Peggy Fleming 68 US Nat

[MissLuellaBelle]

It's strange to see an ice rink without a bunch of ads plastered all over it. Times were simpler then and in some ways better.

[HowsaBowsaYowsa]

That program looks very easy compared to today's standards. But I am sure it was cutting edge in difficulty at that time. She had style, she had grace, but I know I am going to get flamed for this but I don't really like her arm positions. They look stiff to me. Still fun to watch and I thank the poster who posted this video.

[idolfan9495]

@HowsaBowsaYowsa No skater of today has Peggy's grace, beautiful line or smooth edges. She had a true layback, not the ugly hanging foot into foot-grab we see nowadays. I also love the spread eagle into double axel into spread eagle. I will take this over just about anything we see currently.

[Chutson353]

She has said this was her best competitive performance and I doubt anyone could disagree. Every move executed with ease, fluid motion, and total control.

[getrealandsee]

That delayed axel is awesome. It has to be every bit as difficult as today's triple triple, no? I have never seen it before so would welcome any input on this move.

[faeryquene]

Exquisite. And those jumps were fairly spectacular for the day especially the delayed axel, and the combo.

[gymnut83]

Totally gotta give it to her!! That was nice and the speed was really there at the end!

[2ndAveLine]

Too gorgeous, everything just flows, nothing is forced. Perfect. And Peggy has such reserve and height on her 2a's- looks like she could've done triples no problem. Love her hands on hip after 2lz and of course spread eagle-2a-spread eagle. Little girls should copy this program, not try too much of CoP skating which is not for everybody. Many end up with bad tech and flawed skating in a rush to do too many things. Copy Peggy and start with flawless basics!

[meshumekha]

Just been proven racist by the racist prover.

[ja3399]

Peggy, Dorothy, John Curry and Robin Cousins were all coached by Carlo Fossi. Just look at upper body positions, back positions, those glorious edges, and how they get waaay down into their knees. IMNSHO, all became even better after turning pro. This performance of Peggy's was 42 years ago, and I think it is the best of her competitive career. She, and other Fossi skaters, could make all this look so smooth and easy. Which it is NOT. I really enjoy these postings. Thanks!

[iceballerina88]

just one word:

WONDERFUL..... ♥♥♥♥

[Deeney1990]

what are the names of the songs used in her program?

[ADEAL416]

@Deeney1990 The first part is Rhapsody on a Theme of Pagganini by Rachmaninov, going into a section from the beginning of the opera "La Traviata" by Verdi, then that really beautiful expressive middle section is from the opera "Samson and Delilah" by Saint-Saens, and the faster section at the end is the overture to Rossini's "The Thieving Magpie--also an opera.

[kwadruple]

@ADEAL416 The commentator is incorrect- the opening to this is Tchaikovsky Symphony no. 6, not Rachmaninov.

[ADEAL416]

@kwadruple AH, yes

[idolfan9495]

@ADEAL416 That first part isn't from the Paganini Rhapsody. It is one of my favorite pieces and I would know it if I heard!

[ADEAL416]

@idolfan9495 That was what they said at the Olympics, and it was the same program she did here. I don't know your music background, so please forgive me in advance if I underestimate your knowledge, but the piece titled "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" is much longer than the section by which most people generally identify it. That section is about three and a half minutes long, while the entire piece is more like twelve. Again, if you already know this, I apologize.

[idolfan9495]

@ADEAL416 I do know how long Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and this program does not contain any of it that I can identify.

[ADEAL416]

@idolfan9495 A comment lower down on this page says the beginning theme is actually Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony

[cupcakeskate88]

Wow.. Look how far skating has come.

[natty1417]

she have birthday on the same day as me ! <3

[Chutson353]

that 2/2 loop combo was beautiful - perfect symetry in height, speed, flow in and out of the jumps and such beautiful position in the air like a leaf fluttering on a breeze - and her landing edges are beautiful.

[cyclenut]

I was 5 when I watched her skate.. No wonder I am driven to learn to skate like that ( I still have a loooong way to go)....

[whitehousetexas]

Uff, the wonderful second double axel comes without any speed from the spread-eagle. What an awesome Peggy Fleming she is!

[cherylannemason]

@whitehousetexas I've often thought, based on that moment alone, that Peggy never quite got the credit she deserved as an athlete--that move took some real muscle as well as great technique. Comes with making it all look so effortless.

[whitehousetexas]

She does 2 double axels and a double/double combination. We've been kept from this from over 40 years ago.

[dsfddsgh]

You would think if the ladies were doing double axels back in 1968 shouldn't most of them be doing triple axels now? Especially considering how much more athletic they are now and how jumping is much more important.

