Kristi Yamaguchi LP 1992 Albertville Winter Olympic Games

[getrealandsee]

Kristi....living on her own...going to school...and still managed to represent our country with integrity and honor...what an incredible lady...she wears the Olympic Gold with all the pride of a country still with her...she had nothing handed to her...she worked trained and quietly achieved the goal of every athlete ...Olympic Gold...and for her it WAS about the skating...the training...the achievement...her personal goals...to do better and better....glad she turned pro...1994 was a nightmare!

[kev7978]

and did you guys realized that most the skaters who were expected to win a gold medal made stupid mistakes at the Olympics, causing them to win silver/bronze instead? Sasha's one example, and also Michelle Kwan too.

[annegirl47]

Actually, I think it was the last good year of skating. The following Olympics were BIG disappointments and I don't believe the winners are in the same caliber as Kristi or Viktor.

[Dylvente]

@annegirl47 Kristi could have had another gold at '94 Olympics. Nancy didn't do the triple lutz-triple toe combination, while Kristi did it routinely. Kristi was a much more consistent jumper in general than Nancy, and a much better artist than Tonya. I'm glad she made room for Nancy in '94, who skated her best ever but got robbed. Imagine Kristi going up against Oksana, though. No contest.

[victoriaindigo]

@Dylvente I'm glad Kristi wasn't involved in that whole black cloud in 94, better that she took her Gold and then went pro

[Dylvente]

@victoriaindigo I agree. I think she would have beat the pants off both Nancy and Tonya and taken another Olympic gold, but she made a good choice in turning pro. It would have been interesting to see how it might have affected the whole Nancy attack situation though. Presumably Kristi would have been the frontrunner (thus the target of Gillooly)?

[JNagarya]

@Dylvente Kerrigan wasn't robbed. The difference was that Oksana was a living, breathing human being -- with emotions. Kerrigan was a cadaver.

You know what sucks? The inability to transcend jingoistic nationalisms.

[Dylvente]

@JNagarya I am familiar with that critique of Kerrigan. (Although you use stronger language.) Whether valid or not, the fact remains she had five clean triples (including a triple-triple combination) to Oksana's three (5 attempted, 2 two-footed) and, in my opinion, a more mature presence on the ice. Both skated well, but one was more technically proficient than the other.

[JNagarya]

@Dylvente Kerrigan skated from the neck up. Art is to involve the viewer of it, not be off-putting.

[russianskatingfan]

The Albertville Olympics were probably the most horrible in history for figure skating. All the contenders in pairs, mens, and womens had major mistakes and it came down to who skated the least bad.

[neonmagicz]

2006 Torino Ladies Event... who can stay on their feet and not fall and wins a gold.

[russianskatingfan]

True but I meant the combined Olympics, not just one event.

[kev7978]

@russianskatingfan i know, right. midori ito died in SP :(

[russianskatingfan]

Yeah it was so sad. I really wanted Midori to win this year. She so deserved an Olympic Gold for all she had done to revolutionize the technical side of womens skating. Kristi would have gotten her gold anyway in 94 and it would have been awesome to see her on the amateur circuit and on top in 93, 94, maybe 95, instead of the overdramatized battle of mediocrities with Baiul, Kerrigan, past her prime Harding, Bonaly, and others.

[kev7978]

@russianskatingfan yea, imagine midori doesn't exist in this world. I bet they girls are still sticking back to triple salchows and toe loops, and still doing triple-double combinations only.

[russianskatingfan]

Yes she almost single handedly rose the level of womens skating. By 92 almost all the top 15 women were all doing 5 different triples, of course only Harding could do the triple axel like her, but because of her all top skaters were doing 5 different triples instead of only 2 or 3 like Calgary. It is 18 years later and the women are still trying to catch up to her though.

[kev7978]

@russianskatingfan yea, and so far none of the girls have ever done, or even dared to try triple axel triple toe loop combination like midori did. in their face man. even kristi admires her jumps so badly.

[getrealandsee]

@russianskatingfan Kristi and Tonya really raised the bar....Tonya was wrong in her horrible criminal act...desperate and insecure but she was a real athlete....Kristi and Tonya are the Americans I speak of...the total package seemed to be Midori ....that lady had springs in her legs...I love this interview with Kristi...her honesty, humility...'days when she hates going to work'...nothing phony about Kristi...nothing at all...her short program here was so beautiful....she is one of the BEST!!

[getrealandsee]

@russianskatingfan But Kristi started out with a triple triple....instead of a triple double...I suppose in a sense you are right...but Kristi's program mistake and all was awe inspiring...she recovered as though it had never happened.....the commentators were able to enjoy this w/o holding their breath...it's fun for me to listen to them...read other comments (some) and go back and watch it again with a new perspective...again...mistake and all....she was AWESOME!!