honestly (pleasedon'tjumponmeIT'SJUSTMYOPINION!!!), i'm not a huge fan... don't get me wrong, i have a great deal of respect for her and all her accomplishments, but i've always really hated her music choices and choreography, even as her artistry improved with the years. i'll give her this, her jumps are much cleaner than i had remembered, and there's no denying she's got style, but it's not really a style that draws me in-- no musical rhythm, no beat to get my heart pounding. IMO, anyway.
@Mbookfreak: That's cool... i'm just really surprised by your comment. I think what everyone loved MOST about Kwan was her music/choreography, and especially her ability to draw an audience in! This is certainly not an example of her artistic excellence, as she was so young, but have you watched, for example, her free programs in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004? She brought the house down! But I respect your opinion.
@mlc2005 yeah, even then... idk, just never really grabbed me somehow.
but thanks for being nice:-) i know a lot of people are VERY protective of michelle, which is a mark, maybe the biggest one, of her success-- and i respect that!
@Mbookfreak: No problem! I totally understand that art/performance can be subjective and based on personal taste. I really liked what you said about the mark of her success being that people are so protective of her! That's a really good point. Your comment was honest and kind, whereas one or two posters tend to post hateful things that are offensive. I know I get protective b/c her skating has brought me such joy, it's like I feel I owe her, if that makes sense? Who do you like?
@mlc2005 I know exactly what you mean! I'm kinda the same way with my favorite baseball team actually, I grew up with baseball long before I started skating. For skaters though, I always loved Irina Slutskaya in general, low stylistic marks notwithstanding, and I've gotten very attached to Mirai since she came back from her growth spurt-- that's gotta be so tough! She looks like a lady on the ice now though, not so much like (sorry Mirai!) a jumping kid:-) So much joy in her too, I love that!
She was definitely better than the '98, '02, and '06 winners. Tara was the queen of flutzes and tiny jumps, Hughes got lucky that the judges marked Slutskaya over Kwan in the LP so she could win gold (Kwan still had the gold after both she and Hughes skated), while Arakawa won with only five triples (way less than Kwan's silver or bronze medal performances). As many posters have noted, she didn't even need to win an Olympic gold to become a legend. Good for her!
Michelle Kwan is legendary... it makes me sad that she never got her olympic gold moment, but still... people who don't know figure skating know the name Michelle Kwan, gold olympians come and go, but there are many that never achieve such respect, admiration and fame like Michelle. thanks for posting, it's great to see such a happy michelle!!!
@idolfan9495 Surya and Michelle were both only jumpers in 1995, this was the year before Michelle developed artistry and all the other things she didnt have back then, and while Michelle did a very good jumping performance Surya still outjumped Michelle with triple-triples Michelle did not even try, and bigger jumps. I dont see what is surprising.
dang she just attacks her jumps. she doesn't even look the slightest bit nervous. if i was her i'd be shitting my pants being in front of all those people. and her scores are exactly the reason i'm SO glad the 6.0 system is gone.
Underscored in the short program, underscored in the free skate. She deserved to be on that podium. I kinda think you can make a case for the gold medal even.
The commentator was wrong on one thing. If Kwan had been 2nd over Bonaly in the long Kwan would have won the silver and Bobek the bronze. Bonaly no medal.
This performance still gives me goosebumps. I love how her smile got bigger with each jump that she landed. Too bad she didn't medal. One missed medal followed by a near decade of world domination, not a bad trade off ;) :P.
I think my mother has a shower curtain in that material. :-) Seriously, lovely program from Michelle, as a girl... joyous to watch but very much a "girl" skating. Just look at her performance a year later to notice the change.
Frank Carroll really knows how to package his skaters. He created a program that perfectly showed off everything Michelle Kwan was capable of at the time and showcased her tremendous growth from the year before. I would never argue that she should have won outright, but seven triples has to count for something. Her artistry wasn't special but she was so enjoyable to watch, and that should have counted for something, too. She should have at least gotten the bronze, IMHO.
Hmm, I can think of quite a few messy mediocre skaters who have worn Olympic gold. I won't name any names. Michelle is a legend, something Tara will never be.
I mean it as a great thing, because so many female skaters find it easy to pull off the triple jumps when they are skinny and straight with no real hips ( = easier rotational force and balance) but once they grow they struggle with their jumps. But michelle kwan had amazing consistency throughout her physical growth. Now that is something.
Did Michelle Kwan have a growth spurt between here (1995) and 1996 where she won her first World Championships with Romanza and Salome? Here she looks like a girl, with a figure more like a young girl's, but in 1996 she's looks more like a young woman skating, and it's not just the makeup and costume.
@Algorithm16 The judges likely saw Michelle as a girl versus a ladies medalist. Personally I thought her artistry was okay, but technically she was superior to the three medalist. I actually thought she had won bronze until I saw the scores. She was 3rd in the LP over Nicole Boebeck.
In comparisson to how beautiful she then becomes, she is almost plain here to look at!
Mark wise, surely that performance deserved a medal, not to say a gold and to see some 5.6 was just outrages. I hate people and their charity votes. Michelle deserved to be on that podium!
@bboylilizzi Only thing i can think of is that the judges were telling Michelle that she needed to be more mature in her skating to get on the podium. Frank Carrol said as much. They wanted a woman on the podium not a girl.
@dsfddsgh thanks for that information, still I think winning is about your performance and your skills, age does not come into it, Frank Carrol was wrong to vote like that. If she is competing against the adult, judge her as one, not like a child. *squints at F Crrl* -_-
@bboylilizzi Frank had nothing to do with Michelle not getting on the podium. He was her coach not a judge. He was just trying to understand why she placed 4th. Knowing Frank he wasn't happy with the judges either but knew she had to start presenting herself as a more mature skater.
@dsfddsgh Ok, I understand now, I thought Frank was one of the judges or something. Though I must say having seen the perfomances by the other skaters, I understand that comment now. Thanks for your time dsfddsgh. Why not call yourself R2P2 instead, that would be a lot easier :) kidding! bye now!
@dsfddsgh Yep they said they wanted a woman on the podium not a girl. Following year Michelle came out like gang buster. Then a year after, they gave the goddamn medal to a fucking little girl-Tara Lapinski. A skater whose all jump, no artistry or horrible technique. With Michelle, it's always damn is she do, damn if she don't she always had to prove herself and is the only one expected to ALWAYS give a flawless performance to win and yet there's messy skaters winning gold.
@citizenlen Ummmm....no...Tara EARNED her gold medalsl! And speaking of messy medicore skaters who are given gold medals...that would be this person in this video I do believe. Thank GOD for the Olympic judges!!!!!
