Great jumper, mediocre spins, his artistry left a lot to be desired. How he got 5.9's for artistry is beyond me. He never fully extended his knees on anything, even jump landings, always a bent-leg look. I think Scott's comment about how he expected Ilia to peek in 4 years in Salt Lake was a hint that he thought Kulik's skating was too immature to win the gold - Just like Alexei Urmanov's gold and how that perplexed Scott too.
Love it or hate it - that was a brave costume choice.
I think Scott was right about Ilia "skating young". He was still improving and had the potential to get even better than he was in '98. Most top male skaters do seem to hit a peak at around age 24, where the artistry catches up to the athletics and they still have all their jumps. Maybe Scott didn't want to openly throw out the prediction that Ilia could contend for double golds, but it was a possibility... time was on his side.
I love this guy! He makes it all look so easy. In his encore performance after getting that gold the crowd was just eating it up and he was blowing kisses... So cute :3 also they were making fun of his terrible jacket
The scoring is ridiculous. Technical marks are way too low. Should have been all 5.9s and 6.0s. That Stojko had almost the same technical marks is absurd. Artistic marks are too high though, probably to compensate for the too low technical marks.
Great jumps, horrible choreography, but the cleanest skater and the rightful winner sadly... What was up with Hamilton's "He's gonna hit his peak in Salt Lake City" comment at 4:42? He was acting like Kulik was some brand new, unheard of rookie who just skated cleanly enough to sneak 4th place. I think he had quite enough skill and experience.. he walk away with this gold didn't he?
Well, you just have to comment about that jacket. He skated to "Rhapsody In Blue," but some journalists referred to it as "Rhapsody In Moo...." Unkind, but I do see their point. Ilia, quite simply, skated the best lp of that night. He shows no stress, jumps without visible effort, and puts together a program without the distracting arm movements of the previous season. I wish he had stayed in the competitive category longer. It would have been great to watch him grow artistically.
i found the artistic impression marks generous .... compared to his 1997 Romeo and Juliet program, this one clearly simplified the choreography to focus almost entirely on the jumps .... ilia is one of my favourite skaters but i have to say in this program, he looks like he's just skating from one jump to the next with mostly just arm movements. But still, that 2nd triple axel was beautiful. I remember watching this live in Nagano and my heart leapt out at the 2nd triple axel.
@lutz84 Agreed, much too high on the presentation marks. I would have given him a 5.7 there. Conversely, the tech marks were actually too low. Those should have been 5.9 across the board.
I just wanna know who the hell told Ilia it would be a great idea to wear a girraffe shirt.
I think it's so sad he gave up amateur skating after this. Imagine the podium at Salt Lake City with Kulik, Plushenko and Yagudin!!! It would have been mind-blowing!
You can see in his jumping technique, especially the axel, that he enters his full rotation later in the air, using the momentum after takeoff to increase the speed of roation in the latter parts of the element. It allows more speed out of the jump but is more difficult to land, very impressive.
He's good technically, and very graceful, but he doesn't really skate to the music. In fact, the music could easily be replaced with any similar piano music and it wouldn't make a difference.
@spacekangaroo so agree. he does the jumps really well, but the choreography is noticeably lacking. I guess he hoped the shirt would distract everybody.
i love this program! One of my favorites of all time!! But I'm gonna address the elephant in the room.... What was with that outfit? One the shirt was to big... And second yellow with black patches?? I think he should have worn a white smaller white shirt, more of a classic look.. But still one of the best ever!!
@Jhojsh101 I agree, great performance but awful costume. Dare I suggest that skating to "Rhapsody in Blue" would look better in..... errrrr........ a blue costume?
the jumps are gorgeous but everything in between is soooo amateurish, boring and most importantly slow. I hate Hamilton's commentary, how he always minimizes everything --"one foot!"..(how else are you supposed to land it!) "slow section, nice rest" (yeah it's called stalling to catch your breath by not moving and just posing with your hands)
Plushy will take the title (over chan, joubert and lysacek) if he gets back to a decent form. Haven't seen him perform in a while though. And coming back off a long break is no easy task, especially if you are used to skating at a certain level. But on any good day (in spite being a "senior" already), he will grab the crown for sure.
