Natalia Mishkutenok-Artur Dmitriev LP 1992 Albertville Winter Olympic Games

[TheCopper05]

Simply Breathtaking and Beautiful

[evixir]

Twenty years later and this is still my favourite pairs performance ever.

[ja3399]

@evixir Yes, I guess this long program of M&D must be my favorite too. Sadly, we do not see this kind of, and level of ,skating now. These days, every second of every program, and every move, has been reduced to a point value. Artistry, and, I think, the very heart and emotion of a program, has passed into history. Sad, so sad.  The skaters and coaches are not the problem; I believe the system is the problem. Glad to find a great skating fan here. Thanks for your comment.

[TheCopper05]

@ja3399 I agree. Today's skating emphasizes the jumps. The artistry is gone. I wish they would just bring back the old 6.0 marks. The new scoring is very confusing, and I honestly do not like watching skating any more.

[TheIcesk8rgrl]

SHE COACHES AT MY ICE RINK NOW!

[ja3399]

@TheIcesk8rgrl Natalia coaches at your rink now????? if so, you and your rink are very lucky. Listen and learn. 

[wegersfour]

A very elegant, dreamy program. Who cares if there were mistakes. I loved it.

[meredithlynnbilhartz]

I love how the commentators are obsessed over B&E. B&E's long program was choreographically alwful and those costumes they skated in where hidous. Even if they (B&E) had skated perfect they weren't going to pull anywhere near M&D on that 2nd mark. I remember watching it at the time and I never for one second thought B&E had a chance in the world of beating that performance even with the mistakes on the single jumps.

[ja3399]

@meredithlynnbilhartz B&E were worthy and talented skaters, but should never have beaten M&D. M&D had superior line, including upper body movements, clean, exquisite edges, and deep knees. And such feeling for music, which I guess translates to "artistry." I loved G&G as well. No offense to B&E, though. We don't see pairs like this now, do we? But I do think that Shen and Zhao were glorious in Vancouver. Their coach, Bin Yao, learned from the Russians. I appreciate your comment....

[meredithlynnbilhartz]

@ja3399 M&D also had something else that I find lacking today with pairs and that's chemistry. I liked Artur and Kazakova but they didn't have the chemistry he had with Natalia. As for pair skating today, I find it to be very sloppy. Yes, the single jumps are better than ever and even some of the throws, but the controlled super speed, fluidity and grace that couples like M&D, G&G and B&E had just isn't there.

[Minouchouette]

Dmitriev is jaw-dropping handsome, I think my favorite skater. I adore him AND Mishkutenok as a team. Except for that awful 1988(?) short, highlighted poodle coiff, she looked lovely on the ice in addition to being an exceptional skater. I wish he would invite her to one of his shows for a skate.

[ja3399]

@Minouchouette I adore Artur, too---am a lot older than he is, but I am not dead! Natalia was so special. She coaches in Texas now and has a happy (hopefully) marriage, and a young daughter.

[Minouchouette]

@ja3399

I hope she's happy too! There were pictures of her with TM and her baby a couple years ago in the Russian (tabloid) press.

[signorinakitty]

un incanto! una gioia per gli okki!

[AnnInMpls]

They are the only Pairs Skaters where my attention was continually drawn to the MAN in the Pair. I never get tried of watching Artur Dmitriev.

[nosuchpersonvideo]

@AnnInMpls I have to agree. He has a powerful, graceful yet athletic presence with the form and body of a dancer. Pair that against her less than stellar performance and presence and a costume colour that almost fades into the ice. Her flexibility is amazing, but also somewhat awkward.

[quafer]

@AnnInMpls the only other pair that comes to MY mind where attention is drawn to the male is shishkova and naumov (vadim naumov was incredibly handsome and graceful and one of the best male pairs skaters ever). for some reason there are more instances of this in dance: christopher dean, paul duchesnay, rob mccall, ilia averbukh, peter tchernyshev.

[metsdudenj]

@quafer Todd Waggoner also falls into that category, very handsome and amazing extension and line ( he is the only male skater besides Naumov) who really challenged extended the leg position.

[evixir]

Absolutely the most breathtakingly lovely pairs LP I've ever seen in 20+ years of watching figure skating. Just gorgeous, gorgeous work.

[Damika82]

I love this program. It still gives me goosebumps everytime I see it. It was so beautiful and so surreal. Natalia looked really beautiful in that costume. Miss them so much.

[mamasensei]

I don't think this routine would do as well with the new judging system...which is SUCH a crime...this is what figure skating SHOULD be...

[wegersfour]

Still gives me goosebumps. This pair was

just made for each other. They were just

perfect in my eyes.

[scroadload]

This program is etched into my brain as the best LP ever. The grace and beauty of Natalia and the strength of Dmitriev along with the music of Liszt, just outstanding, Bravo!!!!!!

[MelleAndKev]

This is one of my favorite pair free skates.... and I love their 1994 LP the best.

[DebbyATJ]

The best figure skating has ever been....

[gandy74]

The most beautiful death spiral sequence in all of skating history.

[lamarin777]

Bravo, Natasha and Arthur! It was a really GREAT skating with an incomparable artistic impression. Thank you for these moments of happiness!

[jewmom]

Beautiful...both skating and music.

[lycanthrope1980]

They were robbed in 1994. G & G were fantastic, but Artur and Natalia were better.

[proxy22]

although the side by side jumps weren't there..... this was PAIRS skating!!

[libralady1010]

You BET this was Pairs Skating. Coud not have said it better myself. They had the opposition and style but also exact unison on everything. I do respect the Moscow School however with G&G in particular. Have just always liked the St. Petersburg School better,