Michelle is cute here and did very well but then seemed to just have a sense of entitlement and stopped upping the ante. She will never wear Olympic Goldd!
@citizenlen You cant compare Tara's situation in 97 to Michelle in 95. Tara rose to the top in 97 by default in the worst womens field ever. Just look at how badly Kwan skated at Nationals and the Grand Prix final and still came 2nd and nearly won the final. Michelle was in a slump, Irina was in a worse one, Lu was out of it, and most of the top 10 from 96 were either not skating or having bad years. Tara also did triple-triples which set her apart technically unlike Kwan in 95.
@citizenlen and it is also stupid to say Kwan is the only one who has to be perfect to win. There has been no skater between 1995 and 2006 who won Worlds or Olympics with anything less than a perfect long program except.....oh yeah Kwan herself at the 98 Worlds. Sasha Cohen a skater with stunning spins, spirals, and artistry has never been awarded a major gold medal due to just 1 or 2 small slips each time.
@russianskatingfan When Kwan have excelled in her exciting debut in figure skating, nobody have even heard of Sasha. Not until the year 2000. By then, Michelle Kwan's popularity has already soared.
@russianskatingfan You aren't making reasoned sense, which is the result of hating Kwan. (Why don't you go away?)
As for Sasha's "1 or 2 small slips": that's a farce: she's was genuis at wobbling and falling. There is no comparison between Kwan and Cohen -- and this is the reality which demolishes your BS rationalizations:
Kwan, not Cohen, is the most decorated skater in US history. Over 50 perfect 6.0s. Next in line Boitano with 9. Where's Cohen in that list?
@JNagarya Kwan is not a lesbian (assuming you are female). And even if you are male she would not be interested. Get over your obsession with her. She would not be impressed to find she has a stalker.
@grafgirl27 Are you out of your mind? Getrealandsee and ,allenglandlawns are stalkers, not JNagarya . I'd rather see nice posts complimenting Kwan on her skating performance instead of reading repeated nonsense that makes my skin crawl. Kwan is NOT an overrated skater. Kwan is a highly talented figure skater who deserved to be rightfully heard, not to be excessively tormented.
she deserved the silver medal and Bobek the bronze. Notice with the all European panel how well Bonaly did. Had there been judges from USA CHN JPN CAN the results would have been different I assure you
metsdudenj: Just for the record, there were judges from CHina, Japan, and Canada, but I agree she was undermarked. Remember, they didn't realize they were in the presence of perhaps the greatest of all time yet.
@mlc2005 I agree. She should have easily been in the medals at this worlds. Nevertheless, I thought these marks were a blessing to her because they told her where to improve and boy did she REALLY improve by the next worlds. Win or lose, she's still a great skater to watch.
she is so beautiful,,,, she is gorgeous..!!!! shame that she has never won a gold medal for olympicsss..... coz she certainly deserve to have one!! love from australia!
Michelle wasn't robbed of gold at either Olympics, even though I was rooting for her in 2002. In 2002 they wanted to give it to her quite honestly. Tara brought the 3/3s and Michelle was more tentative. Her '98 Nationals skate would have done it at the Olys, but Kwan standing up doesn't automatically equal a win.
That said, I'm not a kwan fan, but this video was a great effort. The start of an illustrious career.
A couple ladies have won Olympic golds with far less artistry than Michelle displayed in this performance. She should have put her hair in a bun! She was always magnificent, wasn't she?
@thesupremediva That's not a realistic statement at all. This program was rather immature; too many jumping passes and not enough musical interpretation. You can see a lot of qualities in this performance that really come alive in Michelle's later performances, but it wasn't a highly artistic performance. In terms of the jumps her Triples here didn't have good flow coming out either, only the Triple Flip. A good skate but not quite enough to make up the deficit from the SP.
@thesupremediva What you must remember is that for ladies her age from 96' on(her transformation) other coaches took the hint to make their girls look more sophisticated. Lipinski & Hughes are prime examples. So, Michelle set the stage, especially for Lipinski. I seem to recall in 97' Lipinski's coach being miffed because a reporter reported on her losing her last baby tooth.
@thesupremediva She was a wonderful child, at this stage. But: If a person is qualified to compete in an event, they should be eligible for medaling. Bonaly? -- her skating was never polished, let alone attractive. Kwan should have been at least third.
in 1994 she was 13 and if tonya harding wouldn't have gone to olympiad michelle have did it. in 2006 mao asada was 15 and she couldn't go totorino- why? did the rules change? I love michelle by the way :) she's my favourite skater ever
@allenglandlawns Hey thanks. I guess you have to be a skater to understand it fully. I understand the part where she put everything -heart and soul- into it.
@goingplaces11 she was so happy. 2 clean performances and after her struggles in providence during the nationals it was really a very rewarding performance and you can really see she enjoyed it.
@MTVMANN I think her marks for presentation had impact for her skating in the future- she understood she had to change something and she did it very well. and she was only 15 when she won world title... it's really amazing ;)
1995 was the year I actually started to figure skate, than I decided to move on and go to college in 2008. Best sport in the world, I miss it so much!!!!
she should have won she was way to undermarked, but then again, she was overmarked at other competitions later in her skating career (rarely) amazing skater, amazing preformance
Wow...14. My son is 14. So I'm thinking, "They're the same age...freaky." Then I realized he was born in 1995. So now I feel old. LOL! Amazing how quickly time flies! I remember watching this live, with no clue what a skating legend she would become.
Sasha landed 5 triples. While I agree at that in 2000 Michelle was generally a much better overall skater, her performance at that years Nationals apart was flat, slow, tenative, slow, lackluster, and did I mention slow. It was painfully weak even with only one fall.
More importantly though she should have been 4th in the short. Nikidinov skated a clean short and Kwan fell on a triple toe and was propped up unfairly to 3rd. This put her in position to win by winning the LP.
The first of MANY times Kwan would be robbed. In fact, at the end of her career, one might had thought she was a bank. BUT she did accomplish a lot at the same time.
The first of many times she was robbed! ROTFL!! One of the dumbest statements I have ever heard. Yeah Kwan was so robbed, that is why she won 5 World titles, 9 U.S titles, and 2 Olympic medals.
If anything she was gifted a few times in her career. The undeserved silver at 99 Worlds when she was majorly held up in the short program. U.S Nationals in 2000 when she didnt skate well and shouldnt have won. Alot of her unneccessary 6.0s at Nationals, even for her mediocre Bolero.
