I really like her body type for a female skater. Her posture and spins were great (her spins here would score very well under COP). A woman doing a triple lutz back then was very rare. She's one of the best.
Denise was years ahead of her time and the judges simply could not keep up. She has won like 10 pro championships and skates to this day at 49 years old and she skates like she used to.
It took Decades before Anyone else could do that spin - which has now become Required for every skater Both male and female. Way ahead of her time, she was one of the pathcutters, one of the great ones for sure.
Denise, dopo la straordinaria vittoria mondiale del 1981 non si ritirò, ma passò al professionismo per monetizzare il suo successo, come dovevano fare allora in quelle specialità considerate ipocritamente completamente dilettanti.Oggi, caduto il paravento del non professionismo, avrebbe avuto una carriera ben diversa. Basti pensare ai guadagni stratosferici di Yu na Kim.
Why did Biellmann retire from competition after winning the World Championship? She was setting herself up to be the favorite for Sarajevo in 1984. Ladies skating was very thin in the 81-84 period and she would have have only been 21.
@dsfddsgh Skaters didn't use to stick w/ the sport back then for as long as they do now. It was normative for female skaters to retire before turning 20 (e.g., Hamill, Fratianne, Poetzsch, Watanabe, etc. were all merely 19 or 20 when they retired). Finally, her triples had become a bit inconsistent (e.g., lost her 3L altogether in 1980) and she gave some dreadful performances between 79 and 81. Maybe she was tough on herself and felt that her days were over?
I love This!! Her marks for technical merit should have been a lot higher!! They should have been all 5.9s and few 6.0s in there as well especially with that triple lutz she did!! There definitely should have been some 6.0s for artistry as well!!!
@RothdeMan Actually, Michelle did not start training under Carroll until she was 10-11 years old. It was mentioned in one of the bios on her during Nationals.
Hard to believe this was 30 years ago. She seems stronger, more athletic, more graceful, and more original than many skaters today. I think the skaters of the 1980s and 1990s were the strongest skaters ever.
JUST wonderful!!! Had to comment... I was 9-10 years old when she performed this and remember it well... terrific stuff... really the mother of modern female figure skating. Thank you so much for uploading.
@muscleboi4use Totally agree with you. I was 9 years old at that time and this made a lasting impression on me too. She was a superstar back then, especially here in Switzerland. I remember this routine being shown over and over again on Swiss National Television the days following her win at the request of viewers. :-)
She is so awesome! I'm terrible with names, but I saw her once doing a routine over 20 years ago and I was so impressed I remembered her name to this day! It wasn't this event, I think she was a little older and more muscular but I remember the music was similar to what starts playing at 1:50 on this video. I'll keep looking! :-)
Denise Biellman was indeed a great free skater, but she was notorious for her nerves. She retired because 1984 was too far away for her to deal with all the pressure.
@stonerr It wasn't the pressure. She truly HATED competing Compulsory Figures and only stayed on in 1981 because of the changes to the judging system.
Why must all these skating routines include taking a big shit on L'Oiseau de Feu? I did enjoy this programme alot, but these techno infused classical peices of ballet are not needed.
@USAGymnast Interesting comment. How do you know Kwan would have been great at figures. Having great edges and being a great pure skater in free skating doesnt mean you excel at figures. Just look at Janet Lynn.
I agree with everyone here. The marks should have been showered with 6.0s for both technical and artistic. What were the judges smoking, barely any 5.9s for technical and 1 5.6 and 5.7. Please. And I agree she should have won the 1980 Olympics and 1984 Olympics had it not been for the stupid figures and her early retirement.
OMG! I had never watched one of her programs and I'm stunned! The Biellmann Spin being named after her says it all about her technique in this figure. Nobody does anything like that! And the rest is simply superb, she's definetely one of the greatest ever! And it was 1981! This woman was SO beyond her time, it's just incredible! * btw the commentators were WAY better back then, huh?
The judges should've given her straight 6.0's, whether or not anyone was to follow or not; it was just perfection. Nobody glided over the ice as Denise did, nobody had softer landings, and of course nobody had the technical ability or the artistic finesse. She shoud have been Olympic champion, and she should have dominated her era as regards official titles. But she was the best of her generation anyway, incl. Witt, of course.
One of the classic ladies' freeskates, right up there with Fleming at '68 Nationals FS, Witt at '87 Worlds, and both Chen and Kwan at '96 Worlds. In other words: the perfect synthesis of sport and art. No matter that the music isn't to my taste; the quality of the skating and the matching of the moves to the music is superb. And of course nobody has ever done spins like those. And that 3L! She also had the most wonderful arm positions in her jumps; very graceful.
Man, how have 30 years come and gone so fast?!? Fantastic skater that still stands the test of time. She was a lot like Janet Lynn in that one move flowed into the other. Every moment of her programs was choreographed. One of the best.
@dolcevitausa Denise was not the first to do her signature move.I think the first person to do it was back in the 1960's.I saw it here on YT but can't find it now but its the famous Russian pairs coach.She was a singles skater before getting into coaching.Its Tamara Moskvina.The prog below is wonderful and you will see her "Biellman ".Go here to YT and type in Tamara Bratus,1965 skate.
WOW! Beautiful triple lutz! She could have done another rotation on the second double axel and she could have attemoted a triple loop or flip. But the spins and speed were excellent!
@cm1276 Thanks for that! I love this song, and you've made me a fan now! Plus, I must say that this might be one of my all time favorite free skates in the ladies' division. Simply stunning. Every move is perfect. I wish she had stayed around!
I love every thing about this: The style, the skating, and the MUSIC!!!! I agree; she was so unlucky to be in the whole school figures era. SHE clearly shows that being a good school figure does not make one a good free skater, necessarily. Brilliant.
have a look at the vids I posted 5 days ago, taken at the ice rink from Vevey on Feb 04, 2010! Amazing to see that she skates faster now (she's 48 !!!!) than 30 years ago and that she still has got some moves of this program !
She once said she retired because she was so tired of having to come back from behind after school figures--remember, she won the FS in the 1980 Olympics but didn't win a medal. (She was even behind in this World Championships!!!) She clearly stayed only to get her one World Championship after 1980Olympians Frattianne and Poetsch were gone; sad, since she would clearly have dominated through 1984.
I too remember when she did it the first time way back then. The audience was ecstatic. Great to have a spin named after you. Apart from the spin, a fine skater too, and still going, how cool is that?
@clarriona She sure was! Witt was highly overrrated (she was gifted most of her World titles and her '88 OGM). Oksana and Witt were mostly propped up and gifted their titles.
@Karosanyo yet more nonsense from you. The only major titles Witt won you could argue anyone else deserving is possibly Manley the 88 Olympic and World titles. Her 84-87 World and Olympic titles were all undisputable and clear. Yeah the 84 Olympics was a 5-4 split over Sumners but nearly everyone thinks Sumners was gifted to even be that close and lucky for figures or she wouldnt have even been on the podium.
@russianskatingfan More "nonsense"? More projection from you.... I am entitled to my views. I have the understanding of diverse opinions. I don't go around insulting people that I disagree with on this site (I also don't go around acting as if my opinions are valid).
@metsdudenj I think she would have won the 83 Worlds and 84 Olympics. Remember at the 83 Worlds Sumners was only 4th in the short program. It wouldnt have been that hard for Biellmann to make up the ground. She was 4th in figures at the 81 Worlds so her figures were improving. She just had to be close enough to Witt at the 84 Olympics as she could beat her in both the short and long programs with her level of skating from 1980-1981.
WOW! Denise was LIGHT YEARS ahead of her time. She really could have been a multi olympic gold medalist. I mean you look at championship routines that followed, olympic and world, and they dont even touch this!
That is untrue the first woman to do all four (no one did five - that would include the axel, didn't happen).. triples in competion was Kristy in 92, Ito and Manley had 4 different triples but not use them all... plus the cheating that went on in skating... robbed Manley of winning the gold...But Witt was a fraction of the skater Denise was and even today Denise would kick her butt...
