What the fuck is wrong with u???!!!! do u seriously have to do this to Michelle Kwan??? every time I see ur name I'm like o look it's the Michelle hater. if u don't like her just keep it to yourself. ppl who do like her don't need to no ur opinion. it makes ppl lose all respect for u... so why the hell would we listen? go to hell.
I will probably be bashed for what I say but her victory was absolutely unfair. She had many technical mistakes but judges preferred to turn a blind eye on that.
@sashafan2 HORSE MANURE.....so who should have won...kwan...who graced the ice with her butt...who couldn't even pull off ONE triple triple....who puked up an old short and didn't even do it as well as in Nagano...watered down...simple...and she just thought she NAILED it...rude, arrogant, and snotty? Sarah had been outskating that loser kwan for years...the judges finally got it right!!!!!!
Sarah had some awesome spirals and presentation though it was different from that of Sasha. But Alissa's spirals are perfectly centered and it could be ranked closely to that of Sasha's. Michelle Kwan did not perform poorly, but she did not perform well as expected. But to say that Michelle Kwan's an overrated skater is just not true. Michelle Kwan never disappointed her fans, as much as Sarah, who never disappointed her fans either.
I still cannot believe he said she skates to a selection of Rachmaninoff pieces. Hello, this is Daphnis and Chloe by Maurice Ravel from the second suite of the ballet.
OMG. i haven't seen this PERFORMANCE in years. but what A PERFORMANCE. SOOOO INSPIRING!!! 16?????? not as clean on this video, but check out the move at the 3:23 mark when she touches down with the 'toe' of the skate to the music. 'LITTLE' things like that can take you to another level.
@tofelt Cool...thanks for pointing that out!! For the dipsy doodles who say...well, she had no pressure...she's 16, at the Olympics, had put more difficulty into her program...had her entire family watching...swallowed the cruddy scores from the short program...and blew everyone out of the water...off the ice...and into a whole 'nother level just as you said....
@beshnola You mean they DARE to suggest that Kwan isn't all that and a bag of chips? They don't gush over her...they treat all skaters with respect? Really, the BBC pitied Kwan in 2002....and in 1998 they predicted her win. Maybe they just got cordially sick of her...ya think???
@getrealandsee wow you have a real obsession with Kwan, you have been on her page for years now.Whatsamatta??R u mentally ill?BTW Hughes skated with no pressure.You contradict yourself to with everything you say about Kwan.
@beshnola Sarah Hughes was AT the Olympics and you dare to suggest no pressure. Newsflash....she was under IMMENSE pressure...she had refined her skate and knew that she was up against 'Miss Go USA' who was gifted first place in the short. Non Americans know nothing about figure skating?? OMG....go back and look at videos and get a grip...they are just as expert as 'Americans' if not more so...figure skating didn't start here in the USA.....I would suggest that you get a mental health c/u.
I remember watching this live. The excitement as she executed each move flawlessly just kept building. When it was over, my brother and I were speechless. I think his first words were, "She nailed it, " and I said, "I'm so glad I can say that I saw this.' (it was before Youtube). So I just realized I could relive the moment, so to speak. My memory of the skate did not embellish with time. This truly was an amazing moment in sport history.
While Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezic had such obvious emotions for Sarah, it was nice to hear this (not muted) but subjective look at Sarah's performance. The same for watching the Australian broadcast of Michelle's performance and the UK Eurosport of Irina's from the same night. All subjective, and ALL clearly know who won the event (Sarah) with her amazingly gutsy technical display and well-rounded artistry. So well deserved.
What a statement! Sarah proved that justice and integrity still exist in skating and it was just magnificent watching this. So gutsy and courageous and she WON! Outstanding triple-triples and that spiral is a beauty. And to watch her reactions after knowing she won...just pure, uninhibited joy. Thank you Sarah for giving us those moments!
This performance was absolutely stunning! Sarah most certainly deserved that gold medal! But please stop dissin' on Michelle Kwan, huh? Sheesh...she, too, is a class act champion :)
@oofahman Kwan a class act? Check out the podium ceremony... all pouty and shocked...a forced smile. trying to "show" Sarah how to get onto the top step of the Olympic podium (like she knows how). Sarah respected the Olympic moment, nailed it, and was just seemed so genuine and honest during her interviews.
Wow, the cheering and applause was so loud I couldn't even hear the music the last few seconds and it's a wonder she could hear it to get the timing right.
For all the fluff and puff about being inspired and admiring the other skater here nary a mention in an article written in 2001...how about that? PR much for the other skater to dare to say that she is Sarah's idol and role model..Sarah was gracious enough after her win to tell Bronzie Kwanzie that she 'admired her and even more now'.....AFTER the Gold Medal was presented to Sarah ....this has been mentioned time after time...people try so hard to console losers and Sarah is class on and off ice
@getrealandsee And class is what Sarah Hughes is...check out that interview at 01 Skate Canada where she opened up about how she felt about having her earned win be handed to Kwan..."It's not about who crosses the finish line first but about who the judges feel deserve to be first or want to put first." Just absolute honesty and class about a clear wrong done to her. And the Kwan just touts that title to her frou-frou collection.
@allenglandlawns I can't find that interview and would be most interested in reading it. And of course Kwan touts that medal and everyone who comes into her orbit had better remember every single solitary thing about her or she becomes upset...anyway...where can I find the interview with Sarah?
Hughes has been inspired by three of the USA's greatest Olympic skaters -- Peggy Fleming, Scott Hamilton, and Kristi Yamaguchi. "Peggy is the perfect combination of athleticism and grace, something I strive for in my own skating," said Hughes. "I like Scott because he's a great entertainer who always gives 100 percent of himself and Kristi because she has maintained a high level of technical difficulty throughout her professional career
@allenglandlawns Well, I don't think I would go quite that far. But she wasn't consistent. She'd get to the international events and then choke and screw up too badly to recover from it. Or, as they say in this video, she simply didn't have enough elite-level skills to compete with the other top skaters. But I remember watching her for the first time when she was only 13yo, and she had such a long career that it sill seems odd not to see her in the line up.
As Hughes came back to the ice after leaving it in an uproar, this time to be
introduced as the Olympic gold medalist, the 2002 Olympic theme, Citius, Altius, Fortius, was playing in the background. Never has there been a more fitting piece of music for a winner.
This was the best LP of the nite by far!!!...Sarah deserved her gold 4 sure....I preferred Slutskaya's LP over Michelle's so sticking to math & the ordinal system the results were right...one could argue of course about the Italian judge totally undermarking Irina which cost her the gold (which Irina talked about afterwards)...but hey, what's done is done
What a champion! She rose to occasion when it truly mattered and rightfully earned the gold. Daphnis et Chloe was a GORGEOUS selection of music and my favorite part was the spiral that moved into that exquisite layback.