I somewhat agree with you, towards the end of her career her skating never really flew the way it used to, she was slower, her spins had less speed, and there was less coherence to her expression. But at these worlds, at least once, she was definitely robbed.
Also 96 Worlds Chen should have been the winner. The only time Kwan was ever possibly robbed of anything was a silver or bronze at these Worlds. That is it. Never again was she ever robbed of a placing, and as I said several times actually gifted one.
But like it or not she was robbed of two Oly gold medals (in 98 bc lipinskis artistry marks were too high and quite frankly given her bad technique so were the tech marks. But she did the 3-3s so I'll let that slide. And in 2002 bc Slutskaya should not have been placed over her in the freeskate. Again artistry marks that were too high but they always were for Irina) And of course a medal here.
At the 2005 Worlds a bad qualifying round and bad long program with COP unfriendly programs to begin with. She certainly did not deserve a medal there. You say she was never going to win a medal no matter how she performed when she made 5 total mistakes over the 3 programs, had alot of level 1 elements since she didnt study the code well, and had that joke Bolero program, and still lost a medal by a fraction of a point. So that comment makes no sense.
WRONG!! Kwan never deserved to win the short program at the 2002 Olympics in the first place. Had Olympics not been in the U.S she never would have finished 1st in the short. Irina was the clear winner in the short program. So no she definitely did not deserve the 2002 Olympic gold. To be honest Cohen might have even deserved the bronze over her. As for 1998 it was a close decision and most experts were fine with Taras win like it or not.
Kwan's wonky (cheated on take-off and landing, even in my opinion before COP took over) was enough to give the SP to Slutskaya IMO. I'd even entertain putting Cohen in 2nd, as her 3flip, 2axel, all 3 spins, and musicality were better than Kwan's IMO. The combination jump and spiral sequence are pretty equal in my book.
much as Michelle was robbed here she didn't deserve either Olympic gold. Tara had the one and only skate of her life as did Sarah 4 years later. The better person on the night one, it's just a shame it wasn't the person who was best all the years in between.
Please dont foolishly confuse your own biased opinions as fact. I for one think Kwan was fortunate to even win the bronze over Cohen in 2002.
The only things Kwan were ever possibly robbed of was a silver medal behind Chen at these Worlds and the 98 Olympic gold was a close call. It is not like she was never given a gift though. Her 99 World silver was a bit of a farcial result, and her 96 World title over Chen was a much criticized decision as well.
Talk about a preview of things to come! Even at this young age, I think we all knew that this was going to be a world class legend. Thank God she lasted for as long as she did, and gave us some of the most emotionally satisfying moments in sports history.... usually an athlete has a "moment" that's great, but Kwan had more than a dozen! Incredible.
Michelle was clearly better than anyone who place higher than her just because she looks like a kid and not a women. Now where are those so called "women"? They are not even famous anymore after their skating career whereas Michelle is doing far better than any of them.
ugh. I never was Michelles biggest fan, but I love the joy she shows during her skates. It just seems so genuine and light. And this was a gorgeous skate, as good as the one she did one year later at Worlds. Why the hell didn't she medal? Her jumps are efortless, the landings secure, the fun, the joy, the excitement - everything was there. To me this is a perfect example that the judges pretty often don't accredit younger skaters abilities - just because they're young! A shame.
she didn't medal because the judges were wary of making any "kids" gold medalists. they felt burned by oksana, who promptly turned pro after her wins. they rewarded kwan the next year though, for sure.
wen i saw michelle for the first time i knew she wud b as great as she is now....shes absolutly magical n idc wat any of those dipshitted judges sed she was the best then n shes the best now simple :/ <3
this was a very good skate. And the only reason she probably didn't medal was because the judges thought she was too young...Even these commentators thought she was under-scored. Hey, they would have not been surprised if she won.!
thus began the transformation. it was Michelle's '95 to '96 transformation that really pushed the envelope as far as the expectancy of maturity and artistry at a young age. that's why so many newer skaters (attempt to) show more maturity at 13 and 14 years old. this was wonderful though!
shocking isn't it? i thought i would never see such horrible skating ever again...until this year's nationals. i'm still waiting for someone to explain how a 3 triple program with falls and popped jumps beats two clean 6 triple programs...Alissa Cziny's win at nationals was the biggest crock of bullshit i've seen in skating in years...and look where she placed at 4CC? at worlds? they didn't even invite her to skate in the team trophy competition...bullshit, i say.
agree Cziny is the most forgettable US skater since Holly Cook and Priscilla Hill, She is a waste and thanks to her we lost a spot at the Olympics. The US team is the weakest in history ( maybe since 1962, 1994 and this last quad) They wont even get a skater in the top 10 at Olympics, youll see
Not seasoned enough. The US will get BLANKED in the entire figure skating competition at the Olympics. Maybe a bronze in dance if we are lucky, thats it
Skateschool: That is so sweet! i loved your message. I saw her a few months later doing this one too, and was totally amazing, but never dreamed how much of a legend and icon she would become.
What I think is interesting is that Chris and Simon are truly leaning towards Kwan. Bezic immediately wrote her off. I honestly do think that this performance not only lead to Kwan's maturity the later year but it also to tought the coaches of future young and up and coming skaters what they needed to do in order for their skaters to win.
Tara and Michelle are the best skaters ever!! They are the reason WHY i started skating in the first place. and they are my inspiration to keep going and suceed! and btw im not a pre pre skater learning an axel! im in intermediate and ive started my triples just so everyone knows.
It's remarkable to see the slowly developing artistry in Michelle's skating. A little immature to be sure, but IMO a bit underrated for that moment. Obviously she improved!
Watching this now it's amazing to look back and think she didn't medal. She could have been the youngest to ever win, or at least medal (before Lipinski of course).
I saw this performance on TV years ago and it just blew me away....I knew then this kid had what it would take. She started out great at age 14 and she still does not cease to amaze me. She is wonderful to watch...so elegant and lovely. She exudes the love she has for skating...a true inspiration.
no, tara only won cuz she did all her elements. michelle has more grace and artistry and flexibility. it was cuz tara fit the image. dont get me wrong she was a good skater. just, michelle is better.
This was what was retarded about the ordinal system - Michelle had 2 1st, 2 2nd, 3 3rd and 2 4th - because there was no consensus she failed to get anything. if this were under today's system she'dve won or gotten 2nd easily.
