Janet Lynn 1968 Olympics - at the microphone: Eva Pawlik

At the microphone: the 1948 Olympic runner-up Eva Pawlik. Pawlik underlined in her commentary Janet Lynn´s enormous artistic abilities. I was asked to translate my mother´s commentary for the non German speaking audience:
"Though participating for the first time at Olympics or Worlds Janet Lynn is well known to us. Last year, she did some training in Switzerland (Davos) and then came to Vienna where the Worlds took place. Lynn did not participate but showed her free program at a skating exhibition in Vienna. We were all deeply impressed by the enormous artistic abilities of the then 13-year-old girl.
She is extremely fit. When practising she skates her free programme three times non-stop without getting tired. These 12 minutes are by far longer than a normal free programme at the men´s events which lasts 5 minutes.
Delayed axel. Double axel. Double flip. Inside axel (in German the sort of axel landed on the inside edge is called inside axel). Double lutz.
Triple salchow, though not perfect (but nevertheless - after the sounding of Pawlik´s voice when mentioning it - a small sensation).
Her greatness is her style (special emphasis on the word „style" in the sounding of Pawlik´s voice). Other young skaters may be technically brilliant as well but it is the charisma they lack. Lynn, however, though only 14 years old, has already developed her artistic abilities almost completely. Double salchow.
Perhaps Peggy Fleming is Lynn´s role model as Fleming also skates remarkably fluently. Lynn is skating in a certain sense undemonstratively, without using her arms and hands to be able to overcome technical difficulties as other skaters tend to do.
Double axel and double loop (in German: Rittberger) as a combination.
Double toe-loop. Double lutz. Flying sit spin.
In the end of her commentary Pawlik once again underlined Lynn´s ease and effortlessness in her skating and admired Janet showing several walley jumps - in both directions! - and one more double axel even in the very ending of her program.
An outstanding free skating!"

Janet Lynn´s Kür bei den Olympischen Spielen in Grenoble (1968). Am Mikrophon: die Olympiazweite von 1948, Dr. