Katarina Witt (GER) - 1994 Lillehammer, Figure Skating, Ladies' Free Skate

Hamar, NORWAY - 1994 Lillehammer, Figure Skating, Ladies' Free Skate - Katarina Witt of Germany closed out the figure skating event by skating a moving program to Pete Seeger's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," Katarina's tribute to those suffering from the civil war in Sarajevo. She would place 7th in the Free Skate and end up dropping from 6th to 7th Place overall.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Katarina
• Witt
• 1994
• figure
• skating

[barkingtree88]

Judge that gave her a 4.8 and a 5.1 gave Oksana Baiul a 5.9 for technical merit.... I just don't understand.

[3Axel1996]

@barkingtree88 Good ol' former Ukrainian judge (he now judges for Israel) Alfred Korachek, who would later get suspended in 1999 by the ISU for his involvement with the Russian judge in the footsie scandal during the pairs event at Worlds. With Katarina, he was too honest (she really only landed 2 clean triples and they were toe loops), but he showed way too much National bias with Oksana (he should have been suspended after these Games for that).

[intldawn]

A 5.1 for artistry is complete nonsense. That judge should be absolutely ashamed.

[musicpalace100]

Depth and Elegance.

[Mikelandscaper]

We need more programs(moments) like this.

[sneeyize45]

I don't care what the judges did, and I don't care about her marks or even mistakes on the jumps. This program still brings tears to my eyes to watch.  Because of the beautiful music from Pete Seeger, and her baring her soul to skate this program and she touched more than audience there, Katarina touched so many people across the world with this program (I was in Florida at the time.)

[sneeyize45]

@barkingtree88 I still don't understand. This is the most moving program I've ever seen in figure skating.

[pelicanus11]

Since the 80's there was a requirement for more triples and Katarina didnt have the technicality to perform them as like Tonya Harding and Midori Ito with their triple Axels

[TheCopper05]

@3Axel1996 This was the same judge who gave Nancy Kerrigan her marks, which were not good enough to win the Gold Medal.

[redredredtoo]

@claireshana I don't know? Always been rumours......who knows the east germans did dope all of their athletes....but the athletes did not know!!!!! They all later sued over health issues.....witt seems in good health

[3Axel1996]

@mexicanafan I haven't re-read the rules from back then but for a Long Program to be considered a balanced program, 4 different types of spins are required, a footwork sequence, moves such as an Ina Bauer or a spiral or spread eagle are needed, no more than 3 jump combinations/sequences... these types of requirements. Missing such elements can lead to mandatory deductions off the technical merit. Sorry for the delayed response.

[a5615]

@joe11880 I don't think it was arrogance. i just think Witt wanted to experience the Olympics with her family for the first time. She did compete under the iron curtain.

She had to earn her spot, and she did just that at the Europeans that year.