Huh? That's completely untrue. Midori Ito landed all 5 Triples WAY before 1992. Have you not seen her performance at the 1988 Olympics? And then in 1989 she added the Triple Axel and landed 6 different Triples.
@karrtt1234 Actually, there are 6 triples (Axel, Lutz, Flip, Loop, Salcow and Toe-Loop.) The first 5 triples completed in a program was by Midori in 84 (Skate Canada.) She also did the 6 triples, including the 1989 World. I think that Tonya Harding also did 6 triples. I am not sure whether any current skaters even attempt all 6 in a program or not.
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@karrtt1234 That's not true - Both Midori Ito and Liz Manley did 4 triples at 1988 Olympics, in fact Ito did 5 - salchow, toe loop, loop, flip & lutz - Manley did 4 - minus the flip. Then, the following year Ito did 6 triples to win Worlds in 1989 including triple axel. This was 3 years before Yamaguchi in 1992.
Witt is a great champion but she is also very fortunate Denise didnt stay in all those years which she could have. She could have really been the one to dominate the entire decade almost.
As for Witt her greatest strength was not so much technique or style or one move. It was that she was an unbelievable competitor. She basically willed her way to victories and she was clutch as they come. She was one of those who was a greater competitor than skater.
@youtubister lol that is true. That is really unfair she had that kind of pressure as it is not like they ever had another skater who always won. Poetzsch often made big mistakes in big events and obviously didnt always win. Hoffmann went 6 years between his only 2 World titles. However Witt was held to a whole new standard of expectation.
she probably could have medaled in 1992 as well, considering the performance that won the bronze in that year, and the condition that she was still in during the early 90s.
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the compulsory figures did not ruin anyones chance of becoming an amazing skater. if they were such great skaters, they would have done well in that portion of the event. midori and others were great jumpers, but figure skating is more than jumps.
She definitely set the trend (and expectation) for Swiss spinners. What a great programs. In a way, I'm surprised that she didn't go on to 1984 Olympics, but then I realized the age of 18 was probably considered old back in those days!
i agree... totally and completely agree... the compulsory figures have ruined the career of such amazing skaters like Denise, and Midori, i mean the year before Denise won the long program at the olympics and didnt even medall, that is ridiculous, but oh well, so glad there r no more compulsory figures, and that she got the gold...
Excellent! One of my favourite skaters. She should have carried on until 1984 Olympics. No other woman was doing triple lutz at Worlds at that time until Midori Ito and Liz Manley did them about 6 or 7 years later
did you guys see her program when she was 15? like...I'm 15. It's so degrading, lmfao. but I just got my biellman!! I'm so excited to put it in my program!
Very powerful program for her time period. Was she the only top skater doing a Lutz at the time too? Her spins were fantastic, her jumps and flow out very good and I've pretty much always enjoyed her music and choerography.
Denise is credited as being the first woman to land a triple Lutz, but this comp. wasn't it. Despite a bit of a two-foot on the landing, her triple Lutz at the 1978 European championships is recorded as the first.
I know very little about figure skating except for what I've watched (which is a lot) - I've never seen anyone complete their jumps with such a beautiful, graceful follow-through. Skaters today should watch this.
the only thing i don't like about her jumps is the positioning of her arms. she always raises them up toward her face. sometimes one arm comes flaring out and it mars the presentation a bit.
caseyphx- I wonder if the positioning of her arms was because she rotates in an opposite direction to most other skaters in her jumps. Despite that, her triples were still the cleanest landed triples for her time. Considering the technical difficulties in her spins (obviously) and jumps, her routines were extraordinarily graceful.
This performance as well as her long program from the 1980 Olympics prove that Biellman was well ahead of her time. She would go on to win the World Professional Championships eleven times.
I really like her body type for a female skater. Her posture and spins were great (her spins here would score very well under COP). A woman doing a triple lutz back then was very rare. She's one of the best.
