games: "I'm going home and I'm taking my toys with me! Waah, waah, waah!"



<&lt;a fan&gt;>
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I too was very sad when Michelle didn't win the gold. However, this doesn't mean I think she should have won - given the performances that night. I have no argument with the judging.

The disappointment I think comes from the fact that I think on a night where everyone skated their best, she could have won. And I have loved watching her over the years.

[that sasha cohen is something to watch!]
<&lt;figureskatingfan&gt;>
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I was disappointed in the long programs of the ladies figure skating. If Michelle, Irina, and Sasha had skated their programs without hesitation and mistakes, Sarah would never have won. The judges left plenty of room over her scores for any one of the other three to win. Sarah was just the one who didn't choke. That does not mean that she is the BEST. I was impressed by Sasha Cohen in the short program, as were the judges.



<&lt;jpelg&gt;>
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If Michelle, Irina, and Sasha had skated their programs without hesitation and mistakes, Sarah would never have won

"If wishes were horses..." How can anyone EVER truly know what an athlete is POTENTIALLY capable of? So many factors, so little time. In the end it does not matter. Sarah scored the best on the night, and that is all that matters. That DOES mean she is the best. The best on the night. What else can an athlete do? Tomorrow is anther day and another competition, and who knows what can happen? But for the '02 Winter Olympics it was Sarah Hughes that was the best. If each of you danced in competition as well as your best practice sessions I am sure we would all see different results, no?

I too was very impressed with Sasha Cohen. I hated that she was constantly dissed for her newcomer status despite a great short program. She has talent & poise far beyond her years (age and experience). Lookout world! Had she skated to HER potential in the long program, who knows...But four minutes of skating is a LONG time. I was never more aware of that than this year. I was exhausted just watching all the performances. I cannot imagine how physically and mentally taxing the long program is. It really showed on many of the competitors including Michelle and Irina.

BTW, why aren't these threads in the "Skating" part of the forum?
<&lt;oscar&gt;>
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Did any of you think that Robin Wagner (Sarah Hughes's coach) made a fool of herself after Sarah skated and then eventually won? On another board, someone remrked that she performed the classic ballet 'The Dying Coach'. Hope ballroom dancing coaches never begin acting like that! Just picture it...at the USBC...a coach screaming 'I Love You" and then falling to the floor screaming, yelling, hugging, Ridiculous!



<&lt;Mr.Z&gt;>
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quote:
Originally posted by <oscar>:
Did any of you think that Robin Wagner (Sarah Hughes's coach) made a fool of herself after Sarah skated and then eventually won? On another board, someone remrked that she performed the classic ballet 'The Dying Coach'. Hope ballroom dancing coaches never begin acting like that! Just picture it...at the USBC...a coach screaming 'I Love You" and then falling to the floor screaming, yelling, hugging, Ridiculous!

We are all humans (at least most of us). [Smile]
Championship
Registered:: 07-11-2001
Posts: 3144
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quote:
Originally posted by <oscar>:
Did any of you think that Robin Wagner (Sarah Hughes's coach) made a fool of herself after Sarah skated and then eventually won? On another board, someone remrked that she performed the classic ballet 'The Dying Coach'. Hope ballroom dancing coaches never begin acting like that! Just picture it...at the USBC...a coach screaming 'I Love You" and then falling to the floor screaming, yelling, hugging, Ridiculous!

Puhleeze! Hughes skated 2nd in the last half-dozen, and all of the top 3 skaters (I keep wanting to say "dancers") had yet to skate. Her performance was the best up to that point in the evening. It was probably the best performance of her life, all of which her coach had probably seen. Don't you think Wagner would know that Hughes had just skated the best she'd ever done, and that up to that point she'd been the best skater of the evening? Give her a break for being happy for her student and hoping she could move up in the standings. I'm sure at that point she wasn't thinking gold was likely; she probably was just hoping for a bronze or silver.



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