Linda Fratianne (USA) - 1980 Lake Placid, Ladies' Long Program

Lake Placid, New York, USA - 1980 Winter Games, Figure Skating, Ladies' Long Program - Linda Fratianne of the United States had to settle for the Silver Medal here due to her sub-par performance in Compulsory Figures and due to being beaten in the Long Program by Switzerland's Denise Biellmann.

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Sports

Tags:

• Linda
• Fratianne
• 1980
• figure
• skating

[grafgirl27]

@oofahman Biellmann would have won without figures.

[hersi29]

Probably my all time favorite skater. Doesn't hurt that she was also a babe!

[oofahman]

If it weren;t for those damned figures, she would have won..just like Janet lynn would have won many times as well....thank God the figures are gone now :)

[gwyneth00]

I remember watching Linda Fratianne skate that night almost 31 years ago. I was so sure that she had won the gold medal. I wanted it for her so badly. She skated so well and she was just so beautiful and vivacious--much like Dorothy Hamill four years earlier. It was stunning to see her get the silver. I feel for her still, all these years later.

[victoriaindigo]

For some reason I remember Linda being famous for her hairstyle

[grafgirl27]

In 1988 I agree with Manley, then Ito, then Witt without figures.

In 1984 I would have Chin, then Zayak, then witt without figures.

[TheCopper05]

@grafgirl27 Oh I agree. I think Biellmann was twice the skater of Poetzsch. WIthout the figures, Biellman

would have beaten both Poetzsch. Here is how I would have ranked all three skaters without figures.

1. Biellmann 2. Poetzsch 3. Fratianne. Now, the 1984 without figures, I am not for sure about that. What is

your opinion. Let me know. 1988: I think without figures .1. Liz Mannely 2. Ito 3. Witt. What do you

think about results from 1988/

[twilliger123]

@grafgirl27 and I see you're not using your pseud accounts now that you've been found out...LMAO

[twilliger123]

I agree, but we're looking overall for all three elements of those days Linda still should have won, IMO. Denise was a great free skater jumping-wise no doubt but there was way too much eastern bloc countries doing back-room deals back then. In this case what Frank Carroll has always said I think is true.

[grafgirl27]

@twilliger123 Poetzsch was beaten handily as far as the judges marks in the free skating. Poetzsch won due to her big lead in figures which was justified as Linda always had much weaker figures than Annett. And if the gold should have gone to the best free skater than Biellmann would have won, not Linda.