watching Oksana Baiul in 94 was one of the highlights of my life. I made a deal with my hubby, I'd watch the fights if he'd watch ice skating. I originally was routing for Nancy. Oksana blew Nancy away. She was magical. My husband said she was like a bird in flight. We had a wonderful memory. He died a couple of years ago. It's the small things that make a marriage good.
WOW. Oksana got HUGE air time on her best jumps like the Lutz (with a TRUE Lutz edge) and Axel. Yes, she 2-footed the 3flip but she rotated all 3 revolutions around and didn't double the jump like Nancy. Imo under COP Baiul's coach/choreographers would've seen to it that she racked up tons of huge points between jumps ala Sasha Cohen who had 2 bad jumps in her LP at her Olympics in 2006-and still won the silver medal. Imo, Oksana would've been trained differently with good jump combos.
@faeryquene Nancy had 5 clean triples with a tripe-triple and a triple-double! Oksana had 3 clean triple with ZERO triple combos (she threw in that sloppy double axel combo at the end). IMO, Nancy was the real winner that night.
@Karosanyo Oksana is not a sloppy jumper. I don't see any sloppiness coming from a graceful and balletic Oksana. I call Oksana another one of the artistic skater aside from Sasha.
And one final comment. (Dang you YouTube character limit).
I am not, and never was, a Kerrigan fan. I can't think of a single program of hers that I enjoyed. But she deserved to win this event. Her LP was more difficult, better executed, and had nicer choreography.
Also, for everyone who is going on and on about artistry and good choreography, my opinion is that this program displays neither. Cute posing is not artistry. And in terms of choreography and music selection, this program is choppy and a mess.
Note that I do think Baiul's story (before her fall from grace) is a great one. And her SP was beautiful. But this? Sorry, I just can't overlook the errors, level of difficulty, and choppiness.
I have no problem with a less technical program winning as long as that program is still relatively close to the other. For example, there have been many events over the years where there was a one jump difference, and I thought the easier program should win because it was either better executed or artistically more pleasant. However, in this case, Kerrigan's was SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult AND better executed, so that doesn't apply here.
What won Oksana the medal was her ability to connect with the audience, something Nancy Kerrigan struggled with her entire career. Oksana's prgram was playful and fun while the architecture of Nancy's program was designed precisely down to the slightest finger movement to win a gold medal but it did not allow the audience and the judges to become invested in the program.
@Oreadno1 Figure skating isn't about connecting with the audience! Oksana only landed THREE CLEAN TRIPLES WITH ZERO COMBOS! Nancy landed FIVE WITH A TRIPLE-TRIPLE and a TRIPLE-DOUBLE (she also had a triple lutz near the end of her program). This program from Oksana was atrocious (a far cry from her masterful short program). Nancy had better artistry and her program was MUCH more difficult. Oksana was propped up and gifted this OGM. This was a skating competition and NOT a charity event....
I certainly remember this Olympics. It was the "Thilla in Manilla" of its time. And both contender's lost! LOLOL! Oksana was as cute as a button and had real skills. That performance is still tough to beat.
I heard the results before seeing this on TV that night. I was tremendously impressed by Kerrigan's LP (and I'm not a Kerrigan fan). I remember really looking forward to seeing Baiul's program, since I knew she had won. To say that I was disappointed in Baiul's skate is an understatement. The results from the Ladies competition was just the icing on the cake of the poor figure skating judging that had taken place during the whole run of the 94 Olympics.
I prefer her truly beautiful short program . I wouldn't mind if she won the short even with the two footed landing on the lutz. But this was a disgrace. Nancy won the long program by a mile. Oksana only landed 3 clean triples (the flip and the second triple toe at the end were two-footed). She also didn't have any combos on any triples (she landed a sloppy 2a/2t at the end). Nancy landed 5 clean triples with two combo triples (one with a triple/triple). Nancy is the true OGM winner.
Sloppy edging, zero artistry except for the age appropriate dancing in place. Two footed landings and NO TRIPLE TRIPLE. Compared to what Nancy put down on the ice,That gold medal was a gift in my book.
This is one of the first memories of my life! I was like 5 and my mom and dad were watching olympics by tv & Oksana was crying & my mom was crying! ...
Gosh, still can't believe it's almost 17 years gone now . . . Wow. . .
I'm sorry, but the two double-footed landings on those first two jumps -- not Olympic in quality at all. Oksana was brilliant in the SP as regards charm and speed and a breathtaking double axel, but yet the judges did have to mark her down for that two-footed landing on the 3 Lutz. Here, they should have done the same.
I'm sorry but Nancy did a triple triple and Oksana double footed and doubled a triple jump...as far as artistry... nancy wins...oksana's performace was all over the place... much like michelle kwan vs. tara lipinski...michelle wins my h eart
they dont make skaters like that no more not just the techinque but the flow and the artistry in her movements where unbeleivable.She is still in a class of her own the old russian ballet school of skaters that had poise and techique at the same time.That body language where is it today?
@Algorithm16 One less rotation is how you do a double toe as oppose to a triple. She also did other harder triples and a triple-double combination at the end insteads of the begining which is harder.
@hydrolito No, Oksana did the HARDEST triples first, and the easier jumps later, and ended her program with an easy double-double combination, which was also two footed, not a triple double. In order: 3lutz (two-footed), 3flip (HUGE two-foot), 3loop (gorgeous!), 3salchow (also excellent), 2axel (good), 2toe (wtf!), 3toe(two-footed), 2axel/2toe(two-footed).
She landed TWO clean triples. And won the gold. If you can't see what's wrong with that in a SPORT then you have problems.
@DarrenInCA Well said Darren. And not to mention that she had a botched jump in the short program too. Also - she does a lot of easy skating in the latter part of her program Watch from about 2:38 to 3:15 - she doesn't do anything of real technical value. Yet - she scored 5.9 for tech marks.
This was a definite bag job. I'm glad I'm not the only one to think that!!
@hydrolito No, Oksana did the HARDEST triples first, and the easier jumps later, and ended her program with an easy double-double combination, which was also two footed, not a triple double. In order: 3lutz (two-footed), 3flip (HUGE two-foot), 3loop (gorgeous!), 3salchow (also excellent), 2axel (good), 2toe (wtf!), 3toe(two-footed), 2axel/2toe(two-footed).
She landed TWO clean triples. And won the gold. If you can't see what's wrong with that in a SPORT then you have problems.
@jchenthegreat I agree 100%. Since I am from the Detroit area where Nancy Kerrigan was attacked everyone was just hoping she was going to win, then when Oksana skated and gave this spectacular performance they STILL said that the gold was stole from Nancy K. Anyone who says that, just watch the tapes. You will see how our opinion was influenced by sympathy for Kerrigan. I am glad the judges didn't let their opinions get in the way of declaring the right person the winner.
Probably one of the closest gold and silvers ever! Just for fun, I would have judged it this was:
Oksana: 5.7/5.9
Kerrigan: 5.8/5.8
And I'd give Oksana the gold based on the artistic mark. Even though Kerrigan did more more triple, I felt that Baiul's footwork and transitions were more intricate, which imo, makes their programs about the same in difficulty.