@MusicLuver093 because in that day the SP was weighted one third and the LP was weighted two thirds. Just math.
Sarah 4+1+1=6 represents 4th SP and 1st LP.
Kwan 1+3+3=7 1st place SP 3rd LP.
If Kwan's LP was greater than third e.g. 1+2+2=5 Kwan would have won gold with combined low score of 5 vs. Sarah's 6. That is why Kwan had to be third or worse.
It was fortunate that Irena did not fall on her errant landing so she held on to 2nd place. Sarah is as graceful as a ballerina- her 9/11 tribute was beautiful.
Sarah definitely deserved 1st place in the Free .... both triple triples look "clean enough" to me and back in 2002, the judges don't scrutinize each jump with the instant playback .... i also think that irina should be second as she effectively had 6 clean triples and i don't think she's particularly "not artistic" + her spins were probably the hardest in her day.
The rules at the time didn't condone flutzes or underrotations. It was just that the judges were inconsistent in penalizing them. Sarah was hammered by the judges at World's in 2003, when they took a very strict view of wrong-edge takeoffs. Even with the underrotated loop on the first 3-3, she deserved to win the long program. The real controversy, if there is one, is whether Irina deserved to be second instead of third. With a third place finish, Michelle would have won the gold.
@whitethronebooks Although Sarah may have been one of the few not to have a noticeable error, she skated at around the same level as Slutskaya. Irina did have the two big mistakes (The triple flip problem and the triple lutz two foot) and Sarah had the mistakes that I mentioned.
However, the reason she (Hughes) should not have won is because of the Short Program. The standings for the short program should have been:
@charmpochacco Nope! Sarah EARNED this win. For all the corruption and controversies that occurred during these games, she let fresh air back into this sport by proving that it was the performance and the performance ONLY that matters, NOT the reputation.
@majka1992gothika The Rachmaninoff part is from "Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini", till about 3:24, when she changes to a Ravel piece, which I think is from "Daphnis and Chloe". She was supposed to do all Rachmaninoff, but changed the last section before the Games started.
Sometimes people (me) might not know all the technical ins and outs of skating. But you know when something looks good and you know when everything that's attempted is landed well and cleanly. If my memory serves well, Sarah was one of the only top skaters who was able to do this. I mean, the 'flutzs' aside, if the other skaters could've just skated cleanly then maybe they would've had a chance to win too. Great job Sarah!!!
@Novelwit2000 If you want to talk about "flutzes," just look at Tara Lipinski's jumps. Tara's jumps were always tiny, hurl-your-body-in-the-air, roller skating technique jumps. I am not dumping on Tara here, but her technique is here for all to see. Sarah's program wasn't perfect, but she skated clean and with passion, really doing so many lovely things. Others' mistakes cost them severely. A skate of a lifetime. I really appreciate this different view. Sarah gave her sincere best....
It still boggles my mind that she won the 2002 Olympics. I can't even finish watching this video. Her lack of artistry, good posture, and grace.... I just can't believe it.
@brandiwhyman she landed more triples than her competitors (seven to the five from kwan and slutskaya), and had a well balanced program, line, and a sensational layback to boot.
@brandiwhyman You're a complete idiot if you believe even half of the crap you've written. Her artistry, posture an grace were amazing. Sara completed 2 triple triple combinations, and stuck it to the overrated and stuck up Kwan, who thankfully will never have a gold medal. All you have to do is watch the faces of the pro's in the stand when Sara won.
@brandiwhyman You're a complete idiot if you believe even half of the crap you've written. Her artistry, posture an grace were amazing. Sarah completed 2 triple triple combinations, and stuck it to the overrated and stuck up Kwan, who thankfully will never have a gold medal. All you have to do is watch the faces of the pro's in the stand when Sarah won.
She's now 25. From Wiki: "On May 25, 2009, Hughes graduated from Yale and received a bachelor's degree in American studies with a concentration in U.S. politics and communities."
Sarah skated under the rules of that time. If you want to talk about flutzes, just look at Tara Lipinski (and, in the case of Tara, tiny little jumps). No offense to either girl: both went out and skated their best program ever at their respective Olympics. A troubling question: if you win Olympic gold at age 15 or 16, what comes next? Sadly, in figure skating, probably nothing in the competitive world.
Lovely spins and nice spiral, but she is pure flutzy and that first triple combo was cheated to hell- she was facing forward in the sal, and her loop was at best 2 1/2 turns. This program would die under CoP, but for 2002 and on that night, it was the most inspired and the most deserving of gold.
This is one of absolute best and most difficult ladies' LP's I've ever seen. Seven triples...two 3/3's! Wow. This was even better that Tara's performance in 98 and that was amazing, as well. I heard Sarah say that coming in at 4th, no one expected anything from her. So, she just went out and skated with no media spotlight and NO pressure. Look at the result. Amazing.
I'll weigh in on this...her triple salchow-triple loop combo would definitely be downgraded today. And even though the commentators mention the cheat on the loop, I thought that the salchow was a bit underrotated as well.
I remember seeing this on the news the next morning when I was fifteen. Last night for some reason I suddenly started thinking about it out of the blue and looked for it on youtube- still as inspiring as it was 8 years ago. This is a girl doing the impossible- a lifelong memory.
One of my favorite things about Sarah's skating aside from the technique itself is that she was earnest on the ice. There are a lot of great skaters, but it's not often that you come across someone at that level of skating who's without contrivance.
Regardless of personal preference, Sarah was unique on the ice and when you looked at her face, you saw that she was comfortable with who she was and why she was there. I never doubted her love for the sport
i remember watching this. i was so enthralled when she won gold, but in retrospect i think michelle was more deserving of gold. but no one can deny sarah deserved gold after this incredible lp.
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! <3 i looove 2 ice skate!! i wish i was half as good as sarah!! people tell me im good but oh man if i could b that good it would be so amazing!!
i love her at 2:40 and for the duration of that interlude...her composure is soothing, while expressing some kind of playful joy, but calmly, while also hitting the music perfectly.
i remember watching this, and EVERY skater was falling down. michelle kwan, sasha hughes, you name it. This doesn't seem as good when compared to the flawless performances at Vancouver, but that night, it was freaking brilliant.
I think the difference though, between this and Van, was that Sarah's win was so unexpected. Almost no one thought she could win... and she wasn't a gold medal favorite going in either. In Van, there wasn't much surprise to the final results of the ladies. Sarah's joy and excitement was just unforgettable!!
@courtneysara It's the same in Torino too, no one expected Shizuka to win. Even her coach said he believes she can win a medal but not the actual Gold.
@musicaltheatergeek79 lol, yes, i meant sasha cohen. my confusion. The thing is, I believe in group anxiety, and the 2002 olympics were unbearably tense. At that point it seemed impossible for any skater to actually stay up. If you listen to other commentators, they're all going along the lines of "freaking amazing, she actually didn't fall down!"