Surely all the winning LPs in 1998, 2002 (esp this one) and 2006 will beat the winning LP in 2010, whatever the system is. Men's competition is in a dismal state right now.
mmm.... what about Mao or Yu-Na? They r the 2 most well-rounded skaters ever (artistry and technical brilliance combined) And Patrick Chan? he's so natural, elegant and sentimental in my opinion....
I mean in the men's competition. I do apologize for not clarifying things. Women's competition I must admit is in great condition right now in terms of competition and quality (techincal and choreo).
well, in jumps maybe because people aren't doing the quad, but in skating skills, footwork, spins, and overall program quality skating now is MUCH better. Look at Kulik's footwork for instance, if i did that in a senior competition i would be laughed at, it's true he didn't NEED to do it, but as well as the pauses in the slow part, he just stops... and points, stops, presents. Skating was different then, but i still found that part boring, and I'm a skater myself.
beautiful jumps, but this program is boring to me, esp. it's first half... in the slow sections he is just skating.... he totally deserved to win, n i love him, but overall i think its not the best choreo..
I have to agree with you: I watched Yagudin grow into manhood, and his skaing is brilliant. I am usually not too comfortable watching men compete anymore: too many mistakes with everone trying to land a quad, and now in combination. I would rather see men do triples and skate clean.
Ilia is/was one of the few men that I am confident of when watching: you just KNOW that he is going to nail it, and he does!
Ilia makes even the most difficult jumps seem like a cakewalk. I love how effortless he makes it look! I wish he would have stayed in another Olympic cycle, it would have been so interesting to see his skating develop and mature.
I dont. His performance was by far the best of the night. One had to give it atleast 5.8, 5.9 as there was always a great shot it would be the winning skate.
5.9 for technical merit is deserved but this performance doesn't have as much expression as it could have. He doesn't seem to truly feel the music in a couple spots. I can only give a 5.7 for the second mark. I think Candeloro clearly deserved the higher presentation score.
A 5.7 for presentation!?!? What would you have given Stojko for instance then, a 5.5. Candelero is overrated. His basic skating skills are horrendous.
Sure Candeloro isn't the most pure of skaters but he's the only person that was completely dedicated to his performance and brought the music to life. 5.5 for Stojko would indeed be accurate.
I'd like to think that on that day, Gershwin's spirit stood rink-side, smiled a wistful smile, and whispered, "...well done, Ilia..." The perfect skate, the perfect musical piece! Gold metal, indeed!
Hey, at least 10 years later, it's still something we talk about! I actually thought his SP costume was more bizarre.. but his performance was so good, all is forgiven.
He wasn't consistent enough to win all the time, but at least he came through and pulled off the biggest win. He won Euros in 1996 came very close to winning a world title too (I thought he should have won..) but in 1997, he fell apart and ended up off the podium. And of course in recent years, he's been eclisped somewhat by the two younger Russians who started winning world titles as 18 year-olds.
Most people don't go right after winning the Olympics, especially after already having the skate of your life that season. And if you happen to lose, it makes your Olympic victory less shiny. As for 1996 Worlds, both Ilia and Todd had good performances-- I just prefer Ilia's style, but I could see it going either way.
I saw this program the same year in the Champions on Ice show. He was generous enough to do the quad, which he certainly did not have to do. If possible, this program was even more impressive live. His jumps were beyond huge and his artistry and connection with the audience were most impressive. He was extremely charming.
he does deserve much more credit than given, but at the time, he didn't dominate the world championships like stojko or eldridge and yagudin was already being touted as the next great russian skater. and when he won, more people focused on the fact stojko skated with a groin tear and still won silver.