Clean as whistle and I can not believe for the life of me as to why Michelle didn't even get a medal for this brilliant LP!
rickram1961 1 day ago
The way she smiles is so adorable.
audreyeatworld 1 month ago
She should have been on the podium.
idolfan9495 1 month ago
Michelle deserved at least the silver medal here. Bonaly should not have medalled.
shinymensdressshoes 2 months ago
she deserved so much better...
theaggirl1 2 months ago
She was ROBBED here. Everyone knows it. I had her in 1st place even over Lu Chen. This was amazing!
demisDINOS 5 months ago 3
honestly (pleasedon'tjumponmeIT'SJUSTMYOPINION!!!), i'm not a huge fan... don't get me wrong, i have a great deal of respect for her and all her accomplishments, but i've always really hated her music choices and choreography, even as her artistry improved with the years. i'll give her this, her jumps are much cleaner than i had remembered, and there's no denying she's got style, but it's not really a style that draws me in-- no musical rhythm, no beat to get my heart pounding. IMO, anyway.
Mbookfreak 6 months ago
@Mbookfreak: That's cool... i'm just really surprised by your comment. I think what everyone loved MOST about Kwan was her music/choreography, and especially her ability to draw an audience in! This is certainly not an example of her artistic excellence, as she was so young, but have you watched, for example, her free programs in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004? She brought the house down! But I respect your opinion.
mlc2005 3 months ago
@mlc2005 yeah, even then... idk, just never really grabbed me somehow.
but thanks for being nice:-) i know a lot of people are VERY protective of michelle, which is a mark, maybe the biggest one, of her success-- and i respect that!
Mbookfreak 3 months ago
@Mbookfreak: No problem! I totally understand that art/performance can be subjective and based on personal taste. I really liked what you said about the mark of her success being that people are so protective of her! That's a really good point. Your comment was honest and kind, whereas one or two posters tend to post hateful things that are offensive. I know I get protective b/c her skating has brought me such joy, it's like I feel I owe her, if that makes sense? Who do you like?
mlc2005 3 months ago
@mlc2005 I know exactly what you mean! I'm kinda the same way with my favorite baseball team actually, I grew up with baseball long before I started skating. For skaters though, I always loved Irina Slutskaya in general, low stylistic marks notwithstanding, and I've gotten very attached to Mirai since she came back from her growth spurt-- that's gotta be so tough! She looks like a lady on the ice now though, not so much like (sorry Mirai!) a jumping kid:-) So much joy in her too, I love that!
Mbookfreak 3 months ago
She was definitely better than the '98, '02, and '06 winners. Tara was the queen of flutzes and tiny jumps, Hughes got lucky that the judges marked Slutskaya over Kwan in the LP so she could win gold (Kwan still had the gold after both she and Hughes skated), while Arakawa won with only five triples (way less than Kwan's silver or bronze medal performances). As many posters have noted, she didn't even need to win an Olympic gold to become a legend. Good for her!
woodlandb234 7 months ago
at this age she was a phenom , a year later she arrived
wozniacki15 8 months ago
We all bitch about the COP, but she would have won under the new system.
mlc2005 9 months ago
@mlc2005 Which just shows how wrong COP is if that is true since Lu Chen was the clear and rightful winner this year.
grafgirl27 2 months ago
Michelle Kwan is legendary... it makes me sad that she never got her olympic gold moment, but still... people who don't know figure skating know the name Michelle Kwan, gold olympians come and go, but there are many that never achieve such respect, admiration and fame like Michelle. thanks for posting, it's great to see such a happy michelle!!!
Haniwa91 9 months ago
so cute!!!
Haniwa91 9 months ago
The transformation from this program to her 96 competitive year is the most amazing in the history of figure skating.
kamwrites 9 months ago
And to think, at 14, I was just trying to get through my freshman year of high school.
JeromeViolist 10 months ago
i think everyone would agree this was so undermarked.
kateseesstars 11 months ago 3
I think that French judge from the 2002 Olympics must have been on this panel. How else was Surya Bonaly placed above Michelle?
idolfan9495 11 months ago
@idolfan9495 Surya and Michelle were both only jumpers in 1995, this was the year before Michelle developed artistry and all the other things she didnt have back then, and while Michelle did a very good jumping performance Surya still outjumped Michelle with triple-triples Michelle did not even try, and bigger jumps. I dont see what is surprising.
grafgirl27 9 months ago
dang she just attacks her jumps. she doesn't even look the slightest bit nervous. if i was her i'd be shitting my pants being in front of all those people. and her scores are exactly the reason i'm SO glad the 6.0 system is gone.
macerface 11 months ago
How does a clean 7 triple Kwan not beat Surya Bonaly, no matter how Bonaly skates?
idolfan9495 1 year ago
The two 5.9s for artistry were a joke. How can you give Kwan at this point in her career a 5.9 for artistry.
grafgirl27 1 year ago
Underscored in the short program, underscored in the free skate. She deserved to be on that podium. I kinda think you can make a case for the gold medal even.
allenglandlawns 1 year ago 2
@USAGymnast Well, never by Michelle Kwan.
formersk8ter 1 year ago
she should have been in the podium. To be 14 and skate like that??? I'm 19 and can't even do all my doubles!
chuhboemember6 1 year ago 2
The commentator was wrong on one thing. If Kwan had been 2nd over Bonaly in the long Kwan would have won the silver and Bobek the bronze. Bonaly no medal.
ants2876 1 year ago
4:23-4:25 is friggin awesome. I feel so amateur. Look at her, seven triples, age 13.
I just mastered my first single jumps
MegaAwesomeMLC 1 year ago 2
Comment removed
MegaAwesomeMLC 1 year ago
I think this was probably her best performance as a youth b/c her jumps were really smooth here and easy.
MegaAwesomeMLC 1 year ago
She already skated like a champion at that time
pug1gun 1 year ago
This performance still gives me goosebumps. I love how her smile got bigger with each jump that she landed. Too bad she didn't medal. One missed medal followed by a near decade of world domination, not a bad trade off ;) :P.
uwoeric 1 year ago
I think my mother has a shower curtain in that material. :-) Seriously, lovely program from Michelle, as a girl... joyous to watch but very much a "girl" skating. Just look at her performance a year later to notice the change.
muscleboi4use 1 year ago
@muscleboi4use But shouldn't she have been judged by the maturity of her abilities and skills, instead of by ageists?