I think this was one of the BEST Olympic performances ever. She successfully did SEVEN triples, two 3/3 combos, all the five types of triples, and her spirals and laybacks are simply perfect.
And to anyone who wants to talk about cheated jumps--that's what every 3/3 looks like slo-mo. Show me someone with 3/3s who doesn't slightly underrotate. There's no one like that.
Where is she now? Sarah Hughes says " Yeah, I remember when I was a teenager I won a GOLD medal in the OLYMPICS. You know, had to try something different for a change. You can't be a teenager forever." LMAO ! If only any of us could say the same.
Exactly. Look at Olympic gold medalist Eric Heiden, who, in his fifties, is an orthopedic surgeon. When Heiden was a student it would have been severely petty to ask "Where is he now."
The comments here are a perfect example of why figure skating should not be an Olympic event. No "sport" belongs that relies on an official's opinion of style, artistic interpretation, etc. Heck, they need to re-name it anyway as there is no making of figures aspect of it to judge anymore. That said, if any performance warranted winning a gold medal this was it.
You would have to get rid of snow boarding, the ski jumping, a lot of the sports in the Winter Games if you do not want to rely on any type of "style" marks.
I REALLY miss Chris Cuthbert, Barb Underhill and Paul Martini doing commentary together. I love how incredibly prescient Chris Cuthbert's remarks were - 'Those may be the highest we'll see tonight....she's staked her claim to the podium, and maybe gold...'
She skated better than anyone else and really deserved to win the Gold that day. It is too bad that she dropped out of skating afterwards. This seems to be what happens to every teenager who wins the Gold at the Olympics. Be careful what you wish for.
i love when she lands her third triple-triple and then she just unleashes for the last minute of her performance. you could tell all she was thinking was "omg i just nailed it! i just won the gold" flawless performance! still gives me chills! i remember watching this when i was 10 and having my mind blown
this medal should be deserved through years and experience and not to use the condition that Olymp.Games took place in your country!!!! As it happened this year with mens figure skating. In europe he wouldnt get first place without quatriple jumping. SHAME!!!!
You're going to tell me that you don't think she skated a pretty clean performance? That one cheat on the landing? Irina missed two of her combinations - turned 2 triple-triples to 2 triple-doubles, and she botched another landing.
She spent years training. She did her due. And that night, she was better and she got what she not only deserved but also earned. Each competition is its own and you gotta bring it everytime. She did when the others faulted and fell.
@chegitta23 Irina, again, missed two of her combinations and had to change them. She also botched another landing. Sarah was clean. She landed well, spun well, skated well. She earned it.
Why whenever Americans win, there is always the excuse that it was either in our own country or (this year) in N. America? Everyone needs to get over it. Sarah did well that year, maybe not the best, but enough that night 2 earn her the gold. Irina had it in the bag if she had skated clean. But she didn't.
Same thing happened in Torino in regards to the Japenese skater who took Gold. Neither Irina or Sasha Cohen skated clean performances, while the one I mentioned skated flawlessly.
That might be true, but you have to execute them well. Very well; what they call "Grade of Execution." Irina's grade of execution wasn't as strong, so she lost points.
@irinabulgac And this year, Evan skated a great performance. No there wasn't a quad but his degree of difficulty with his footwork, spins, and choreo were higher than Plushenko. That's where Plush lost points. He rolled his hips, blew kisses and did simple steps while basically standing still. And the landings on most of his now so-called "easy jumps" were shaky not to mention wobbly in the air. He didn't lose by much, but where he could have secured his gold, he actually lost it himself.
@racer945 i have done enough in my life to be proud of myself. she won just because the olympics were held in the northern american continent, she was in her country and was supported by the judges. how can she be not ashamed of her medal? she never won, she is not capable to win. she is not talented but supported.world knows,only dummies dont
you are making an idiot of yourself certainly. this was one of the greatest moments in sports. held on the american continent?! thats you argument? really? its an international group of judges, russia, china, france, canada all have their say. no score is worth more than the other. Irina CHOKED. fell at the Olympics after 3 times more experience. SHE SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED. HAHAHA
I love Sasha, the problem with Sasha though is that she could never skate a clean Long Program. And I do love Sasha's artistry and skating all around. As for Irina, I suppose one could argue about artistry, but what was all that crap that she did in the last 10 seconds of the program. Way to much movement to end a program on. the other thing to remember is when your jumps don't flow that too affects the artistry. Finally, landing two triple triple combos in one program is anything but luck
@Jukka70 Sarah skated perfectly while her rivals didn`t.But this fact doesn`t make her a great skater.I mean,many can do their best for a time.But only outstanding sportsmen can do it for a long period of time.Look at Plushenko,Jubert,Lambiel...
i'm no expert but i think under today's system the only bad marks she would get would be the 3S+3Lo< and 3Lz e. everything else looked clean and she would've still beat michelle and irina.
Both her triple triples combinations would have counted. You are allowed a quarter rotation "cheat" under the current rules for a jump to count. Furthermore, EVERY skater in slow motion looks like they are cheating their jumps on the take-off. They don't penalize you for that, as someone has already stated. Almost every triple jump will look like you are taking off forward in slow motion. I don't know why people who don't know skating post like they're experts here.
In her first triple-triple, you can see at 5:42 that the 3-loop is cheated more than 90 degrees. This is the "slight cheat" that the announcer points out.
@idolfan9495 It was only a 1/4 turn short. The blade keeps turning on the ice because of the momentum, but she lands just a bit past being sideways...which is 90 degrees short of total rotation given the spot she took off from.
Sorry but saying "EVERY skater in slo mo looks lik they are cheating their take offs" is every bit as uninformed as you claim others to be. That's a ridiculous statement. And you're definitely wrong about them not getting penalized -- just look at your new Olympic men's champion -- he finally cleaned up that take off for his 3A, he used to get downgrades for twisting before taking off, it was very obvious even without slo mo.
If you knew anything about actually skating and not just watching on television then you would realize that every jump prerotates, it's just a question of degree. I guarantee you that ever triple loop in slow motion would have a forward take off. Asada practically had done a full turn on her triple axel before her foot left the ice yet she got full credit. Lysacek's take off on his axel was a disaster for many reasons not just prerotation. If you actually do skate you must fall a lot.
Truly a moment to remember always. The greatest moment in figure skating history. This beautiful young woman risked it all, upped the ante big time, and worked hard for that Gold medal. She and her coach kept working on her program for this and put in more and more elements. This is truly a performance that will go down in sports history as noted by another poster. Sarah Hughes Olympic Gold winner and an American treasure. A true champion in every sense of the word.