Artistically, Baiul really was stronger; she played with the audience, and her choreography was more complex. Tough call though.
@mlc2005 I agree. Kerrigan's moves were flawless, and so were Oksana's, but Oksana is in a class all by herself. She skates like no other I have ever seen. She skates like she is a ballerina on the ice, and though Kerrigan gave a flawless performance, it was very boring. And all the people that come to these videos and argue that Oksana stole the gold forget that she did beat Kerrigan again, fair and square at the 1994 Tour of Champions.
Oksana's coach: You can't jump but you seduce with the hands.". True, here.The judges didn't see the two-footed landings but are supposed to care about difficulty. Nancy executed a more difficult program well. A judge living in my area told a local reporter as much. But, the tide had turned against Nancy toward a fresh female, victim; Oksana was an ORPHAN colliding with another skater that very day. Ice skating worships the Cinderella story.
perhaps but I do not think you can argue either program was unquestionably better than the other, it was because they were so similar that the cinderally story tipped the balance to Oksana's favor.
@Holycani She was the World Champion at the time. So, you think she won her gold medal and championship just because of her "Cinderella story?" I understand having a difference of opinion, but why downgrade her talents? That Olympics was one of the most viewed programs ever, because of Kerrigan and Harding. Everyone was so busy talking about that, no one even knew of Oksana's past-until she came and blew away the competion.
@mpjrdldn-I disagree. The whole reason why everyone wanted Kerrigan to win was because of what happened with Tanya Harding. That was the most watched Olympics in history. They couldn't even find a copy of the Ukranian national anthem when Oksana won. Your quote by Oksana's coach if facual was probably said a different way when it was said in it's original language.
that was awesome! agree with last posts - she is a dancer, an actress and an outstanding skater. and her speed is just incredible! the winners in Vancouver were good, their jumps and all... but yesterday I didn't see any performance with so much heart, artistry and charisma
wow i remember watching this and was really happy for her. u cant help but compare her grace elegance and technique go toether perfevtly. and her speed how high her jumps.. so amazing to see.
All she did was in 3 years of competitions. she was just 17 when she stopped. But we all can't forget these wonderful amazing minutes that she used to remain in our hearts (in mine of course).
when I see competitions today, I still keep thinking to her and still prefer her.
All the petty bickering is ridiculous. She won, get over it. IMHO She is the only skater I have ever seen that skated like she was dancing a ballet. Most skaters, including the present greats link jumps with at best good footwork.Oksana danced. Her use of her hands and body positions has never been equaled or repeated. Oksana ruined me for skating. Everyone else are just jumpers.
Isn't curious that no one else has ever tried to mimic her? btw Kerrigan's music was painfully bad.
@emorrisIV Very well said. Her arms will never be equalled, not even from a ballerina, I guess. They seem to come from heaven. She has shown so beautiful programs as a pro skater (think about the dying swan, ave maria or meditation the thais). I am sure there will never be someone so heartful, who feels the music in a way Oksana did.
Yes, I remember watching these Olympics live. As an American I was pulling for Nancy, but after watching Oksana, there was no question her technique, choreography and sheer emotional beauty was superior to Nancy's. ( I studied ballet, lyrical dance and gymnastics for years and competed up through college level.) Nancy's performance was stiff, and she did not emotionally connect with her audience. Why didn't her coaches fix this? She was a lovely girl. In watching again, I still feel the same.
I totally agree.. initially I was rooting for Nancy, but after seeing Oksana and what she can do.. I was all for her.. she is the best female figure skater of all time..
This was so dramatic. I remember watching this competition at the time. I never really watched much figure skating but I did happen to watch this and it was just amazing. Oksana threw that jump in at the last moment and she just grabs her head at the end because she knows that she took a huge gamble to win it and she did! Amazing.
nancy had more errors than oskana. the two foot landing was deducted. that is why oskana threw another triple in at the end. she was given credit for the jump. artistry is more important than jumps. anyone can jump, but it is the package arount the jumps that decide the best scores. no one could touch oskana when it came to artistry!
how could u say that? kwan was a great skater but no way that she could move as gracefully as oksana on ice. oksana delivered the best performance ever.
just saw kwan in salome (world 96): its a great performance, her jumps were as clean as always; but she didnt pay much attention to her upper torso, arms/wrists/ hands movements - theyre kinda stiff. im more into figure skating as an art form cos i love ballet n dancing. i prefer to watch spins, spirals n torso flexibility just as sasha, caroline, mao or mirai show on ice. n i think oksana opened the door to these skaters for the first time. too bad that jumps got the most points still.
And jumps should get the most points, they are the most difficult to do. If you want to watch "artistic skating" then watch Ice Dancing. As for fast spins and artistic merits, I think Denise Biellmann is the one that opened the door. Remember the Biellmann spin, which most of Oksana's spins are a variation of it.
@faeryquene -- Wasn't it Nancy's poor performance at the World's that gave the US one less team member? If she had won, Michelle would have been able to go.
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A silver skate. She double-toed a landing and wasn't marked down for it. IT was fun and energetic, but it didn't have as much artistry as Kerrigan either. Oksana's win was a backlash against Nancy because of the media's obsession with Trashy Tonya and Gilooley.
I enjoyed watching Baiul skate. She was poetry in motion. I would imagine, coming from the Ukraine, with her very sad history - not to mention the history of repression her people faced - she would choose lighthearted music to lift her spirits. Let her choose what makes her happy. That's why skaters choose what they do.
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Oksana was so cute when she was thin but man, a few years after the olympics she got big or something. Her face ballooned big too, she looks like that red hearded kid on harry potter (ron i think)
I wasn't a fan of Oksana's unil I heard about her story. And I became a fan right then & there. I love her and admire her so much. had the great pleasure of seeing her perform live at least twice. She's wonderful. God bless you, Oksana
I was thrilled she won. Nancy's performance was very good, but I remember what struck me at the time was that Oksana's had so much more feeling in it. It always seemed like Nancy expected it to just be hers, and here came this young girl that just blew her out of the water.
It was shaky but it took guts to add that triple toe after doubling the first one, and final double axel-double too. I think that made the difference as well Oksana's superior artistic expression, etc.
Oksana, what a joy to watch your long program even after so many years! You still shine like no other skater and I only hope you know how much you have given to people all around the world. I saw you first in Prague in 1993 when you won the World Championship and I have loved you since then. You are simply a miracle in the world of figure skating --- Love from your fan from Prague, Czech Republic
I remember this Olympics well. :) well, who wouldn't? But Kerrigan was very boring compared to Baiul for sure. :) I love this program, there were errors, but the energy and passion and her skill is all appearant here, its beautiful! :)
Why is there no good quality video of Oksana Baiul's LP?? Oksana anyway outclassed the stiff Kerrigan to the enchantment of all. I have seldom seen a more clear winner. Those, always Americans, who reduce figure skating to mechanically counting certain moves are so pathetic, even more so as EVERYTHING Oksana did she did more beautifully. A class beyond, simply.
Separately, the gruesome personalities of the two main US participants and their camps were even beyond expectations.
Couldn't agree more. The accountants who are unable to be enraptured by a jewel like, say, Oksana's black swan SP leave me perplexed.
