Rosyln Summers wasn't one of the most famous amateur skaters in this country, but when she turned pro, she was a knock out. Nobody could capture an audience like Ros. I saw one of her performances here in Waterloo, Iowa, once, and she captivated me and the rest of the audience. She will always be one of the most talented performers on ice skates of all time,in my opinion.
She really came into her own after the Olympics. I saw her in Stars on Ice a few times, and she was always really good; her strength was always her artistry. By the way, this is a judgment on her skating, not on whether she is a great humanitarian.
Easily the most boring and over-rated world champion of the last 30 years. How she ever became world champion I'll never know - there were plenty of better skaters around, including plenty in the USA.
Well she certainly profited from the school figures back then; it saved her not just this time. But she did have that 'polish' that so many of the commentators would comment on; a polish that Witt did not at all yet have (and still didn't have in '87; we had to wait till '88 to see it), and Zayak would never have, and Chin was too young to have. I don't think she was overrated; she was just inconsistent, and she profited greatly from the figures. (Too bad she didn't have a decent layback.)
This is such a beautiful program, and she definitely deserved to win in 83--but it is hard to appreciate her skating when one knows how she used to treat people around her back then... I can honestly say, she certainly earned her gold medal in being the meanest girl around.
Okay, I'll bite--just how did Roz "treat people around her back then?" I have _heard_ that Roz really didn't like to sign autographs (although a friend of mine had no trouble getting one at the practice rink in Pittsburgh in 1983), but how does that constitute being "the meanest girl around". At Salt Lake in 1984 I was close enough to speak to her several times at the practice and figures rinks but I never did--she was, after all, "working".
Sorry I wasn't specific about this, Mikey300. I competed with her in the late 70s through 1981. Even before she was famous for her skating, she had a reputation of being a fur-wearing princess with colorful off-ice behavior. She'd throw tantrums, tell others off unsolicitedly, etc. OFF THE ICE. She was basically how Paris Hilton is supposed to be in real life. I'm not familiar with her interactions with the audience, so I can't really comment on that.
Ah! Most interesting. I had you mis-classified as a disgruntled Elaine Zayak fan. My apologies.
At Indianapolis in 1982 there were so many falls in the long program that in the seats we were all desperate for someone to skate cleanly--thus the ovation when Roz finally did. I guess the USFSA did and does everything it can to keep bad backstage behavior out of the public eye.
I wasnt a big fan of her beginning with a double lutz at the OLympics though, I felt the double axels worked well together, I also didnt like the amazing grace part at the olympics, i think the slow part here is much more effective
Had she done this performance and program she would have easily won the Olympic gold over Witt. Witt skated pretty well and deserved to win I guess but her Olympic LP wasnt spectacular or anything, she did way better LPs at the 85, 86, and 87 Worlds. Sumners popped like 4 jumps including her last 2 and still lost by .1 . This program and performance she would have crushed Witt in Sarajevo. Witt actually skated better in the LP here than Sarajevo and still lost the LP phase to Sumners.
great choroegrahpy but she is very shaky on her triples, had she skated clean in the short at sarajevo she might have been unbeatable, but witt got third in figures so i guess it wouldnt have mattered
Well if Sumners had won the short in Sarajevo over Witt, that combined with Witt's 3rd in figures, would have meant Sumners not even needing to win the long, only needing 2nd in the long to win. Of course Sumners had mistakes in the long in Sarajevo but still narrowly missed winning the long and gold by .1. So I guess the question is if you think she would have won the short going clean, if yes then that would give her gold.
She was 1st in figures here @ Helsinki and placed 4th in the SP. Witt was 8th in figures and won the SP. Witt won the SP 5out of 7 times from 1982-1988. Sumners won the LP as well as the title here.
She (Roslyn Sumner's) certainly is a very delightful skater. A very good artistic skater and not that bad of a technical skater. I was really impressed with this video. This is the first time I have ever seen Ms. Sumners skate.
she's a very beautiful and talented skater. although she did have a little trouble with her jumps, her wonderful speed and presentation on the ice make up for that!
this was a beautiful program that should have been kept for the Olympics so she would have felt more comfortable, she had some key techncial issues with her triple toes, btw
Rosyln Summers wasn't one of the most famous amateur skaters in this country, but when she turned pro, she was a knock out. Nobody could capture an audience like Ros. I saw one of her performances here in Waterloo, Iowa, once, and she captivated me and the rest of the audience. She will always be one of the most talented performers on ice skates of all time,in my opinion.
Janicenolting 6 months ago
Pretty Decent !
rickram1961 1 year ago
She really came into her own after the Olympics. I saw her in Stars on Ice a few times, and she was always really good; her strength was always her artistry. By the way, this is a judgment on her skating, not on whether she is a great humanitarian.