Agreed. I've watched this program many times and I still get chills. The crowd in the house had to have known they were witnessing history. Gutsy, beautiful performance that paid off perfectly.
Great program.. Listen, yes Sara did flutz, and there were deductions for this! Check out her short program tech. marks, and you will see that they do deduct. She had such high technical marks here b/c she did so many other jumps well, including 3-3's... and having the 2nd jumps be 3loops is particularly difficult. Great job sara.
Exactly, someone who knows exactly how skating works. Am so sick of the crap of people saying Kwan or Irina got robbed, they didn't get robbed, Sara skated better. Very good explanation on things mic2005
Exactly, people who think Michelle and Irina got robbed closed their eyes when they both skated. Michelle's program was a disaster and Irina's was a mess. Slutskaya thinking that she had won was an exercise in denial or entitlement. There was no question who deserved it that night.
@getrealandsee
What the fuck is wrong with u???!!!! do u seriously have to do this to Michelle Kwan??? every time I see ur name I'm like o look it's the Michelle hater. if u don't like her just keep it to yourself. ppl who do like her don't need to no ur opinion. it makes ppl lose all respect for u... so why the hell would we listen? go to hell.
taiwangirlmiobi 1 day ago
the announcer is such a dumbass. This is NOT Rachmaninov! It is Ravel! ignorant people
tannerjordan2010 2 weeks ago 2
@tannerjordan2010 the opening and closing was Ravel. The middle, piano section is the rachmaninoff rhapsody.
allenglandlawns 2 weeks ago
@allenglandlawns Yeah no shit, the fact they didn't include him was annoying.
tannerjordan2010 2 weeks ago
4:34 A seagull? Or one hell of a happy skater? hmm : )
sk8tinglas 3 weeks ago
One of the best programs I have ever seen.
americangirl728 3 weeks ago
I will probably be bashed for what I say but her victory was absolutely unfair. She had many technical mistakes but judges preferred to turn a blind eye on that.
sashafan2 3 weeks ago
@sashafan2 HORSE MANURE.....so who should have won...kwan...who graced the ice with her butt...who couldn't even pull off ONE triple triple....who puked up an old short and didn't even do it as well as in Nagano...watered down...simple...and she just thought she NAILED it...rude, arrogant, and snotty? Sarah had been outskating that loser kwan for years...the judges finally got it right!!!!!!
getrealandsee 2 weeks ago
way underscored, and i'm saying that as a michelle fan only lol
snofagun1814 4 weeks ago
she deserved this
Bnizzofashizzo 1 month ago
Amaaaaazing
thereisnogodbutgod90 1 month ago
one of the best preformances i have ever seen. she deserved that win. :)
yesidono 1 month ago
Sarah had some awesome spirals and presentation though it was different from that of Sasha. But Alissa's spirals are perfectly centered and it could be ranked closely to that of Sasha's. Michelle Kwan did not perform poorly, but she did not perform well as expected. But to say that Michelle Kwan's an overrated skater is just not true. Michelle Kwan never disappointed her fans, as much as Sarah, who never disappointed her fans either.
anne91276 2 months ago
still gives me chills to this day
purplegirl353 2 months ago
sucked in michelle yeaahhh baby!!!
johny258 3 months ago
Watching this performance was one of those shining moments in life!
louie99999 3 months ago
I still cannot believe he said she skates to a selection of Rachmaninoff pieces. Hello, this is Daphnis and Chloe by Maurice Ravel from the second suite of the ballet.
jprush 3 months ago
There is some of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto in there but then it goes back to Ravel.
jprush 3 months ago
OMG. i haven't seen this PERFORMANCE in years. but what A PERFORMANCE. SOOOO INSPIRING!!! 16?????? not as clean on this video, but check out the move at the 3:23 mark when she touches down with the 'toe' of the skate to the music. 'LITTLE' things like that can take you to another level.
tofelt 3 months ago
@tofelt Cool...thanks for pointing that out!! For the dipsy doodles who say...well, she had no pressure...she's 16, at the Olympics, had put more difficulty into her program...had her entire family watching...swallowed the cruddy scores from the short program...and blew everyone out of the water...off the ice...and into a whole 'nother level just as you said....
getrealandsee 3 months ago in playlist More videos from arbiteroftaste
@getrealandsee Go away
Algorithm16 2 weeks ago
@Algorithm16 Nope:)-:)
getrealandsee 2 weeks ago
Comment removed
tofelt 3 months ago
y do ppl think the Canadian or British broadcast are better??They suck.And they seem to always be against Michelle Kwan.
beshnola 3 months ago
@beshnola You mean they DARE to suggest that Kwan isn't all that and a bag of chips? They don't gush over her...they treat all skaters with respect? Really, the BBC pitied Kwan in 2002....and in 1998 they predicted her win. Maybe they just got cordially sick of her...ya think???
getrealandsee 3 months ago
@getrealandsee wow you have a real obsession with Kwan, you have been on her page for years now.Whatsamatta??R u mentally ill?BTW Hughes skated with no pressure.You contradict yourself to with everything you say about Kwan.
beshnola 3 months ago
@beshnola Sarah Hughes was AT the Olympics and you dare to suggest no pressure. Newsflash....she was under IMMENSE pressure...she had refined her skate and knew that she was up against 'Miss Go USA' who was gifted first place in the short. Non Americans know nothing about figure skating?? OMG....go back and look at videos and get a grip...they are just as expert as 'Americans' if not more so...figure skating didn't start here in the USA.....I would suggest that you get a mental health c/u.
getrealandsee 3 months ago in playlist More videos from arbiteroftaste
@getrealandsee and the reason the non American commentators suck is because they know nothing about figure skating.
beshnola 3 months ago
I remember watching this live. The excitement as she executed each move flawlessly just kept building. When it was over, my brother and I were speechless. I think his first words were, "She nailed it, " and I said, "I'm so glad I can say that I saw this.' (it was before Youtube). So I just realized I could relive the moment, so to speak. My memory of the skate did not embellish with time. This truly was an amazing moment in sport history.
Watchabufi 3 months ago
While Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezic had such obvious emotions for Sarah, it was nice to hear this (not muted) but subjective look at Sarah's performance. The same for watching the Australian broadcast of Michelle's performance and the UK Eurosport of Irina's from the same night. All subjective, and ALL clearly know who won the event (Sarah) with her amazingly gutsy technical display and well-rounded artistry. So well deserved.
