I'm going to have to watch Lu Chen's free skate again, because I just didn't see anything the first time. I started watching in 1998, so I'm not sure what skating was like just two years prior, Chen didn't seem to hold positions or spin for more than three seconds. It was definitely a more mature performance, but it seemed like everything other than the jumps were done because they were required and not for the presentation. Chen's two 6.0's surprised me, but the judges know what they're doing.
Michelle's performance here was amazing and deserving of the gold medal. This performance was inspired and free, which is actually how Tara Lipinski(not a fan) beat her st the 98' olympics. Chen Lu was fantastic! This performer was even more dramatic and full of fire than her! Way to go!!!
I admire Michelle a lot but personally I have to say that her performance here was not as good as Chen Lu. Chen Lu's artistry was more mature than Michelle since Michelle is too young and I think this Indian style performance could not show the elegance of Michelle much. But there was no Chinese judge but one American judge. That could have been the difference.
@markchan006: I don't think it had to do with no Chinese judge and one US judge, as you say, since Kwan got 6 first places, and 3 seconds. In fact, the US judge had her 2nd (the only judge to place her 2nd) after the short program. For me this is one of the few moments when it could have truly gone either way. I think Kwan's speed and captivating quality, along with superior footwork/spins clinched the gold. Very, very close competition, and very exciting!
Both Kwan and Chen Lu had amazing performances that evening... it is really difficult to say which was better.. Kwan's performance was more climactic, for sure. I think perhaps if the order of skate was switched around, we could have been looking at different results. Still, amazing! It's a shame no modern skaters perform like this.
Thanks for posting this! I haven't seen it for years. It's one of the best choreographed skating routines I ever saw. I still remember how thrilling it was when she first did it. Everything else Kwan did in her career after this seemed like an anticlimax.
Tara and the other may have won on the olympics but Michelle was the best. And she certainly won our hearts since her figure skating has not being the same
Allenglandlawns- getrealandsee, Ithinkformyself.. I bet you never even went to figure skating shows but to waste time on you tube for the pleasure of making mocking bigotry against Michelle Kwan. So I do know more about Michelle Kwan than you do. Get the picture here allenglandlawns? Goodbye. I hope you'll never read this comment again.
All of these elementary comments about Michelle Kwan needs to stop . Why? I saw her in performance once, along with others like Sasha and Oksana Baiul. So I have every right to defend her from ignorant and incompetent fools like the rest of you who just come here to post nasty comments about her skating. Those who support her, including Sasha, this comment is not meant for you.
Under old 6.0, the draw for skating position was huge factor. If Chen had skated last, she would've known what was needed to win, like MK did. Plus judges scored early skaters less generously "leaving room" for other competitors. But Salome was brilliantly crafted, from costume to choreography & MK's artistic portrayal was beautifully presented w/strong tech.elements. For a sport in dire need of new stars, MK didn't disappoint, journey started w/Salome, she earned that '96 World Title.
She sure has two pairs of skates, doesns't she? [one pair on her FEET, and another, natural, pair..well, put in "Melanie, Brand New Key, Pair of roller Skates"..
Funny how I go back and watch this years afterwards...from looking at Lu Chens performance...I thought maybe back then I was pro Kwan because she was American and she was my favorite skater then....but even lookin at it now years later, I still have to go with Kwan. Her program was more dramatic, more exciting VS Chen who's program was more mature and elegant. I think the theme and overall excitement of Kwans is what got her the win. I think she also skated AFTER Chen as well that gave her edge.
DAMN!!!!! I LOVE how at every possible opportunity she was staring those judges right in the face, daring them to take their eyes off of her. Just a phenomenal talent is all I can say. And it only got better from here, in my opinion.
guys guys PLEASE! STOP FIGHTING! We shouldn't be talking to JNagarya or Getrealandsee about how "mentally ill they are" if you don't like their comments just vote them down. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to continue watching the ACTUAL VIDEO I CAME TO SEE!
Various commentators have said that the second combo jump (3TL/2TL) was actually meant to be a triple/triple combination, but she 'popped' the second triple, and thats why she had to put it in at the very end - because she knew she needed the 7th triple to beat Chen Lu. This problem with triple/triple combos was a recurrent theme throughout her career.
allengland why don't you just admit that you are obsessed with Miss Kwan and that you 'want' her more than anything. You see, admitting you are loser, a pig, a poppet, is the first step in getting the mental help you so sorely need..try it, sweet-bitch...it can only do you good :)
AH i see the evil nasty vcious rude ugly Allenglandlawns has posted another of her hateful diatribes against the girl she is infatuated with, Michelle Kwan...Allengland is a mental case poppet of the highest degree in a country where there are no superior singles skaters anymore. So she has latched her cruddy filthy claws on to one of THE most prolific skaters of this era. Check out other Michelle videos and you'll see the vicious bitch Allenglandlawn vomiting her shit there as well,
"allengalndlaws"/"getrealandsee," et al., hates Kwan, so will tell any lie as personal attack against her. Ignore the slug for what he is: a mentally ill person who, opposite the mentally healthy, obsessively stalks that he hates.
Add in that he doesn't know her -- or anyone else he personally attacks on fabricated pretexts.
@JNagarya and the only person who is a bigger freak than this crazy Kwan hater is you, the crazy obsessed Kwan stalker who poor Michelle should be alerted of for her own safety.
@serenakicksass you are talking to the wrong person. The person you should be talking to is Getrealandsee. Why don't you count Getrealandsee's hateful posts before she became Getrealandsee and while being known as getrealandsee. You shall see if she set herself a new world record for compulsive posting. How do I know? I can't seem get rid of her commentary from my mind! And clearly you could see that getrealandsee wanted to get rid of Michelle Kwan.
@NettieKay damn rite . although kwan is awesome that nite, lu chen is marvelous on that nite . the expression and the move is more delicate . she seized my heart to that nite :)
@anubethc45 Compare Sasha to Michelle? That's like comparing a graceful swan to a lumbering moose. With Kwan being the moose. And Yuna, the Olympic CHAMPION, is in a class by herself. Michelle the Mediocre simply CANNOT be compared to the grace and athleticism of REAL athletes like Sasha and Yuna.
@allenglandlawns surely ur joking. you cant begin to really honestly argue that Michelle Kwan is NOT graceful? Michelle & Sasha both r graceful. Michelle is just by far the better over all package. Saying u prefer sasha's or yuna's skating over Michelle's is fine. Saying u dont think shes as good a skater is fine. (not right, but fine) but if u expect your argument to b valid, you cant throw in ridiculously false claims astruths. ur argument is invalid! any1 can just lie, doesnt help ur case.
@looneybun1 I apologize and I probably shouldn't have made that crack...and Michelle's artistry can look pretty at times. But really it's just simple wiggle and jiggle. Sasha and Yuna are so athletic and use it to showcase great artistry.
@allenglandlawns i appreciate your taking the time to say all that, really i do! but maybe we should agree to disagree, b/c even down to her hand movements she has had people praising her grace. i dont think its wiggle jiggle, its delicate beautiful movements. I think sasha and yuna are also graceful, but..hers just comes across more natural looking i think. not athletic, just simple pure beauty. thanks again for being thoughtful enough to say that!!
@allenglandlawns Kwan's approach to artistry was a stepping stone for both Sasha and Yuna. I think you're forgetting that both of them have stated on MANY occassions that Michelle Kwan was a major inspiration to them and that they admire her greatly as an artist and an athlete. I'm certain that both Sasha and Yuna would be baffled and offended by your comment.
@allenglandlawns But the funny thing is that people will be talking about Michelle Kwan years from now when they talk about skating. They'll never remember Sasha. Really? Any Yuna? She better come back to defend her title because she disappeared as fast as she joined after winning her Olympic medal. She'll be like Tara Lipinski. One of the unknown medal winners. They have the gold medal for sure, but they're not even mentioned anywhere. LOL
I've watched this so many times over the years and it never fails to move me to tears. The marriage of athleticism, choreography and music is exquisite and the performance is one of the greatest of all time.