Karosanyo 1 week ago
Denise was years ahead of her time and the judges simply could not keep up. She has won like 10 pro championships and skates to this day at 49 years old and she skates like she used to.
She is truly an angel sent to ice
ronpaulforpresident6 3 weeks ago
97 kişi beğenmiş, (şimdi ben de beğeneceğim 98 olacak) bir kişi beğenememiş. İlginç....
einekleinenachtmusic 2 months ago
It took Decades before Anyone else could do that spin - which has now become Required for every skater Both male and female. Way ahead of her time, she was one of the pathcutters, one of the great ones for sure.
jansumi 3 months ago
Denise, dopo la straordinaria vittoria mondiale del 1981 non si ritirò, ma passò al professionismo per monetizzare il suo successo, come dovevano fare allora in quelle specialità considerate ipocritamente completamente dilettanti.Oggi, caduto il paravento del non professionismo, avrebbe avuto una carriera ben diversa. Basti pensare ai guadagni stratosferici di Yu na Kim.
MRCHARLIEHAWK 4 months ago
I must say, her spins was years ahead of her time!
skatebride9205 5 months ago
Just wonderful !
I love her and beautiful performance !
Thank's a lot for sharing this big remember !
CONGRATULATIONS
xanglat 7 months ago
That 3z - with the music no less!! - amazing
OapostropheC 7 months ago
Why did Biellmann retire from competition after winning the World Championship? She was setting herself up to be the favorite for Sarajevo in 1984. Ladies skating was very thin in the 81-84 period and she would have have only been 21.
dsfddsgh 8 months ago
@dsfddsgh Skaters didn't use to stick w/ the sport back then for as long as they do now. It was normative for female skaters to retire before turning 20 (e.g., Hamill, Fratianne, Poetzsch, Watanabe, etc. were all merely 19 or 20 when they retired). Finally, her triples had become a bit inconsistent (e.g., lost her 3L altogether in 1980) and she gave some dreadful performances between 79 and 81. Maybe she was tough on herself and felt that her days were over?
nondescriptnyc 5 months ago
I love This!! Her marks for technical merit should have been a lot higher!! They should have been all 5.9s and few 6.0s in there as well especially with that triple lutz she did!! There definitely should have been some 6.0s for artistry as well!!!
sloams 9 months ago
Breathtaking even after 30 years!!
It had not been performed anything like that by any ladies in the next 2-3 decades.
Yu-Na Kim and Mao Asada could beat her only, but they came 27 yrs later...
BigdealXXIII 11 months ago
@RothdeMan Actually, Michelle did not start training under Carroll until she was 10-11 years old. It was mentioned in one of the bios on her during Nationals.
3Axel1996 11 months ago
Hard to believe this was 30 years ago. She seems stronger, more athletic, more graceful, and more original than many skaters today. I think the skaters of the 1980s and 1990s were the strongest skaters ever.
HowDareThey1970 1 year ago
JUST wonderful!!! Had to comment... I was 9-10 years old when she performed this and remember it well... terrific stuff... really the mother of modern female figure skating. Thank you so much for uploading.
muscleboi4use 1 year ago
@muscleboi4use Totally agree with you. I was 9 years old at that time and this made a lasting impression on me too. She was a superstar back then, especially here in Switzerland. I remember this routine being shown over and over again on Swiss National Television the days following her win at the request of viewers. :-)
lionjake72 10 months ago
the one and only, im speachless
NiklasNydahl 1 year ago
She is so awesome! I'm terrible with names, but I saw her once doing a routine over 20 years ago and I was so impressed I remembered her name to this day! It wasn't this event, I think she was a little older and more muscular but I remember the music was similar to what starts playing at 1:50 on this video. I'll keep looking! :-)
JohnLRice 1 year ago
no lady today does a lutz as well as that.
octopussy1234 1 year ago
wow! awesome take-off edge on the lutz
octopussy1234 1 year ago 3
Denise Biellman was indeed a great free skater, but she was notorious for her nerves. She retired because 1984 was too far away for her to deal with all the pressure.
stonerr 1 year ago
@stonerr It wasn't the pressure. She truly HATED competing Compulsory Figures and only stayed on in 1981 because of the changes to the judging system.