My all time favorite skater. His triple axel is hands down the most beautiful sight in the world. The height, the lightness, the ease, the perfection...incredible. It was not artistically flagrant, but good enough for that time period. He has gone on to show just how artistic he can be. :)
I wish he would have stuck around to defend his title against Yagudin and Plushenko for the 2002 Salt Lake City Games...shoot, he had enough steam for the 2006 Torino Games...Look how young he was!!!
Why'd he get such good presentation marks? I'd have given him all 5.9s, maybe some 6s for tech merit, but I didn't see any spectacular artistic stuff. Too low on technical merit, too high on presentation. I don't understand judges sometimes.
This is just my opinion, but I think it doesn't necessarily have to be spectacular to be beautiful. I found this program to be gorgeous in its subdued elegance and subtlety, and Ilia was just so graceful and light. But of course, it's a matter of personal taste.
He skated well but.... I like Scott better....... Scott has more fun on the ice than any other skater I know!
skatergirl20115 1 week ago
Great jumper, mediocre spins, his artistry left a lot to be desired. How he got 5.9's for artistry is beyond me. He never fully extended his knees on anything, even jump landings, always a bent-leg look. I think Scott's comment about how he expected Ilia to peek in 4 years in Salt Lake was a hint that he thought Kulik's skating was too immature to win the gold - Just like Alexei Urmanov's gold and how that perplexed Scott too.
officeaddict33 2 weeks ago
@officeaddict33 He was the best in this competition, for this reason deserves gold medal. Scott wasn t perfect.
EricLensher 1 week ago
Ilia Kulik was the hottest Russian skater to have ever stepped foot on the ice!!!!!
SimonaCB 1 month ago 2
@SimonaCB Total truth! :)
FrozenFourthSeason 1 month ago
Comment removed
rickram1961 3 months ago
very beginning of his music brought me back to the new york episode of glee.
mcflynaturalluvr 5 months ago in playlist Men's Olympic Skating Championship Programs!
Love it or hate it - that was a brave costume choice.
I think Scott was right about Ilia "skating young". He was still improving and had the potential to get even better than he was in '98. Most top male skaters do seem to hit a peak at around age 24, where the artistry catches up to the athletics and they still have all their jumps. Maybe Scott didn't want to openly throw out the prediction that Ilia could contend for double golds, but it was a possibility... time was on his side.
nightswimmer99 5 months ago 2
I love this guy! He makes it all look so easy. In his encore performance after getting that gold the crowd was just eating it up and he was blowing kisses... So cute :3 also they were making fun of his terrible jacket
FrozenFourthSeason 5 months ago
Not only does Tatiana coach the best skaters but the cutest ones too :D
NaturalSpirit7 5 months ago 2
@NaturalSpirit7 Tatiana and Alexei Mishin, the best.
EricLensher 1 week ago
98 was a great year. I fell in love with him:)
demogirl03 8 months ago
Shows where the sport was heading, to say he "skates young" at the age of 20!
kamwrites 9 months ago
Possibly the owner of the best triple axel in skating history along with one of the worst costumes.
radiorice 10 months ago 11
That quad doesn't even look like a quad. Looked so easy. To this day he can still do triples.
filipinoICEsk8ter 10 months ago
The scoring is ridiculous. Technical marks are way too low. Should have been all 5.9s and 6.0s. That Stojko had almost the same technical marks is absurd. Artistic marks are too high though, probably to compensate for the too low technical marks.
grafgirl27 11 months ago
Great jumps, horrible choreography, but the cleanest skater and the rightful winner sadly... What was up with Hamilton's "He's gonna hit his peak in Salt Lake City" comment at 4:42? He was acting like Kulik was some brand new, unheard of rookie who just skated cleanly enough to sneak 4th place. I think he had quite enough skill and experience.. he walk away with this gold didn't he?