PS: If you're looking for great quality skating vids check out the channel of 3Axel1996,he was removed a while ago but is back and uploading stuff all the time, from 70s to 00s, he hasn't done the 90s yet but before he was removed he had the best collection of vids of Lillehammer, Worlds etc, including perfect ones of Oksana, hopefully they'll be back up soon!
why does everything have to be so angry when it comes to this sport? I'm American, and I could care less about figuring out who is better that the other...What can't we just enjoy this performance without prejudice undertones and angry commentary?
I was a child watching this, and all I could even think while watching each skater was how great they all were with their own personal styles. It inspired me to take up ice skating. I loved watching them all, even when they faulted.
@dsrtflwr Same here. Nancy was lovely but Oksana's artistry was far superior. Jumps weren't rewarded the same in that quad. Oksana's opening triple lutz was HUGE! Wow.
@dsrtflwr and I am formerly a Russian who thinks and always thought Baiul sucked (yes I know she is Ukranian and all but still). What about this program impressed you exactly.
@russianskatingfan I think she's much more artistic and a better dancer than most female skaters. She can be intense when appropriate and then lighter in her approach when the music/mood calls for it. Also, she shows a lot of courage and heart when she decides to just "go for it" and do something that wasn't planned.
I'm a musician, and when I do a solo I don't like to be safe, I like to reach further than I did before. I take risks. I love it when unexpected things happen in a performance. That's what I see in Oksana; she takes risks.
@dsrtflwr I'm Ukranian, and I thought a major two-footed landing, no combination jumps, too much posing, and unsteady landings ala Maria Butraskya and Kerrigan deserved this title........
Nancy had a smoother program for sure, but it was stiff, not real internal feeling. Oksana was a enchantress and I found myself smiling at her program, the detail in the choreography and her speed and height were amazing. This was an artistic program and I can see why the judges thought this more artistic for sure.
@krtina455 If this beautiful girl is the face of the Russian gutter (and she's Ukrainian btw, way to be a fool who has no understanding of international relations) then I have to say, I want to live in the goddamn Russian gutter.
I agree I remember watching this when I was in the 4th grade and let me tell ya even then I knew Oksana smoked Nancy! Oksana deserved to win and I am so glad she did! Nancy was stuck up and I agree Lu Chen deserved the silver.
She spanked Kerrigan for the simple reason that she was fun and interesting to watch - had pizazz and artistry and jumped fine. It was like watching a Flamingo and an Elephant, (Kerrigan being the tusked creature). Kerrigan was an excellent skater, just klunky and boring in comparison. But not so if u were just watching her on her own, then she was great too.
This is a silly program. Another "Russian" winning because of the soviet bloc judging. Take the USSR and break it into many parts. Now they have many judges.
Yes she is Russian. She described herself as Russian when she was on Oprah when she had her drinking problem. and crashed. She said she thought she could handle alcohol because she is russian. All the breaking up of the soviet union did for the sport was create more former "soviet" judges who still show bias for the russian skaters. Just becasue they broke up in to several countries did not make uniquely loyal to their new country.
I never found Baiul's or Kerrigan's performances to be very good or interesting. Kerrigan was kind of dull and Baiul always reminded me of a newborn baby deer trying to walk on ice....if Tonya Harding had her shit together I think things would have been much different.
A two-footed triple lutz is still of higher value than a correct double flip (which Nancy did instead of a triple, and that probably cost her the gold). Nancy's program, furthermore, just wasn't that interesting. Neil Diamond???? doesn't cut it.
I think it was the triple flip and the triple toe loop that she threw in that were two footed. I totally agree that Nancy's music selection could have been better. Nancy's LP from the Albertville Olympics was brilliant. I wish she could have skated that program as well as this one (and instead of this one.) I think her music selection cost her the gold more than the double flip. She did a clean 3toe/3toe combo, Oksana threw in a 2axl/2toe.
Um yeah ,but it's not like that was Oksana's only mistake. -_- She doubled an intended triple toe and two footed another jump. Plus Nancy had a couple of combos in addition to a triple-triple. And besides, Oksana just has a bunch of flailing arm movements, and Nancy's musics fit the Olympic air better.
I agree on Nancy's long program and its music was very "Olympic" but it was stiff and lacked what most great female skaters of that time had and which was no attitude she was stuck up and it showed on her face and during the entire Olympics she acted as if the judges owed her the gold I think Oksana was the right choice and in fact Chen Lu/Lu Chen was better the Nancy as well and should have been 2nd jsut because Nancy did combos and landed them means nothing unless its the short program!
Very true! Nancy's music was too "Olympic", it sounded like the end of a soundtrack for a Hollywood action movie when the (american) hero wins at the end. Armageddon? Maybe I think of that one because she reminds me of Liv Tyler! The gold dress was really obvious as well. I think as often happens she ended up believing the hype created around her by hysterical media. A good skater, but too tense and literal. She lacks that magical spark that Oksana and some others had in spades.
Nancy had a great skate that night... and although her jumping was superior, her music was horrible. I think that probably cost her the gold more than anything else. Oksana was definitely the highlight of the evening... as well as Lu Chen. It was a very memorable night.
I must say however that I iwish Oksana had changed her routine; she'd been using the same free skate since the 91-92 season. She's got such great musical interpretation; I would have loved to have seen her do other programs.
Very true, I so wish she'd carried on as amateur much longer, overall it probably would have been better for her on a personal level also...
There are a few vids of her in her pro days in 95-96 on YouTube, one is to 'Meditation' from Thais, and is wonderful! It will come up if you put it in the search window.
Oh and if you like Lu Chen try her 95 LP at Worlds, it's brilliant
@ifusuckilltellu And as always Scott Hamilton annoyed the hell out of me-always practically 'handing' his favorite the medal before the scores are even posted. He had written off Oksana, Tara, Alexei back to back amongst others. I especially loved when he strongly implied the ramrod stiff Timothy Goebels had a chance of winning the gold over Alexei and Plushenko. rotflmao.
Baiul telegraphed her jumps. The only combo was a sloppy 2 axle/2toe. No difficult entrances. No footwork. No combo spin. No sit spin. 2 of 5 triples two footed. Kerrigan had a great 3/3, back spiral to 3loop, footwork into 3sal/2toe, 3 lutz late in program, spread eagle into 2 axle, good combo spins, real sit spin, and good footwork. Superior skating skills, better choreo. It really wasn't close at all.
I think Kerrigan is a good skater, but when you compare her to Oksana they're just not on the same level. Oksana draws you into her performance, very much like how Yuna Kim does these days
what's that???A Nobody who lalks about a two time olympic medallist... we really need to know your opinion about Kerrigan... Not to mention she won an olympic bronze BEFORE the infamous attac...
Besides all the two-foot landings, winning the gold did nothing good for her. She was a poor kid earning millions of dollars afterwards. It was too much too soon and contributed to her alcoholism and drug addiction. A sad story.
I like Baiul better than Kerrigan, but honestly she should not have won the gold medal. Kerrigan may have doubled the flip, but she did the difficult triple triple combination and waited 3 minutes into her program to do the triple lutz while Baiul did it right at the beginning and didn't even attempt a triple triple. Baiul two footed the flip, did a double toe loop instead of a triple and two footed the triple toe that she threw in at the end. The double axel combo was also very sloppy.