3Axel1996 11 months ago
Why must all these skating routines include taking a big shit on L'Oiseau de Feu? I did enjoy this programme alot, but these techno infused classical peices of ballet are not needed.
RustDemon79 1 year ago
@USAGymnast Interesting comment. How do you know Kwan would have been great at figures. Having great edges and being a great pure skater in free skating doesnt mean you excel at figures. Just look at Janet Lynn.
raichmaneuvers 1 year ago
I agree with everyone here. The marks should have been showered with 6.0s for both technical and artistic. What were the judges smoking, barely any 5.9s for technical and 1 5.6 and 5.7. Please. And I agree she should have won the 1980 Olympics and 1984 Olympics had it not been for the stupid figures and her early retirement.
raichmaneuvers 1 year ago
Great,Fantastic!!!!
b2367 1 year ago
OMG! I had never watched one of her programs and I'm stunned! The Biellmann Spin being named after her says it all about her technique in this figure. Nobody does anything like that! And the rest is simply superb, she's definetely one of the greatest ever! And it was 1981! This woman was SO beyond her time, it's just incredible! * btw the commentators were WAY better back then, huh?
overainbows 1 year ago
The judges should've given her straight 6.0's, whether or not anyone was to follow or not; it was just perfection. Nobody glided over the ice as Denise did, nobody had softer landings, and of course nobody had the technical ability or the artistic finesse. She shoud have been Olympic champion, and she should have dominated her era as regards official titles. But she was the best of her generation anyway, incl. Witt, of course.
Aldobrandini 1 year ago
She is a legend.
warren1122report 1 year ago
so this is the woman who is responsible for that spin... fantastic..
kanzaki88 1 year ago
One of the classic ladies' freeskates, right up there with Fleming at '68 Nationals FS, Witt at '87 Worlds, and both Chen and Kwan at '96 Worlds. In other words: the perfect synthesis of sport and art. No matter that the music isn't to my taste; the quality of the skating and the matching of the moves to the music is superb. And of course nobody has ever done spins like those. And that 3L! She also had the most wonderful arm positions in her jumps; very graceful.
Aldobrandini 1 year ago
Man, how have 30 years come and gone so fast?!? Fantastic skater that still stands the test of time. She was a lot like Janet Lynn in that one move flowed into the other. Every moment of her programs was choreographed. One of the best.
dolcevitausa 1 year ago
@dolcevitausa Denise was not the first to do her signature move.I think the first person to do it was back in the 1960's.I saw it here on YT but can't find it now but its the famous Russian pairs coach.She was a singles skater before getting into coaching.Its Tamara Moskvina.The prog below is wonderful and you will see her "Biellman ".Go here to YT and type in Tamara Bratus,1965 skate.
HattieLovesCattie 1 year ago
WOW! Beautiful triple lutz! She could have done another rotation on the second double axel and she could have attemoted a triple loop or flip. But the spins and speed were excellent!
greekluv85 1 year ago
anybody know the music played in the first part? beautiful!
mlc2005 1 year ago
@mlc2005 It is the Samba Pa Ti by Santana off of the album Tranquility. The second part is Magic Bird of Fire by the Salsoul Orchestra.
cm1276 1 year ago
@cm1276 Thanks for that! I love this song, and you've made me a fan now! Plus, I must say that this might be one of my all time favorite free skates in the ladies' division. Simply stunning. Every move is perfect. I wish she had stayed around!
mlc2005 1 year ago
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@mlc2005 It is the Samba Pa Ti by Santana off of the album Tranquility. The second part is Magic Bird of Fire by the Salsoul Orchestra.
cm1276 1 year ago
I love every thing about this: The style, the skating, and the MUSIC!!!! I agree; she was so unlucky to be in the whole school figures era. SHE clearly shows that being a good school figure does not make one a good free skater, necessarily. Brilliant.
mlc2005 1 year ago
@Moose4Choice
LOL
youtubister 1 year ago
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Sasha Cohen has a better Biellmann spin...pwnt
Hail2TheVictorsBaby 2 years ago
She is AMAZING
Thanks for post it.