[Chutson353]

@dsfddsgh no because a triple axel is exponentially more difficult than a double - I'm just making up numbers but if a single axel rates a 1 then a double gets maybe a 3 and a triple an 8 on a 10 point scale.

[whitehousetexas]

They don't know what to call the double loop/double loop combination. One only exclaims, "Look at that!"

[abharo11]

@whitehousetexas

Well he says "look at that!" because of the amazement, i'm 100% sure they know how to call the jump :), but we gotta admit that the jump was really great, right? :D

[whitehousetexas]

@abharo11

Yes! Well, until now I've never seen skating before ohhhhhhh, Yamaguchi? I was always under the impression, because I never saw any clips of earlier times, that there were only single-spin jumps in the days of Fleming over 40 years ago.

[bgoldrock]

So beautiful. She looks so elegant and poised. Peggy & Dorothy had such style and grace on the ice! They are both Ice Princesses! :-)

[mariamedianet]

Peggy Rocks!! Hope the women that skate tonight have been wearing her t-shirt like Sarah Hughes did for good luck!

[RDunham]

Simply beautiful.

[babeofelvis]

She was very fluid on the ice and her program at the time was state of the art for skaters at that time. Now days it is rare to see a skater who can pull off the types of programs they are required to skate and maintain the fluidity and grace to make it a winner.

[Nevermore946437]

There's something to be said for the sheer grace and artistry that used to be figure skating's hallmarks. This is so stunningly beautiful. Thank you, Peggy Fleming, for giving us all so many moments of joy.

[Chutson353]

You really appreciate Ms. Fleming's skating more when you look at videos of previous skaters - she definitely tried to add more graceful interpretation of the music in her programs.

[mjsdancinggirl]

oh my god....now, a twelve-year-old skating that program would be called bad....40 years before they started at the olympics with that...

[neekswithlove]

i dont know about that. those jumps could be competitive at novice nats. there are just more reqs now.

[Hail2TheVictorsBaby]

was this shot in 120 hz?

[Spiralina15]

Peggy Flemming is so inspiring to me!

[abharo11]

Lol, i agree, she is the queen of beauty, archistry and skating. =D

[figureskate1221]

she is my favorite figure skater, but i agree with mlc2005, she never did smile wich made her seem that she didnt enjoy it at all :(

[abharo11]

@figureskate1221, i agree with you, she's my fave skater, but i really think that she did enjoy it, lol =D, passion and courage is what brought her to the exit, don't you think?, she had wonderful layback and axels!, she even had a small delay on the single axel which nobody does nowadays, unfortunatley, archistry and some techniques got lost in time...Well at least that's what i think!, but i do like many modern skaters like sasha cohen, or kimmie meissner =D

[chrisrei10]

that delayed axel is gorgeous...my favorite part of the routine next to her layback spin.

[Rouben19]

Again- that was inspiring - thanks Peggy for your wonderful Beauty on the ice!!

[disgrl4]

Peggy did the best laybacks- I don't think any other female figure skater will ever top hers.

[satsatur]

I love perfection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[markbob120]

Simply magnificent. This should be mandatory viewing for todays skaters. They would certainly learn a thing or two about elegance and grace.

[dvdneely]

you can get more athletic...but you can't get more elegant!!!

[mlc2005]

Did Peggy ever smile? No doubt she's beautiful and graceful, but I never felt that she actually enjoyed skating. Even when she finished she never smiled. Any ideas?

[Mr064Alex]

Quelle grande artiste! C'est toujours une émotion de revoir cette prestation et celle des Jeux Olympiques; friendly from France.

[Chutson353]

I like Peggy Fleming but she's not my favorite. However, she not only revived US skating, I think she ushered a new era of style in freeskating with longer strokes, greater stretch of the limbs when extended, more rotations in the spins, and more dynamic footwork,

[Ahavah8Ahavah]

Completely amazing!

[Rouben19]

that 2 axel was stunning absol. no wrap in the free leg and tremendous height, it is rare to see a skater use the same ease in a double as a single

[pocketnunu]

I do remember watching her on TV -- just amazing, amazing, makes it look so effortless. A beautiful, incomparable skater.

[maysoon24]

she is just amazing!

[BLGfan1995]

shes amazing simply georgeous, the great thing about her skating is she never lands, she floats, she seems completely weightless, increadible

[dvdneely]

every move was sublime. beautiful layback and such attention to every detail. its hard to find such elegance in today's skating.