Junon999 1 year ago
He was a heck of a jumper, but also very "stiff" and not too graceful...although he was great when he turned pro and got older.
aynatn 1 year ago
Well, you just have to comment about that jacket. He skated to "Rhapsody In Blue," but some journalists referred to it as "Rhapsody In Moo...." Unkind, but I do see their point. Ilia, quite simply, skated the best lp of that night. He shows no stress, jumps without visible effort, and puts together a program without the distracting arm movements of the previous season. I wish he had stayed in the competitive category longer. It would have been great to watch him grow artistically.
ja3399 1 year ago
hideous costume.
bandersnatch6546 1 year ago
He´s Ekaterina Gordeeva's husband now... Or not ?
poroshnyj 1 year ago
i found the artistic impression marks generous .... compared to his 1997 Romeo and Juliet program, this one clearly simplified the choreography to focus almost entirely on the jumps .... ilia is one of my favourite skaters but i have to say in this program, he looks like he's just skating from one jump to the next with mostly just arm movements. But still, that 2nd triple axel was beautiful. I remember watching this live in Nagano and my heart leapt out at the 2nd triple axel.
lutz84 1 year ago
@lutz84 Agreed, much too high on the presentation marks. I would have given him a 5.7 there. Conversely, the tech marks were actually too low. Those should have been 5.9 across the board.
Zuranthium 1 year ago
I just wanna know who the hell told Ilia it would be a great idea to wear a girraffe shirt.
I think it's so sad he gave up amateur skating after this. Imagine the podium at Salt Lake City with Kulik, Plushenko and Yagudin!!! It would have been mind-blowing!
aussiepassion 1 year ago 4
You can see in his jumping technique, especially the axel, that he enters his full rotation later in the air, using the momentum after takeoff to increase the speed of roation in the latter parts of the element. It allows more speed out of the jump but is more difficult to land, very impressive.
RustDemon79 1 year ago 4
he still skates young? He was young!
tinymavy 1 year ago
scott hamilton - shut up.
koolaidnhemlock 1 year ago 6
@koolaidnhemlock No kidding!!! lol
stefan7171 1 year ago
Hottie! :)
manderson610 1 year ago
OMG! It's Sergei from Center Stage!-lol That was brilliant!
rilley120 1 year ago
I know! He was great.
manderson610 1 year ago
Such classic,
a true champion from Russia, coached by Tasarova performs a perfect free programme with incredible elements which he makes it look easy.
Such a joy to watch.
Right next to Yagudin's 2002 olympic free programme (which is to still me by far a supreme performance).
neodym4 1 year ago
this was good, back when men looked like men while skating.
BourbonAnakin 1 year ago
He's good technically, and very graceful, but he doesn't really skate to the music. In fact, the music could easily be replaced with any similar piano music and it wouldn't make a difference.
spacekangaroo 2 years ago
@spacekangaroo so agree. he does the jumps really well, but the choreography is noticeably lacking. I guess he hoped the shirt would distract everybody.
tinymavy 1 year ago
he has really long legs.
also, whatever you may say about that outfit, it was memorable after all ;)
FettesHouse 2 years ago
dont kill me but I like him much more than Plushenko or Yagudin, his skating is just so pleasant
BeautybyJolie 2 years ago
Who is the sports commentator?
Rumpelteazer123 2 years ago
@Rumpelteazer123 1984 Men's Gold Medalist Scott Hamilton with CBS sports analyst Verne Lundquist.
1814Brandan 2 years ago
Thank you :)
Rumpelteazer123 2 years ago
such a pitty he ritired after 98:( I just loved him.
Amusement73 2 years ago 15
@Amusement73
hes a coach now, still skates great!
awsomeforu 11 months ago
His skating is so controlled. It's fantastic. Lol.
And umm, I kinda liked the shirt. -_-"
AviyaFowler 2 years ago 2
I love his height on his jumps...and he is a decent actor and a great ballet dancer...i just now realize he was in Center Stage..the movie!!!!
blackbruh2 2 years ago 3
It's like they reversed the technical marks with the presentation marks. He should have gotten all 5.9s for tech.
heyimaj111 2 years ago
So smooth coming out of the jumps! Every single damn one of them. A quad, triple axel triple toe, another triple axel, wow!
dylanvalente 2 years ago 4
This has been flagged as spam show
damn he has a nice ass..... i would luv to have his cock and ass for dinner tonight.
fuckmehardplzz 2 years ago
Quliq)))
elcapitano1st 2 years ago
i love this program! One of my favorites of all time!! But I'm gonna address the elephant in the room.... What was with that outfit? One the shirt was to big... And second yellow with black patches?? I think he should have worn a white smaller white shirt, more of a classic look.. But still one of the best ever!!