Basileus1983 2 years ago 6
Each winter olympic, I miss Biellmann spirit. Thanks for posting.
nztree 2 years ago 4
And she's still skating great !!!!
have a look at the vids I posted 5 days ago, taken at the ice rink from Vevey on Feb 04, 2010! Amazing to see that she skates faster now (she's 48 !!!!) than 30 years ago and that she still has got some moves of this program !
She's such a lovely and nice person !
dianemars 2 years ago 4
@dianemars Yes, that for posting them you rock... big time !! Nice to see her I wish she would come to Canada and tour.
karrtt1234 2 years ago 3
Happy to make you happy :) I wish you the same luck I had to meet her!
dianemars 2 years ago
Well swiss spins are the best:)
aidenadore 2 years ago 3
where was denise biellman from? she is so good at skating, i wish i could be as good as her. go clockwise skaters!
lucylikeslollies 2 years ago
une Suissesse :) (que de S dans ce nom !)
BlueberryLilly 2 years ago
She once said she retired because she was so tired of having to come back from behind after school figures--remember, she won the FS in the 1980 Olympics but didn't win a medal. (She was even behind in this World Championships!!!) She clearly stayed only to get her one World Championship after 1980Olympians Frattianne and Poetsch were gone; sad, since she would clearly have dominated through 1984.
jmedavis 2 years ago 2
I remember seeing this way back and regarding her as one of the finest. Her Biellmann Spielman will stand the test of time.
ajb1776 2 years ago 2
@ajb1776
I too remember when she did it the first time way back then. The audience was ecstatic. Great to have a spin named after you. Apart from the spin, a fine skater too, and still going, how cool is that?
GO DENISE
youtubister 1 year ago
Why did she retire at 18??? She could have definitely gone on to contend for or win the gold medal in Sarajevo!! Does anybody know why she retired??
sloams 2 years ago
She was a million times better than Witt!
clarriona 2 years ago 12
@clarriona
I never took to the East German regime ice maiden.
youtubister 1 year ago
@clarriona She sure was! Witt was highly overrrated (she was gifted most of her World titles and her '88 OGM). Oksana and Witt were mostly propped up and gifted their titles.
Karosanyo 8 months ago
@Karosanyo yet more nonsense from you. The only major titles Witt won you could argue anyone else deserving is possibly Manley the 88 Olympic and World titles. Her 84-87 World and Olympic titles were all undisputable and clear. Yeah the 84 Olympics was a 5-4 split over Sumners but nearly everyone thinks Sumners was gifted to even be that close and lucky for figures or she wouldnt have even been on the podium.
russianskatingfan 8 months ago
@russianskatingfan More "nonsense"? More projection from you.... I am entitled to my views. I have the understanding of diverse opinions. I don't go around insulting people that I disagree with on this site (I also don't go around acting as if my opinions are valid).
Karosanyo 8 months ago
She's like a feather when she jumps...makes it look so easy! She's amazing! And the coreography... lovely!
belle19822000 2 years ago 6
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Denise would have probably won the 82 worlds, the 83 world silver ( Sumners was too good in compulsories) and probably the Olympic bronze in 84.
metsdudenj 2 years ago
@metsdudenj I think she would have won the 83 Worlds and 84 Olympics. Remember at the 83 Worlds Sumners was only 4th in the short program. It wouldnt have been that hard for Biellmann to make up the ground. She was 4th in figures at the 81 Worlds so her figures were improving. She just had to be close enough to Witt at the 84 Olympics as she could beat her in both the short and long programs with her level of skating from 1980-1981.
russianskatingfan 1 year ago
Comment removed
CharlieShipleyMusic 2 years ago
So true
jondavwal 2 years ago
WOW! Denise was LIGHT YEARS ahead of her time. She really could have been a multi olympic gold medalist. I mean you look at championship routines that followed, olympic and world, and they dont even touch this!