JNagarya 1 year ago
Frank Carroll really knows how to package his skaters. He created a program that perfectly showed off everything Michelle Kwan was capable of at the time and showcased her tremendous growth from the year before. I would never argue that she should have won outright, but seven triples has to count for something. Her artistry wasn't special but she was so enjoyable to watch, and that should have counted for something, too. She should have at least gotten the bronze, IMHO.
intldawn 1 year ago
One of the things I like of Michelle is her talking with eyes, her invitation to the audience in partecipate.
improvvisamente1 1 year ago
Hmm, I can think of quite a few messy mediocre skaters who have worn Olympic gold. I won't name any names. Michelle is a legend, something Tara will never be.
idolfan9495 1 year ago 3
I mean it as a great thing, because so many female skaters find it easy to pull off the triple jumps when they are skinny and straight with no real hips ( = easier rotational force and balance) but once they grow they struggle with their jumps. But michelle kwan had amazing consistency throughout her physical growth. Now that is something.
ViVi80 1 year ago
Did Michelle Kwan have a growth spurt between here (1995) and 1996 where she won her first World Championships with Romanza and Salome? Here she looks like a girl, with a figure more like a young girl's, but in 1996 she's looks more like a young woman skating, and it's not just the makeup and costume.
ViVi80 1 year ago
@ViVi80 I think she did also her legs got stronger and thicker.
dinh 11 months ago
@ViVi80 She grew during the 1995/1996 then had a growthspurt in 1996/1997 season
ChristineTheHippie 10 months ago
How did she not win a medal here???????
Algorithm16 1 year ago
@Algorithm16 The judges likely saw Michelle as a girl versus a ladies medalist. Personally I thought her artistry was okay, but technically she was superior to the three medalist. I actually thought she had won bronze until I saw the scores. She was 3rd in the LP over Nicole Boebeck.
jarwillnc 1 year ago
how the fuck did she not medal?!?!? this shit was tremendous!!!!!
GosfordAbercrombie 1 year ago 2
the fact that Michelle did not medal at these worlds is outrageous! ...and a shame, period!
toplay4fun2003 1 year ago 11
What's the music?
BeautytifulTina 1 year ago
She was always so graceful on the ice :') I LOVE YOU MICHELLE!!!!! <3<3<3
mysteryloser24 1 year ago
Perfect skater !
GeorgiaxNicolex 1 year ago
Kwan threat haha ALERT!!!! ALERT!!!
JintoSoul 1 year ago
She definitely has many pages to take up in the history of this Sport.
sonettmanable 1 year ago
A genius in the making! Thank GOD for Michelle Kwan!!!! A glorious gift. I just want to cry thinking about all the joy she has brought so many of us.
mlc2005 1 year ago
In comparisson to how beautiful she then becomes, she is almost plain here to look at!
Mark wise, surely that performance deserved a medal, not to say a gold and to see some 5.6 was just outrages. I hate people and their charity votes. Michelle deserved to be on that podium!
bboylilizzi 1 year ago
@bboylilizzi Only thing i can think of is that the judges were telling Michelle that she needed to be more mature in her skating to get on the podium. Frank Carrol said as much. They wanted a woman on the podium not a girl.
dsfddsgh 1 year ago
@dsfddsgh thanks for that information, still I think winning is about your performance and your skills, age does not come into it, Frank Carrol was wrong to vote like that. If she is competing against the adult, judge her as one, not like a child. *squints at F Crrl* -_-
bboylilizzi 1 year ago
@bboylilizzi Frank had nothing to do with Michelle not getting on the podium. He was her coach not a judge. He was just trying to understand why she placed 4th. Knowing Frank he wasn't happy with the judges either but knew she had to start presenting herself as a more mature skater.
dsfddsgh 1 year ago
@dsfddsgh Ok, I understand now, I thought Frank was one of the judges or something. Though I must say having seen the perfomances by the other skaters, I understand that comment now. Thanks for your time dsfddsgh. Why not call yourself R2P2 instead, that would be a lot easier :) kidding! bye now!
bboylilizzi 1 year ago
@bboylilizzi I have no idea how i came up with this name. LOL
dsfddsgh 1 year ago
@dsfddsgh Yep they said they wanted a woman on the podium not a girl. Following year Michelle came out like gang buster. Then a year after, they gave the goddamn medal to a fucking little girl-Tara Lapinski. A skater whose all jump, no artistry or horrible technique. With Michelle, it's always damn is she do, damn if she don't she always had to prove herself and is the only one expected to ALWAYS give a flawless performance to win and yet there's messy skaters winning gold.
citizenlen 1 year ago
@citizenlen Ummmm....no...Tara EARNED her gold medalsl! And speaking of messy medicore skaters who are given gold medals...that would be this person in this video I do believe. Thank GOD for the Olympic judges!!!!!
Michelle is cute here and did very well but then seemed to just have a sense of entitlement and stopped upping the ante. She will never wear Olympic Goldd!
getrealandsee 1 year ago
@citizenlen You cant compare Tara's situation in 97 to Michelle in 95. Tara rose to the top in 97 by default in the worst womens field ever. Just look at how badly Kwan skated at Nationals and the Grand Prix final and still came 2nd and nearly won the final. Michelle was in a slump, Irina was in a worse one, Lu was out of it, and most of the top 10 from 96 were either not skating or having bad years. Tara also did triple-triples which set her apart technically unlike Kwan in 95.
russianskatingfan 1 year ago 3
@citizenlen and it is also stupid to say Kwan is the only one who has to be perfect to win. There has been no skater between 1995 and 2006 who won Worlds or Olympics with anything less than a perfect long program except.....oh yeah Kwan herself at the 98 Worlds. Sasha Cohen a skater with stunning spins, spirals, and artistry has never been awarded a major gold medal due to just 1 or 2 small slips each time.
russianskatingfan 1 year ago 2
@russianskatingfan When Kwan have excelled in her exciting debut in figure skating, nobody have even heard of Sasha. Not until the year 2000. By then, Michelle Kwan's popularity has already soared.
waddleduckie1 1 year ago
@russianskatingfan You aren't making reasoned sense, which is the result of hating Kwan. (Why don't you go away?)
As for Sasha's "1 or 2 small slips": that's a farce: she's was genuis at wobbling and falling. There is no comparison between Kwan and Cohen -- and this is the reality which demolishes your BS rationalizations:
Kwan, not Cohen, is the most decorated skater in US history. Over 50 perfect 6.0s. Next in line Boitano with 9. Where's Cohen in that list?
JNagarya 1 year ago
@JNagarya Kwan is not a lesbian (assuming you are female). And even if you are male she would not be interested. Get over your obsession with her. She would not be impressed to find she has a stalker.
grafgirl27 1 year ago 5
@grafgirl27 Where in hell did you come up with that lunacy?
Oh -- right: you're PROJECTING again.
It's okay to speak with an accent, but not to READ with one.
JNagarya 1 year ago
@grafgirl27 You're an asshole.