Jhojsh101 2 years ago 6
Giraffe shirt... fantastic program, but I don't think I've ever been so distracted by someone's skating costume in my life. :(
seychelle1 2 years ago 2
@Jhojsh101 I agree, great performance but awful costume. Dare I suggest that skating to "Rhapsody in Blue" would look better in..... errrrr........ a blue costume?
npe1 2 years ago
lol its more like the giraffe in the room. seriously what was that pattern? and the sleeves looked like they were going to swallow him whole!
fishdude77 2 years ago
This guy is so amazing. He's the best Russian I've seen.
safehaven11 2 years ago 3
the jumps are gorgeous but everything in between is soooo amateurish, boring and most importantly slow. I hate Hamilton's commentary, how he always minimizes everything --"one foot!"..(how else are you supposed to land it!) "slow section, nice rest" (yeah it's called stalling to catch your breath by not moving and just posing with your hands)
shinshaw2000 2 years ago
Yeah, the artistic marks here were pretty ridiculous.
Zuranthium 2 years ago
I wonder had Stojko not been injured, would he have been able to beat Kulik by landing the quad.
1814Brandan 2 years ago
No, because his artistic mark still would have been lower.
Zuranthium 1 year ago 2
Hamilton is the world's biggest weiner, paired with Sandra Bezic it's even worse
StewNWT 2 years ago 6
Bezic is such a snob she makes me ill...
1814Brandan 1 year ago
Plushy will take the title (over chan, joubert and lysacek) if he gets back to a decent form. Haven't seen him perform in a while though. And coming back off a long break is no easy task, especially if you are used to skating at a certain level. But on any good day (in spite being a "senior" already), he will grab the crown for sure.
pzxtrp 2 years ago
I like Joubert. He's quite special among all the others. And technically he also has great talent. Hope he can fix the problem with his consistency.
datoucui 2 years ago 2
Surely all the winning LPs in 1998, 2002 (esp this one) and 2006 will beat the winning LP in 2010, whatever the system is. Men's competition is in a dismal state right now.
pzxtrp 2 years ago 5
haha so is womens
Samfs10 2 years ago
mmm.... what about Mao or Yu-Na? They r the 2 most well-rounded skaters ever (artistry and technical brilliance combined) And Patrick Chan? he's so natural, elegant and sentimental in my opinion....
ILoveS07 2 years ago
I mean in the men's competition. I do apologize for not clarifying things. Women's competition I must admit is in great condition right now in terms of competition and quality (techincal and choreo).
pzxtrp 2 years ago
Patrick Chan was always over-scored. I don't get why he gets so high PCS.
datoucui 2 years ago
well, in jumps maybe because people aren't doing the quad, but in skating skills, footwork, spins, and overall program quality skating now is MUCH better. Look at Kulik's footwork for instance, if i did that in a senior competition i would be laughed at, it's true he didn't NEED to do it, but as well as the pauses in the slow part, he just stops... and points, stops, presents. Skating was different then, but i still found that part boring, and I'm a skater myself.
Brennan1111 2 years ago
not necessarily if Plushenko re-gains his old form. i konw he will :-)
datoucui 2 years ago
This performance can still win gold in2010. It's just amazing.
princessjo86 2 years ago 2
@princessjo86 I don't think so..lol. The program components, if he skated this exact program, would have been in the shitter!