WickedProductions100 4 months ago
i STILL HAVE TO WATCH THIS PERFORMANCE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, WHAT A GREAT SKATE, AND HER REACTIONS WERE SO CUTE
1457830 5 months ago
What a statement! Sarah proved that justice and integrity still exist in skating and it was just magnificent watching this. So gutsy and courageous and she WON! Outstanding triple-triples and that spiral is a beauty. And to watch her reactions after knowing she won...just pure, uninhibited joy. Thank you Sarah for giving us those moments!
allenglandlawns 6 months ago 26
This performance was absolutely stunning! Sarah most certainly deserved that gold medal! But please stop dissin' on Michelle Kwan, huh? Sheesh...she, too, is a class act champion :)
oofahman 6 months ago 2
@oofahman Kwan a class act? Check out the podium ceremony... all pouty and shocked...a forced smile. trying to "show" Sarah how to get onto the top step of the Olympic podium (like she knows how). Sarah respected the Olympic moment, nailed it, and was just seemed so genuine and honest during her interviews.
allenglandlawns 6 months ago
@allenglandlawns Its all opinions, sweetheart, and opinions are like buttholes...EVERYONE has one...
oofahman 6 months ago
It's amazing how a great program always sends chill up my arm! Even after all these years, great skate.
Darthestar 6 months ago
Wow, the cheering and applause was so loud I couldn't even hear the music the last few seconds and it's a wonder she could hear it to get the timing right.
RedbeardNC 6 months ago
A true champion! Just awesome to watch her nail this performance in front of the home crowd under immense Olympic pressure.
allenglandlawns 6 months ago
5:30 clearly half rotation short on the 3loop (3s3l)...cheated
trojanrob24 7 months ago
And this is what inspired me to start figure skating. Wow is all I can say, 9 years afterwards, watching it again.
julianaqtpi 7 months ago
For all the fluff and puff about being inspired and admiring the other skater here nary a mention in an article written in 2001...how about that? PR much for the other skater to dare to say that she is Sarah's idol and role model..Sarah was gracious enough after her win to tell Bronzie Kwanzie that she 'admired her and even more now'.....AFTER the Gold Medal was presented to Sarah ....this has been mentioned time after time...people try so hard to console losers and Sarah is class on and off ice
getrealandsee 8 months ago
@getrealandsee And class is what Sarah Hughes is...check out that interview at 01 Skate Canada where she opened up about how she felt about having her earned win be handed to Kwan..."It's not about who crosses the finish line first but about who the judges feel deserve to be first or want to put first." Just absolute honesty and class about a clear wrong done to her. And the Kwan just touts that title to her frou-frou collection.
allenglandlawns 8 months ago
@allenglandlawns I can't find that interview and would be most interested in reading it. And of course Kwan touts that medal and everyone who comes into her orbit had better remember every single solitary thing about her or she becomes upset...anyway...where can I find the interview with Sarah?
getrealandsee 8 months ago
November 21, 2001
Article and Photo © Barry Mittan
getrealandsee 8 months ago
Hughes has been inspired by three of the USA's greatest Olympic skaters -- Peggy Fleming, Scott Hamilton, and Kristi Yamaguchi. "Peggy is the perfect combination of athleticism and grace, something I strive for in my own skating," said Hughes. "I like Scott because he's a great entertainer who always gives 100 percent of himself and Kristi because she has maintained a high level of technical difficulty throughout her professional career
getrealandsee 8 months ago
Poor Michelle Kwan. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.
kayper54 8 months ago
@kayper54 Amen to that! Kwan is slow, boring, and nothing compared to real athletes and champions.
allenglandlawns 8 months ago
@allenglandlawns Well, I don't think I would go quite that far. But she wasn't consistent. She'd get to the international events and then choke and screw up too badly to recover from it. Or, as they say in this video, she simply didn't have enough elite-level skills to compete with the other top skaters. But I remember watching her for the first time when she was only 13yo, and she had such a long career that it sill seems odd not to see her in the line up.
kayper54 8 months ago
i love her!
purplegirl353 8 months ago
As Hughes came back to the ice after leaving it in an uproar, this time to be
introduced as the Olympic gold medalist, the 2002 Olympic theme, Citius, Altius, Fortius, was playing in the background. Never has there been a more fitting piece of music for a winner.
Faster, Higher, Stronger, indeed
02/22/2002 - Updated 11:19 AM ET
Christine Brennan
Figure skating finally gets it right
getrealandsee 8 months ago
Man. I remember this. I was there volunteering. It was amazing. She filled the whole place with Energy.
MandeeSparkle 10 months ago
This was the best LP of the nite by far!!!...Sarah deserved her gold 4 sure....I preferred Slutskaya's LP over Michelle's so sticking to math & the ordinal system the results were right...one could argue of course about the Italian judge totally undermarking Irina which cost her the gold (which Irina talked about afterwards)...but hey, what's done is done
stefan7171 10 months ago 3
What a champion! She rose to occasion when it truly mattered and rightfully earned the gold. Daphnis et Chloe was a GORGEOUS selection of music and my favorite part was the spiral that moved into that exquisite layback.
allenglandlawns 10 months ago 19
One of the highlights of my life was witnessing this performance. Beautiful - Perfect!
louie99999 11 months ago
Why did someone have to beat michelle kwan in order for her to have won the gold?
MusicLuver093 1 year ago
@MusicLuver093 because in that day the SP was weighted one third and the LP was weighted two thirds. Just math.
Sarah 4+1+1=6 represents 4th SP and 1st LP.
Kwan 1+3+3=7 1st place SP 3rd LP.
If Kwan's LP was greater than third e.g. 1+2+2=5 Kwan would have won gold with combined low score of 5 vs. Sarah's 6. That is why Kwan had to be third or worse.
HowsaBowsaYowsa 10 months ago
It was fortunate that Irena did not fall on her errant landing so she held on to 2nd place. Sarah is as graceful as a ballerina- her 9/11 tribute was beautiful.
saunhitube 1 year ago 4
Sarah definitely deserved 1st place in the Free .... both triple triples look "clean enough" to me and back in 2002, the judges don't scrutinize each jump with the instant playback .... i also think that irina should be second as she effectively had 6 clean triples and i don't think she's particularly "not artistic" + her spins were probably the hardest in her day.
lutz84 1 year ago
The rules at the time didn't condone flutzes or underrotations. It was just that the judges were inconsistent in penalizing them. Sarah was hammered by the judges at World's in 2003, when they took a very strict view of wrong-edge takeoffs. Even with the underrotated loop on the first 3-3, she deserved to win the long program. The real controversy, if there is one, is whether Irina deserved to be second instead of third. With a third place finish, Michelle would have won the gold.
idolfan9495 1 year ago
Her triple salchow looks like a double axel in slow motion...
She also flutzes and lips.
macassar88 1 year ago
@macassar88 If you know of someone who did better that night, then state your case.
whitethronebooks 1 year ago
@whitethronebooks Although Sarah may have been one of the few not to have a noticeable error, she skated at around the same level as Slutskaya. Irina did have the two big mistakes (The triple flip problem and the triple lutz two foot) and Sarah had the mistakes that I mentioned.