JPBENEF 2 years ago 25
That is untrue the first woman to do all four (no one did five - that would include the axel, didn't happen).. triples in competion was Kristy in 92, Ito and Manley had 4 different triples but not use them all... plus the cheating that went on in skating... robbed Manley of winning the gold...But Witt was a fraction of the skater Denise was and even today Denise would kick her butt...
karrtt1234 2 years ago 7
Huh? That's completely untrue. Midori Ito landed all 5 Triples WAY before 1992. Have you not seen her performance at the 1988 Olympics? And then in 1989 she added the Triple Axel and landed 6 different Triples.
Zuranthium 2 years ago
@karrtt1234 Actually, there are 6 triples (Axel, Lutz, Flip, Loop, Salcow and Toe-Loop.) The first 5 triples completed in a program was by Midori in 84 (Skate Canada.) She also did the 6 triples, including the 1989 World. I think that Tonya Harding also did 6 triples. I am not sure whether any current skaters even attempt all 6 in a program or not.
kh3205 1 year ago
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@karrtt1234 That's not true - Both Midori Ito and Liz Manley did 4 triples at 1988 Olympics, in fact Ito did 5 - salchow, toe loop, loop, flip & lutz - Manley did 4 - minus the flip. Then, the following year Ito did 6 triples to win Worlds in 1989 including triple axel. This was 3 years before Yamaguchi in 1992.
npe1 1 year ago
Witt is a great champion but she is also very fortunate Denise didnt stay in all those years which she could have. She could have really been the one to dominate the entire decade almost.
As for Witt her greatest strength was not so much technique or style or one move. It was that she was an unbelievable competitor. She basically willed her way to victories and she was clutch as they come. She was one of those who was a greater competitor than skater.
russianskatingfan 2 years ago
@russianskatingfan
quote: "It was that she was an unbelievable competitor. She basically willed her way to victories and she was clutch as they come."
Just think what "they" would have done to her had she not won.
youtubister 1 year ago
@youtubister lol that is true. That is really unfair she had that kind of pressure as it is not like they ever had another skater who always won. Poetzsch often made big mistakes in big events and obviously didnt always win. Hoffmann went 6 years between his only 2 World titles. However Witt was held to a whole new standard of expectation.
russianskatingfan 1 year ago
Exactly....and Denise never used shady scare tactics to rattle her opponents when they skated because she was scared of losing!
twilliger123 2 years ago 3
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Or steriods !
Marchjoy1963 2 years ago
i like watching leftys cuz it's unique and i learn better if i can see it from both directions
shmoofoobean44 3 years ago
Heh I agree on this one! I often do wonder how the compulsary figures would have played out if Denise had stayed amatuer
yngtxtopbear 3 years ago
she probably could have medaled in 1992 as well, considering the performance that won the bronze in that year, and the condition that she was still in during the early 90s.
scexpatriate 3 years ago
Wonderful performance to see again, and have available......best wishes
k9henrydog 3 years ago 5
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the compulsory figures did not ruin anyones chance of becoming an amazing skater. if they were such great skaters, they would have done well in that portion of the event. midori and others were great jumpers, but figure skating is more than jumps.
koolaidnhemlock 3 years ago
You're dumb. Yes, it's more than just jumping. It's also about performing...which Denise Beillmann and Midori Ito did wonderfully.
Zuranthium 3 years ago 2
Beuatiful Bielmann spin!
ElizabethxPete 3 years ago 2
Arguably the best sakter ever without an Olympic Gold Medal!!!! Wonderful skater. Excellent technical and artistic quality. 4-ever Denise!!!!