Jenna634 1 year ago
beautiful jumps, but this program is boring to me, esp. it's first half... in the slow sections he is just skating.... he totally deserved to win, n i love him, but overall i think its not the best choreo..
outthehead 3 years ago
LOVE HIM HE IS SUCH A HOTTIE!!!!
pinkblonde0191 3 years ago 3
omg...ii remember ii was crazy bout ilia kulik during the olympic games....
but that was like 11 years ago...=P LOL
but the performance was goood...
brings back memories...
babycupcakesz 3 years ago
jumps are wonderful!
buy little bit less his spiral.
tamagocci2001 3 years ago
great program, i just love his skating, and that second tripel axel on the crescendo of the music is just breathtaking!!
anneliese28 3 years ago 3
its symphony in blue and he's wearing yellow. thats my only qualm.
koolaidnhemlock 3 years ago
i totally do not get his outfit here :) but im sure Tarasova did ahve something on mind :)
outthehead 3 years ago
Ilia would never be the total package that Yagudin was/is, but his jumps are unparalelled. Clean, effortless, huge heights...simply brilliant. :)
LadyTwenties 3 years ago 5
I have to agree with you: I watched Yagudin grow into manhood, and his skaing is brilliant. I am usually not too comfortable watching men compete anymore: too many mistakes with everone trying to land a quad, and now in combination. I would rather see men do triples and skate clean.
Ilia is/was one of the few men that I am confident of when watching: you just KNOW that he is going to nail it, and he does!
Brilliant skater.
silmalila 3 years ago 2
Just really didn't have like his costume. He just needed a better costume like a blue costume. Hence Rhaspordy in Blue!
JPPT1974 3 years ago
Ilia makes even the most difficult jumps seem like a cakewalk. I love how effortless he makes it look! I wish he would have stayed in another Olympic cycle, it would have been so interesting to see his skating develop and mature.
bunnyrabbit9999 3 years ago 4
Wonderful! Beautiful Skating! I moved so much.
alley835 3 years ago
Holy cow look at that jump chart!
spartyutube 3 years ago 4
his triple axel is excellent
likewinnter 3 years ago 21
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Elvis could have won this if he hadn't gotten the groin pull. Kulik wasn't that amazing. Sorry.
1814Brandan 3 years ago
He's definitely an excellent jumper. Unbelievable. I'm not a fan of his artistry, though. He doesn't finish his moves enough for me.
mbdsfan611 3 years ago
Well he's amazing but, honestly, I think he was overmarked for presentation.
Zuranthium 3 years ago
I dont. His performance was by far the best of the night. One had to give it atleast 5.8, 5.9 as there was always a great shot it would be the winning skate.
gayskatingfan 3 years ago
5.9 for technical merit is deserved but this performance doesn't have as much expression as it could have. He doesn't seem to truly feel the music in a couple spots. I can only give a 5.7 for the second mark. I think Candeloro clearly deserved the higher presentation score.
Zuranthium 3 years ago
A 5.7 for presentation!?!? What would you have given Stojko for instance then, a 5.5. Candelero is overrated. His basic skating skills are horrendous.
gayskatingfan 3 years ago
Sure Candeloro isn't the most pure of skaters but he's the only person that was completely dedicated to his performance and brought the music to life. 5.5 for Stojko would indeed be accurate.
Zuranthium 3 years ago
Ok fair enough. The CBC commentators really liked Candelero's performance, well Paul Martini and Chris Cuthbert did, Sandra Bezic less so.
gayskatingfan 3 years ago
still gives me chills to watch
ponayLOVEjumps 3 years ago
I'd like to think that on that day, Gershwin's spirit stood rink-side, smiled a wistful smile, and whispered, "...well done, Ilia..." The perfect skate, the perfect musical piece! Gold metal, indeed!
Kevierae 3 years ago 3
MEDAL!
Kevierae 3 years ago
This is one for the ages. (I mean the skating, not the costume.) And how nice to see that smile at the end!