@Karosanyo Oh, I am VERY secure with my opinions but I also believe myself to be open minded and willing to see and consider different ones...that is when the opinions aren't obscured by vicious insults to other skaters, me, or profanity. To me, that in and of itself indicates an insecurity and desperation.
@getrealandsee As I said earlier, I am really open to your opinions, and from the private message we had, there is no doubt in my mind that you do "like" some Michelle programs. I just don't like the extra commentary you give with the "boo hoo...etc". You know what I mean, right? :P
@getrealandsee Please elaborate to me why you felt the need to come over here and post a poll about Yuna. That post alone proves YOUR insecurity and desperation. You wouldn't be doing this for over 10 years otherwise. Your posts about Kwan are often very vicious and vindictive. Do two wrongs make a right? I can't believe the way that you talk about a complete STRANGER for this long. What did Michelle Kwan ever do to you personally?
@getrealandsee I ask the same question as Karosanyo. And what... Michelle and Yu-Na are two different skaters. Your comment should not even be here. This is a Michelle Kwan video. You comment on Michelle's performance from the Worlds in 1996, not bring up new clippings about how another skater was recently named the "Greatest Skater of All-Time". Seriously, sometimes I wonder if you are asking for attention. Like a baby always does. :\
@TeamKween2010 Well, I am surely not looking for attention like a baby ....but... I removed that comment about Yuna Kim:) I am, however stubborn and opinionated and stand by what I say.. until a different point of view makes sense to me...I see that anubethc45 has resorted to personal insults yet again. Sad to be that desperate:( This competition was really close...both Lu Lu and Michelle skated beautifully.
Can debate Kim vs Kwan forever, toss YuNa's rival Mao Asada in it since both always idolized MK & wanted to skate like her. Kwan mentored both ladies, Mao trained w/MK's last coach Rafael Arutunian, Kim now trains at MK's own rink w/her Bro-in-Law, Peter Oppregard as coach. MK also skated in Korea w/Kim. Kwan impacted Fig.Skating in many ways, Kim & Asada are proof of her ongoing legacy, to debate MK vs Kim is great compliment for Kwan & a nod to her huge impact on this sport.
@BarneyTobey I don't see how Kwan and Kim are comparable in that regard. Firstly, Kim's career isn't over yet, so we don't know how many more titles and medals she's capable of. Also, nationality is a huge factor when comparing the popularity and longevity of sports figures. Kwan is always going to be more of a legend in the US because she is American. Kim is always going to be more of a legend in South Korea because she is Korean. Regardless, both have incredible achievements.
@RevShaqueefa I am not bashing Yuna like Getreal's personal attacks on Kwan. I am talking about her 2009 LP and her use of her body. This is about her SKATING. I always said that Yuna has the best triple-triples ever done by a women. I also said that her performance at the 2010 Olympics was the best LP ever done by a woman at that event. Yuna is a great skater when she is on, but I really hate her over the top artistry most of the time.
@Karosanyo I didn't see your compliments of Kim, so I apologize. Yeah, I have a special place for Kim for spicing the sport up after Kwan retired. Otherwise, I would be so bored watching the sport. Kwan was magnificent though. In her later years, she had this air of calm that was mystifying. Normally, I get nervous watching a performance, wondering if they'll do well, but Kwan's skating was so steady and reassuring.
@Karosanyo I also agree that Kim's best performance was at the Olympics. It was all heightened by the fact that Mao performed right before her in the SP and after her in the LP, and Kim totally rose to the challenge. Funny enough, it reminded me of Kwan at the 1995 Worlds, competing against Chen knowing Chen skated very well.
As much as I love Michelle Kwan, I have to admit in some aspects Kim Yuna is better in the sense that Yuna really knows how to use her arms gracefully, whereas Michelle Kwan is a bit stiff in her arms. Michelle is definitely an amazing legend same with Kim Yuna. :D
As much as I love Michelle Kwan, I have to admit in some aspects Kim Yuna is better in the sense that Yuna really knows how to use her arms gracefully, whereas Michelle Kwan is a bit stiff in her arms. Michelle is definitely an amazing legend same with Kim Yuna. :D
@leejihyungrace No other female figure skater used their arms more gracefully than Michelle Kwan. A bit stiff in her arms? What the hell? I have to disagree with your opinion. Watch Kwan's Rach SP, her EOE programs, her 2004 LP, her 2005 SP, her 1998 LP, her 2000-2001 Worlds LPs, etc. I HIGHLY disagree that Kim Yuna uses her arms more gracefully. Her arms are out of control most of the time, and I HATE how over the top she is with her whole body with her choreography. Kwan was a better artist.
@Karosanyo Michelle Kwan is amazing I'm not dissing her in anyway. I'm just saying when you look at Yuna's way of using her arms, its more graceful because she uses them more. If you think her arms are out of control you're crazy because how would she have won a world title. Even other critics claims that she knows how to use her arms. Plus if she isn't over the top with her choreography she can't stand out in comparison to others and gain the scores she has been gaining.
@leejihyungrace I am crazy? I could say the same thing about you claiming that Kwan's arms were stiffand that Yuna uses her arms better... Do you have the understanding of diverse opinions? I think that Yuna's artistry is highly pretentious (you can see the wheels turning). All is she does is throws her body around in a highly melodramatic manner (she always bends over and touches the ice with her arms). I feel that her 2010 Olympic performance was her only good skate (she was in control).
@Karosanyo I like Yuna, and her performances (when she hit) were gorgeous in a totally different way than Kwan. I think all skaters at this level have some quality that's admirable. Let's not sink to getreal's level by bashing others :)
@BarneyTobey By that logic Mary Lou Retton is a legend while far better gymnasts than her or not. If that is the case maybe being a legend isnt exactly the best thing anyway.
Such a RISQUE performance, and it paid off! (To those who don't know, SALOME was a the VILE stepdaughter of King Herod who wanted John the Baptist's head served to her on a platter. King Herod did not want to kill John, but because Salome had seduced him with her dance, he publicly promised to do anything to please her. In essence, she conspired to get rid of John because he was against her mother's marriage to the king.) LORI NICHOL is a choreography genius, and this placed her on the map.
@trojanrob24 As I recall the story, Salome's mother wanted John dead and put Salome up to it. But I agree this was a brilliant program and performance!
@BarneyTobey i think its different in her homecountry though... She has millions of commercials, she sings, she has her own skating show...I dont think she'llbe forgotten. And plus belongs to the few who were expected to win the olimipcs and did it... And yeah, the first in her nation and records and she is gorgeous all the way (and Im not a fan!!)... Other than that I agree. In Europe Plushenko is that legend...
It's so interesting to see the different generations of skating between Lu Chen and Michelle Kwan. Although Lulu showed great maturity, elegance and power, Michelle told a story with Salome. In comparison to Chen's, Kwan's choreography was beautifully intricate and challenging, her spins were held longer, and completed more triples.
mao imitated midori in doing the triple axel. also, figure skating is shown on universal sports in the states and many ppl do not have access to it and they never broadcast it live. therefore all the fun is sucked out of it.
a superb artistic skater. maybe you dont have the same tastes as me and thats why u differ in opinion. yes, everyone knows yuna adores michelle and incorporates some of the same moves as michelle but yuna has a completely different style in skating than michelle so i wouldnt say that kwan perfected her style and skaters copy it. skaters have their own style and tastes as well but they can be heavily influenced by other skaters. just like mao loves midori & does the triple axel does not mean that
@BarneyTobey i agree. i dont think yamaguchi is all that great. but btw, i am an american and skating isnt broadcasted on nbc, abc, or espn like it was in kwan's time. and i never said that your appreciation lies within nationalism. im just stating that figure skating isnt as popular b/c there arent many american & russian skaters who had that same stage presence and star power like kwan and cohen as the past, therefore alot of the audience has vanished. overexaggerated gestures? i think yuna
@BarneyTobey to be a big deal, i think when kwan left and sasha left the world stage, americans left as well. yes, i do know what you are talking about with kwan. she does move me w/ tears but guess what, there are skaters like yuna who do that for me as well who i believe are better technically and artistically. i think u should do ur hw on yuna b/c perhaps u dont know how loved she is in the figure skating world and u do not recognize how much passion she puts in her performance.