However, the reason she (Hughes) should not have won is because of the Short Program. The standings for the short program should have been:
1Slutskaya 2Cohen 3Kwan 4Hughes
which would have given Irina the gold medal.
macassar88 1 year ago
very beautiful selection of music, she was flawless
gjglrb 1 year ago
Those Jewish girls sure know how to skate!
dyad2r1 1 year ago
Irina is Gold...
okyunga 1 year ago
It was a joke that she won Olympic gold......
charmpochacco 1 year ago
@charmpochacco Nope! Sarah EARNED this win. For all the corruption and controversies that occurred during these games, she let fresh air back into this sport by proving that it was the performance and the performance ONLY that matters, NOT the reputation.
allenglandlawns 1 year ago 2
0:48-2:38 Someone know this music ? I know it's Rachmaninov but which piece exactly ?
majka1992gothika 1 year ago
@majka1992gothika The Rachmaninoff part is from "Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini", till about 3:24, when she changes to a Ravel piece, which I think is from "Daphnis and Chloe". She was supposed to do all Rachmaninoff, but changed the last section before the Games started.
RedbeardNC 1 year ago
Sometimes people (me) might not know all the technical ins and outs of skating. But you know when something looks good and you know when everything that's attempted is landed well and cleanly. If my memory serves well, Sarah was one of the only top skaters who was able to do this. I mean, the 'flutzs' aside, if the other skaters could've just skated cleanly then maybe they would've had a chance to win too. Great job Sarah!!!
Thanks for the post!!!
Novelwit2000 1 year ago
@Novelwit2000 If you want to talk about "flutzes," just look at Tara Lipinski's jumps. Tara's jumps were always tiny, hurl-your-body-in-the-air, roller skating technique jumps. I am not dumping on Tara here, but her technique is here for all to see. Sarah's program wasn't perfect, but she skated clean and with passion, really doing so many lovely things. Others' mistakes cost them severely. A skate of a lifetime. I really appreciate this different view. Sarah gave her sincere best....
ja3399 1 year ago
It still boggles my mind that she won the 2002 Olympics. I can't even finish watching this video. Her lack of artistry, good posture, and grace.... I just can't believe it.
brandiwhyman 1 year ago
@brandiwhyman she landed more triples than her competitors (seven to the five from kwan and slutskaya), and had a well balanced program, line, and a sensational layback to boot.
cw6391 1 year ago
@brandiwhyman You're a complete idiot if you believe even half of the crap you've written. Her artistry, posture an grace were amazing. Sara completed 2 triple triple combinations, and stuck it to the overrated and stuck up Kwan, who thankfully will never have a gold medal. All you have to do is watch the faces of the pro's in the stand when Sara won.
Jukka70 1 year ago
@brandiwhyman You're a complete idiot if you believe even half of the crap you've written. Her artistry, posture an grace were amazing. Sarah completed 2 triple triple combinations, and stuck it to the overrated and stuck up Kwan, who thankfully will never have a gold medal. All you have to do is watch the faces of the pro's in the stand when Sarah won.
Jukka70 1 year ago
@brandiwhyman Absurd.
whitethronebooks 1 year ago
She's now 25. From Wiki: "On May 25, 2009, Hughes graduated from Yale and received a bachelor's degree in American studies with a concentration in U.S. politics and communities."
dyad2r1 1 year ago
What joy! Did you hear her squeal at 4:35?
dyad2r1 1 year ago
Sarah skated under the rules of that time. If you want to talk about flutzes, just look at Tara Lipinski (and, in the case of Tara, tiny little jumps). No offense to either girl: both went out and skated their best program ever at their respective Olympics. A troubling question: if you win Olympic gold at age 15 or 16, what comes next? Sadly, in figure skating, probably nothing in the competitive world.
ja3399 1 year ago
I don't find her skating aesthetic at all. the only reason she won gold was b/c michelle fell, but michelle's skating is more beautiful.
italianjen29 1 year ago
Lovely spins and nice spiral, but she is pure flutzy and that first triple combo was cheated to hell- she was facing forward in the sal, and her loop was at best 2 1/2 turns. This program would die under CoP, but for 2002 and on that night, it was the most inspired and the most deserving of gold.
2ndAveLine 1 year ago
This is one of absolute best and most difficult ladies' LP's I've ever seen. Seven triples...two 3/3's! Wow. This was even better that Tara's performance in 98 and that was amazing, as well. I heard Sarah say that coming in at 4th, no one expected anything from her. So, she just went out and skated with no media spotlight and NO pressure. Look at the result. Amazing.
lcowles 1 year ago
One of the top performances in Olympic history. Just glorious.
Entertainmentwriter 1 year ago
I'll weigh in on this...her triple salchow-triple loop combo would definitely be downgraded today. And even though the commentators mention the cheat on the loop, I thought that the salchow was a bit underrotated as well.
Algorithm16 1 year ago 3
I remember seeing this on the news the next morning when I was fifteen. Last night for some reason I suddenly started thinking about it out of the blue and looked for it on youtube- still as inspiring as it was 8 years ago. This is a girl doing the impossible- a lifelong memory.
clrdunlap 1 year ago
Without a doubt this was the best LP ever in the history at the winter olympics. Sarah got what she deserved "The Gold Medal". Bravo!!!
rickram1961 1 year ago
Its ugly
Tessgym 1 year ago 3
PURE TALENT!
bubbafluff21 1 year ago
One of my favorite things about Sarah's skating aside from the technique itself is that she was earnest on the ice. There are a lot of great skaters, but it's not often that you come across someone at that level of skating who's without contrivance.
Regardless of personal preference, Sarah was unique on the ice and when you looked at her face, you saw that she was comfortable with who she was and why she was there. I never doubted her love for the sport
Arinozian 1 year ago 3
Beautiful performance - Sarah totally deserved the gold.
stefan7171 1 year ago
She. Worked it.
AndroBubbles 1 year ago
Still, one of the top 10 greatest Winter Olympic victories in history. Unexpected. Surprising. And truly lovely and remarkable.
Entertainmentwriter 1 year ago
i remember watching this. i was so enthralled when she won gold, but in retrospect i think michelle was more deserving of gold. but no one can deny sarah deserved gold after this incredible lp.
cw6391 1 year ago
No one can deny that Hughes' performance is stunning and full of good techniques. But to me, personally, I don't see grace.
bluebox0199 1 year ago
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! <3 i looove 2 ice skate!! i wish i was half as good as sarah!! people tell me im good but oh man if i could b that good it would be so amazing!!
mloverxoxo 1 year ago
i love her at 2:40 and for the duration of that interlude...her composure is soothing, while expressing some kind of playful joy, but calmly, while also hitting the music perfectly.
Jadesabre14 1 year ago
Double wow....exquisite!