LWOPP 3 years ago
I like his skating, but...OMG...I hate this shirt! Terrible :D
Martukx 3 years ago
Hey, at least 10 years later, it's still something we talk about! I actually thought his SP costume was more bizarre.. but his performance was so good, all is forgiven.
kitkat9288 3 years ago
He wasn't consistent enough to win all the time, but at least he came through and pulled off the biggest win. He won Euros in 1996 came very close to winning a world title too (I thought he should have won..) but in 1997, he fell apart and ended up off the podium. And of course in recent years, he's been eclisped somewhat by the two younger Russians who started winning world titles as 18 year-olds.
kitkat9288 3 years ago 3
It was too bad he didnt go to the Worlds right after the Olympics. He would have had a very easy win there. I also agree he was robbed in 1996.
grafgirl27 3 years ago
Most people don't go right after winning the Olympics, especially after already having the skate of your life that season. And if you happen to lose, it makes your Olympic victory less shiny. As for 1996 Worlds, both Ilia and Todd had good performances-- I just prefer Ilia's style, but I could see it going either way.
kitkat9288 3 years ago
I had the biggest crush on him in 1998! Unfortunate costume though.. Rhapsody in Mooo.
kitkat9288 3 years ago 2
um. it's called rhapsody in blue, not moo!
hoffgranny 3 years ago
Yes, but the costume..
kitkat9288 3 years ago
haha omg how stupid of me! yes... i think i'm going mad!
hoffgranny 3 years ago
I saw this program the same year in the Champions on Ice show. He was generous enough to do the quad, which he certainly did not have to do. If possible, this program was even more impressive live. His jumps were beyond huge and his artistry and connection with the audience were most impressive. He was extremely charming.
TinaR39 3 years ago 2
He looks like Leo.
kitkat9288 3 years ago
He makes his jumps look soooo easy - such confidence and control!
mamasensei 4 years ago
he does deserve much more credit than given, but at the time, he didn't dominate the world championships like stojko or eldridge and yagudin was already being touted as the next great russian skater. and when he won, more people focused on the fact stojko skated with a groin tear and still won silver.
thegame0475 4 years ago
My all time favorite skater. His triple axel is hands down the most beautiful sight in the world. The height, the lightness, the ease, the perfection...incredible. It was not artistically flagrant, but good enough for that time period. He has gone on to show just how artistic he can be. :)
BourbonAnakin 4 years ago 2
He made that quad look like a triple. Am-azing!
MrsGamgee977 4 years ago
Luv him.
slat13 4 years ago
This program was very well choreographed.
frostdiamond1 4 years ago 2
Exactly!
frostdiamond1 4 years ago
20 years old and still skates YOUNG?? What's up with that? He's not 70.
Great skating though. It was nice to see him do something much more serious. I've only seen the SOI stuff before now but this was really good!
icekat83 4 years ago 2
i love him.
Ruski9Beba 4 years ago
Hey! This is the guy who's playing Sergei in the movie "Center Stage"!! He's an AWESOME figure skater!!!/Jess.
LoveXena4ever 4 years ago
Ilia Kulik 's was technically brillant, but not the best artistically. Ilia really deserved the Gold Medal. The costume was absolutely horrible.
rickram1961 4 years ago
I wish he would have stuck around to defend his title against Yagudin and Plushenko for the 2002 Salt Lake City Games...shoot, he had enough steam for the 2006 Torino Games...Look how young he was!!!
randymodels24 4 years ago 4
Magnificent. He later married Ekaterina Gordeeva.
trackaghost 4 years ago
Why'd he get such good presentation marks? I'd have given him all 5.9s, maybe some 6s for tech merit, but I didn't see any spectacular artistic stuff. Too low on technical merit, too high on presentation. I don't understand judges sometimes.
ariana1984 4 years ago
This is just my opinion, but I think it doesn't necessarily have to be spectacular to be beautiful. I found this program to be gorgeous in its subdued elegance and subtlety, and Ilia was just so graceful and light. But of course, it's a matter of personal taste.
AliceBellagamba 4 years ago
This is a great program, perfect! Ilia is one of my favorites.
WoodstockAndSnoopy 4 years ago
lightsome jump
wangquanquan 4 years ago