JNagarya 1 year ago
@grafgirl27 Are you out of your mind? Getrealandsee and ,allenglandlawns are stalkers, not JNagarya . I'd rather see nice posts complimenting Kwan on her skating performance instead of reading repeated nonsense that makes my skin crawl. Kwan is NOT an overrated skater. Kwan is a highly talented figure skater who deserved to be rightfully heard, not to be excessively tormented.
anne91276 2 months ago
so cute...young girl michel...^^
miregreencjh 1 year ago
She is lovely and carefree at that time.
mlal1027 1 year ago
la valeur n'attend pas le nombre de annees:)
anasthasys 1 year ago
she deserved the silver medal and Bobek the bronze. Notice with the all European panel how well Bonaly did. Had there been judges from USA CHN JPN CAN the results would have been different I assure you
metsdudenj 1 year ago
metsdudenj: Just for the record, there were judges from CHina, Japan, and Canada, but I agree she was undermarked. Remember, they didn't realize they were in the presence of perhaps the greatest of all time yet.
mlc2005 1 year ago
@mlc2005 I agree. She should have easily been in the medals at this worlds. Nevertheless, I thought these marks were a blessing to her because they told her where to improve and boy did she REALLY improve by the next worlds. Win or lose, she's still a great skater to watch.
allenglandlawns 1 year ago
you don't see this kind of emotions anymore...
thaoch 1 year ago
ahah she's so happy :]!
queenrei34 1 year ago
Seems that her artistry hasn't developed yet at that point in her career. Although her technical skills look amazing.
rtc7788 1 year ago
KWAN ROX!
schree 1 year ago
wtf why didn't she get a medal????????-.-
fjsla 1 year ago
I didn't know she could skate so well so young. WOW!!!!!!!
grethomory 1 year ago 3
14 years - she's crying because she was under a lot of pressure, and now she's happy that she did such a good job.
2005 - Watch this video and compare it to this one. It's amazing that she had such a long career.
TeensAreNotChildren 1 year ago
she is so beautiful,,,, she is gorgeous..!!!! shame that she has never won a gold medal for olympicsss..... coz she certainly deserve to have one!! love from australia!
chowbbkit 1 year ago 7
Sometimes when I watch these videos, I wonder if the judges were *biased* against her.
- Here she got a 4th place when she clearly earned a medal. Her skating was awesome.
- In Nagano she was "beat out by the American" to quote NBC's coverage. She should of had the gold, because again she skated flawlessly.
- And again at Salt Lake City, although she tripped, she still outperformed the others (IMHO).
TeensAreNotChildren 1 year ago 5
Michelle wasn't robbed of gold at either Olympics, even though I was rooting for her in 2002. In 2002 they wanted to give it to her quite honestly. Tara brought the 3/3s and Michelle was more tentative. Her '98 Nationals skate would have done it at the Olys, but Kwan standing up doesn't automatically equal a win.
That said, I'm not a kwan fan, but this video was a great effort. The start of an illustrious career.
nightmistress85 1 year ago
she looks soo cute in this video...she did very well at that age.
marter2006 1 year ago 3
adorable + amazing.
VioletBob 1 year ago 2
A couple ladies have won Olympic golds with far less artistry than Michelle displayed in this performance. She should have put her hair in a bun! She was always magnificent, wasn't she?
thesupremediva 1 year ago 32
@thesupremediva That's not a realistic statement at all. This program was rather immature; too many jumping passes and not enough musical interpretation. You can see a lot of qualities in this performance that really come alive in Michelle's later performances, but it wasn't a highly artistic performance. In terms of the jumps her Triples here didn't have good flow coming out either, only the Triple Flip. A good skate but not quite enough to make up the deficit from the SP.
Zuranthium 1 year ago
@thesupremediva What you must remember is that for ladies her age from 96' on(her transformation) other coaches took the hint to make their girls look more sophisticated. Lipinski & Hughes are prime examples. So, Michelle set the stage, especially for Lipinski. I seem to recall in 97' Lipinski's coach being miffed because a reporter reported on her losing her last baby tooth.
RothdeMan 1 year ago
@thesupremediva She was a wonderful child, at this stage. But: If a person is qualified to compete in an event, they should be eligible for medaling. Bonaly? -- her skating was never polished, let alone attractive. Kwan should have been at least third.
JNagarya 1 year ago 3
Yeah - Michelle was gyped
rupulstilskin 2 years ago 5
People say she got slower towards the end of her career... maybe she did, but she also got steadily more elegant and gorgeous in her artistry. *_*
2004 was one of her best years ever.
RosaLui 2 years ago 41
@RosaLui I agree. The free skate to Tosca music at the 2004 US Nationals is amazing.
nphung01 9 months ago
@RosaLui Absolutely! I loved her free skate that year!!! :D
Chocoholic319 8 months ago
Even here, so young and comparatively immature, I love the way she uses her arms. :)
RosaLui 2 years ago 4
in 1994 she was 13 and if tonya harding wouldn't have gone to olympiad michelle have did it. in 2006 mao asada was 15 and she couldn't go totorino- why? did the rules change? I love michelle by the way :) she's my favourite skater ever
Karolina917 2 years ago
@Karolina917 rules was different then. and yes rules did changed.
lexlib 2 years ago
Why was she crying did she expect the gold? seriously why ?
goingplaces11 2 years ago
Comment removed
allenglandlawns 2 years ago 3
@allenglandlawns Hey thanks. I guess you have to be a skater to understand it fully. I understand the part where she put everything -heart and soul- into it.
goingplaces11 2 years ago
@allenglandlawns I like you much better when you're honest about her skating....
Karosanyo 6 months ago
@goingplaces11 she was so happy. 2 clean performances and after her struggles in providence during the nationals it was really a very rewarding performance and you can really see she enjoyed it.
lexlib 2 years ago 3
Well her skating wasn't really that elegant she should really listen to what Frank says after what she had done to him but still good job Michelle
chelquerubin 2 years ago
OMG...I forgot how much she changed in one year.
If only they would have done something to her look that year...she could have had another world medal...if not the gold.
But perhaps her career would not have been the same or had as much meaning the following year.
MTVMANN 2 years ago 2
@MTVMANN I think her marks for presentation had impact for her skating in the future- she understood she had to change something and she did it very well. and she was only 15 when she won world title... it's really amazing ;)
Karolina917 2 years ago 2
and a legend was born.
courtneysk8s 2 years ago
@courtneysk8s a silver medallist legend
kangaroosbraun 2 years ago
What? She has NINE national gold medals and FIVE world championship gold medals. She's golden to me.
courtneysk8s 2 years ago 5
Under marked in both programs. Hence, the transformation of the next season.