@BarneyTobey yes. to some degree the skaters are responsible for making figure skating popular but you need to realize that there are no dominant american & russian skaters currently. the us and russia dominated skating a while back with the likes of kwan, slutskaya, cohen, plushenko, & so forth. the fact that this dominant force has moved to asia with japan and maybe even south korea b/c of yuna kim, alot of the audience isnt interested anymore. skating used to be broadcasted heavily & it used
@BarneyTobey not decorated enough? she has never medaled out on the senior circuit in her life fwi. i agree, a legend is someone who has finished their craft but i think the point is that yuna WILL be a legend, no arguments in that. its too bad that figure skating isnt as popular as the past, that is probably the only reason why she is not as famous as other skaters and b/c she is from a small country like south korea who never had a past in skating. i think you should do some hw on her before
oh how i love michelle kwan! she was amazing and is very down to earth! such an amazing career! i loved every thing about her skating! i personaly beleive sasha cohen had more graceful spins though! but michelle is wonderful!
I remember this performance like it was yesterday. Where do the years go?! I watched her grow up into a beautiful, graceful, mature young woman with alot of class. Young girls need more role models like her instead of the trash that we have today. Even when things didn't go her way, she was graceful and classy in defeat. Her artistic ability and ability to feel the music and put her heart on her sleeve will forever be in my memories. May God bless and keep her. KWAN4EVER!
Wow.. I'm a ballet dancer.. and I know dance and ice skating don't have anything to do with each other but I do understand the dificulty of most of the steps.. and wow.. she was amazing.. and her artistry.. it made me cry! :)
One of the sadder things today is that you really cannot in the skating world name a piece of music and get a skater(s) name definitively for a performance of that piece.
Hopefully Harding wasnt around otherwise Kwan would have had to watch her kneecap though. The lazy fat ass waste of talent Harding would surely be targetting whoever was considered the top U.S lady at the time, in her own delusional path for Oly Gold that she never simply concluded would be best pursued with hard work, dedication, fixing her ghastly artistry, and ditching her crazy husband.
I'll never forget this moment ever. One of the most beautiful and elegant skates ever. Then to throw in that triple toe at the end. What an exciting time for her! This should have been her olympic gold program but the IOC ruined that and instead tara pukeski stole it away 2 years later.
@plankboi if there were no Olympics in 94 I highly doubt Michelle would have snuck out to take her senior test as soon and been as far along by 96 as she was. Most likely she would be where she was in 95 in 96 (at best) . Not to mention the whole field could be different. Baiul and Sato would probably be there still, and Chen probably wouldnt be reigning World Champion and self destructing most of the season (though she skated great here she was already diminished in the judges eyes).
@russianskatingfan i doubt baiul, kerrigan or harding would have been around and chen & sato were unstable. kwans progression was a natural thing and i'm convinced the cards would have landed in her favor had the olympics been in 96
@plankboi Maybe Baiul wouldnt have been at her best by that point, but I dont see why she wouldnt have been around. Why would a World Champion at only 16 who had no competition in Ukraine turn pro before competing at an Olympics. It is not like she would have had anything huge to cash in on before the Olympics anyway. I didnt even mention Kerrigan and Harding since I agree they wouldnt have been around. Well Kerrigan for sure not, and Harding might have but wouldnt have been a threat.
@russianskatingfan baiul was a flash in the pan and i believe with all my heart she wouldn't have mattered in 96. i mentioned harding and kerrigan because i felt they needed mentioning.
@plankboi The judges always had their heads far up Baiuls ass until she became an alcoholic when they finally saw the Emeress had no clothes. Add to that how much reputation meant in the sport. Baiul would have been a huge factor in a hypothetical 96 Olympics, trust me. Maybe she wouldnt have won (if she made mistakes) but she would have been a big threat, since she is/was one of the most overrated skaters of all time. There isnt one title she won I think she deserved.
@grafgirl27 I like what you have to say about Oksana Baiul. I think she is one of the most overrated female figure skaters of all time. There is not one title that she should have won. Her winning the gold over Nancy at the '94 Olympics was truly a disgrace (she only landed 3 clean triples with ZERO combo jumps over Nancy's 5 with the 3T-3T and 3S/2T). She was truly propped up.
both Chen and Kwan skated beautiful programs but for me the difference is that Chen's was beautiful - Kwan was BREATH-TAKING - you can sense everyone in the room taking in their breath at the end before that tremendous ovation -
@EasyBakeSmiles Mostly, I'm just nostalgic since I skated in the 90s! Also, the new scoring system confuses me...I like the old way with 6.0 better. It seems like the judges want more athletic elements and less artistry now, but that's just my opinion. There are some really great skaters from the 2000s too :-)
Michelle won on technical merit! Artistically her and Lulu were equals(just different styles). That 7th triple broke the tie and gave her the title. IMO, best two Worlds performances I have ever seen. None have matched it since.
I like this performance from Kwan, but I think that Chen should have won because that was on a different level artistically. I think that Michelle Kwan started to mature with this program, but it wasn't until later on that she really started becoming the iconic figure skater that everyone remembers her as. I wish they could have both gotten golds though.
@macassar88 How many skaters skate to the same old classical pieces? Kwan's progeam, by contrast, is distinctive. It stands out from the blur. And it is complex in detail. And seven triples . . .
Which takes nothing away from Lu Chen. But, that blur . . .
@JNagarya Salome is also classical music. And she didn't have nearly the artistry that Lu Chen had. And in the long program, the tiebreaker was supposed to be the presentation if they were so close overall.
I just watched the 95's, she grew from a little girl to a elegant young lady, no matter the appearance or the skating. I remembered started 96 I nailed in front of the tv if I knew Michelle was on the ice. Yuna is a beautiful figure skater, but pls don't compare her with Michelle, there is at least 10 year apart in this sport: the training, technics and demand are so difference. Could I say Michelle is better than Peggy Fleming?
Well, Yuna is from a different skating era... But with that being said, I dislike Yuna's skating. I don't feel anything when she skates. Her skating is pretentious (her artistry seems forced). I don't find her elegant. Her spirals are atrocious. And Michelle was far from her best at those Olympics (it was still a good performance, though). I prefer Michelle's '98 National performance to Yuna's Olympic performance. MK did all of her triples as well (Yuna can't even do a triple loop jump).
this was my favorite routine of michelle's. excellent presentation and overall great routine. she really draws me in to the routine....especially the second half.
An incredible performance. A huge growth in maturity from the year before. And I agree about the choreography. Every beat of the music was used, every highlight, every nuance - great figure skating (including ice dance) has that. And, she does have the "wow" factor on the ice, no doubt! Like Torvill and Dean, she will be remembered for sure.
Even Sarah Hughes has stated how much Michelle influenced her. She would often change her programs after she saw Michelle's. Even Tara was influenced by her choreography (her hold her landing on the double axel, etc.). I don't see anyone now doing five triples with a triple loop/triple loop...
Sorry claudineretard but other women did 3/3s before Tara...Midori, Surya, Debi, Kristi even Michelle had all landed them prior to Tara coming on to the scene.
quit arguing, both michelle kwan and yuna kim are both excellent athletes. Even yuna kim, in one of her interviews, stated that michelle kwan is a role model to her. Michelle kwan is a legend and i think yuna kim can potentially surpass her!
You can have Yuna's dull and lifeless Olympic free skate. I'll take this highly entertaining and elegant performance over that mediocrity. Never a dull moment. Kwan is the best. I don't care about the OGM. I know a lot of great actors who haven't won an Oscar. I also know a lot of mediocre actors who have...
Goodness Gracious wow.... what a performance no wonder why she's a legend. That was just flawless. It touched my heart to see her cried after she finished her program. I just love her.