[Aldobrandini]

Possibly the best layback spin ever, accentuated nicely by an excellent camera angle. The arch in the back she gets -- a rare thing indeed.

Strange that since then, so few ladies have realized how a first-rate layback (as opposed to the standard 2nd-rate type) is worth any triple jump combination; many just don't even bother doing a real layback with several rotations, nice head and arm positions and a true back arch. Well, first-rate spins are very difficult, so that probably explains it.

[firmingitup]

OK, now I'm starting to think you're really Dick Button b/c that sounds just like something he would say.

[smokelean]

spread eagle double axel spread eagle no one does it better

[zaraswan]

i agree, i love the spread eagle-jump-spread eagle combination at 2:44. it's beautiful. i had never seen anyone do that before.

[Aldobrandini]

How right you are. (Debi Thomas did a nice spreak eagle into a double axel in her '88 nationals performance, but she doesn't travel far in her jumps the way peggy does; look how peggy's landing allows her to slide right back into the eagle position; first-rate!)

[MIRIAM191]

that's strong axel mmm

[chasmnblue]

In the 1960s, television and figure skating joined forces. It was aided by one of the greatest of all sports commentators, Dick Button. However, it was its first star, the sublime Peggy Fleming, that put figure skating on the television map, thus gaining for it a wider audience. This performance shows why the world fell in love with Peggy Fleming. She opened the door of opportunity for those who followed in her golden footsteps and they all owe her a great debt of gratitude.

[lililuv94]

amazing. she gains so much height on her jumps and makes it look so easy.

[BLGfan1995]

peggy fleming is one of the greatest skaters of all time, i really wish i was old enough to have watched her! i hope to be like her someday

[iceballerina88]

Now that's a skater. She has something special. They just don't do gorgeous skaters like Peggy Fleming! :(

[ElizabethxPete]

What is figures? what does figure mean?

[mraurora]

Figures, or compulsory figures as they were called, were a major part of figure skating up until the 90s. It was always the first event and it was often untelevised. The skaters had to trace patterns in the ice. Judges would stand around them on the ice and score them based on how well the skater retraced the pattern.

[cosmoskater]

I liked her on Mr. Rodgers nieghborhood. (john Maddon also had the pleasure of meeting her on a bus, after the planes were shortly grounded in 2001.) I was too young to have seen her skate.

[TheDoner]

Peggy Fleming was so light on the ice that she seemed to float. There was a dreamlike quality to all her performances, and no one has equaled her since. Back when she was skating they actually had to trace figures on the ice, and their ability at it counted for a large part of their overall grade. I don't know why they still call it figure skating since they are no longer required to perform that skill.

Peggy was the most beautiful and talented figure skater of all time, I thank you for this

[HowDareThey1970]

@TheDoner I guess they still call it figure skating mostly by convention. there are some who would move to restore figures at least through the junior ranks, as they believe that the practive in figures develops both control and muscular strength which thye believe would help prevent injuries commonly suffered by skaters today.

[myicemyworld1023]

they dont have skaters like that anymore. the takeoff on her jumpps seemed so light, and as the narrator repeated numerous times "effortless", everyone now has to throw their leg up and then slam it into the ice to jump, even on doubles.

[dvdneely]

I think this is a truly lovely and inspirational performance!

[iCeSk8uRFoShO]

haha muicality they use that word at the nationaltraining center in canada i go to every year

[sred3]

yes dick we did see the delay in her single axel...boy nowdays this would not even do well in the preliminary ladies in canada...our novice ladies have to have at least one triple plus doule axle in the short to even get out of the provence (state) and really would it have been bad just to smile once! i think they should put her program up against yamas and compare!

[JudeHarrison0289]

i kno right?

[mlc2005]

Jeez, she doesnt even smile when she bowes.

[mlc2005]

And then to listen to her comment that certan skaters (ie Maria butyrskaya) have a "cold presentation." It just seems so ironic.

[mlc2005]

I just don't get it! Of course I know that the difficulty has advanced over the years, but that aside, she has NO expression on her face at ALL, and her back is hunched when she lands jumps. I LOVE LOVE figure skating, and love her commentary, but her skating makes me wonder why she is so highly regarded. If she was the standard, the standard must have been quite low back then.

[JudeHarrison0289]

i thik back then ths was gr8 now it seems like sumthin u see on the rink for freestyle pracice

[SuzeKos]

Very beautiful. Funny though, this program wouldn't even be appropriate for novice these days. Figure skating has come a LOOOOONNNNNGGGG way in 40 years!