The win should have been Nancy's. Except for doubling a triple, her program was solid and clean, while Oksana's was very shaky, and aside from everything you mentioned, she thew in a triple at the end to try to wow 'em.
And her "poor little orphen girl" routine definitely played into it as well.
A fitting end to the most bizarre, dramatic LP competition ever (Kerrigan knee smash, Harding's broken shoelace, Ukrainian orphan injured day before LP...) Oksana and her 'golden hands' (as Galina Zmevskaya called them) were brilliant and captivating.
I've never seen a cleaner program....It's seldom, if ever that you see a skater whip off a routine like this....I still love her skating, when she DOES skate.....she's inventive and unique.....
watching Oksana Baiul in 94 was one of the highlights of my life. I made a deal with my hubby, I'd watch the fights if he'd watch ice skating. I originally was routing for Nancy. Oksana blew Nancy away. She was magical. My husband said she was like a bird in flight. We had a wonderful memory. He died a couple of years ago. It's the small things that make a marriage good.
skeptic4al 1 month ago
I can see why Johnny Weir is fond for her skating. Beautiful.
filipinoICEsk8ter 3 months ago
WOW. Oksana got HUGE air time on her best jumps like the Lutz (with a TRUE Lutz edge) and Axel. Yes, she 2-footed the 3flip but she rotated all 3 revolutions around and didn't double the jump like Nancy. Imo under COP Baiul's coach/choreographers would've seen to it that she racked up tons of huge points between jumps ala Sasha Cohen who had 2 bad jumps in her LP at her Olympics in 2006-and still won the silver medal. Imo, Oksana would've been trained differently with good jump combos.
faeryquene 5 months ago
@faeryquene Nancy had 5 clean triples with a tripe-triple and a triple-double! Oksana had 3 clean triple with ZERO triple combos (she threw in that sloppy double axel combo at the end). IMO, Nancy was the real winner that night.
Karosanyo 5 months ago
@Karosanyo Oksana is not a sloppy jumper. I don't see any sloppiness coming from a graceful and balletic Oksana. I call Oksana another one of the artistic skater aside from Sasha.
anne91276 2 weeks ago
she is the best
snewka89 7 months ago
Oksana is just the EVER BEST Skater !!! Because skating is not about only jumps or moves or artistics - it's about everything putting together !!!
mvy2k 8 months ago
And one final comment. (Dang you YouTube character limit).
I am not, and never was, a Kerrigan fan. I can't think of a single program of hers that I enjoyed. But she deserved to win this event. Her LP was more difficult, better executed, and had nicer choreography.
PierreMcDuck 8 months ago 4
Also, for everyone who is going on and on about artistry and good choreography, my opinion is that this program displays neither. Cute posing is not artistry. And in terms of choreography and music selection, this program is choppy and a mess.
Note that I do think Baiul's story (before her fall from grace) is a great one. And her SP was beautiful. But this? Sorry, I just can't overlook the errors, level of difficulty, and choppiness.
PierreMcDuck 8 months ago 3
I have no problem with a less technical program winning as long as that program is still relatively close to the other. For example, there have been many events over the years where there was a one jump difference, and I thought the easier program should win because it was either better executed or artistically more pleasant. However, in this case, Kerrigan's was SIGNIFICANTLY more difficult AND better executed, so that doesn't apply here.
PierreMcDuck 8 months ago
DANG in 1994 she was still awesome!!!!^^
RavenACA3 10 months ago
What won Oksana the medal was her ability to connect with the audience, something Nancy Kerrigan struggled with her entire career. Oksana's prgram was playful and fun while the architecture of Nancy's program was designed precisely down to the slightest finger movement to win a gold medal but it did not allow the audience and the judges to become invested in the program.
Oreadno1 11 months ago
@Oreadno1 Figure skating isn't about connecting with the audience! Oksana only landed THREE CLEAN TRIPLES WITH ZERO COMBOS! Nancy landed FIVE WITH A TRIPLE-TRIPLE and a TRIPLE-DOUBLE (she also had a triple lutz near the end of her program). This program from Oksana was atrocious (a far cry from her masterful short program). Nancy had better artistry and her program was MUCH more difficult. Oksana was propped up and gifted this OGM. This was a skating competition and NOT a charity event....
Karosanyo 8 months ago
It is so sad what happened about her mother.....
maelou00 1 year ago
I certainly remember this Olympics. It was the "Thilla in Manilla" of its time. And both contender's lost! LOLOL! Oksana was as cute as a button and had real skills. That performance is still tough to beat.
edwinachikere 1 year ago
I heard the results before seeing this on TV that night. I was tremendously impressed by Kerrigan's LP (and I'm not a Kerrigan fan). I remember really looking forward to seeing Baiul's program, since I knew she had won. To say that I was disappointed in Baiul's skate is an understatement. The results from the Ladies competition was just the icing on the cake of the poor figure skating judging that had taken place during the whole run of the 94 Olympics.
ebesmom 1 year ago
I prefer her truly beautiful short program . I wouldn't mind if she won the short even with the two footed landing on the lutz. But this was a disgrace. Nancy won the long program by a mile. Oksana only landed 3 clean triples (the flip and the second triple toe at the end were two-footed). She also didn't have any combos on any triples (she landed a sloppy 2a/2t at the end). Nancy landed 5 clean triples with two combo triples (one with a triple/triple). Nancy is the true OGM winner.
Karosanyo 1 year ago
Sloppy edging, zero artistry except for the age appropriate dancing in place. Two footed landings and NO TRIPLE TRIPLE. Compared to what Nancy put down on the ice,That gold medal was a gift in my book.
hularichard 1 year ago 2
she's definitely one of the olympics medal candidates in todays time
songj7 1 year ago
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This was a disgrace! She only landed TWO clean triples and still won. Nancy landed five (with a triple triple). Nancy was the clear winner.
Karosanyo 1 year ago 2
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Karosanyo 1 year ago
This is one of the first memories of my life! I was like 5 and my mom and dad were watching olympics by tv & Oksana was crying & my mom was crying! ...
Gosh, still can't believe it's almost 17 years gone now . . . Wow. . .
zenitrulit2 1 year ago 2
Brave adding!
101Qoo 1 year ago
I'm sorry, but the two double-footed landings on those first two jumps -- not Olympic in quality at all. Oksana was brilliant in the SP as regards charm and speed and a breathtaking double axel, but yet the judges did have to mark her down for that two-footed landing on the 3 Lutz. Here, they should have done the same.
Aldobrandini 1 year ago
There's more to skating than jumps. Kerrigan was technician. Oksana was an artist.