@BarneyTobey Oh I agree. Michelle's been retired for years and EVERYONE still knows of her. I don't feel the same magic watching Yu Na that I feel watching Michelle.
@jimmyjam4321 If Yu Na gets to 3 World titles she will have already atleast matched Kwan. An Olympic Gold is worth atleast 2 World titles. Kwan sure as heck would have traded 2 of hers for one, maybe more.
@grafgirl27 Get real. The only difference between Worlds and Olympics is spelling and hype. The same field of skaters is in both. So an Olympic gold is not worth two Worlds.
And, no: let's not cheat by also distorting the math otherwise: 3 Worlds do not equal 4 Worlds -- regardless your view of Michelle Kwan's unreadable mind.
@JNagarya haha what a fucking retard you are. Olympics is way bigger than Worlds. Kwan fanatics like you only say it means nothing since Kwan couldnt win it. If Kwan had won the Olympics you would be hyping how huge an event it is. Loser.
@beckerbombs Your calling me stupid names isn't argument. Nor is it proof of anything but that you don't know the difference between argument, on one hand, and elementary school name-calling.
One doesn't judge a skater by a single event. And it's as I siad: the only differences between Olympics and Worlds is spelling and hype. Both are the same field of skaters.
@beckerbombs I didn't say the Olympics don't mean anything. You might try responding to what I DID say -- but I suspect that's just too much of a struggle for you to attempt.
Does your mommy know you skipped kindergarten today?
@beckerbombs The World Figure Skating Championships have been around longer than figure skating in the Olympics--since the late 1800s. Only a few figure skaters have managed to win multiple World Championships--and very few have managed to win five. The Olympics are the biggest prize because it is so hard to get--only every four years. But to suggest that Worlds is unimportant is just plain wrong. Why else would Yu Na be coming back this year to try to win her second Worlds?
She is reason the reason I became interested in figure skating. Now that she retired I dont really watch anymore. I was sooooooo sad she did not chose to compete for a spot at the last Olympics. I was ready to save up money and buy tickets I didn't care if she came in last I just wanted to cheer her on.
I remember seeing this at the time it actually took place and was a bit taken aback that they used the Miklos Rozsa theme for Salome's lewd dance from King of Kings (1961) performed in the film by the incredibly sexy Briget Bazlen, but Michelle is a good angel of a somewhat ignored art form.
@millipicentrauor most people didn't know much about Yu Na, which is why she was popular in her hometown until the media spread the news in as much as an infestation.
@millipicentrauor I bit to differ....haven't you watch any news from the time of the 2010 winter Olympics to now? Get some clue....Yuna is known around the world from those who are fan and non fans of figure skating, including here in the U.S.
I'm going to have to watch Lu Chen's free skate again, because I just didn't see anything the first time. I started watching in 1998, so I'm not sure what skating was like just two years prior, Chen didn't seem to hold positions or spin for more than three seconds. It was definitely a more mature performance, but it seemed like everything other than the jumps were done because they were required and not for the presentation. Chen's two 6.0's surprised me, but the judges know what they're doing.
MLBoykin 2 days ago
:) Hello in your channel
kkhhaalliid1 1 week ago
Michelle's performance here was amazing and deserving of the gold medal. This performance was inspired and free, which is actually how Tara Lipinski(not a fan) beat her st the 98' olympics. Chen Lu was fantastic! This performer was even more dramatic and full of fire than her! Way to go!!!
JarenMorris21 2 weeks ago 2
I admire Michelle a lot but personally I have to say that her performance here was not as good as Chen Lu. Chen Lu's artistry was more mature than Michelle since Michelle is too young and I think this Indian style performance could not show the elegance of Michelle much. But there was no Chinese judge but one American judge. That could have been the difference.
markchan006 3 weeks ago
@markchan006: I don't think it had to do with no Chinese judge and one US judge, as you say, since Kwan got 6 first places, and 3 seconds. In fact, the US judge had her 2nd (the only judge to place her 2nd) after the short program. For me this is one of the few moments when it could have truly gone either way. I think Kwan's speed and captivating quality, along with superior footwork/spins clinched the gold. Very, very close competition, and very exciting!
mlc2005 1 week ago
I remember watching this and thinking, Oh my god, she's only 15!!! She was amazing. She was the reigning queen of figure skating for a decade.
acinom13 3 weeks ago
Both Kwan and Chen Lu had amazing performances that evening... it is really difficult to say which was better.. Kwan's performance was more climactic, for sure. I think perhaps if the order of skate was switched around, we could have been looking at different results. Still, amazing! It's a shame no modern skaters perform like this.
mssymarie 1 month ago
Wow, artistry in motion. Simply lovely.
foglight88 1 month ago 2
Thanks for posting this! I haven't seen it for years. It's one of the best choreographed skating routines I ever saw. I still remember how thrilling it was when she first did it. Everything else Kwan did in her career after this seemed like an anticlimax.
07regia 1 month ago
She truly is the best skater I have ever seen in this sport. Even though she never got her gold medal, she never threw a fit or a tantrum.
ALananhR 1 month ago 3
Tara and the other may have won on the olympics but Michelle was the best. And she certainly won our hearts since her figure skating has not being the same
Enavarro523 1 month ago 3
8 time world champion.... Discussion over! Poetry and sport in motion:) How can you diss that?!
missqueenbean420 1 month ago
Allenglandlawns- getrealandsee, Ithinkformyself.. I bet you never even went to figure skating shows but to waste time on you tube for the pleasure of making mocking bigotry against Michelle Kwan. So I do know more about Michelle Kwan than you do. Get the picture here allenglandlawns? Goodbye. I hope you'll never read this comment again.
anne91276 2 months ago
All of these elementary comments about Michelle Kwan needs to stop . Why? I saw her in performance once, along with others like Sasha and Oksana Baiul. So I have every right to defend her from ignorant and incompetent fools like the rest of you who just come here to post nasty comments about her skating. Those who support her, including Sasha, this comment is not meant for you.
anne91276 2 months ago
I do wonder how Lu Chen managed to get away with not doing a proper sit spin over 2 olympic and 4 world medals
I love her skating but imagine scoring her under COP for her spins haha
lutz84 2 months ago
Under old 6.0, the draw for skating position was huge factor. If Chen had skated last, she would've known what was needed to win, like MK did. Plus judges scored early skaters less generously "leaving room" for other competitors. But Salome was brilliantly crafted, from costume to choreography & MK's artistic portrayal was beautifully presented w/strong tech.elements. For a sport in dire need of new stars, MK didn't disappoint, journey started w/Salome, she earned that '96 World Title.
IrishLinB 2 months ago
wow, she looks like jasmine from aladdin
charizianne 3 months ago
@charizianne Nope, Michelle didn't portray Jasmine until she did the Disney Special "Michelle Kwan: Princess on Ice around 2000/2001
Geez, all those medals & she got to be a real life Disney Princess, talk about livin the dream.
IrishLinB 2 months ago
what a magnificent programm... historic, every details, every jump... impossible to forget this performance
rimbaud15 3 months ago
Michelle Kwan is so amazing it's good that she did this when she was 12......... She chased her dreams
CodySimpson710 3 months ago
@CodySimpson710 she was 16 not 12
cecidee91 2 months ago
She sure has two pairs of skates, doesns't she? [one pair on her FEET, and another, natural, pair..well, put in "Melanie, Brand New Key, Pair of roller Skates"..
ANyway, seriously, she';s great.
SteveCarras 3 months ago
Funny how I go back and watch this years afterwards...from looking at Lu Chens performance...I thought maybe back then I was pro Kwan because she was American and she was my favorite skater then....but even lookin at it now years later, I still have to go with Kwan. Her program was more dramatic, more exciting VS Chen who's program was more mature and elegant. I think the theme and overall excitement of Kwans is what got her the win. I think she also skated AFTER Chen as well that gave her edge.