FanOfYunaKim 1 year ago 2
今だったら回転不足にとられちゃうわねｗ
Okama55GO 1 year ago
wow, even though some of the triple-triples would have been downgraded, this is still a Fantastic performance, and she deserves gold
evespikey 1 year ago
i remember watching this, and EVERY skater was falling down. michelle kwan, sasha hughes, you name it. This doesn't seem as good when compared to the flawless performances at Vancouver, but that night, it was freaking brilliant.
ImNotThere100 2 years ago 3
I think the difference though, between this and Van, was that Sarah's win was so unexpected. Almost no one thought she could win... and she wasn't a gold medal favorite going in either. In Van, there wasn't much surprise to the final results of the ladies. Sarah's joy and excitement was just unforgettable!!
courtneysara 1 year ago 30
@courtneysara It's the same in Torino too, no one expected Shizuka to win. Even her coach said he believes she can win a medal but not the actual Gold.
kerito1993 9 months ago
I think you meant Sasha Cohen, not Hughes. Sarah Hughes skated perfectly well, as you can see in this clip.
musicaltheatergeek79 1 year ago 2
@musicaltheatergeek79 lol, yes, i meant sasha cohen. my confusion. The thing is, I believe in group anxiety, and the 2002 olympics were unbearably tense. At that point it seemed impossible for any skater to actually stay up. If you listen to other commentators, they're all going along the lines of "freaking amazing, she actually didn't fall down!"
ImNotThere100 1 year ago
@ImNotThere100 Does Sarah look like she's falling down here?
dsfddsgh 1 year ago
I love watching great Olympic moments!
VaveAma92 2 years ago
I think this was one of the BEST Olympic performances ever. She successfully did SEVEN triples, two 3/3 combos, all the five types of triples, and her spirals and laybacks are simply perfect.
And to anyone who wants to talk about cheated jumps--that's what every 3/3 looks like slo-mo. Show me someone with 3/3s who doesn't slightly underrotate. There's no one like that.
internetaddict 2 years ago
Very beautiful! I love her movements ... they are all so very graceful!
RDCKM 2 years ago 3
I was 16 when this happened. I remember I had such a crush on her.
Minacious 2 years ago
Gosh, One of my favorite olympic moments EVER! I was so sad for Mischelle Kwan though. SARAH HUGES, YOU ROCK!
shegostalker 2 years ago
She's sexy.
TheTypicalGirl 2 years ago
Where is she now? Sarah Hughes says " Yeah, I remember when I was a teenager I won a GOLD medal in the OLYMPICS. You know, had to try something different for a change. You can't be a teenager forever." LMAO ! If only any of us could say the same.
bfitnessjoe 2 years ago 44
Exactly. Look at Olympic gold medalist Eric Heiden, who, in his fifties, is an orthopedic surgeon. When Heiden was a student it would have been severely petty to ask "Where is he now."
arbiteroftaste 2 years ago 27
@bfitnessjoe Right on:)
kwansansog 1 year ago
The comments here are a perfect example of why figure skating should not be an Olympic event. No "sport" belongs that relies on an official's opinion of style, artistic interpretation, etc. Heck, they need to re-name it anyway as there is no making of figures aspect of it to judge anymore. That said, if any performance warranted winning a gold medal this was it.
theshoe21 2 years ago
You would have to get rid of snow boarding, the ski jumping, a lot of the sports in the Winter Games if you do not want to rely on any type of "style" marks.
masinindy 2 years ago 2
Not to mention diving, in the summer games.
arbiteroftaste 2 years ago
I REALLY miss Chris Cuthbert, Barb Underhill and Paul Martini doing commentary together. I love how incredibly prescient Chris Cuthbert's remarks were - 'Those may be the highest we'll see tonight....she's staked her claim to the podium, and maybe gold...'
StewNWT 2 years ago
While Irina was definitely ripped off in the short program (she was clearly first) in the long the placements were exactly right.
And Elvis Stojko is a MORON and Evan deserved the gold over Plushenko. Nuff said
StewNWT 2 years ago
i hate the commies, but plushenko was better.
icefrappe 2 years ago
this is the first time i have seen this and she hands down won that gold medal fair and square...wonderful!
BobtailTM30 2 years ago 5
Wow, that was an amazing performance. 2 tripple tripple combination.
PeekabooGirl 2 years ago
that performance absolutely took my breath away
znasmom 2 years ago
cheated jumps. she wouldn't have won under the new system
applecrisp 2 years ago
the most boring and dull performance in the world!
chegitta23 2 years ago
@chegitta23 R u kidding, this is the epitomy of a gold winning performance.
swim4life107 2 years ago
She skated better than anyone else and really deserved to win the Gold that day. It is too bad that she dropped out of skating afterwards. This seems to be what happens to every teenager who wins the Gold at the Olympics. Be careful what you wish for.
luvmuzik4me 2 years ago
@luvmuzik4me she is dumb in skating! fuck you!
chegitta23 2 years ago
SHE WENT ON TO YALE AND HAS A GOLD MEDAL. lol happy and content.
ankatz 2 years ago 2
I am happy for her. Besides being a great skater she seemed like a nice young girl.
luvmuzik4me 2 years ago
This beautiful performance brought tears to my eyes at the time, and it still gives me chills now. Simply marvelous!
snoopysister 2 years ago 2
i love when she lands her third triple-triple and then she just unleashes for the last minute of her performance. you could tell all she was thinking was "omg i just nailed it! i just won the gold" flawless performance! still gives me chills! i remember watching this when i was 10 and having my mind blown
saxyalli 2 years ago 3
She went back to school, I don't think she wanted skating to define her
Teikiatsu 2 years ago
and were is she now? NOBODY KNOWS
irinabulgac 2 years ago
What does it matter? She won Olympic Gold. What have you done?
racer945 2 years ago 2
this medal should be deserved through years and experience and not to use the condition that Olymp.Games took place in your country!!!! As it happened this year with mens figure skating. In europe he wouldnt get first place without quatriple jumping. SHAME!!!!
irinabulgac 2 years ago
@irinabulgac
You're going to tell me that you don't think she skated a pretty clean performance? That one cheat on the landing? Irina missed two of her combinations - turned 2 triple-triples to 2 triple-doubles, and she botched another landing.
She spent years training. She did her due. And that night, she was better and she got what she not only deserved but also earned. Each competition is its own and you gotta bring it everytime. She did when the others faulted and fell.
racer945 2 years ago 4
@racer945 count jumps of her and count jumps of irina slutskaya. also compare the difficulty of the programs. plus consider the speed of skating.
chegitta23 2 years ago
@chegitta23 Irina, again, missed two of her combinations and had to change them. She also botched another landing. Sarah was clean. She landed well, spun well, skated well. She earned it.