Saw a Legend in the making!
RothdeMan 2 years ago
kwans a great jumper but her arms movements were woody, and her spins not that pretty. tara delivered better performance.
smurfiennes 2 years ago
1995 was the year I actually started to figure skate, than I decided to move on and go to college in 2008. Best sport in the world, I miss it so much!!!!
SheSheSkater 2 years ago 2
she should have won she was way to undermarked, but then again, she was overmarked at other competitions later in her skating career (rarely) amazing skater, amazing preformance
MrAmazingness1234567 2 years ago 3
I love how MK & Co. took this and transformed so drastically the next season where she was untouchable!
RothdeMan 2 years ago 2
Wow...14. My son is 14. So I'm thinking, "They're the same age...freaky." Then I realized he was born in 1995. So now I feel old. LOL! Amazing how quickly time flies! I remember watching this live, with no clue what a skating legend she would become.
kamwrites 2 years ago 2
Sasha landed 5 triples. While I agree at that in 2000 Michelle was generally a much better overall skater, her performance at that years Nationals apart was flat, slow, tenative, slow, lackluster, and did I mention slow. It was painfully weak even with only one fall.
More importantly though she should have been 4th in the short. Nikidinov skated a clean short and Kwan fell on a triple toe and was propped up unfairly to 3rd. This put her in position to win by winning the LP.
kristirulesice 2 years ago
Wow. The difference between this and her performance at Worlds a year later is astounding. She was so mature for her age.
rosewithoutathorn 2 years ago
To me her being 5th here is as bad as Yukari Nakano being 4th at the 2008 worlds. What a sham.
StewNWT 2 years ago 3
Kwan was actually 4th here. Check the 7:48 mark.
BmcC102 2 years ago
too cute!!!!!
SABRINAVANCO 2 years ago
The first of MANY times Kwan would be robbed. In fact, at the end of her career, one might had thought she was a bank. BUT she did accomplish a lot at the same time.
JPBENEF 2 years ago
The first of many times she was robbed! ROTFL!! One of the dumbest statements I have ever heard. Yeah Kwan was so robbed, that is why she won 5 World titles, 9 U.S titles, and 2 Olympic medals.
If anything she was gifted a few times in her career. The undeserved silver at 99 Worlds when she was majorly held up in the short program. U.S Nationals in 2000 when she didnt skate well and shouldnt have won. Alot of her unneccessary 6.0s at Nationals, even for her mediocre Bolero.
kristirulesice 2 years ago
I somewhat agree with you, towards the end of her career her skating never really flew the way it used to, she was slower, her spins had less speed, and there was less coherence to her expression. But at these worlds, at least once, she was definitely robbed.
StewNWT 2 years ago
Also 96 Worlds Chen should have been the winner. The only time Kwan was ever possibly robbed of anything was a silver or bronze at these Worlds. That is it. Never again was she ever robbed of a placing, and as I said several times actually gifted one.
kristirulesice 2 years ago
Obviously she has won many titles. And if you re-read my message you would notice that I made that statement ;-)
JPBENEF 2 years ago
But like it or not she was robbed of two Oly gold medals (in 98 bc lipinskis artistry marks were too high and quite frankly given her bad technique so were the tech marks. But she did the 3-3s so I'll let that slide. And in 2002 bc Slutskaya should not have been placed over her in the freeskate. Again artistry marks that were too high but they always were for Irina) And of course a medal here.
JPBENEF 2 years ago
OH and 2005 Worlds where she deserved the bronze over Kostner. She wasn't getting put on the podium there, though, no matter how she had performed.
JPBENEF 2 years ago
At the 2005 Worlds a bad qualifying round and bad long program with COP unfriendly programs to begin with. She certainly did not deserve a medal there. You say she was never going to win a medal no matter how she performed when she made 5 total mistakes over the 3 programs, had alot of level 1 elements since she didnt study the code well, and had that joke Bolero program, and still lost a medal by a fraction of a point. So that comment makes no sense.
kristirulesice 2 years ago
WRONG!! Kwan never deserved to win the short program at the 2002 Olympics in the first place. Had Olympics not been in the U.S she never would have finished 1st in the short. Irina was the clear winner in the short program. So no she definitely did not deserve the 2002 Olympic gold. To be honest Cohen might have even deserved the bronze over her. As for 1998 it was a close decision and most experts were fine with Taras win like it or not.
kristirulesice 2 years ago
Kwan's wonky (cheated on take-off and landing, even in my opinion before COP took over) was enough to give the SP to Slutskaya IMO. I'd even entertain putting Cohen in 2nd, as her 3flip, 2axel, all 3 spins, and musicality were better than Kwan's IMO. The combination jump and spiral sequence are pretty equal in my book.
BmcC102 2 years ago
much as Michelle was robbed here she didn't deserve either Olympic gold. Tara had the one and only skate of her life as did Sarah 4 years later. The better person on the night one, it's just a shame it wasn't the person who was best all the years in between.
StewNWT 2 years ago
Kwan WAS robbed here. She should have been 2nd... but don't make Tara's win out to be inaccurate, because that's not true.
BmcC102 2 years ago
Please dont foolishly confuse your own biased opinions as fact. I for one think Kwan was fortunate to even win the bronze over Cohen in 2002.
The only things Kwan were ever possibly robbed of was a silver medal behind Chen at these Worlds and the 98 Olympic gold was a close call. It is not like she was never given a gift though. Her 99 World silver was a bit of a farcial result, and her 96 World title over Chen was a much criticized decision as well.
grafgirl27 2 years ago
Why was she crying???
gomezandemi 2 years ago
Because she had just skated a perfect program in front of 15,000 people at the age of 14!
mlc2005 2 years ago
Talk about a preview of things to come! Even at this young age, I think we all knew that this was going to be a world class legend. Thank God she lasted for as long as she did, and gave us some of the most emotionally satisfying moments in sports history.... usually an athlete has a "moment" that's great, but Kwan had more than a dozen! Incredible.
mlc2005 2 years ago
Michelle was clearly better than anyone who place higher than her just because she looks like a kid and not a women. Now where are those so called "women"? They are not even famous anymore after their skating career whereas Michelle is doing far better than any of them.
acuison1 2 years ago
PERFECT !!!! BRAVO!!! alex!
alexandrestark 2 years ago
Worth a medal at this Championships :)
PunkBoi1982 2 years ago
poor kwansie, she thought she won... the judges didn't want bonaly to win.
koolaidnhemlock 2 years ago
ugh. I never was Michelles biggest fan, but I love the joy she shows during her skates. It just seems so genuine and light. And this was a gorgeous skate, as good as the one she did one year later at Worlds. Why the hell didn't she medal? Her jumps are efortless, the landings secure, the fun, the joy, the excitement - everything was there. To me this is a perfect example that the judges pretty often don't accredit younger skaters abilities - just because they're young! A shame.