Blakmajik78 4 months ago
DAMN!!!!! I LOVE how at every possible opportunity she was staring those judges right in the face, daring them to take their eyes off of her. Just a phenomenal talent is all I can say. And it only got better from here, in my opinion.
mlc2005 4 months ago
This vid is so awesome Michelle did amazing;)
katieannabel 4 months ago
shes sooooooo good at skating
stephanie1547 4 months ago in playlist Michelle Kwan
So the legend begins....
LaotianLover 4 months ago
guys guys PLEASE! STOP FIGHTING! We shouldn't be talking to JNagarya or Getrealandsee about how "mentally ill they are" if you don't like their comments just vote them down. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to continue watching the ACTUAL VIDEO I CAME TO SEE!
Thank you! =)
lowdaisy1 4 months ago
Such a great performance is quite rare nowadays. But I have to say I perfered Lu Chen's program that night.
castorp68 5 months ago
"But there is only one gold medal, and it belongs to Michelle Kwan"
sondors5 5 months ago
The only thing that ever got better than this was her spinning speed. But kudos to her for maintaining this caliber of skating for so long.
haloplayer87 5 months ago
why is she crying?
TILT266 5 months ago
@TILT266 she did really good, so she got emotional
pinkskullsxxx1 5 months ago
I get the shivers when I watch this.
lowdaisy1 6 months ago
Various commentators have said that the second combo jump (3TL/2TL) was actually meant to be a triple/triple combination, but she 'popped' the second triple, and thats why she had to put it in at the very end - because she knew she needed the 7th triple to beat Chen Lu. This problem with triple/triple combos was a recurrent theme throughout her career.
sapphire22011 6 months ago
allengland why don't you just admit that you are obsessed with Miss Kwan and that you 'want' her more than anything. You see, admitting you are loser, a pig, a poppet, is the first step in getting the mental help you so sorely need..try it, sweet-bitch...it can only do you good :)
oofahman 6 months ago
Allenglandlawns and getreallandsee are the same vile disgusting person
oofahman 6 months ago
AH i see the evil nasty vcious rude ugly Allenglandlawns has posted another of her hateful diatribes against the girl she is infatuated with, Michelle Kwan...Allengland is a mental case poppet of the highest degree in a country where there are no superior singles skaters anymore. So she has latched her cruddy filthy claws on to one of THE most prolific skaters of this era. Check out other Michelle videos and you'll see the vicious bitch Allenglandlawn vomiting her shit there as well,
oofahman 6 months ago
i love her so much! <3 ;)
msmoneychang 6 months ago
"allengalndlaws"/"getrealandsee," et al., hates Kwan, so will tell any lie as personal attack against her. Ignore the slug for what he is: a mentally ill person who, opposite the mentally healthy, obsessively stalks that he hates.
Add in that he doesn't know her -- or anyone else he personally attacks on fabricated pretexts.
JNagarya 6 months ago 15
@JNagarya and the only person who is a bigger freak than this crazy Kwan hater is you, the crazy obsessed Kwan stalker who poor Michelle should be alerted of for her own safety.
serenakicksass 5 months ago
@serenakicksass you are talking to the wrong person. The person you should be talking to is Getrealandsee. Why don't you count Getrealandsee's hateful posts before she became Getrealandsee and while being known as getrealandsee. You shall see if she set herself a new world record for compulsive posting. How do I know? I can't seem get rid of her commentary from my mind! And clearly you could see that getrealandsee wanted to get rid of Michelle Kwan.
anne91276 5 months ago
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I can't believe this was 15 years ago!!!
firmingitup 6 months ago
I don't think she should've won over Chen Lu, it was a great program, but Chen Lu's beauty and grace won my heart that night.
NettieKay 6 months ago 4
@NettieKay damn rite . although kwan is awesome that nite, lu chen is marvelous on that nite . the expression and the move is more delicate . she seized my heart to that nite :)
multisteeldiluch 4 months ago
A FACE OF A WINNER
elenavlada 7 months ago
@elenavlada i thought you dont like chinks LOL what happened? lol
drmetro1981 3 months ago
@drmetro1981 AHAHHA, not all of em..
elenavlada 3 months ago
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@anubethc45 Compare Sasha to Michelle? That's like comparing a graceful swan to a lumbering moose. With Kwan being the moose. And Yuna, the Olympic CHAMPION, is in a class by herself. Michelle the Mediocre simply CANNOT be compared to the grace and athleticism of REAL athletes like Sasha and Yuna.
allenglandlawns 7 months ago
@allenglandlawns surely ur joking. you cant begin to really honestly argue that Michelle Kwan is NOT graceful? Michelle & Sasha both r graceful. Michelle is just by far the better over all package. Saying u prefer sasha's or yuna's skating over Michelle's is fine. Saying u dont think shes as good a skater is fine. (not right, but fine) but if u expect your argument to b valid, you cant throw in ridiculously false claims astruths. ur argument is invalid! any1 can just lie, doesnt help ur case.
looneybun1 7 months ago
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@looneybun1 I apologize and I probably shouldn't have made that crack...and Michelle's artistry can look pretty at times. But really it's just simple wiggle and jiggle. Sasha and Yuna are so athletic and use it to showcase great artistry.
allenglandlawns 7 months ago
@allenglandlawns i appreciate your taking the time to say all that, really i do! but maybe we should agree to disagree, b/c even down to her hand movements she has had people praising her grace. i dont think its wiggle jiggle, its delicate beautiful movements. I think sasha and yuna are also graceful, but..hers just comes across more natural looking i think. not athletic, just simple pure beauty. thanks again for being thoughtful enough to say that!!
looneybun1 7 months ago
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@looneybun1 No problem! Thanks for the kind words and happy posting! =)
allenglandlawns 7 months ago
@allenglandlawns Simple wiggle and jiggle? Kwan's artistry WAS superior to Sasha and Yuna's.
Karosanyo 7 months ago
@allenglandlawns Your a hateful, lying ass, and everyone knows it. Show us you have sufficient sense to go away.
JNagarya 6 months ago 11
@allenglandlawns Kwan's approach to artistry was a stepping stone for both Sasha and Yuna. I think you're forgetting that both of them have stated on MANY occassions that Michelle Kwan was a major inspiration to them and that they admire her greatly as an artist and an athlete. I'm certain that both Sasha and Yuna would be baffled and offended by your comment.
arrowchild 7 months ago
@allenglandlawns But the funny thing is that people will be talking about Michelle Kwan years from now when they talk about skating. They'll never remember Sasha. Really? Any Yuna? She better come back to defend her title because she disappeared as fast as she joined after winning her Olympic medal. She'll be like Tara Lipinski. One of the unknown medal winners. They have the gold medal for sure, but they're not even mentioned anywhere. LOL
acuison1 2 months ago
Best program by far!
Evancho08 7 months ago
I've watched this so many times over the years and it never fails to move me to tears. The marriage of athleticism, choreography and music is exquisite and the performance is one of the greatest of all time.
SOLE2SOUL 7 months ago
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getrealandsee 7 months ago
@getrealandsee And? You seem VERY insecure with your own opinions...
Karosanyo 7 months ago
@Karosanyo Oh, I am VERY secure with my opinions but I also believe myself to be open minded and willing to see and consider different ones...that is when the opinions aren't obscured by vicious insults to other skaters, me, or profanity. To me, that in and of itself indicates an insecurity and desperation.
getrealandsee 7 months ago
@getrealandsee As I said earlier, I am really open to your opinions, and from the private message we had, there is no doubt in my mind that you do "like" some Michelle programs. I just don't like the extra commentary you give with the "boo hoo...etc". You know what I mean, right? :P
TeamKween2010 7 months ago
@getrealandsee Please elaborate to me why you felt the need to come over here and post a poll about Yuna. That post alone proves YOUR insecurity and desperation. You wouldn't be doing this for over 10 years otherwise. Your posts about Kwan are often very vicious and vindictive. Do two wrongs make a right? I can't believe the way that you talk about a complete STRANGER for this long. What did Michelle Kwan ever do to you personally?
