Figure Skating
 

Way, way, way irrelevant, but is anyone here into figure skating? And by that I mean watching it on TV ;)
I am a big fan but I hardly ever find people who really enjoy watching it. Yesterday was the final day of the European Championships and needless to say, all four events were won by Russians. That's generally fine by me, but not when the victories are not well-deserved *cough* ice-dancing*cough

Anyway, looking forward to the Winter Olympics :woohoo:

i love to watch figure skating & can't wait for the olympics to start!!!~

I like pairs and women's. The men and ice dancers are a bore.

As a child, I was obsessed with figure skating. I still enjoy it, but don't follow it as much as I used to. I will watch the Olympics, though.

I LOVE watching figure skating, especially the Olympics. I prefer the women's competition, but I watch them all. The exhibition skates at the end are always awesome.

I'll be watching men's skating this year, to cheer on my Johnny Weir to gold! Such a queen, that boy...I love him!

What are you talking about? He's the "straightest" guy I've seen since I went to the Arnold Scwarzenegger fan club gathering last year.;) :lol:

I'm not bothered by Michelle Kwan making it at all btw. She's still going to have to prove that she can skate effectively at some kind of "Test" soming up in front of some kind of comittee. If she cant perform up to snuff then, she's already said she wont compete. Plus, the girl she'd be bumping off the team, Sarah Hughes sister, is only 16, so she'el have plenty of chances to make it in the future. Michelle's earned at least the right to see if she can compete in my opinion.:nod:

I love figure skating, and am looking forward to the olympics. So happy Michelle Kwan is going, she deserves it, and I am hoping she gives a great skate at the olympics. Also am loving Tanith and Ben this year for US ice dance :) As for the men I am hoping for Plushenko to take the gold and as for pairs Shen and Zhou (sp?).

I am, or better I was, especially when Klimova - Ponomarenko where still on the ice. I haven't followed the European Championship but Russians' style is always my favourite, so I'm happy they won all the categories. Did they have a common trainer? Tarassova? Tchaikovskaya? Mishin?

Romy

Figure skating is probably the only sport I do watch. I love it. I have always dreamed of being a figure skater. Sadly, I can't even stand on the ice in skates. I think the good ones are just so graceful and it looks so wonderful. Sigh.

I love watching it. I tried ice skating once. Was on my rump most of the time:lol: I tried skiing too and I could only do cross-country skiing. I guess I need to just stay on the ground without snow or ice.

Did anyone see Tai Babilonia wearing a Stevie cresent necklace the other evening on Access Hollywood or ET show? Can't remember which entertainment show. I believe she wears the necklace all the time and she is on the Celeb Skating show. Is nice to see Dorothy Hamill as one of the judges. She is one of my favorite skaters. I am happy that Michelle Kwan will be going to the Olympics soon. I think she has proved herself over the years that she deserves to go.

Yes, I've always liked figure skating though I've only been on ice skates once in my entire life & found it kind of challenging. I always watch skating on TV when I can & always watch the Winter Olympics as I especially like the figure skating. I like to watch the pairs & women mostly. Personally I think Michelle Kwan has had her day in the sun, & she should let the up & coming skaters have a shot at it. And I'm pulling for Sasha Cohen to get the gold & Kimmie Meissner for silver. :nod:

Lee :)

I've been watching that show, but was afraid to mention Tai wearing the crescent moon for fear of looking a wee bit too obssessed. :shrug: Anyway, she's been wearing it non-stop.

I sure did. She skates beautifully.

Mishin is still Plushenko's trainer I think. Tarassova coaches some other skaters, not necessarily Russian. And on ice-dancing, Navka & Kostomarov have Alexander Zhulin (Navka's husband).

I don't mind the Russians, but I have read articles stating that their marks are sometimes inflated and they always get higher points than the next skater even if they don't do well, just because the Russian Team federation or whatever is very strong.
Personally I am a huge Stephane Lambiel fan. He's very artistic and seems like a nice kid. I don't care much for Plushenko, I think he's nothing next to what Yagudin was (anyone who has caught his Exhbition program on the 2002 Olympics will know what I mean). But still, he deserves the golds *sigh*.
As for ice-dancing, I really don't get the Navka/Kostomarov thing. Ok, they look good, but they 're very boring and predictable compared to let's say, Denvoka/Staviyski (I am HUGE fan) or the newer french team Delobel/Schoenfelder.