RAFAAMARILLAS 3 years ago 6
She definitely set the trend (and expectation) for Swiss spinners. What a great programs. In a way, I'm surprised that she didn't go on to 1984 Olympics, but then I realized the age of 18 was probably considered old back in those days!
yodabeesh 3 years ago 2
i agree... totally and completely agree... the compulsory figures have ruined the career of such amazing skaters like Denise, and Midori, i mean the year before Denise won the long program at the olympics and didnt even medall, that is ridiculous, but oh well, so glad there r no more compulsory figures, and that she got the gold...
luchito345 3 years ago 6
wow, i don't have other words....
barse92 3 years ago 4
Incredible! I've always seen her professional competitions, but it's great to see her in these years!
puaalaaumoe 4 years ago 4
The sexiest woman from Switzerland.
ichmalealsobinich 4 years ago
Denise is freakin AWESOME!!!!!!!
trevor40 4 years ago 2
What happened? Nothing to serious I hope.
brn2s8 4 years ago
She dislocated her shoulder during Stars on Ice.
anfjustin1981 4 years ago
Denise is AWESOME!!! I was in Hartford when she skated this program. Loved it then..definitely has stood the test of time.. just as impressive today.
fairlakes131 4 years ago
Excellent! One of my favourite skaters. She should have carried on until 1984 Olympics. No other woman was doing triple lutz at Worlds at that time until Midori Ito and Liz Manley did them about 6 or 7 years later
npe1 4 years ago
did you guys see her program when she was 15? like...I'm 15. It's so degrading, lmfao. but I just got my biellman!! I'm so excited to put it in my program!
mentallystable 4 years ago
Very powerful program for her time period. Was she the only top skater doing a Lutz at the time too? Her spins were fantastic, her jumps and flow out very good and I've pretty much always enjoyed her music and choerography.
amexred 4 years ago
whats that song in the beginning, im dying to know, someone please send me a pm or something
=)
tonzeren 4 years ago
"Samba Pa Ti" by Santana off of the album ABRAXAS
fairfielder 4 years ago
The Biellmann spin is breathtaking, but look at her layback. It's the most perfectly positioned layback spin I've ever seen!
goober5151 4 years ago 2
I agree. Not only a gorgeous layback but some of the best choreography I have seen. This program was breathtaking and remains my all time favorite.
CPQuadSkater 4 years ago 2
She's so graceful.
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hermosillo 4 years ago
She should be inducted into the hall of fame.
42062506j 4 years ago
this was the first ever triple lutz by a lady right? I wonder why nobody EXCLAIMED! .... it is, till this very day, the ladies' benchmark jump!
lutz84 4 years ago
Denise is credited as being the first woman to land a triple Lutz, but this comp. wasn't it. Despite a bit of a two-foot on the landing, her triple Lutz at the 1978 European championships is recorded as the first.
maxthewonderpup 4 years ago
I know very little about figure skating except for what I've watched (which is a lot) - I've never seen anyone complete their jumps with such a beautiful, graceful follow-through. Skaters today should watch this.
RedbeardNC 4 years ago
That delay on her double axel! I can more than forgive that disco Firebird music.
darkshade112 4 years ago
that triple lutz is so powerful...
AlessaAnna 4 years ago
gdgd
genismart 4 years ago
she was the first woman landing a triple Lutz....
SwissMan73 4 years ago
the only thing i don't like about her jumps is the positioning of her arms. she always raises them up toward her face. sometimes one arm comes flaring out and it mars the presentation a bit.
caseyphx 4 years ago
caseyphx- I wonder if the positioning of her arms was because she rotates in an opposite direction to most other skaters in her jumps. Despite that, her triples were still the cleanest landed triples for her time. Considering the technical difficulties in her spins (obviously) and jumps, her routines were extraordinarily graceful.
battycys 4 years ago
agree she should have gotten the bronze at the 80 olympics, stupid compulsaries!
metsdudenj 4 years ago
This performance as well as her long program from the 1980 Olympics prove that Biellman was well ahead of her time. She would go on to win the World Professional Championships eleven times.
draco220 4 years ago
she has such a beautiful salchow
Patriciaskye 5 years ago
such a beautiful spin
norhafizi 5 years ago
çok büyük götü var :D
emohan3 5 years ago