Katarina Witt - 1987 Cincinnati

[safehaven11]

That's the best she's ever skated!

[ThePaultrevor]

Sensazionale. Esibizione che fa letteralmente impazzire. Un fascino inimitabile.

[MrSimi71]

The Best.

[Chris6134]

Wunderbar ! Really beautiful performance ! I always enjoyed watching her skating. Very nice and have a great and wonderful New Year 2011 !

[mlc2005]

Noticing the judges scores, it always bothers me to see Nationalistic judging (which we used to see NON STOP). For example (and I am American), the US judge gave her a 5.8 for technical, and Debi a 5.9. Witt was much faster, and landed everything just as well as Thomas, except for the triple loop, which Witt landed much better. And an argument could be made that she landed the second triple salchow better as well. Hmmmm.

[76sunny]

steroid queen?? you are so ridiculous.........i just can´t believe it......you don´t understand figure skating at all, do you? she won her big titles over the presentation....you can´t dope that, you just need to have it......and she´s got it obviously.......

[mhirama]

In her biography, she recalls this program as the best in her entire life. Her rare attempt on Triple Loop. Next time she did it was 1994. Love it!!

[yescanto]

Yes nice performace, but she is still a East German steroid queen !

[koolaidnhemlock]

@claireshana

look, if not for kat, i would never be a fan of this sport. she can do no wrong in my eyes.

[MarlonBrandoSoSexy]

5.9/6.0 A spectacular performance! Exhuberant skating, captivating dance and choreography, solid and varied jumps.

[dsfddsgh]

Watching her performance here where she skated with great speed and her triple jumps were so solid it makes you wonder why she was so average in her LP at the Olympics less then a year later.

[koolaidnhemlock]

@dsfddsgh because of PRESSURE. the only way she was allowed to turn pro was to win her second gold. she was under immense pressure from her federation and her coach. the fact that she skated as well as she did under that pressure is what's so extraordinary. when the chips were down, kat rose to the challenge.

[sochisochi]

she dances so gracefully

[LGuinevere]

Steroids, which were discussed previously, don't give grace and charisma with which Katarina Witt was generously endowed by nature. That's for sure.

She's really stunning, simply THE BEST !

[jubbadupa]

@LGuinevere Well you could be wrong there, if you think she was gracefull, then you have to consider that skaters work on muscle memory and their programs are coreographed and then the do run-thru's ...many of them ! Taking steroids helps signifigantly in this area, as her recovery is faster, thus enabling her to do more run-thrus, making it easier and ensuring better muscle memory ! She would look so gracefull if she was fatigued.

[koolaidnhemlock]

frau mueller looks scary.

[minoliene]

traumhaft schön -Kati du warst die Beste -niemand auf der Welt konnte dir das Wasser reichen -großartig!!!

[Marchjoy1963]

That is so stupid ... steriods don't mean that you are going to look like a weight lifter, if that were true then they would be given to the runners. Anyway Katarina was on steriod from a very young age and took them during her entire career !

[Marchjoy1963]

I meant to type steroids not steriods.

[suutari13]

yeah and no one is on steroids in the USA. The use of steroids among the top athletes is the rule.

[yescanto]

It was one thing to know that Katarina was on steriods and part of the East Germany state drug program. I was shocked to learn of how aware and involved she was with them. I guess at first I thought she was forced into it. But she was totally in the know about everything and in total co-operation with it.

[indiatree]

Is this true? I mean, I know the steroids were pervasive in the East German system. But looking at her physical characteristics, steroid use doesn't come to mind. Maybe blood doping in terms of increasing red blood cell production for stamina, but steroids? Wow. I didn't know.

[suutari13]

EVIDENCE?? Has she confessed. She has not been caught in a steroid test.

[zedlacredit]

Do you really live under a rock, is this 2010 ? I mean really, Yes she has confessed.. she was totally willing ... maybe you should read some of the article on the net .

[indiatree]

I have researched this and could not find one article in support of your position. I found multiple articles stating that she cooperated with the Stasi, but not about the drugs. In fact, in the articles I read, she steadfastly denied it. I'm not saying that you are wrong, but I could not find independant confirmation.

[zedlacredit]

@indiatree Look punch in her name and steriods.. punch in East Germany and her name etc... sorry I don't keep a list or print things off, her File is the largest of any of there athletes maybe you will see the article about the 181 pages of the 1,300 plus file that she was trying to have her lawyer ... have destroyed or made private..and yes she did comfirm her drug use.

[indiatree]

There is no mention of it anywhere on the internet. None. There are multiple sources and quotes from the Stasi files saying that she cooperated with the government, but no mention of steroids. In fact, alll the sources state that figure skating was one area where they held off on the steroids because they wanted her to retain a feminine figure to catch the "judges eye". Plus, if she took steroids and supposedly became so powerful, why did she only perform the easiest triples?