Why whenever Americans win, there is always the excuse that it was either in our own country or (this year) in N. America? Everyone needs to get over it. Sarah did well that year, maybe not the best, but enough that night 2 earn her the gold. Irina had it in the bag if she had skated clean. But she didn't.
racer945 2 years ago
Same thing happened in Torino in regards to the Japenese skater who took Gold. Neither Irina or Sasha Cohen skated clean performances, while the one I mentioned skated flawlessly.
Rawk4Life 2 years ago
"Why whenever Americans win, there is always the excuse that it was either in our own country or (this year) in N. America?"
lol...I agree. Soon it will be based on hemispheres.
felldownonce1 2 years ago
@chegitta23
That might be true, but you have to execute them well. Very well; what they call "Grade of Execution." Irina's grade of execution wasn't as strong, so she lost points.
racer945 2 years ago
If you want Irina to have gotten the Gold because of speed, maybe she should have gone into speed skating?
masinindy 2 years ago 3
@irinabulgac And this year, Evan skated a great performance. No there wasn't a quad but his degree of difficulty with his footwork, spins, and choreo were higher than Plushenko. That's where Plush lost points. He rolled his hips, blew kisses and did simple steps while basically standing still. And the landings on most of his now so-called "easy jumps" were shaky not to mention wobbly in the air. He didn't lose by much, but where he could have secured his gold, he actually lost it himself.
racer945 2 years ago 3
@racer945 i have done enough in my life to be proud of myself. she won just because the olympics were held in the northern american continent, she was in her country and was supported by the judges. how can she be not ashamed of her medal? she never won, she is not capable to win. she is not talented but supported.world knows,only dummies dont
chegitta23 2 years ago
you are making an idiot of yourself certainly. this was one of the greatest moments in sports. held on the american continent?! thats you argument? really? its an international group of judges, russia, china, france, canada all have their say. no score is worth more than the other. Irina CHOKED. fell at the Olympics after 3 times more experience. SHE SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED. HAHAHA
ankatz 2 years ago
She was well conditioned and well focused at that moment-in-time. The others faltered, slipped, and sometimes fell.
saunhitube 2 years ago
On that night in Salt Lake...she was money.
califinn 2 years ago 3
In my opinion, she`s a lucky upstart, nothing special. She`s nither a fighter like Sasha or Irina nor an artist of ultraclass.
Eriniya 2 years ago
I love Sasha, the problem with Sasha though is that she could never skate a clean Long Program. And I do love Sasha's artistry and skating all around. As for Irina, I suppose one could argue about artistry, but what was all that crap that she did in the last 10 seconds of the program. Way to much movement to end a program on. the other thing to remember is when your jumps don't flow that too affects the artistry. Finally, landing two triple triple combos in one program is anything but luck
Jukka70 2 years ago 2
@Jukka70 Sarah skated perfectly while her rivals didn`t.But this fact doesn`t make her a great skater.I mean,many can do their best for a time.But only outstanding sportsmen can do it for a long period of time.Look at Plushenko,Jubert,Lambiel...
Eriniya 2 years ago 2
Blode Kuh - not a skate itself
PavelShvalov 2 years ago
i'm no expert but i think under today's system the only bad marks she would get would be the 3S+3Lo< and 3Lz e. everything else looked clean and she would've still beat michelle and irina.
mistybabe5489 2 years ago
I remember lying in my bed watching Sarah skate this and crying when she finished I knew at that moment she won the gold medal it was so beautiful.
nolajersey 2 years ago 3
Both her triple triples combinations would have counted. You are allowed a quarter rotation "cheat" under the current rules for a jump to count. Furthermore, EVERY skater in slow motion looks like they are cheating their jumps on the take-off. They don't penalize you for that, as someone has already stated. Almost every triple jump will look like you are taking off forward in slow motion. I don't know why people who don't know skating post like they're experts here.
jondavwal 2 years ago 4
In her first triple-triple, you can see at 5:42 that the 3-loop is cheated more than 90 degrees. This is the "slight cheat" that the announcer points out.
arbiteroftaste 2 years ago
@arbiteroftaste I agree. It was definitely ur by more than a quarter of a turn. She also took off from the wrong edge on her lutz.
idolfan9495 1 year ago
@idolfan9495 It was only a 1/4 turn short. The blade keeps turning on the ice because of the momentum, but she lands just a bit past being sideways...which is 90 degrees short of total rotation given the spot she took off from.
Zuranthium 1 year ago
Sorry but saying "EVERY skater in slo mo looks lik they are cheating their take offs" is every bit as uninformed as you claim others to be. That's a ridiculous statement. And you're definitely wrong about them not getting penalized -- just look at your new Olympic men's champion -- he finally cleaned up that take off for his 3A, he used to get downgrades for twisting before taking off, it was very obvious even without slo mo.
shinshaw2000 2 years ago
If you knew anything about actually skating and not just watching on television then you would realize that every jump prerotates, it's just a question of degree. I guarantee you that ever triple loop in slow motion would have a forward take off. Asada practically had done a full turn on her triple axel before her foot left the ice yet she got full credit. Lysacek's take off on his axel was a disaster for many reasons not just prerotation. If you actually do skate you must fall a lot.
jondavwal 2 years ago
There's that same move at the end that beat Michelle, my love, Kwan in 1998. I forgot about this..
brings back memories!
Milli080 2 years ago
Truly a moment to remember always. The greatest moment in figure skating history. This beautiful young woman risked it all, upped the ante big time, and worked hard for that Gold medal. She and her coach kept working on her program for this and put in more and more elements. This is truly a performance that will go down in sports history as noted by another poster. Sarah Hughes Olympic Gold winner and an American treasure. A true champion in every sense of the word.
Thank you Sarah Hughes.
getrealandsee 2 years ago 4
Agreed. I've watched this program many times and I still get chills. The crowd in the house had to have known they were witnessing history. Gutsy, beautiful performance that paid off perfectly.
NYCBlonde 2 years ago
Great program.. Listen, yes Sara did flutz, and there were deductions for this! Check out her short program tech. marks, and you will see that they do deduct. She had such high technical marks here b/c she did so many other jumps well, including 3-3's... and having the 2nd jumps be 3loops is particularly difficult. Great job sara.
mlc2005 2 years ago 6
Exactly, someone who knows exactly how skating works. Am so sick of the crap of people saying Kwan or Irina got robbed, they didn't get robbed, Sara skated better. Very good explanation on things mic2005
Jukka70 2 years ago 5
Exactly, people who think Michelle and Irina got robbed closed their eyes when they both skated. Michelle's program was a disaster and Irina's was a mess. Slutskaya thinking that she had won was an exercise in denial or entitlement. There was no question who deserved it that night.
jondavwal 2 years ago 3
Whoever says Kwan or Irina got robbed are crazy!!
2xEpic 2 years ago 2