The Ridiculous Gold Medal Reputation

[songdove]

Let me first say that I absolutely love Kristi Yamaguchi. But, I just watched her long program at the 1992 Olympics and she fell and didn't exactly skate a clean program. Michelle's long program at Nagano, however, was beyond clean, it was brilliant. The non-educated skating fan would simply hear that Yamaguchi won gold and Michelle never did. It is just insane to think that Michelle will be remembered by some people as having never won gold even though she definitely skating gold worthy.

[lavender]

I don't go down that road anymore. It's like I'm numb to it all.

[Kabooke]

Let me first say that I absolutely love Kristi Yamaguchi. But, I just watched her long program at the 1992 Olympics and she fell and didn't exactly skate a clean program. Michelle's long program at Nagano, however, was beyond clean, it was brilliant. The non-educated skating fan would simply hear that Yamaguchi won gold and Michelle never did. It is just insane to think that Michelle will be remembered by some people as having never won gold even though she definitely skating gold worthy.

I know.

Before I really got into skating I thought the same and
I think many layman still do as well.

I had always assumed that those like Peggy Flemming, Scott Hamilton,
Kristi Yamaguchi, ect...because of their reputations as OGM's that they skates perfectly at the Olympics only to find out that wasn't the case.

Michelle in all she has done and accomplished trumps all of
these skaters but because of this notion, many will just
remeber Michelle never won gold.

However, in her longevity and excellence I think she has been the 1st
to really put a dent in this layman mentality.

[tim]

With all the talk over the last year about everyone's supposed technical superiority over Michelle, and all the talk about the necessity to have a triple/triple or triple/double/double combo in a program, I have just one comment.

Did any medal winner at the Olympics complete a Triple/Triple? No, not one of them. If fact did any of them complete the 7 triples that Michelle has always completed in her programs? No, not one.

I don't believe any of the winning performances at the olympics were any better or even as good as Michelle's past performances....

I for one firmly believe that had Michelle been healthy, she would have easily won the gold at the Olympics.

[rubyred]

I finally learned that the best, most competent skater often doesn't win at the Olympics.

[Vinthekwanfan]

I finally learned that the best, most competent skater often doesn't win at the Olympics.

Case in point, Nancy at 1994 Olympics (again as much as I preferred Oksana artistically, the technical marks should have buoyed Nancy higher, and artistically she wasn't that far from Oksana).

Torvill and Dean (the second most blatant Eastern-vs.-Western example at these Games).

Michelle 1998 (it's not a matter of who landed the most 3/3s, it's who skated with more elegant and heartfelt artistic merit. Tara was good but she skated like an ebullient kid to Michelle's rapturous joy.)

Liz Manley '88,

Brian Orser '84 (i love Scott Hamilton, but his LP was marred with 2 blatant popped jumps, one of them an axel, that add to that Orser's technically clean and artistically superior LP and SP, were it not for compulsories, Orser would have had it in a bag)

[tim]

The same thing applies to Linda Fratiane in 1980. She outskated everyone in SP and LP. But, couldn't make up the ground lost in school figures....

[attyfan]

IMO, there are a lot of skaters who don't get gold, who are still recognized as legends -- such as Janet Lynn and Kurt Browning. I actually wonder which list would be longer -- skaters who don't have gold but who are legends, as opposed to the skaters who do have gold, but are not legends (Trixie Schuba, maybe?)

[Kwan Class Grace]

I'd add Paul Wylie to the list--probably my favorite male skater, who won the silver in Albertville.

I have always thought it would make great TV to put a bunch of the silver medalists (maybe bronze too) in a skating special. No gold medalists allowed! Because it does often seem like the luckiest person wins the gold, or the politically positioned one--not the best skater.

Eh, it'll probably never happen...but it would be great!

[malina]

i know if michelle wins in nagano it's another brilliant skate. but she lost so they say she held back. held back my a**!

[michelle2006]

Michelle hasnt won-niether has Irina, Sasha, ect.....its OK. I really have issues with this topic-too many painful memories.

This seasonw as rediculous. What is she being punished for?

[rosiekins]

The non-educated skating fan would simply hear that Yamaguchi won gold and Michelle never did.