[indiatree]

Possibly they doped her with EPO to increase red blood cell count and oxygenation/stamina. But even then, there is no mention of it anywhere. But just looking at her and her physical characteristics, steroids seem a real leap. If you have proof, cite the source.

[koolaidnhemlock]

steroids don't give you nerves of steel.

[kahli4]

She was a mythos .

The most beautiful face of socialism.

[Ricky0101]

You have to remember that she came from the GDR which at the time had the same system as the USSR. They put skates on babies and weaned them to be competitors. But I agree she is a classy and beautiful lady. I once waited on her in her room at a downtown Boston hotel. She was genuinely grateful of her fans and not only gave me an autograph (in German which I speak) but one for my friend as well.

[CarstenOepping]

@Ricky0101 you have no idea what you are talking about!

[CMAUVDF]

I wonder if the costume's wings gave her more lift, like a helicopter..

[safehaven11]

She's a beautiful lady to watch on ice.

[aquamarineeyes]

it was NOT two footed as the USA commentators would have JUMPED on that straight away to favor Debi! Katarina Uber Alles!

[TheHoopify]

When I first saw this I was in awe.Katarina pushed her talent to the edge and was magnificent!

[maryagal]

What a talented, unforgettable skater. A true star.

[mlc2005]

I must admit that I never was a huge Witt fan, b/c I felt she posed and flirted, and didn't have the grace that we now come to expect (Kwan,, etc), however, this performance is her masterpiece in my opinion. Beautiful, not over the top, and well done.

[koolaidnhemlock]

part of me wishes this were her 88 olympic routine. so much more content, in terms of spins, footwork, jumps, than a year later. the music and the energy was high throughout. i really love this program.

[76sunny]

you don´t rain on her parade - you just need a glasses.

her 3loop was correctly landed - take it in slow mo and you´ll see.......gorgeous performance, her artistry is just wonderful and figure skating is not only about the jumps. i think it´s also telling a story and no one was capable of telling more if you know what i mean.....

[indiatree]

I like to think that she landed it cleanly, But I remember in the Sprots Illustrated issue that covered these Worlds, the reporter wrote that she did "4 1/2 triple jumps" indicating, that in least the magazine's eyes, the triple loop was only partially completed. And I remember the article was almost gushing in its adoration of Witt, so it wasn't slanted against her. It is hard to tell now because the footage has gotten grainy. But it does look completely rotated as far as I can tell.

[mlc2005]

@indiatree : I don't usually take non-skating write ups seriously, as they seldom know that they are talking about. The sports illustrated article you speak of got it totally wrong: Her loop was not two-footed.  Like I said, I'm not a huge Witt fan, but this program singularly made me a fan b/c it was all class and no flirting (which is rare for her).

[mattimattiusa]

@mlc2005 It was 2 footed.

[bemar1972]

@mattimattiusa triple loop 2footed? I don't see, probably very slightly

[bemar1972]

@mattimattiusa triple loop 2footed? I don't see, probably very slightly . 5,7 from australian judge for artistic is absolutely impossible!

[koolaidnhemlock]

i agree, it was completed. believe me, scott hamilton would be the first to yell "TWO FEET!!!", but it wasn't. cautious, yes. two footed- no.

[paulrandig]

Perfection.

[Taan123]

awesome performance

[CarstenOepping]

unbelievable.....

[alwonderb0y]

One of her greatest performance!!!! Amazing Katarina Witt!!!

[Aldobrandini]

It was her greatest performance, definitely. she even hit the triple loop in competition, cleanly. she deserved to win here.

[DBZisthebestanimever]

Talasco,thank you very much!!!!!!!!!

[thalulla1]

Was ich weiss sprang Sie in einer Kür den letzten Doppel-Lutz 1984!!! In einem Kurzprogramm 1986!!! 87 und 88 sprang Sie gar keinen mehr !! Ich möchte wissen warum? Der hätte doch auch noch was gebracht für die A-Note!!!

[thalulla1]

Ihre beste Kür!!!! Aber warum sprang sie ab 1987 nie mehr einen Lutz???? KATI-4-EVER!!!!!

[premierrules]

Hat sie einen Lutz im Weltmesiterschaft gesprungen? Doppel ja, aber dreifach?Nein. Ich habe das nie gesehen.

Kati war fantastisch ohne dreifache flips oder Lutz.

[Rouben19]

1987 worlds ladies is my personal fav. kat was brillant, thomas a bore as usual

[minoliene]

traumhaft schön...zauberhaft! Sie ist und wird immer "Katarina die Große" bleiben!!!

[Koala1978DD]

Diese Kür ist einfach nur der Hammer und gefällt mir jedes Mal wieder. Und obwohl man weiß, dass sie Weltmeisterin wird, geht man jeden Sprung mit. Einfach bezaubernd!!!

[dylanvalente]

Five triples?! Very good for the time. Great presentation and artistry too.

[Chris6134]

@dylanvalente Absolutely inspiring !