Ezrateach 2 years ago
Easily the most boring and over-rated world champion of the last 30 years. How she ever became world champion I'll never know - there were plenty of better skaters around, including plenty in the USA.
npe1 2 years ago
Well she certainly profited from the school figures back then; it saved her not just this time. But she did have that 'polish' that so many of the commentators would comment on; a polish that Witt did not at all yet have (and still didn't have in '87; we had to wait till '88 to see it), and Zayak would never have, and Chin was too young to have. I don't think she was overrated; she was just inconsistent, and she profited greatly from the figures. (Too bad she didn't have a decent layback.)
Aldobrandini 2 years ago
never liked her skating! very overated, and I can believe she was a mean little snob! she should have been slapped and thrown under the zamboni!
tagalag 2 years ago
I never liked her at all.She came across as a snob.She still married to that old man?
HattieLovesCattie 2 years ago
This is such a beautiful program, and she definitely deserved to win in 83--but it is hard to appreciate her skating when one knows how she used to treat people around her back then... I can honestly say, she certainly earned her gold medal in being the meanest girl around.
nondescriptnyc 2 years ago
Okay, I'll bite--just how did Roz "treat people around her back then?" I have _heard_ that Roz really didn't like to sign autographs (although a friend of mine had no trouble getting one at the practice rink in Pittsburgh in 1983), but how does that constitute being "the meanest girl around". At Salt Lake in 1984 I was close enough to speak to her several times at the practice and figures rinks but I never did--she was, after all, "working".
Mikey300 2 years ago
Sorry I wasn't specific about this, Mikey300. I competed with her in the late 70s through 1981. Even before she was famous for her skating, she had a reputation of being a fur-wearing princess with colorful off-ice behavior. She'd throw tantrums, tell others off unsolicitedly, etc. OFF THE ICE. She was basically how Paris Hilton is supposed to be in real life. I'm not familiar with her interactions with the audience, so I can't really comment on that.
nondescriptnyc 2 years ago
Ah! Most interesting. I had you mis-classified as a disgruntled Elaine Zayak fan. My apologies.
At Indianapolis in 1982 there were so many falls in the long program that in the seats we were all desperate for someone to skate cleanly--thus the ovation when Roz finally did. I guess the USFSA did and does everything it can to keep bad backstage behavior out of the public eye.
Mikey300 2 years ago
Very odd beginning, with 12 seconds of just arm movements. Wonder why they chose to do that, perhaps timing was an issue?
metsdudenj 3 years ago
Yeah, I didn't like this version either. I'm glad they changed it for 1984, it flows much better.
twilliger123 3 years ago
I wasnt a big fan of her beginning with a double lutz at the OLympics though, I felt the double axels worked well together, I also didnt like the amazing grace part at the olympics, i think the slow part here is much more effective
metsdudenj 2 years ago
Yeah it's kind of give and take for both, I agree, I actually like her slow part at the Oly's better
twilliger123 2 years ago
Had she done this performance and program she would have easily won the Olympic gold over Witt. Witt skated pretty well and deserved to win I guess but her Olympic LP wasnt spectacular or anything, she did way better LPs at the 85, 86, and 87 Worlds. Sumners popped like 4 jumps including her last 2 and still lost by .1 . This program and performance she would have crushed Witt in Sarajevo. Witt actually skated better in the LP here than Sarajevo and still lost the LP phase to Sumners.
beckerbombs 2 years ago
beautiful skater.
barkingtree88 3 years ago
I reconize the middle section music, does anyone know it? :)
MichelleKwanForever 4 years ago
I think its from East of Eden. Michelle Kwan used it a number of times.
yodabeesh 3 years ago 2
Yea you are right. The part of EOE she used in her 1994 LP :)
MichelleKwanForever 3 years ago
great choroegrahpy but she is very shaky on her triples, had she skated clean in the short at sarajevo she might have been unbeatable, but witt got third in figures so i guess it wouldnt have mattered
metsdudenj 4 years ago 2
Well if Sumners had won the short in Sarajevo over Witt, that combined with Witt's 3rd in figures, would have meant Sumners not even needing to win the long, only needing 2nd in the long to win. Of course Sumners had mistakes in the long in Sarajevo but still narrowly missed winning the long and gold by .1. So I guess the question is if you think she would have won the short going clean, if yes then that would give her gold.
muffycat26 4 years ago 2
She was 1st in figures here @ Helsinki and placed 4th in the SP. Witt was 8th in figures and won the SP. Witt won the SP 5out of 7 times from 1982-1988. Sumners won the LP as well as the title here.
lammfan123 2 years ago
She (Roslyn Sumner's) certainly is a very delightful skater. A very good artistic skater and not that bad of a technical skater. I was really impressed with this video. This is the first time I have ever seen Ms. Sumners skate.
rickram1961 4 years ago
she's a very beautiful and talented skater. although she did have a little trouble with her jumps, her wonderful speed and presentation on the ice make up for that!
sk8inprincess21 4 years ago
this was a beautiful program that should have been kept for the Olympics so she would have felt more comfortable, she had some key techncial issues with her triple toes, btw
metsdudenj 4 years ago 2