Karosanyo 7 months ago
@getrealandsee I ask the same question as Karosanyo. And what... Michelle and Yu-Na are two different skaters. Your comment should not even be here. This is a Michelle Kwan video. You comment on Michelle's performance from the Worlds in 1996, not bring up new clippings about how another skater was recently named the "Greatest Skater of All-Time". Seriously, sometimes I wonder if you are asking for attention. Like a baby always does. :\
TeamKween2010 7 months ago
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getrealandsee 7 months ago
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@TeamKween2010 Well, I am surely not looking for attention like a baby ....but... I removed that comment about Yuna Kim:) I am, however stubborn and opinionated and stand by what I say.. until a different point of view makes sense to me...I see that anubethc45 has resorted to personal insults yet again. Sad to be that desperate:( This competition was really close...both Lu Lu and Michelle skated beautifully.
getrealandsee 7 months ago
5:13 three skating legends :).
uwoeric 7 months ago
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Can debate Kim vs Kwan forever, toss YuNa's rival Mao Asada in it since both always idolized MK & wanted to skate like her. Kwan mentored both ladies, Mao trained w/MK's last coach Rafael Arutunian, Kim now trains at MK's own rink w/her Bro-in-Law, Peter Oppregard as coach. MK also skated in Korea w/Kim. Kwan impacted Fig.Skating in many ways, Kim & Asada are proof of her ongoing legacy, to debate MK vs Kim is great compliment for Kwan & a nod to her huge impact on this sport.
a nod
IrishLinB 8 months ago
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@BarneyTobey I don't see how Kwan and Kim are comparable in that regard. Firstly, Kim's career isn't over yet, so we don't know how many more titles and medals she's capable of. Also, nationality is a huge factor when comparing the popularity and longevity of sports figures. Kwan is always going to be more of a legend in the US because she is American. Kim is always going to be more of a legend in South Korea because she is Korean. Regardless, both have incredible achievements.
PaintingPaperTowns 8 months ago
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probably her best constume ever(:
Figureicee 8 months ago
@RevShaqueefa I am not bashing Yuna like Getreal's personal attacks on Kwan. I am talking about her 2009 LP and her use of her body. This is about her SKATING. I always said that Yuna has the best triple-triples ever done by a women. I also said that her performance at the 2010 Olympics was the best LP ever done by a woman at that event. Yuna is a great skater when she is on, but I really hate her over the top artistry most of the time.
Karosanyo 8 months ago 2
@Karosanyo I didn't see your compliments of Kim, so I apologize. Yeah, I have a special place for Kim for spicing the sport up after Kwan retired. Otherwise, I would be so bored watching the sport. Kwan was magnificent though. In her later years, she had this air of calm that was mystifying. Normally, I get nervous watching a performance, wondering if they'll do well, but Kwan's skating was so steady and reassuring.
RevShaqueefa 8 months ago
@Karosanyo I also agree that Kim's best performance was at the Olympics. It was all heightened by the fact that Mao performed right before her in the SP and after her in the LP, and Kim totally rose to the challenge. Funny enough, it reminded me of Kwan at the 1995 Worlds, competing against Chen knowing Chen skated very well.
RevShaqueefa 8 months ago
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As much as I love Michelle Kwan, I have to admit in some aspects Kim Yuna is better in the sense that Yuna really knows how to use her arms gracefully, whereas Michelle Kwan is a bit stiff in her arms. Michelle is definitely an amazing legend same with Kim Yuna. :D
leejihyungrace 8 months ago
As much as I love Michelle Kwan, I have to admit in some aspects Kim Yuna is better in the sense that Yuna really knows how to use her arms gracefully, whereas Michelle Kwan is a bit stiff in her arms. Michelle is definitely an amazing legend same with Kim Yuna. :D
leejihyungrace 8 months ago
@leejihyungrace No other female figure skater used their arms more gracefully than Michelle Kwan. A bit stiff in her arms? What the hell? I have to disagree with your opinion. Watch Kwan's Rach SP, her EOE programs, her 2004 LP, her 2005 SP, her 1998 LP, her 2000-2001 Worlds LPs, etc. I HIGHLY disagree that Kim Yuna uses her arms more gracefully. Her arms are out of control most of the time, and I HATE how over the top she is with her whole body with her choreography. Kwan was a better artist.
Karosanyo 8 months ago
@Karosanyo Michelle Kwan is amazing I'm not dissing her in anyway. I'm just saying when you look at Yuna's way of using her arms, its more graceful because she uses them more. If you think her arms are out of control you're crazy because how would she have won a world title. Even other critics claims that she knows how to use her arms. Plus if she isn't over the top with her choreography she can't stand out in comparison to others and gain the scores she has been gaining.
leejihyungrace 8 months ago
@leejihyungrace I am crazy? I could say the same thing about you claiming that Kwan's arms were stiffand that Yuna uses her arms better... Do you have the understanding of diverse opinions? I think that Yuna's artistry is highly pretentious (you can see the wheels turning). All is she does is throws her body around in a highly melodramatic manner (she always bends over and touches the ice with her arms). I feel that her 2010 Olympic performance was her only good skate (she was in control).
Karosanyo 8 months ago
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Karosanyo 8 months ago
@Karosanyo I like Yuna, and her performances (when she hit) were gorgeous in a totally different way than Kwan. I think all skaters at this level have some quality that's admirable. Let's not sink to getreal's level by bashing others :)
RevShaqueefa 8 months ago
you cant tell me that from 3:55 till the end that you dont get goosebumps i mean there was such a sudden shift in emotion it touched me a lot
wozniacki15 9 months ago 2
@BarneyTobey By that logic Mary Lou Retton is a legend while far better gymnasts than her or not. If that is the case maybe being a legend isnt exactly the best thing anyway.
russianskatingfan 9 months ago
Such a RISQUE performance, and it paid off! (To those who don't know, SALOME was a the VILE stepdaughter of King Herod who wanted John the Baptist's head served to her on a platter. King Herod did not want to kill John, but because Salome had seduced him with her dance, he publicly promised to do anything to please her. In essence, she conspired to get rid of John because he was against her mother's marriage to the king.) LORI NICHOL is a choreography genius, and this placed her on the map.
trojanrob24 9 months ago
@trojanrob24 As I recall the story, Salome's mother wanted John dead and put Salome up to it. But I agree this was a brilliant program and performance!
idolfan9495 8 months ago
♥♥♥ The best figure skating performance EVER !!! ♥♥♥
wylmap 9 months ago
@BarneyTobey i think its different in her homecountry though... She has millions of commercials, she sings, she has her own skating show...I dont think she'llbe forgotten. And plus belongs to the few who were expected to win the olimipcs and did it... And yeah, the first in her nation and records and she is gorgeous all the way (and Im not a fan!!)... Other than that I agree. In Europe Plushenko is that legend...
Ardenis9 9 months ago
It's so interesting to see the different generations of skating between Lu Chen and Michelle Kwan. Although Lulu showed great maturity, elegance and power, Michelle told a story with Salome. In comparison to Chen's, Kwan's choreography was beautifully intricate and challenging, her spins were held longer, and completed more triples.
bradyachin 9 months ago
mao imitated midori in doing the triple axel. also, figure skating is shown on universal sports in the states and many ppl do not have access to it and they never broadcast it live. therefore all the fun is sucked out of it.
ixsharon 9 months ago
a superb artistic skater. maybe you dont have the same tastes as me and thats why u differ in opinion. yes, everyone knows yuna adores michelle and incorporates some of the same moves as michelle but yuna has a completely different style in skating than michelle so i wouldnt say that kwan perfected her style and skaters copy it. skaters have their own style and tastes as well but they can be heavily influenced by other skaters. just like mao loves midori & does the triple axel does not mean that
ixsharon 9 months ago 2
@BarneyTobey i agree. i dont think yamaguchi is all that great. but btw, i am an american and skating isnt broadcasted on nbc, abc, or espn like it was in kwan's time. and i never said that your appreciation lies within nationalism. im just stating that figure skating isnt as popular b/c there arent many american & russian skaters who had that same stage presence and star power like kwan and cohen as the past, therefore alot of the audience has vanished. overexaggerated gestures? i think yuna
ixsharon 9 months ago
@BarneyTobey to be a big deal, i think when kwan left and sasha left the world stage, americans left as well. yes, i do know what you are talking about with kwan. she does move me w/ tears but guess what, there are skaters like yuna who do that for me as well who i believe are better technically and artistically. i think u should do ur hw on yuna b/c perhaps u dont know how loved she is in the figure skating world and u do not recognize how much passion she puts in her performance.