Give me the ballet skaters like Oksana, Ekaterina Goordeva and Shash Cohen anyday
keliata 1 year ago
man she is just flying on the ice. this is what the olympics are all about, athletes like oksana who redefine the sport
tarutan21 1 year ago
@tarutan21 What???? Please go watch Queen Yuna Kim video to see what flying mean. This is just slow and sloppy.
ynkisno1 1 year ago
I haven't watched this or Kerrigan's performance in sixteen years. Nancy still should have won.
melosebrainuhoh 1 year ago
MY EARS
longdozenify 1 year ago 83
@longdozenify well too be fair, this was in '94 and it was recorded with a potato.
leodungen 4 months ago
I'm sorry but Nancy did a triple triple and Oksana double footed and doubled a triple jump...as far as artistry... nancy wins...oksana's performace was all over the place... much like michelle kwan vs. tara lipinski...michelle wins my h eart
badtznikmaru 1 year ago
I love how Oksana always looks so excited when she does something awesome!
amygym 1 year ago
they dont make skaters like that no more not just the techinque but the flow and the artistry in her movements where unbeleivable.She is still in a class of her own the old russian ballet school of skaters that had poise and techique at the same time.That body language where is it today?
mariophilippo 1 year ago 2
she ended her program with jumps O.O
ChariceBillboard 1 year ago
She was FAST!!
r3sfernjbb 1 year ago
I wish Nancy would have won...but you can't rewrite history...
Summonearth 1 year ago
Her Beilman spin was terrible at 2:25
RustDemon79 1 year ago
@RustDemon79 Thats not a Biellmann it's a Catch foot Camel spin.
Animecat99 1 year ago
@RustDemon79 That's not the Biellman spin-it's a catchfoot spin and she did it fine.
faeryquene 1 year ago
this is when she was great. then she became a weirdo
TracyAndersonFoxhunt 1 year ago
okay, several things.
nice doughnut spin
great use of upper body
music hurts my ears
lack of combinations disappoints me
HOW ON EARTH WOULD YOU DOUBLE A TRIPLE TOE? That's literally the easiest jump!
Algorithm16 1 year ago 2
@Algorithm16 One less rotation is how you do a double toe as oppose to a triple. She also did other harder triples and a triple-double combination at the end insteads of the begining which is harder.
hydrolito 1 year ago
@hydrolito No, Oksana did the HARDEST triples first, and the easier jumps later, and ended her program with an easy double-double combination, which was also two footed, not a triple double. In order: 3lutz (two-footed), 3flip (HUGE two-foot), 3loop (gorgeous!), 3salchow (also excellent), 2axel (good), 2toe (wtf!), 3toe(two-footed), 2axel/2toe(two-footed).
She landed TWO clean triples. And won the gold. If you can't see what's wrong with that in a SPORT then you have problems.
DarrenInCA 1 year ago
@DarrenInCA Well said Darren. And not to mention that she had a botched jump in the short program too. Also - she does a lot of easy skating in the latter part of her program Watch from about 2:38 to 3:15 - she doesn't do anything of real technical value. Yet - she scored 5.9 for tech marks.
This was a definite bag job. I'm glad I'm not the only one to think that!!
DC205504 1 year ago
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@hydrolito No, Oksana did the HARDEST triples first, and the easier jumps later, and ended her program with an easy double-double combination, which was also two footed, not a triple double. In order: 3lutz (two-footed), 3flip (HUGE two-foot), 3loop (gorgeous!), 3salchow (also excellent), 2axel (good), 2toe (wtf!), 3toe(two-footed), 2axel/2toe(two-footed).
She landed TWO clean triples. And won the gold. If you can't see what's wrong with that in a SPORT then you have problems.
DarrenInCA 1 year ago
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Algorithm16 1 year ago
@Algorithm16 i think it is due to the quality of this video?
yellowbanana104 1 year ago
Wait, only 1 of each triple (sans axel, of course)? That's weird, even for 1994 standards.
sleepyjl77 1 year ago
@jchenthegreat I agree 100%. Since I am from the Detroit area where Nancy Kerrigan was attacked everyone was just hoping she was going to win, then when Oksana skated and gave this spectacular performance they STILL said that the gold was stole from Nancy K. Anyone who says that, just watch the tapes. You will see how our opinion was influenced by sympathy for Kerrigan. I am glad the judges didn't let their opinions get in the way of declaring the right person the winner.
amberjade11 1 year ago 3
Probably one of the closest gold and silvers ever! Just for fun, I would have judged it this was:
Oksana: 5.7/5.9
Kerrigan: 5.8/5.8
And I'd give Oksana the gold based on the artistic mark. Even though Kerrigan did more more triple, I felt that Baiul's footwork and transitions were more intricate, which imo, makes their programs about the same in difficulty.
Artistically, Baiul really was stronger; she played with the audience, and her choreography was more complex. Tough call though.
mlc2005 1 year ago 2
@mlc2005 I agree. Kerrigan's moves were flawless, and so were Oksana's, but Oksana is in a class all by herself. She skates like no other I have ever seen. She skates like she is a ballerina on the ice, and though Kerrigan gave a flawless performance, it was very boring. And all the people that come to these videos and argue that Oksana stole the gold forget that she did beat Kerrigan again, fair and square at the 1994 Tour of Champions.
amberjade11 1 year ago 3
ショートはすばらしかったけどこのフリーは駄作だわ。
Okama55GO 1 year ago
johnny weirs idol
she´s really great...
TheKadajLover 1 year ago
Oksana's coach: You can't jump but you seduce with the hands.". True, here.The judges didn't see the two-footed landings but are supposed to care about difficulty. Nancy executed a more difficult program well. A judge living in my area told a local reporter as much. But, the tide had turned against Nancy toward a fresh female, victim; Oksana was an ORPHAN colliding with another skater that very day. Ice skating worships the Cinderella story.
mpjrdldn 1 year ago
perhaps but I do not think you can argue either program was unquestionably better than the other, it was because they were so similar that the cinderally story tipped the balance to Oksana's favor.
Holycani 1 year ago
@Holycani Oksana's program did not have combination jumps. and, her spins traveled.
mpjrdldn 1 year ago
@Holycani She was the World Champion at the time. So, you think she won her gold medal and championship just because of her "Cinderella story?" I understand having a difference of opinion, but why downgrade her talents? That Olympics was one of the most viewed programs ever, because of Kerrigan and Harding. Everyone was so busy talking about that, no one even knew of Oksana's past-until she came and blew away the competion.
amberjade11 1 year ago
@mpjrdldn-I disagree. The whole reason why everyone wanted Kerrigan to win was because of what happened with Tanya Harding. That was the most watched Olympics in history. They couldn't even find a copy of the Ukranian national anthem when Oksana won. Your quote by Oksana's coach if facual was probably said a different way when it was said in it's original language.
amberjade11 1 year ago
This was a beautiful performance by Baiul. Her SP was behind Kerrigan, imo, but this put her ahead.
blue4t 1 year ago
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that was awesome! agree with last posts - she is a dancer, an actress and an outstanding skater. and her speed is just incredible! the winners in Vancouver were good, their jumps and all... but yesterday I didn't see any performance with so much heart, artistry and charisma
SmbsHeadache 1 year ago
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SmbsHeadache 1 year ago
wow i remember watching this and was really happy for her. u cant help but compare her grace elegance and technique go toether perfevtly. and her speed how high her jumps.. so amazing to see.
kanzaki88 1 year ago
All she did was in 3 years of competitions. she was just 17 when she stopped. But we all can't forget these wonderful amazing minutes that she used to remain in our hearts (in mine of course).
when I see competitions today, I still keep thinking to her and still prefer her.