Ok I know I'm going to F**K up the spelling on this one but what happened to Gordeeva after her husband and partner died on the ice? I know she had that perfume thing for awhile.

Katia is now happily married to fellow Olympic Champion Ilia Kulik. Together, they are raising two daughters, Daria Grinkova and Elizaveta Kulik. She still visits her family’s dacha in Moscow, which she considers her hometown. Katia continues to thrill a legion of fans, both young and old alike, that have come to embrace the angelic artistry that she embodies as a solo performer.

http://2005.starsonice.com/cast/cast....asp?CastID=85

Sounds like she is a very happy wife, mother and is still has a great career. Daria is her daughter with Sergei Grinkov.

I don't think it's true, but they usually set the basis of the predominant style especially in Europe, so their exhibitions often are the most compelling, and find a mesmerizing balance between the technical and the emotional side.
I haven't followed with a big interest the last seasons so I haven't really favourites at the moment. Honestly Plushenko is great, really cold sometimes but I don't see others who can top him. I agree on Navka-Kostomarov, they're boring but Zhulin has been able to give them that touch of unpalpable class that he had with Maya Usova. Their exhibition on Vivaldi's Summer was unforgettable (even if Klimova - Ponomarenko were still the best:nod: ).

Romy

Good. I'm glad she's happy. She seemed like a very nice person.:nod:

Yeah, and it was such a sad story...

@Serrart: Maybe I am overreacting with Navka&Kostomarov, I don't think they're bad, but it's just not what I expect to see in an ice-dance competition. I just prefer the Bulgarians, who, by the way, I hope will take part in the Olympics - though it doesn't seem likely.

By the way, the other day I watched again for the first time in ages, Torvill&Dean' Bolero (1984 Olympics). It seemed too easy in comparison to today's programs (not so difficult lifts etc), but still, I was like :shocked: WOW- what a beautiful thing to watch. The only thing that can make me so emotional is (now I don't know if anyone remembers that) a couple of years ago, the chinese pair Shen&Zao (sp) skating a flawless program to Turandot. Honestly, I still cry every single time I happen to watch it.

If you have the chance,watch Duchesnays' long program at the World Chamionship in 1991 on Morricone's music (they were trained by Dean who was also Isabelle Duchesnay's husband) and Klimova Ponomarenko's program on Bach's music at Albertville 1992. They took my breath away.

Romy

Thanx for the suggestions!
Maybe I 'll try on the internet? And by the way, is there a site where I can find old footage, like the ones you mentioned? My fiance found Torvill&Dean (after years and years of me talking about it!), but other than that, I don't know.

Just few days ago I discovered this place
http://fsvids.9.forumer.com/
where ice skating fans can upload and download the videos of their favourite artists, it's really amazing and the reposts are almost non stop. You can find a lot of great footage here. About Duchesnay and Klimova - Ponomarenko (Unfortunately I have them only on vhs) I've just posted the requests in their threads. Hopefully they will appear soon. As soon as someone uploads them again I'll let you know.


Edit: that site is incredible, they already posted both:
Here are Paul & Isabelle Duchesnay:
http://s54.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1...Q13FFEN63RW73Y

Okay, a little explanation maybe is needed to understand better what they did. Here there is the 1990 World Championship program, called Missing (it's dedicated to desaparecidos in South America), and skated on Morricone's soundtrack for Mission. What they did was a real revolution in ice dance. Technically they weren't perfect as the Russians and they broke several rules so couldn't win the golden medal. BUt even being a big Klimova-Ponomarenko fan as I am, it was clear they deserved it for the emotions, the vitality and the modernity they brought thanks to Christopher Dean choreography and stunning vision. A year later at the world championship they presented Missing II, and since some rules had been changed in the meanwhile this time they won, but it was becoming clear their limit, the inability to change from a scheme. My Russians obviously were crashed by arriving second and risked to split. But luckily they decided to say goodbye to Dubova and took Tarassova as trainer. She was able to fuse the Duchesnay's novelty elements (they're very present in the Bach program) with a renewed harmony and close to perfection technique (besides the incredible intensity, that they had never reached at that peak before, their skating at the Olympic Games was mesmerizing, totally new also for the velocity and the incredible number of steps and their velocity), so Marina and Sergei's revenge took place at Albertville on Bach's Toccata and Fugue. :thumbsup: :
http://s52.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1...O2FUTA0ASBET6P

They've been able to win the golden medal in Duchesnay kingdom with this. You can feel the change of mood in the public from the start to the final. It still gives me the same deep emotion (at the time I started jumping around when they won )... incredible.