ixsharon 9 months ago
@BarneyTobey yes. to some degree the skaters are responsible for making figure skating popular but you need to realize that there are no dominant american & russian skaters currently. the us and russia dominated skating a while back with the likes of kwan, slutskaya, cohen, plushenko, & so forth. the fact that this dominant force has moved to asia with japan and maybe even south korea b/c of yuna kim, alot of the audience isnt interested anymore. skating used to be broadcasted heavily & it used
ixsharon 9 months ago
@BarneyTobey you say that the public doesn't give her spotlight b/c she is loved all over the world
ixsharon 9 months ago
@BarneyTobey not decorated enough? she has never medaled out on the senior circuit in her life fwi. i agree, a legend is someone who has finished their craft but i think the point is that yuna WILL be a legend, no arguments in that. its too bad that figure skating isnt as popular as the past, that is probably the only reason why she is not as famous as other skaters and b/c she is from a small country like south korea who never had a past in skating. i think you should do some hw on her before
ixsharon 9 months ago
oh how i love michelle kwan! she was amazing and is very down to earth! such an amazing career! i loved every thing about her skating! i personaly beleive sasha cohen had more graceful spins though! but michelle is wonderful!
Morgielovestosk8 9 months ago
Yuna Kim is DEFINITELY a legend in her own time, and will be for years to come! And btw I'm a huge Michelle Kwan fan
victoriaindigo 10 months ago
I remember this performance like it was yesterday. Where do the years go?! I watched her grow up into a beautiful, graceful, mature young woman with alot of class. Young girls need more role models like her instead of the trash that we have today. Even when things didn't go her way, she was graceful and classy in defeat. Her artistic ability and ability to feel the music and put her heart on her sleeve will forever be in my memories. May God bless and keep her. KWAN4EVER!
delyparker777 10 months ago 2
Wow.. I'm a ballet dancer.. and I know dance and ice skating don't have anything to do with each other but I do understand the dificulty of most of the steps.. and wow.. she was amazing.. and her artistry.. it made me cry! :)
manythingsrinmyhead 10 months ago
One of the sadder things today is that you really cannot in the skating world name a piece of music and get a skater(s) name definitively for a performance of that piece.
Afternoon of the Faun - Janet Lynn
Bolero - Torvill & Dean
Don Quixote - John Curry
Salome - Michelle Kwan
RothdeMan 10 months ago
Hopefully Harding wasnt around otherwise Kwan would have had to watch her kneecap though. The lazy fat ass waste of talent Harding would surely be targetting whoever was considered the top U.S lady at the time, in her own delusional path for Oly Gold that she never simply concluded would be best pursued with hard work, dedication, fixing her ghastly artistry, and ditching her crazy husband.
russianskatingfan 10 months ago
I'll never forget this moment ever. One of the most beautiful and elegant skates ever. Then to throw in that triple toe at the end. What an exciting time for her! This should have been her olympic gold program but the IOC ruined that and instead tara pukeski stole it away 2 years later.
plankboi 10 months ago
@plankboi if there were no Olympics in 94 I highly doubt Michelle would have snuck out to take her senior test as soon and been as far along by 96 as she was. Most likely she would be where she was in 95 in 96 (at best) . Not to mention the whole field could be different. Baiul and Sato would probably be there still, and Chen probably wouldnt be reigning World Champion and self destructing most of the season (though she skated great here she was already diminished in the judges eyes).
russianskatingfan 10 months ago
@russianskatingfan i doubt baiul, kerrigan or harding would have been around and chen & sato were unstable. kwans progression was a natural thing and i'm convinced the cards would have landed in her favor had the olympics been in 96
plankboi 10 months ago
@plankboi Maybe Baiul wouldnt have been at her best by that point, but I dont see why she wouldnt have been around. Why would a World Champion at only 16 who had no competition in Ukraine turn pro before competing at an Olympics. It is not like she would have had anything huge to cash in on before the Olympics anyway. I didnt even mention Kerrigan and Harding since I agree they wouldnt have been around. Well Kerrigan for sure not, and Harding might have but wouldnt have been a threat.
russianskatingfan 10 months ago
@russianskatingfan baiul was a flash in the pan and i believe with all my heart she wouldn't have mattered in 96. i mentioned harding and kerrigan because i felt they needed mentioning.
plankboi 10 months ago
@plankboi The judges always had their heads far up Baiuls ass until she became an alcoholic when they finally saw the Emeress had no clothes. Add to that how much reputation meant in the sport. Baiul would have been a huge factor in a hypothetical 96 Olympics, trust me. Maybe she wouldnt have won (if she made mistakes) but she would have been a big threat, since she is/was one of the most overrated skaters of all time. There isnt one title she won I think she deserved.
grafgirl27 10 months ago
@grafgirl27 I like what you have to say about Oksana Baiul. I think she is one of the most overrated female figure skaters of all time. There is not one title that she should have won. Her winning the gold over Nancy at the '94 Olympics was truly a disgrace (she only landed 3 clean triples with ZERO combo jumps over Nancy's 5 with the 3T-3T and 3S/2T). She was truly propped up.
Karosanyo 9 months ago
15 years old... unbelievable maturity and artistic genius.
ehrenaissance 10 months ago
She gave me freaking goose bumps !! She is amazing !
candybruh 10 months ago
people can be sooo material. you should be commenting on the program not the dress.
RHfigureskatingJOY 10 months ago
LOVE IT!!!
RHfigureskatingJOY 10 months ago
Michelle is SOOOOO beautiful! Her outfit is GODDESS!
MinuteXify 10 months ago 2
both Chen and Kwan skated beautiful programs but for me the difference is that Chen's was beautiful - Kwan was BREATH-TAKING - you can sense everyone in the room taking in their breath at the end before that tremendous ovation -
Chutson353 10 months ago
anybody who knows what this music is called? :)
Tjollerboller 11 months ago
this was def. one of the best skating EVERY! MICHELLE U ROCK!!
HeartedAngel27 11 months ago
she's good :), go michelle :D and i love the music too. can somebody tell me where i can get this music or this music in youtube ? please:)
dwikiisk8er 1 year ago
@dwikiisk8er strauss- salome-dance of the 7 veils
koolaidnhemlock 11 months ago
終わり方がめっちゃカッコイイ！ こういうのやる選手、なんで今いないの？
たいてい、スピンで終わりますよね。
真央ちゃんの新しいＦＰのラストはスパイラルで新鮮だったけど。
The last jump & finale are very coool!!
I wonder why we can't see such program today.
Most of skaters do spin at last.
Last spiral of Mao's new FP was very impressed because it was unusual.
cumicumi83 1 year ago
I miss 90s figure skating!
sparklecat03 1 year ago 20
@sparklecat03 may I ask what changed? What happended to the present figure skating? I have no idea, Im just curious!
EasyBakeSmiles 5 months ago
@EasyBakeSmiles Mostly, I'm just nostalgic since I skated in the 90s! Also, the new scoring system confuses me...I like the old way with 6.0 better. It seems like the judges want more athletic elements and less artistry now, but that's just my opinion. There are some really great skaters from the 2000s too :-)
sparklecat03 5 months ago
Michelle won on technical merit! Artistically her and Lulu were equals(just different styles). That 7th triple broke the tie and gave her the title. IMO, best two Worlds performances I have ever seen. None have matched it since.