MsTangerine282 1 year ago
I totally agree with rttoronto. She said exactly what I wanted to say.
maglz00 1 year ago
I just finished watching the womens skate in Vancouver 2010, to this day I have never seen a more beautiful and accomplished skate as Oksana here.
rttoronto 1 year ago 4
All the petty bickering is ridiculous. She won, get over it. IMHO She is the only skater I have ever seen that skated like she was dancing a ballet. Most skaters, including the present greats link jumps with at best good footwork.Oksana danced. Her use of her hands and body positions has never been equaled or repeated. Oksana ruined me for skating. Everyone else are just jumpers.
Isn't curious that no one else has ever tried to mimic her? btw Kerrigan's music was painfully bad.
emorrisIV 1 year ago 3
@emorrisIV Very well said. Her arms will never be equalled, not even from a ballerina, I guess. They seem to come from heaven. She has shown so beautiful programs as a pro skater (think about the dying swan, ave maria or meditation the thais). I am sure there will never be someone so heartful, who feels the music in a way Oksana did.
staronella 1 year ago
Yes, I remember watching these Olympics live. As an American I was pulling for Nancy, but after watching Oksana, there was no question her technique, choreography and sheer emotional beauty was superior to Nancy's. ( I studied ballet, lyrical dance and gymnastics for years and competed up through college level.) Nancy's performance was stiff, and she did not emotionally connect with her audience. Why didn't her coaches fix this? She was a lovely girl. In watching again, I still feel the same.
CasuallyObservant 1 year ago 5
I totally agree.. initially I was rooting for Nancy, but after seeing Oksana and what she can do.. I was all for her.. she is the best female figure skater of all time..
leftwingmayheim 1 year ago 3
gosh the audio in this is terrible, does anyone have a better version of this?
kassie2k4 1 year ago 3
This was so dramatic. I remember watching this competition at the time. I never really watched much figure skating but I did happen to watch this and it was just amazing. Oksana threw that jump in at the last moment and she just grabs her head at the end because she knows that she took a huge gamble to win it and she did! Amazing.
bobbycratchit 1 year ago
nancy had more errors than oskana. the two foot landing was deducted. that is why oskana threw another triple in at the end. she was given credit for the jump. artistry is more important than jumps. anyone can jump, but it is the package arount the jumps that decide the best scores. no one could touch oskana when it came to artistry!
topsyturvy06 1 year ago
Eh, Michelle Kwan can destroy both when it came to complete packages.
spirittammyk 1 year ago
how could u say that? kwan was a great skater but no way that she could move as gracefully as oksana on ice. oksana delivered the best performance ever.
smurfiennes 1 year ago
Well, I just did, and I'll come back to say that Michelle Kwan's Salome performance in the 96 World's is the best performance ever.
spirittammyk 1 year ago
just saw kwan in salome (world 96): its a great performance, her jumps were as clean as always; but she didnt pay much attention to her upper torso, arms/wrists/ hands movements - theyre kinda stiff. im more into figure skating as an art form cos i love ballet n dancing. i prefer to watch spins, spirals n torso flexibility just as sasha, caroline, mao or mirai show on ice. n i think oksana opened the door to these skaters for the first time. too bad that jumps got the most points still.
smurfiennes 1 year ago
And jumps should get the most points, they are the most difficult to do. If you want to watch "artistic skating" then watch Ice Dancing. As for fast spins and artistic merits, I think Denise Biellmann is the one that opened the door. Remember the Biellmann spin, which most of Oksana's spins are a variation of it.
spirittammyk 1 year ago
@spirittammyk Perhaps-but thanks to Tonya Michelle wasn't there. And at that time Kwan wasn't yet at the top of her powers.
faeryquene 1 year ago
@faeryquene -- Wasn't it Nancy's poor performance at the World's that gave the US one less team member? If she had won, Michelle would have been able to go.
RennieEllen 11 months ago
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A silver skate. She double-toed a landing and wasn't marked down for it. IT was fun and energetic, but it didn't have as much artistry as Kerrigan either. Oksana's win was a backlash against Nancy because of the media's obsession with Trashy Tonya and Gilooley.
DarcyTV1 1 year ago
Nancy's program was boring.
CarlaLR74 1 year ago 5
nancy was woody
smurfiennes 1 year ago 2
I enjoyed watching Baiul skate. She was poetry in motion. I would imagine, coming from the Ukraine, with her very sad history - not to mention the history of repression her people faced - she would choose lighthearted music to lift her spirits. Let her choose what makes her happy. That's why skaters choose what they do.
mcbrion 1 year ago 5
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I used to think figure skating was boring .. she is the reason why i start watching it . Amazing performer/competitor!!!!
collegeguy15 1 year ago
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collegeguy15 1 year ago
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collegeguy15 1 year ago
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collegeguy15 1 year ago
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Oksana was so cute when she was thin but man, a few years after the olympics she got big or something. Her face ballooned big too, she looks like that red hearded kid on harry potter (ron i think)
SunBathedGoddess 1 year ago
I wasn't a fan of Oksana's unil I heard about her story. And I became a fan right then & there. I love her and admire her so much. had the great pleasure of seeing her perform live at least twice. She's wonderful. God bless you, Oksana
froggirl80 1 year ago 2
I was thrilled she won. Nancy's performance was very good, but I remember what struck me at the time was that Oksana's had so much more feeling in it. It always seemed like Nancy expected it to just be hers, and here came this young girl that just blew her out of the water.
emacat1215 2 years ago 5
It was shaky but it took guts to add that triple toe after doubling the first one, and final double axel-double too. I think that made the difference as well Oksana's superior artistic expression, etc.
faeryquene 2 years ago 6
Oksana, what a joy to watch your long program even after so many years! You still shine like no other skater and I only hope you know how much you have given to people all around the world. I saw you first in Prague in 1993 when you won the World Championship and I have loved you since then. You are simply a miracle in the world of figure skating --- Love from your fan from Prague, Czech Republic
237Perla 2 years ago 3
I really hope someone out there has a better video of this performance of Baiul's long program. The video and especially the audio are horrible.
tngivens 2 years ago 3
I remember this Olympics well. :) well, who wouldn't? But Kerrigan was very boring compared to Baiul for sure. :) I love this program, there were errors, but the energy and passion and her skill is all appearant here, its beautiful! :)
God Bless ~Amy
thewordthatpierces 2 years ago 4
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demosatlast 2 years ago
Why is there no good quality video of Oksana Baiul's LP?? Oksana anyway outclassed the stiff Kerrigan to the enchantment of all. I have seldom seen a more clear winner. Those, always Americans, who reduce figure skating to mechanically counting certain moves are so pathetic, even more so as EVERYTHING Oksana did she did more beautifully. A class beyond, simply.
Separately, the gruesome personalities of the two main US participants and their camps were even beyond expectations.
demosatlast 2 years ago 7
Couldn't agree more. The accountants who are unable to be enraptured by a jewel like, say, Oksana's black swan SP leave me perplexed.
