Asada, Kim and MK/IS School of Rivalry

[attyfan]

Here is a video of Mao and Yu-Na. It is clear to me what school they attended in learning how to conduct an international rivalry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13_OLAcZLsc

[kwanette]

Here is a video of Mao and Yu-Na. It is clear to me what school they attended in learning how to conduct an international rivalry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13_OLAcZLsc

That's cute..

I noticed their friendliness when I watched the GPF medal ceremony..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z90VgO9OxCQ

[Sebastian]

They're so girlie...they look like two teenagers, not the two best skaters in the world...but they are.

[shellyfan]

They're so girlie...they look like two teenagers, not the two best skaters in the world...but they are.
They are both!! ;)

[MyTonyaMyMichelle]

Not quite like Kat and Deb, is it? ;)

[bekalc]

Here is a video of Mao and Yu-Na. It is clear to me what school they attended in learning how to conduct an international rivalry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13_OLAcZLsc

Well, Yu-na's coach is Brian Orser. The Battle of the Brians was always a friendly rivalry..The two Brians are long time friends. I remember in an interview they both said at the time, that they want to show the world that you can be rivals, and not act like Katerina and Thomas (You don't have to hate each other)

Orser said in an interview that his rivalry with Botiono was always a good thing for his skating, and he thinks that Yu-na's rivarly with Mao is a good thing for her skating to. Mao even said that having a rivalry is good because they push each other to be better. He said whenever he didn't feel like practicing, he always would think "what is Brian doing" Kurt Browning has said similar thing about Victor Petrekno and now Victor made him into a better skater. (It surely forced Browning to work on his artistry.)

Honestly as well, I think that probably both Mao and Yu-na probably don't get a lot of opportunities to make friends their own age. They both live in foreign countries, they don't attend school etc. Mao has remarked on many occassions how Yu-na is "my age." When you think about it, they have a lot in common.

In Katerina Witt's defense, from what I understand her handlers didn't exactly encourage the idea of her being friendly with other skaters. Katerina though was always very sportsmanlike when she lost (the few times that happened) unlike I hate to say it, Debbie Thomas. I think that Debbie's most embarrassing moment was not how she skated her Olympic long program, but how she acted on the podium afterwards.

[kittyjake5]

Honestly as well, I think that probably both Mao and Yu-na probably don't get a lot of opportunities to make friends their own age. They both live in foreign countries, they don't attend school etc. Mao has remarked on many occassions how Yu-na is "my age." When you think about it, they have a lot in common.


That is so true. Now if the bickering fans could see it that way.:)

[iceman]

Gee, I never knew that about Debbie and never would have suspected it. Disappointing.

[bekalc]

Gee, I never knew that about Debbie and never would have suspected it. Disappointing.

In fairness to Debbie, she did make a show of congratulating Witt and the other medalists at that year's worlds. So she did realize that her behavior (not congratulating Witt) wasn't right and did try to make it right.
She said that she was just so upset about her performance that she wasn't really thinking straight. Still her Olympic podium behavior wasn't good a thing, and I still feel if there's one thing she should really regret, it's that.

[MyTonyaMyMichelle]

Well, in fairness to Debbie, Katarina had her own bag of tricks "behind the scenes". And if she really hated Katarina, I have more respect for her for doing it the way she did rather than being fake and acting like her and Katarina are best friends.
And remember it was still during the Cold War days. Debbie was West, Kat was East.
I like both skaters, but I don't expect them to be friends. I think Kat and Roz did end up being friendly, but I think Brennan said in her book that Kat and Deb will probably never be friends.
Whatever, Debbie went on to do great things with her life in the most noble profession of all. What she did 20 years ago is water under the bridge. ;)

[attyfan]

Not quite like Kat and Deb, is it? ;)

I thought that the only issue was Debi's failure to congratulate Kat (sin of omission) -- not that there were any sins of comission (as with Surya Bonaly). Does anyone know if this is true?

I have also heard that Debi got saddled with a lot of political c**p on her shoulders before the event-- not only the "US vs. godlesscommies" but there were people who made it sound like not winning the gold would mean a major blow to the civil rights movement. If so, I can't blame her for cracking.

[MyTonyaMyMichelle]

I thought that the only issue was Debi's failure to congratulate Kat (sin of omission) -- not that there were any sins of comission (as with Surya Bonaly). Does anyone know if this is true?

I have also heard that Debi got saddled with a lot of political c**p on her shoulders before the event-- not only the "US vs. godlesscommies" but there were people who made it sound like not winning the gold would mean a major blow to the civil rights movement. If so, I can't blame her for cracking.

You are absolutely right.