RothdeMan 1 year ago
I like this performance from Kwan, but I think that Chen should have won because that was on a different level artistically. I think that Michelle Kwan started to mature with this program, but it wasn't until later on that she really started becoming the iconic figure skater that everyone remembers her as. I wish they could have both gotten golds though.
macassar88 1 year ago
@macassar88 How many skaters skate to the same old classical pieces? Kwan's progeam, by contrast, is distinctive. It stands out from the blur. And it is complex in detail. And seven triples . . .
Which takes nothing away from Lu Chen. But, that blur . . .
JNagarya 1 year ago
@JNagarya Salome is also classical music. And she didn't have nearly the artistry that Lu Chen had. And in the long program, the tiebreaker was supposed to be the presentation if they were so close overall.
macassar88 1 year ago
I just watched the 95's, she grew from a little girl to a elegant young lady, no matter the appearance or the skating. I remembered started 96 I nailed in front of the tv if I knew Michelle was on the ice. Yuna is a beautiful figure skater, but pls don't compare her with Michelle, there is at least 10 year apart in this sport: the training, technics and demand are so difference. Could I say Michelle is better than Peggy Fleming?
rosehouse32 1 year ago
What an entrance to the loop! I love that.
unspokenbond 1 year ago
She was awesome. She's still awesome.
Bluebelle9289 1 year ago
Well, Yuna is from a different skating era... But with that being said, I dislike Yuna's skating. I don't feel anything when she skates. Her skating is pretentious (her artistry seems forced). I don't find her elegant. Her spirals are atrocious. And Michelle was far from her best at those Olympics (it was still a good performance, though). I prefer Michelle's '98 National performance to Yuna's Olympic performance. MK did all of her triples as well (Yuna can't even do a triple loop jump).
Karosanyo 1 year ago
this was my favorite routine of michelle's. excellent presentation and overall great routine. she really draws me in to the routine....especially the second half.
37tonya 1 year ago 9
what does lp stand for
hahajenlee 1 year ago
@hahajenlee Long program
sebastianrer 1 year ago
Comment removed
sebastianrer 1 year ago
@hahajenlee
Lp is Long Program and Sp is Short Program
Hope this helps :)
Charlskiicesk8r 1 year ago
Michelle's maturity grew since her past year.
Pennilee1 1 year ago
An incredible performance. A huge growth in maturity from the year before. And I agree about the choreography. Every beat of the music was used, every highlight, every nuance - great figure skating (including ice dance) has that. And, she does have the "wow" factor on the ice, no doubt! Like Torvill and Dean, she will be remembered for sure.
muscleboi4use 1 year ago
Even Sarah Hughes has stated how much Michelle influenced her. She would often change her programs after she saw Michelle's. Even Tara was influenced by her choreography (her hold her landing on the double axel, etc.). I don't see anyone now doing five triples with a triple loop/triple loop...
Karosanyo 1 year ago
Sorry claudineretard but other women did 3/3s before Tara...Midori, Surya, Debi, Kristi even Michelle had all landed them prior to Tara coming on to the scene.
bootgrunt69 1 year ago
quit arguing, both michelle kwan and yuna kim are both excellent athletes. Even yuna kim, in one of her interviews, stated that michelle kwan is a role model to her. Michelle kwan is a legend and i think yuna kim can potentially surpass her!
kitekun 1 year ago
I love and admire Michelle Kwan!:)
MinuteXify 1 year ago
You can have Yuna's dull and lifeless Olympic free skate. I'll take this highly entertaining and elegant performance over that mediocrity. Never a dull moment. Kwan is the best. I don't care about the OGM. I know a lot of great actors who haven't won an Oscar. I also know a lot of mediocre actors who have...
Karosanyo 1 year ago 3
wow she really grown over one year if you watch the one in 1995
MsAzianpride 1 year ago
What music use her in this programme?¿
fulltrole 1 year ago
this is my all time favorite performance and routine of Michelle's. absolutely flawless and gorgeous routine and performance.
37tonya 1 year ago
Goodness Gracious wow.... what a performance no wonder why she's a legend. That was just flawless. It touched my heart to see her cried after she finished her program. I just love her.
lilpancake 1 year ago
@BarneyTobey Oh I agree. Michelle's been retired for years and EVERYONE still knows of her. I don't feel the same magic watching Yu Na that I feel watching Michelle.
chuhboemember6 1 year ago
You think ice skating, and acutomatically say michelle kwan.
GinnyPotter1323 1 year ago
Hey guys when Yuna has 5 world crowns then we can talk.
jimmyjam4321 1 year ago
@jimmyjam4321 If Yu Na gets to 3 World titles she will have already atleast matched Kwan. An Olympic Gold is worth atleast 2 World titles. Kwan sure as heck would have traded 2 of hers for one, maybe more.
grafgirl27 1 year ago 2
@grafgirl27 Get real. The only difference between Worlds and Olympics is spelling and hype. The same field of skaters is in both. So an Olympic gold is not worth two Worlds.
And, no: let's not cheat by also distorting the math otherwise: 3 Worlds do not equal 4 Worlds -- regardless your view of Michelle Kwan's unreadable mind.
JNagarya 1 year ago
@JNagarya haha what a fucking retard you are. Olympics is way bigger than Worlds. Kwan fanatics like you only say it means nothing since Kwan couldnt win it. If Kwan had won the Olympics you would be hyping how huge an event it is. Loser.
beckerbombs 1 year ago
@beckerbombs Your calling me stupid names isn't argument. Nor is it proof of anything but that you don't know the difference between argument, on one hand, and elementary school name-calling.
One doesn't judge a skater by a single event. And it's as I siad: the only differences between Olympics and Worlds is spelling and hype. Both are the same field of skaters.
Taking your foolish hate elsewhere.
JNagarya 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@beckerbombs I didn't say the Olympics don't mean anything. You might try responding to what I DID say -- but I suspect that's just too much of a struggle for you to attempt.
Does your mommy know you skipped kindergarten today?
JNagarya 1 year ago
@beckerbombs The World Figure Skating Championships have been around longer than figure skating in the Olympics--since the late 1800s. Only a few figure skaters have managed to win multiple World Championships--and very few have managed to win five. The Olympics are the biggest prize because it is so hard to get--only every four years. But to suggest that Worlds is unimportant is just plain wrong. Why else would Yu Na be coming back this year to try to win her second Worlds?
idolfan9495 1 year ago 2
Frank Caroll yelped!
haha I love that!
lutz84 1 year ago
She is reason the reason I became interested in figure skating. Now that she retired I dont really watch anymore. I was sooooooo sad she did not chose to compete for a spot at the last Olympics. I was ready to save up money and buy tickets I didn't care if she came in last I just wanted to cheer her on.
chicoart99 1 year ago 4
@chicoart99, I feel the exact same way. Figure skating just isn't the same without her. I wish her the very best in life.
delyparker777 10 months ago
@delyparker777
no its not the same, I really hope that she is happy with all that she did and is at peace with the fact she did not get that gold at olympics
chicoart99 10 months ago
I remember seeing this at the time it actually took place and was a bit taken aback that they used the Miklos Rozsa theme for Salome's lewd dance from King of Kings (1961) performed in the film by the incredibly sexy Briget Bazlen, but Michelle is a good angel of a somewhat ignored art form.
Asskicker32294 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Sorry guys... Kim Yuna has become a legend that has outshined Michelle Kwan.
pcxhunter 1 year ago
@pcxhunter pfft. in korea and to koreaphiles. in the US yuna is a nobody
millipicentrauor 1 year ago
@millipicentrauor most people didn't know much about Yu Na, which is why she was popular in her hometown until the media spread the news in as much as an infestation.
waddleduckie1 1 year ago
@millipicentrauor I bit to differ....haven't you watch any news from the time of the 2010 winter Olympics to now? Get some clue....Yuna is known around the world from those who are fan and non fans of figure skating, including here in the U.S.
MisterBokeh 1 year ago
@MisterBokeh Gee! I can't wait until Michelle Kwan is known around the world!
JNagarya 1 year ago