PS: If you're looking for great quality skating vids check out the channel of 3Axel1996,he was removed a while ago but is back and uploading stuff all the time, from 70s to 00s, he hasn't done the 90s yet but before he was removed he had the best collection of vids of Lillehammer, Worlds etc, including perfect ones of Oksana, hopefully they'll be back up soon!
SvetlanaMillionaya 2 years ago 3
@demosatlast
why does everything have to be so angry when it comes to this sport? I'm American, and I could care less about figuring out who is better that the other...What can't we just enjoy this performance without prejudice undertones and angry commentary?
I was a child watching this, and all I could even think while watching each skater was how great they all were with their own personal styles. It inspired me to take up ice skating. I loved watching them all, even when they faulted.
kaigler85 2 years ago 5
I'm American and I was THRILLED when Oksana won! She very clearly deserved it. She is definitely in a class by herself.
dsrtflwr 2 years ago 27
@dsrtflwr Same here. Nancy was lovely but Oksana's artistry was far superior. Jumps weren't rewarded the same in that quad. Oksana's opening triple lutz was HUGE! Wow.
faeryquene 2 years ago 2
@dsrtflwr and I am formerly a Russian who thinks and always thought Baiul sucked (yes I know she is Ukranian and all but still). What about this program impressed you exactly.
russianskatingfan 1 year ago
@russianskatingfan I think she's much more artistic and a better dancer than most female skaters. She can be intense when appropriate and then lighter in her approach when the music/mood calls for it. Also, she shows a lot of courage and heart when she decides to just "go for it" and do something that wasn't planned.
dsrtflwr 1 year ago 6
Continued...
I'm a musician, and when I do a solo I don't like to be safe, I like to reach further than I did before. I take risks. I love it when unexpected things happen in a performance. That's what I see in Oksana; she takes risks.
dsrtflwr 1 year ago 3
@dsrtflwr I'm Ukranian, and I thought a major two-footed landing, no combination jumps, too much posing, and unsteady landings ala Maria Butraskya and Kerrigan deserved this title........
dtw1958 11 months ago 3
Nancy had a smoother program for sure, but it was stiff, not real internal feeling. Oksana was a enchantress and I found myself smiling at her program, the detail in the choreography and her speed and height were amazing. This was an artistic program and I can see why the judges thought this more artistic for sure.
TheMondrian1 2 years ago 7
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not as beautiful as Kati Witt
jradetzky 2 years ago
Nancy was too stiff as a board - no sensitivity in her skating. I prefer Baiul's ballet style.
mamadoenut 2 years ago 14
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THIS won gold!?
eeyybob 2 years ago
@eeyybob Yes over Kerrigan's ice cold bastardization of Neil Diamond classics. Thank God Oksana won. Kerrigan was a sore loser.
faeryquene 2 years ago 4
@faeryquene ITA.
jpmorrison71 2 years ago 3
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I'd take Kerrigan's bastardization of Neil Diamond classics over Oksana's headache-inducing broadway showtunes any day.
eeyybob 1 year ago
You can have it-and Oksana still has the gold in spite of your snarking.
faeryquene 1 year ago 4
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Just awful. You can take the girl out of the Russian gutter, but you can't take the gutter out of the girl.
krtina455 2 years ago
@krtina455 If this beautiful girl is the face of the Russian gutter (and she's Ukrainian btw, way to be a fool who has no understanding of international relations) then I have to say, I want to live in the goddamn Russian gutter.
Keshira 2 years ago
She was definetly the most graceful on the ice in this competition.
Budaphly 2 years ago 5
I agree I remember watching this when I was in the 4th grade and let me tell ya even then I knew Oksana smoked Nancy! Oksana deserved to win and I am so glad she did! Nancy was stuck up and I agree Lu Chen deserved the silver.
laurawhitney5 2 years ago 6
Lu Chen also did a wonderful program that was really a silver medal program Oksana rocked this night!
ifusuckilltellu 2 years ago 6
After this it was all Oksana and she's the best ever
robi2000 2 years ago 2
She spanked Kerrigan for the simple reason that she was fun and interesting to watch - had pizazz and artistry and jumped fine. It was like watching a Flamingo and an Elephant, (Kerrigan being the tusked creature). Kerrigan was an excellent skater, just klunky and boring in comparison. But not so if u were just watching her on her own, then she was great too.
kormicsun 2 years ago 6
Oksana was like a butterfly, Nancy was like a robot.
wormsquish 2 years ago 5
Bad luck for Nancy Kerrigan running into this... Oksana was a once-in-a-lifetime skater...plus she wore all those feathers!
neeneenoo66 2 years ago 4
la mejor presentación en toda la historia de los olimpicos, hermosa selección musical
durangopsi 2 years ago
her jumps are FRIGGIN enormous!!!! Wow!!!!!
MrAmazingness1234567 2 years ago
Oksana Rocked 1994 Olympics!!
janespears1962 2 years ago
I do give the haters a tiny bit of credit due to the two-foot landing, but the long program favors presentation.
RK831 2 years ago
she is ukrainian!...she was 16!...her ballet grace artistic ability and far better music choice is what beat nancy kerrigan !/milwaukee
rocketshipstud2 2 years ago
thank you! I'm so sick of people saying she shouldn't have won! I'm pretty sure all of her fans are too!
spunkysk8er1997 2 years ago 3
she was the best ever
rutischi 2 years ago
This is a silly program. Another "Russian" winning because of the soviet bloc judging. Take the USSR and break it into many parts. Now they have many judges.
if1byland 2 years ago 4
@if1byland She's not Russian you dolt. She's Ukrainian-a whole different country. Look it up. *roll eyes*
PhillyGal4Ever 2 years ago
Yes she is Russian. She described herself as Russian when she was on Oprah when she had her drinking problem. and crashed. She said she thought she could handle alcohol because she is russian. All the breaking up of the soviet union did for the sport was create more former "soviet" judges who still show bias for the russian skaters. Just becasue they broke up in to several countries did not make uniquely loyal to their new country.
if1byland 2 years ago
@PhillyGal4Ever Sasha, is also part Ukrainian, due to her mother's heritage. She might also share the heritage of this figure skater, Oksana Baiul.
waddleduckie1 1 year ago
Oksana Rocks !!! She is what figureskating is all about !
Zoyrina 2 years ago
what is nancy's "hand on her heart spiral" worth in the code of points? LOL
abfrank 2 years ago
That is the funniest comment I've ever read on any of these posts!!!!!
tolstoy67 2 years ago
How anyone calls Oksana clumsy baffles me.
My favorite ever olympic LP
LambrettaSummerof66 2 years ago
Even back then I thought Oksana's hair looked like a poodle.
burgy76 2 years ago 5
I never found Baiul's or Kerrigan's performances to be very good or interesting. Kerrigan was kind of dull and Baiul always reminded me of a newborn baby deer trying to walk on ice....if Tonya Harding had her shit together I think things would have been much different.