[MOODINDIGO2008]

Continued)

Justt this imagine happening to the 2006 US contigent!!!!

the loss of these skaters and coaches was a huge loss and a major blow to the development of skating in US for a long time. Peggy Fleming came after this loss. had this not occurred she would have no doubt had more competition and likely been a stronger skater in the lead up to 68' None the less she was a beautiful & complete skater and revitalized the sport at a very dark moment. She should be respected !!!!

[MOODINDIGO2008]

pls remember history

In 1961 the entire US FS team & coaches died in a plane crash traveling to the worlds.

dead included, the coach, 9-time U.S. ladies' champion Maribel Vinson-Owen, her 2 daughters, ladies' champion Laurence Owen, pairs champs Maribel Y. Owen & Dudley Richards, men's champ Bradley Lord, silver medalist Gregory Kelley,ladies' silver medalist Stephanie Westerfeld,ladies'bronze medalist Rhode Lee Michelson, ice dance champs Diane Sherbloom & Larry Pierce. (to be continued)

[bendonna]

its nice to see a true lutz, even though it was a double, most elite skaters cannot even do that today!

[LeanaJo76]

It was like she just floated on the ice! She was so graceful and poised on the ice. Such a great legend.

[dsfddsgh]

She really did just float on the ice. No wonder she's a legend and made figure skating so popular.

[LadyOfMaine]

Her mother made her costumes.

[sred3]

yes... i think it was corduroy!

[dvdneely]

there should be no doubt why she's a champion. this is utterly beautiful.

[ShamusMacGuffin]

Awesome performance, although her gown is a bit...revealing in the front at the beginning. You can easily make out her nipples. My mind isn't in the gutter, so if nobody else see's this I must be hallucinating.

[AxelHeadBethany]

thank god for teresa weld blanchard she totally showed everyone that girls can do whatever the guys can. GOO TERESA!

[yellowcason]

the sport certainly has changed since then.

[BlueEyesDance]

Dick Button knows his stuff better now...every single technical term and jump and spin description....unlike back then. He is 78 years old now and still going strong with more knowledge. This was a very nice performance for the standards of the day.

[TheIceSkater101]

Theaterfreak has got a point

[Joanne9245]

love dis#

[Theaterfreak]

The only thing I don't like is that the commentators seem to have no idea what they are seeing. I mean, they should be going "Oh wow! Nice trrpple lutz!" etc, but insted they refer to them as "that jump" or "those jumps."

[hihisoph]

she has very good posture but no flexibility. i luv her jumps...she FLOATS! she doesnt reely skate with feely, but w/e she is a great skater. she shouldve made her arm and leg movements stronger..LUV HER! back then they dont reely jump high do they?

[ilikeatingcats]

I hate the leg-positions in the jumps the skaters had back then. Blech. But a truly lovely performance, you go Peggy.

[vesperholly]

Actually, I think Fleming is one of the earliest skaters to cross their ankles in a jump, though the exits are still uncrossed. But the double axel is a little ungainly. Shame, but the rest of her positions are sublime.

[72peppertree]

Dick Button was one of the earliest to cross his ankles. He was taught that by his coach Gustov Lussi. That's why Dick was able to do his triples before the U.S. started using color television. Peggy came later.

[vesperholly]

Interesting, thanks!

[Chutson353]

catch the combination spin at 3:25 - how lovely is that.

[Chutson353]

Ms. Fleming herself says that this was her greatest performance and it is no doubt absolutely lovely - as is she

[skaterprincess182]

beautiful program..but i dont like her arms when she presents jumps and spins ...but her foot work is juts amazing and her she is just incredible!!

[bituminous]

so beautiful and perfect. :]

[kiwisterk]

wow that was amazing

[Mausmoo]

nice 2axel just after the flow

[billebaru]

freakin' dick button, just cant shut up

[visceraltuning]

And I bet you just thought he was like that today because he is senile, but no the Harvard Lawyer Double Gold Medalist and last non-European Man to win the European Championship ALWAYS TALKED A LOT!!!

[billebaru]

as a child i remember my grandmother ranting about dick button's mouth...i had no idea how accomplished he was though, wow, what credentials!

[twilliger123]

beautiful...she made it look so effortless, a true ballerina on ice.

[gweenhead]

amazing ....her hairspray really held!!!!!!! damn, thats a lot of hair!!!!!! i surprised she could get airborne with all that hair.....!!! you really can see how skating has changed.....she seemed to dance across the ice with all the airy moves of a ballarina and then BAM.....double axel breaks the spell.....truly mesmerizing!!!!!

