Linda Fratianne - 1980 Winter Olympics Short Program

[twilliger123]

Yeah whatever faerydouche....Sasha's legacy is that she NEVER completed two clean programs, long and short combined in ANY competition she ever competed in!  That is a FACT, that is why she NEVER won anything unless the others screwed up worse that she did...so stick that up your ass and spin, cuntface!

[faeryquene]

I think Denise Biellmann should have been Olympic champion although I was a fan of Linda Fratianne. Annett was lucky to be born into a nation with such powerful allies on the judging panel. I wonder if she's aware of how many people believe that her Olympic gold medal is bogus?

[grafgirl27]

@faeryquene how can Biellmann be Olympic Champion when figures were still in competition and when she was wretchedly bad at them. The fact you talk about Biellmann winning the Olympics and Poetzsch winning being completely bogus suggest you are creating an alterior universe where figures dont exist. You may not like them or agree with them still being in competition by then, but you cant blame the judges or skaters for marking or scoring points in something that was still there.

[sloams]

The fact that Annett was even in the running after bombing programs at the '77 and '79 Worlds, proves there was some favorable judging that propped her up there!! She is nowhere near Linda in content or artistry!! Annett is also lucky drug (steroid) testing was not in effect during her skating career because she would have been banned from the sport!!

[safehaven11]

For the first time, I kind of do feel like Linda Fratianne should've won the gold.

[HeyBeeDee]

It's 30 (!) years later, and I still don't see how Linda placed higher than Anett in both the SP and LP and ended up behind her. Biellmann's LP win no doubt had an effect, but still. At the time, there were comments that the East and West German figure judges conspired to place Linda 3rd, but I don't know if that is true. On top of which, Carlo Fassi was apparently going around saying that Lisa Marie Allen was the real US champion. He must have forgotten Hamill's '76 performance at Nationals...

[3370433704]

Anett's lead in the figures was bigger than Fratianne's in the other two programs. The system changed around 1981 to the factored placement ordinal system that was used for the next 25 years or so. BTW, what does Hamill's 1976 have to do with Lisa Marie Allen in 1980?

[nondescriptnyc]

@3370433704, there are so many versions of the story, involving Carlo Fassi, Frank Carroll, etc. but the story I have heard was ITA/Fassi agreeing to support Poetzsch if they let Cousins win...which they did. GDR and FRG supposedly conspired by GDR campaining for Lurz's medal over Watanabe (who bombed on her own anyhow) as FRG pushed for Poetzsch.

[nondescriptnyc]

@HeyBeeDee, it was just a different system before the Factored Placement system which took effect in 1981. School figures carried so much weight, and, after the figures there, Poetzsch and Lurz were miles ahead of everyone else. Nice performances by others, thus, didn't really make much of a difference, which is why the rule was very much welcomed.

[uky1985]

@HeyBeeDee The compulsory figures played a big part in those placements up until 1990.

[MTVMANN]

Very interesting that her hardest combination was in her SP, rather than her FS.

[shottut]

Sandy Lenz skated great, I would have put her 3rd she was robbed in the short and Lurs should have definately been placed before Anett... this competition was a crime, how they held skating back.

[westfaner]

@shottut Your so right, the judges were trading votes back then, and if Anett had been scored fairly she would have been 6th or 7th, instead of 4th, Linda would have won Gold and Denise would have made the podium.

[getrealandsee]

This was awesome. Fast forward to 2002...Sasha's short program in the Olympics..gorgeous, filled with difficulty and grace but.....then....kwan held up to 'win' the short...and the bronze which rightfully belongs to Sasha...looks like not much has changed as far as favortism..but enough about that.

Thank you so much for posting this video..great to see and Linda can hold her head high forever..truly a wonderful skate under tremendous pressure. She did the USA proud..she did, she did!

[mabg40]

Sasha Cohen's short was beautiful, as always, as was Michelle's...all figure skaters who work hard and make any championship can hold their heads high.

[twilliger123]

@getrealandsee the difference being Sasha Cohen never won anything but a Nats against a weak field and was the queen of falling on her ass and never being able to hold it together. This is like comparing apples and oranges!

[faeryquene]

@twilliger123 Sasha never won a major title but to say she 'never won anything' is ridiculous. Michelle Kwan herself has said she felt like she 'won' an Olympic silver medal in 1998. Sasha won one too, as well as several World and National medals. She may have 'fallen on her ass' as you so crudely put it but she never placed lower than 4th in major competition which is something she can be very proud of. You're such a sad bitter person but it's amusing to read your posts just the same. :b

[millerisqueen]

Not really. Poetzsch was a big name in the sport at the time so unless she fell on something she was never going to put lower than around 4th.

[millerisqueen]

Linda won the SP.

[buttleelegant]

Yeah everyone focuses on the gap in the figures being too big or not, or the gap in the long being big enough or not. However people seem to miss the point the real suspect factor in the overall gold medal was Poetzschs poor short program performance which should have placed behind much superior performances from Lenz and Lurz being held up to 4th in that phase.

[Chutson353]

She had more polish than Poetzsch but I like Poetzsch and Fratianne had the opportunity to work with Fassi which may be helped her improve her school figures as he was apparently an expert on figures and narrowed the gap in that area so she could have taken the gold but she refused.

[Aldobrandini]

She really should have won the gold -- such better style than Poetzsch, and she didn't put a foot wrong in both the SP or the LP. The gold really should have been hers.

[smokelean]

i will always remeber her for her glorious sit spin and of course for the triples. just 4 years before the triples were not required in the short program

[dolcevitausa]

I agree those spins do not travel an inch! I think she will also be remembered for the spectacular costumes she wore and setting the trend for future skaters to follow.

[miloandtock1]

5.9 for technical in my opinion - the height on her salchow, and double axle, and beautiful speed on the landings of all her jumps, good control, speed on her spins - really awesome.

[barkingtree88]

Do you have Annett's SP?

[cubanslide]

this is probably the best short program ever. she is an amazing skater who never really got her dues. I am honored that her history makes part of my life.