NorthEast81 2 years ago 5
A two-footed triple lutz is still of higher value than a correct double flip (which Nancy did instead of a triple, and that probably cost her the gold). Nancy's program, furthermore, just wasn't that interesting. Neil Diamond???? doesn't cut it.
rebel28va 2 years ago 2
I think it was the triple flip and the triple toe loop that she threw in that were two footed. I totally agree that Nancy's music selection could have been better. Nancy's LP from the Albertville Olympics was brilliant. I wish she could have skated that program as well as this one (and instead of this one.) I think her music selection cost her the gold more than the double flip. She did a clean 3toe/3toe combo, Oksana threw in a 2axl/2toe.
MelleAndKev 2 years ago
Um yeah ,but it's not like that was Oksana's only mistake. -_- She doubled an intended triple toe and two footed another jump. Plus Nancy had a couple of combos in addition to a triple-triple. And besides, Oksana just has a bunch of flailing arm movements, and Nancy's musics fit the Olympic air better.
smartskater1 2 years ago 5
I agree on Nancy's long program and its music was very "Olympic" but it was stiff and lacked what most great female skaters of that time had and which was no attitude she was stuck up and it showed on her face and during the entire Olympics she acted as if the judges owed her the gold I think Oksana was the right choice and in fact Chen Lu/Lu Chen was better the Nancy as well and should have been 2nd jsut because Nancy did combos and landed them means nothing unless its the short program!
ifusuckilltellu 2 years ago
Very true! Nancy's music was too "Olympic", it sounded like the end of a soundtrack for a Hollywood action movie when the (american) hero wins at the end. Armageddon? Maybe I think of that one because she reminds me of Liv Tyler! The gold dress was really obvious as well. I think as often happens she ended up believing the hype created around her by hysterical media. A good skater, but too tense and literal. She lacks that magical spark that Oksana and some others had in spades.
SvetlanaMillionaya 2 years ago 2
Totally agree and well said!
ifusuckilltellu 2 years ago
Nancy had a great skate that night... and although her jumping was superior, her music was horrible. I think that probably cost her the gold more than anything else. Oksana was definitely the highlight of the evening... as well as Lu Chen. It was a very memorable night.
I must say however that I iwish Oksana had changed her routine; she'd been using the same free skate since the 91-92 season. She's got such great musical interpretation; I would have loved to have seen her do other programs.
MelleAndKev 2 years ago 3
Very true, I so wish she'd carried on as amateur much longer, overall it probably would have been better for her on a personal level also...
There are a few vids of her in her pro days in 95-96 on YouTube, one is to 'Meditation' from Thais, and is wonderful! It will come up if you put it in the search window.
Oh and if you like Lu Chen try her 95 LP at Worlds, it's brilliant
SvetlanaMillionaya 2 years ago
@SvetlanaMillionaya ITA with your entire post. It almost seemed contrived-gold dress to go along with the medal she thought was hers.
PhillyGal4Ever 2 years ago 2
@ifusuckilltellu And as always Scott Hamilton annoyed the hell out of me-always practically 'handing' his favorite the medal before the scores are even posted. He had written off Oksana, Tara, Alexei back to back amongst others. I especially loved when he strongly implied the ramrod stiff Timothy Goebels had a chance of winning the gold over Alexei and Plushenko. rotflmao.
PhillyGal4Ever 2 years ago 10
Baiul telegraphed her jumps. The only combo was a sloppy 2 axle/2toe. No difficult entrances. No footwork. No combo spin. No sit spin. 2 of 5 triples two footed. Kerrigan had a great 3/3, back spiral to 3loop, footwork into 3sal/2toe, 3 lutz late in program, spread eagle into 2 axle, good combo spins, real sit spin, and good footwork. Superior skating skills, better choreo. It really wasn't close at all.
Tenebarum 2 years ago
I think Kerrigan is a good skater, but when you compare her to Oksana they're just not on the same level. Oksana draws you into her performance, very much like how Yuna Kim does these days
unoriginalsellout 2 years ago
She deserved it more
kangaroosbraun 2 years ago
Oksana is an angel from heaven
Fancie1982 2 years ago
You kidding....
iceroby72 2 years ago
She and Kerrigan were both amazing skaters. Oksana just has a magic about her, though-- it's almost otherworldly.
EmEyeSeeEiEeElEi 2 years ago
Disagreed! Nancy Carrigan is clumsy on ice, no grace whatsoever. Tanya Harding made her famous. That's it!
AmericanFan714 2 years ago
I wouldn't call Kerrigan clumsy-- just boring. She was graceful, but that was about it.
EmEyeSeeEiEeElEi 2 years ago
what's that???A Nobody who lalks about a two time olympic medallist... we really need to know your opinion about Kerrigan... Not to mention she won an olympic bronze BEFORE the infamous attac...
iceroby72 2 years ago
"slightly 2 footed but she fought for it"... gimme a goddam break, her flip was more than slightly 2 footed lol. oh scott you gay fanboy
jogu78 2 years ago 4
did anyone else feel the music filled the stadium like some old circus music.
WellWicked83 2 years ago 8
yep
YuNaKimIsNumbr1 2 years ago 2
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And just 4 years later another talentless slut won the gold over the far superior skater!!!!
GosfordAbercrombie 2 years ago
And who was that, gosfordAbercrombie?
waddleduckie1 2 years ago
Lipinksi!!!! Duh!!!
GosfordAbercrombie 2 years ago
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kerrigan was robbed, but it couldn't have gone to anyone better and more deserving.
WellWicked83 3 years ago
Besides all the two-foot landings, winning the gold did nothing good for her. She was a poor kid earning millions of dollars afterwards. It was too much too soon and contributed to her alcoholism and drug addiction. A sad story.
DonnieBrownIII 3 years ago 10
I like Baiul better than Kerrigan, but honestly she should not have won the gold medal. Kerrigan may have doubled the flip, but she did the difficult triple triple combination and waited 3 minutes into her program to do the triple lutz while Baiul did it right at the beginning and didn't even attempt a triple triple. Baiul two footed the flip, did a double toe loop instead of a triple and two footed the triple toe that she threw in at the end. The double axel combo was also very sloppy.
tenisguy80 3 years ago 7
音が大きすぎ、耳壊れた。
hoshinodesu 3 years ago
i feel bad for you if you have never seen a cleaner program
she two footed the triple flip
she doubled the triple toe loop
and was wobbling out of the axel
if you recall she two footed the lutz in her short program
nice but a juvenile program compared to nancy's
ub4real 3 years ago
Amen.
The win should have been Nancy's. Except for doubling a triple, her program was solid and clean, while Oksana's was very shaky, and aside from everything you mentioned, she thew in a triple at the end to try to wow 'em.
And her "poor little orphen girl" routine definitely played into it as well.
silmalila 3 years ago 2
A fitting end to the most bizarre, dramatic LP competition ever (Kerrigan knee smash, Harding's broken shoelace, Ukrainian orphan injured day before LP...) Oksana and her 'golden hands' (as Galina Zmevskaya called them) were brilliant and captivating.
-another "AFO" (American who was for Oksana)
neeneenoo66 3 years ago
I've never seen a cleaner program....It's seldom, if ever that you see a skater whip off a routine like this....I still love her skating, when she DOES skate.....she's inventive and unique.....
jrcna32466 3 years ago
Poetry in motion - She has the heart of a true Olympian!
wpricemurch 3 years ago