[LWOPP]

I would rather see a double jump of any kind executed perfectly than a triple that is performed badly. Skating has changed so much in 40 years and for the ladies I'm not so sure it's been for the better. Too many required elements, too much pressure. Have always admired Peggy. She was grace personified!

[Lilia96]

Simply elegant. they don't make them like that anymore. <33

[operaandskates]

That double Lutz was PERFECT. Deep back outside edge. Her double Axel was wonderful as well. Her double loop-double loop combo was just exquisite. She gets great height on her jumps and her flow across the ice is flawless. No wonder she won an Olympic gold medal!

Tricia

[rmusic1112]

fuckin gorgeous

[LOLGIRL2345]

her jumps are so light and high, it's very pretty. She is very graceful, but I wish she was more expressive on the ice and fix that arm a little

[impromptu413]

those jumps were really high, I bet she would have had no problem with triples. she's still not my favorite, but it was incredibly graceful.

[k9henrydog]

Did you notice the layback spin? SHe is one of the few ladies who actually achieve a better leg position as the spin progresses. Most girls (actually not enough) hit a nice high leg position, but then it quickly drops. She hits 3 different rising leg positions. She was also one of the few skaters who greatly improved as a professional. Some of her best work was done 10 or 15 years later.

[k9henrydog]

In my mind, this is the of an era (the culminaton of that old style ladies figure skating). Janet Lynn would later radically change the approach to free skating. You see a certain heavy two footedness in the stroking and connecting moves..the focus is moving from the feet and legs to the heart. Peggy brought a vigorous athletic strength and balletic grace to the ladies. The arms are an intregal part of the movement, not just trailing along after the skating

[Pikachuusb]

That was wonderful :)

[rickram1961]

Ms. Peggy Fleming hands has to be the most elegant and graceful figure skating of her generation. What an absolute presence on the ice. I love Peggy!!!

[Sav3dByCHr1st]

dangg I wanna be as good as her she is so good and graceful... i fell on my butt a gajillion billion times... i wish i was her... peggy fleming i love you (not love love you get me...) peggy fleming rocks!! wonderful graceful fantastic moves eh fleming?? YOU ARE SO WICKED!!

[glenbeigh24]

Her edges and extension are beautiful - today's skaters have trouble with the lay back. Her double axel was text book perfect. Something most current skaters are missing. Also, don't forget they spent many hours practicing for compulsory figures. In the old days, a poor score there could keep you off the podium.

[vivaloriflamme]

Beautiful. Perfectly graceful.

[mysticspiralbabe]

Wow...that was amazing. You don't see some of those elements anymore, and you certainly don't see that quality...

[miloandtock1]

hey dane...you must be blind or stupid or a bit of both - it was 1968 and double jumps and souble axels were about as difficult as it got - her grace, edging, flow and musicality were first rate and far ahaead of anyone today.

[danedane101]

I don't realy think Peggy was that good a skater,..she was only doing double jumps and she's not that graceful.

She was alright though.

[1814Brandan]

Danedane, you are a total idiot....but based on what others have told you here, you at least have an idea...

[Chutson353]

You know, forget about the relative difficulty, nobody skating today (since Kwan retired) has this much grace and poise. While Michelle was out there I wasn't that impressed but this beats anyone competing now.

[FergusMcDopey]

Kimmie, Emily, Alissa, EVERYONE who puts on skates needs to watch this...The SpEagle/2xAxel/SpEagle is just luscious and the layback is textbook.

[Rouben19]

tremendous height on her jumps, this is so much more impressive then todays skaters that get 2 inches off the ice so they can turn 3 times in the air

[Rouben19]

What control and no panic to throw in 6 triple jumps, I don't ever see ladies take off and land on deep edges like Peggy did. FANTASTIC

[danedane101]

those were only double jumps hahah

[Rouben19]

apparantly you were not even alive in 68 let alone a skater, Peggy was so artisticly ahead of her time Skaters were in awe of her and a triple jump done by a lady was concidered a gemic and given no credit..

[ajenkins007]

AWESOME

[ajenkins007]

GREAT COMMENT!

[RoxyStreet]

she's the most graceful skater in the history of the sport,,,thanks very much for the posting.

[obsessong]

Thank you for posting this! I had always heard about Peggy's elegance but had never seen her skate until now.

[angelfishey]

i love how the cameraman has like, absolutely no idea what he's doing

[ohioweatherguy]

This was wonderful to watch. I'd only ever seen segments of this performance, so it was nice to see it in its entirety for once. It's too bad we don't have this level of choreography and beauty in ladies figure skating these days.

[rosepetalessence]

Thank you SO MUCH for posting this video! I've never seen the full version!