Chalkare 2 years ago
She was 3rd in the free skate. Bobek bumped her off the podium since she won the short.
lambielkwanfan 2 years ago
she didn't medal because the judges were wary of making any "kids" gold medalists. they felt burned by oksana, who promptly turned pro after her wins. they rewarded kwan the next year though, for sure.
koolaidnhemlock 2 years ago
wen i saw michelle for the first time i knew she wud b as great as she is now....shes absolutly magical n idc wat any of those dipshitted judges sed she was the best then n shes the best now simple :/ <3
FearTheFlyinDoughnut 2 years ago
She SHOULD have gotten a medal at this event. What were those judges thinking??!!
blackonyx2002 2 years ago
Judges saw to it that no two Chinese creatures winning medals
thomasbecketshatin 2 years ago
this was a very good skate. And the only reason she probably didn't medal was because the judges thought she was too young...Even these commentators thought she was under-scored. Hey, they would have not been surprised if she won.!
cerdanM 2 years ago
thus began the transformation. it was Michelle's '95 to '96 transformation that really pushed the envelope as far as the expectancy of maturity and artistry at a young age. that's why so many newer skaters (attempt to) show more maturity at 13 and 14 years old. this was wonderful though!
herm712 2 years ago
How did Nicole won bronze with two falls? I don't care if they think Nicole is more artistic at this time in Michelle's career, but with two falls?
acuison1 2 years ago
shocking isn't it? i thought i would never see such horrible skating ever again...until this year's nationals. i'm still waiting for someone to explain how a 3 triple program with falls and popped jumps beats two clean 6 triple programs...Alissa Cziny's win at nationals was the biggest crock of bullshit i've seen in skating in years...and look where she placed at 4CC? at worlds? they didn't even invite her to skate in the team trophy competition...bullshit, i say.
herm712 2 years ago 2
agree Cziny is the most forgettable US skater since Holly Cook and Priscilla Hill, She is a waste and thanks to her we lost a spot at the Olympics. The US team is the weakest in history ( maybe since 1962, 1994 and this last quad) They wont even get a skater in the top 10 at Olympics, youll see
metsdudenj 2 years ago 4
I think Zhang or Flatt come finish as high as 5th or 6th in the Olympics but that is it. Cohen's comeback will be a flop.
lambielkwanfan 2 years ago
we will... flatt did well at worlds. that girl has sophistication, maturity and the BRAIN to be a champion. that can't be taught.
koolaidnhemlock 2 years ago 2
Not seasoned enough. The US will get BLANKED in the entire figure skating competition at the Olympics. Maybe a bronze in dance if we are lucky, thats it
metsdudenj 2 years ago
The U.S wont medal in pairs or womens. I think mens and dance a pretty open.
Dance so many question marks- Isabelle's bizarre decision to get pregnant this summer,Maxim's knees, Tessa Virtue's wierd ailment from last year.
Men- 8 or 9 men with a good shot including 2 or 3 of the U.S men.
lambielkwanfan 2 years ago
If only Judy Garland were still alive to sing "A Star is Born" to dedicate this moment.
mlc2005 2 years ago 2
I remember when I saw this on tv. I knew right away that Michelle would become a big star.
skateschool 2 years ago 4
Skateschool: That is so sweet! i loved your message. I saw her a few months later doing this one too, and was totally amazing, but never dreamed how much of a legend and icon she would become.
mlc2005 2 years ago 2
She is a choker. She always choked in the Olympics.
You need three things to be considered a great athlete:
1: Tremendous athletic ability
2: Great skill
3: Mental toughness in the clutch
Michelle had the first two, but she always choked in the clutch. Quite sad, because she could have been one of the greatest athletes of all time.
WhoLueYou 2 years ago
who were those people at 4:57?
girlla123 2 years ago
I think it's Scott Davis and Kyoko Ina, they were both part of the US team at worlds that year
lyverbird 2 years ago
it's amazing how much she matured in 1 year from 1995 - 1996. wish she had at least medalled with this performance though.. it was a clean program!
cantabile91 2 years ago 2
She is amazingg<33
i still remember the look of her face when she won!
-Hollywood866<3
hollywood866 2 years ago
ummmm, she actually didn't win after this performance, she placed 4th.
twilliger123 2 years ago
lovely
rubyshoes222 2 years ago
What I think is interesting is that Chris and Simon are truly leaning towards Kwan. Bezic immediately wrote her off. I honestly do think that this performance not only lead to Kwan's maturity the later year but it also to tought the coaches of future young and up and coming skaters what they needed to do in order for their skaters to win.
Eeyora1 2 years ago 2
Michelle was screwed.
ladywalker68 2 years ago
iloveyou michellexxxur amazing....xoxo
ardp833 3 years ago
Tara and Michelle are the best skaters ever!! They are the reason WHY i started skating in the first place. and they are my inspiration to keep going and suceed! and btw im not a pre pre skater learning an axel! im in intermediate and ive started my triples just so everyone knows.
figureskatingjaron 3 years ago 2
It's remarkable to see the slowly developing artistry in Michelle's skating. A little immature to be sure, but IMO a bit underrated for that moment. Obviously she improved!
Watching this now it's amazing to look back and think she didn't medal. She could have been the youngest to ever win, or at least medal (before Lipinski of course).
loverly18 3 years ago 7
I saw this performance on TV years ago and it just blew me away....I knew then this kid had what it would take. She started out great at age 14 and she still does not cease to amaze me. She is wonderful to watch...so elegant and lovely. She exudes the love she has for skating...a true inspiration.
artj22850 3 years ago 12
stop trashing tara!!!! she is better than kwan so get over it!!!!!
lipinskiidol 3 years ago
no, tara only won cuz she did all her elements. michelle has more grace and artistry and flexibility. it was cuz tara fit the image. dont get me wrong she was a good skater. just, michelle is better.
YuNaKimIsNumbr1 3 years ago 12
ah you're right I'd forgotten
StewNWT 3 years ago
This was what was retarded about the ordinal system - Michelle had 2 1st, 2 2nd, 3 3rd and 2 4th - because there was no consensus she failed to get anything. if this were under today's system she'dve won or gotten 2nd easily.
StewNWT 3 years ago