Linda Fratianne - 1979 World Championships Long Program

[mrjking]

I trained with Linda Fratianne at Pickwick Ice Rink in Burbank CA in 1977. Without a doubt she is the most underated skater ever. the first femail skater to land two triples in her program. Her one fault was she was so quiet. She was so intense about her practice. She would do patching with me and then in the public sessions we would skate and she would do triple Salchows in the corners in a rink full of people. Her name is never mentioned. It is totally weird.

[nondescriptnyc]

@mrjking Wow, someone from my era!  How great that you used to train with her. I saw many top skaters in person back then, but Fratianne, Watanabe, and Wagenhoffer had THE biggest and fastest 2 Axels (although Fratianne's jumps don't seem as impressive on TV somehow).

[mrjking]

I trained with Linda Fratianne at Pickwick Ice Rink in Burbank CA in 1977. Without a doubt she is the most underated skater ever- the first femail skater to land two triples in her program. Her one fault was she was so quiet. . Her name is never mentioned. It is totally weird.

[metsdudenj]

This is the only audience that did not applaud when she went into the cannonball sit spin position on her first combo spin. And this was probably one of the most pro American and excited audiences in World Figure Skating history

[Rouben19]

She should have won Olympic Gold but for a strange reason was not well liked I should know I worked with her for 4 years all she ever said to anyone was Hi!

[russianskatingfan]

Hardly a surprise to hear that. She comes across as a stuck up bitch and she is a flat out overrated skater.  This quad with Poetzsch, Fratianne, and Lurz 3 zzzzzzz skaters winning all the medals was the stinkiest skating era for women. I would watch Biellmann, young Voderezova, Watanabe, Marie Allen, and even Sandy Lenz anyday over those 3 fridge break skaters. Atleast Poetzsch and Lurz didnt whine and act like they were gods gift to skating like the stale, stiff, and egotist Fratianne.

[ifusuckilltellu]

I agree Annett should have been 3rd with Denise Biellman finishing 2nd for the sliver medal at the 1980 Games!

[russianskatingfan]

@ifusuckilltellu Denise 2nd over Annett, LOL! I guess you are just pretending compulsory figures did not exist at all.

[diony60]

Maybe she was shy? :-/