Gotta love Ice skating
Romy

I don't think I've ever seen the '84 performance in full. I do have the later Bolero, they did it again for the exhibition skate in 92? 96? I can't remember. All I know is that it made me cry.

They came back at 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer and won bronze. They were still a great couple but the medal wasn't really deserved, IMO.

Romy

@Serrart: thank you so much! I will check it out when I get home, cause I just read your message and I am at work :distress:

As to Bolero: I think I have only watched the original performance but I guess it should not be any different than the exhibitions. Maybe a bit more emotional because it was the Olympics and all.
It disturbs me somehow to watch other couples doing Bolero - I know it shouldn't, but still, noone will ever live up to Torvill/Dean's program. Denkova herself (from Denkova/Staviyski) once said that they don't feel ready to do this particular piece of music and they may try in the future when they'll be more mature. Now that I would love to see...

Michelle Kwan made it!:thumbsup: ANd it sounds like she really did well in front of that skating committee.

I totally understand, and in fact one couple has to feel really ready to cope with that parcticular music, given the Torvill/Dean perfomance. By the way, I've decided to look with moe attention to thiese Olympic Games, hope to find a couple to really look at.

Romy

Did anyone watch last night? I was horrified when the Chinese skater fell, I swear her knee went sideways. :eek:

I agree that the Russian couple deserved the gold, but in general I was not that impressed this year. I'm holding out for the ladies and ice dancing to wow me.

OH! Does anyone else HATE the Olympic TV coverage? I can't stand when they keep skipping around. 1 hour of skating, then pop over to snowboarding for 20 minutes, then curling - wth! I can't keep up, not to mention that they're not even showing all of the medal winners' performances. I missed the other Chinese pair's skate & they won the bronze - did I miss it, or did they just not show it? :shrug: Oh well, I'll just keep checking the Canadian station.

That was one of the worst falls I've seen in skating. I was really glad they finished their program and ended up taking the silver.

Like you, I was underwhelmed, however.

Hope the women are good. Go Sasha Cohen!

They did show the other Chinese pair, the bronze medal winners, but they showed them very early. I agree with you about the coverage. I haven't liked it at all this time.

Kwan News
 

:( For those who follow it's probably not breaking news, but Michelle Kwan has withdrawn due to injuring her groin again in practice on Saturday, she took a bad fall, and called the team doctor that night, the next morning she withdrew, citing she respected the Olympics to much to compete when she can't be 100%. Emily Hughes will be taking her place. As for retirment it has not been confirmed...Kwan is leaving and heading back home so "she will not be a distraction."

A class act if I have ever seen one, I soooo wanted the storybook ending for her, but even in her press conference she noted it's not about the gold, and she is okay if she never wins it. It makes me sad to think this is how her career might end...

Here's the deal for me. Yeah it wouldve been nice to win gold, but she does have 2 olympic medals. For me, winning a silver or bronze at the olympics is different than say losing in the super bowl, where nobody remembers you. Winning a medal, and in Michell's case 2, is something to be EXTREMELY proud of. To me, her not winning gold is no big deal.

DavidMn: I completely agree with you, for me I don't care if she doesn't have the olympic gold medal, she is the best skater I will ever know and has moved me more then any other:) Of course like you said it's not like her resume is laking, 2 olympic medals 5 world golds and 9 national titles, not too shabby:thumbsup:

Look at it this way too, when she didnt win the gold in Nagano and Salt Lake City, it's not like she had a major ****up and fell on her ass a bunch of times, she just happened to get outskated. There's no shame in that.

Johnny Weir is second too after the short program. I'd love to see him win gold for the USA, but Plushenko looks insurmountable at this point.

SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING SPOILER WARNING












I've just seen Plushenko and he was indeed on another planet. Weir chickened out, tried to go safe for the medal cutting out many difficult passages but judges can't stand who do that and in fact he went out of the podium. I can't say I'm really disappointed he isn't really an exciting skater.

Romy

Really? so Weir didnt get a medal huh?

Ummmmmm, Romy? Can you warn us when you're going to post a spoiler next time? We won't get to see this in the U.S. until tonight - not that I need to bother watching it now...:p