That's very true. I didn't see the '92 Olympics (I was only 6 and didn't care), but from the way Kristi's win was pumped up by the media, I always figured that she must have skated flawlessly. I had no idea that she had fallen. It really puts things in a whole other perspective!

[TJ25]

I absolutely love Krisit Yamaguchi too. She is the first skater that caught my attention back in 1991 when I was 10 with her amazing Samson and Delilah program. I remember watching the 1992 Olympics and seeing each ladies skater, one after the other fall all over the place. At least Kristi was the best of the field and was the clear winner.

In 1994 I was so pulling for Nancy, but we all know how that turned out.

In 1998 and 2002 I thought that the judges made the wrong decision. IMO the best skater (Michelle, of course) should have won because she was first in the short and skated well enough in the long to be help up, but oh well.

The Olympics have sadly more and more become about who's the last one standing or who had one lucky night. For me the Olympics have never been so magical or grand or special and does not live up to the hype.

[eventerbess]

Todd Eldridge could go in this category.

[Skatekwan6]

Even though Kristi fell, she skated well. She did a perfect triple lutz/triple toe. As much as we believe that the Olympics are just another competition, they do a number on skater's nerves, and handling the pressure says something about the competitive nature of the athletes. So if someone wins, it not only means they had the highest scores, it also means they were able to handle the pressure of the Olympics. And it's not just the winners...nothing cmpares to the pride and RELIEF I felt when Michelle finished her long program in Nagano.

[WorldsGreatestMK]

Always remember you are not judged by the color medal you get, it's the person inside which counts. and Michelle handled both defeats very well.

[JazDFW]

I think gold or no gold, most every american in their right mind who is not knowledgeable of figure skating can at least recognize who Michelle Kwan is. I don't think one can say that of the last 3 olympic champions. That name recognition itself already makes Michelle an icon in figure skating, nevermind her amazing resume of wins. Everyone knows she's won everything but...and so she is no one-hit wonder or an "i came, i won, i ran" type.
So, my point is in case you haven't figured it out, most americans aren't going to go around saying "but she didn't win olympic gold". They'll just say Michelle the champion figure skater or Michelle the skating star or just "Michelle Kwan" for who she is, inside and outside of skating.

[songdove]

So, my point is in case you haven't figured it out, most americans aren't going to go around saying "but she didn't win olympic gold". They'll just say Michelle the champion figure skater or Michelle the skating star or just "Michelle Kwan" for who she is, inside and outside of skating.

There's no reason for your blatant sarcasm because you have a differing opinion than my own. I can say with certainty that I have talked to several non-skating fans about Michelle Kwan and they are parrots of the media, the only place where they get their skating perspective. And yes, it has come up probably on each one of those occassions that she never won gold.

[amielou]

OTOH, I know people who think she did win it. A parent saw my calendar in my classroom recently and said it's too bad she missed her chance to win the Olympics for the third time. She wasn't the first person I've heard who knows next to nothing about skating and assumes Michelle won at least once.

And I never correct these people!!

[Libby96]

OTOH, I know people who think she did win it. A parent saw my calendar in my classroom recently and said it's too bad she missed her chance to win the Olympics for the third time. She wasn't the first person I've heard who knows next to nothing about skating and assumes Michelle won at least once.

And I never correct these people!!

Good for you! Why bother to correct them? The general public equates the OGM with being "the best." We all know that even without that darned medal, MK is "simply the best."

[JazDFW]

There's no reason for your blatant sarcasm because you have a differing opinion than my own.

Geez Louise, in no way was i directing my comment to you or anyone in particular. I was just saying what i thought.

[lavender]

I don't correct people anymore.

[skateworlds1]

Even though Kristi fell, she skated well. She did a perfect triple lutz/triple toe. As much as we believe that the Olympics are just another competition, they do a number on skater's nerves, and handling the pressure says something about the competitive nature of the athletes. So if someone wins, it not only means they had the highest scores, it also means they were able to handle the pressure of the Olympics. And it's not just the winners...nothing cmpares to the pride and RELIEF I felt when Michelle finished her long program in Nagano. Even though I was a Midori fan totally, I think your post has a lot of merit Skatekwan, ITA.