[bekalc]

Well, in fairness to Debbie, Katarina had her own bag of tricks "behind the scenes". And if she really hated Katarina, I have more respect for her for doing it the way she did rather than being fake and acting like her and Katarina are best friends.
And remember it was still during the Cold War days. Debbie was West, Kat was East.
I like both skaters, but I don't expect them to be friends. I think Kat and Roz did end up being friendly, but I think Brennan said in her book that Kat and Deb will probably never be friends.
Whatever, Debbie went on to do great things with her life in the most noble profession of all. What she did 20 years ago is water under the bridge. ;)

She didn't have to be fake, she could have congratulated the winner, because that's what your suppose to do. Plushenko after all congratulated Yagudin when he won Olympic gold...Do you think that was easy for Plushy, especially since there was a lot more water under that bridge between him and Yagudin then there was between Katerina and Debbie. Plushenko in one of his books said that when they were kids, Yagudin use to pick on him. Whatever happened with Katerina and Debbie back stage hardly compares to the issues both Yags and Plush had with each other because at one point they trained together.

Besides, in Katerina's case she may have skated to Debbie's music, she may not have been very nice, but it's not Katerina ever did a back flip in Debbie's face. Katerina wasn't the reason Debbie lost. Debbie was.

After all, when Debbie won worlds and Katerina took second, Katerina did go out and congratulate Debbie , that's what you do and are taught to do. Was Debbie's actions as bad as Surya's no...But that doesn't mean Debbie's actions were a-okay either...Yes Katerina was a tough competitor who wasn't exactly nice to her competitors, but well she was Olympic champion and Debbie should have had enough class to respect that.

[MyTonyaMyMichelle]

She didn't have to be fake, she could have congratulated the winner, because that's what your suppose to do. Plushenko after all congratulated Yagudin when he won Olympic gold...Do you think that was easy for Plushy, especially since there was a lot more water under that bridge between him and Yagudin then there was between Katerina and Debbie. Plushenko in one of his books said that when they were kids, Yagudin use to pick on him. Whatever happened with Katerina and Debbie back stage hardly compares to the issues both Yags and Plush had with each other because at one point they trained together.

Besides, in Katerina's case she may have skated to Debbie's music, she may not have been very nice, but it's not Katerina ever did a back flip in Debbie's face. Katerina wasn't the reason Debbie lost. Debbie was.

After all, when Debbie won worlds and Katerina took second, Katerina did go out and congratulate Debbie , that's what you do and are taught to do. Was Debbie's actions as bad as Surya's no...But that doesn't mean Debbie's actions were a-okay either...Yes Katerina was a tough competitor who wasn't exactly nice to her competitors, but well she was Olympic champion and Debbie should have had enough class to respect that.
Maybe. Maybe not. From everything I have read, Kat would basically do anything she could to intimidate her opponents. Skating to their music and also standing by the boards while her opponents were skating (she actually did that to Debbie in Calgary during Deb's short program). So I can understand if Debbie had no respect for her. May it was totally wrong, maybe it wasn't. But I can certainly appreciate what Debbie was feeling.
Plushy may not have liked Yags, but I don't think he felt Yags was "underhanded", but I do think Deb felt that way about Kat.

[bekalc]

Maybe. Maybe not. From everything I have read, Kat would basically do anything she could to intimidate her opponents. Skating to their music and also standing by the boards while her opponents were skating (she actually did that to Debbie in Calgary during Deb's short program). So I can understand if Debbie had no respect for her. May it was totally wrong, maybe it wasn't. But I can certainly appreciate what Debbie was feeling.
Plushy may not have liked Yags, but I don't think he felt Yags was "underhanded", but I do think Deb felt that way about Kat.

Um, so what if Witt did a little mental intimidation. It's not like Witt endangered people's lives by skating to close or cutting people off. Big deal, Debbie shouldn't be paying attention to Katerina anyways.

[attyfan]

She didn't have to be fake, she could have congratulated the winner, because that's what your suppose to do. ... Yes Katerina was a tough competitor who wasn't exactly nice to her competitors, but well she was Olympic champion and Debbie should have had enough class to respect that.

I read somewhere that, when Tanith and Ben won their silver (unsure if it was World or Olys), they didn't congratulate the winners (and Navka gave them a dressing down for it) -- not because they were classless, but because they were overwhelmed by what had happened. No one made a big deal about it -- probably because ice dance wasn't getting a lot of press.

If in fact Debi didn't congratulate Kat because "Kat wasn't nice" then that is one thing, but if, in fact, Debi was surrounded with the "you let the commies win", and had a load of "losing the gold will be major defeat for civil rights", then I don't think it was classlessness -- I think, instead, Debi was also overwhelmed -- with negativity, instead of the positive vibes for the medal of any color (which is what overwhelmed Tanith and Ben)

[bekalc]

I read somewhere that, when Tanith and Ben won their silver (unsure if it was World or Olys), they didn't congratulate the winners (and Navka gave them a dressing down for it) -- not because they were classless, but because they were overwhelmed by what had happened. No one made a big deal about it -- probably because ice dance wasn't getting a lot of press.

If in fact Debi didn't congratulate Kat because "Kat wasn't nice" then that is one thing, but if, in fact, Debi was surrounded with the "you let the commies win", and had a load of "losing the gold will be major defeat for civil rights", then I don't think it was classlessness -- I think, instead, Debi was also overwhelmed -- with negativity, instead of the positive vibes for the medal of any color (which is what overwhelmed Tanith and Ben)

True...But I think she did congratulate Elizabeth Manley. (I could be wrong) so it was a definete snub... Of course Debbie did make it right though.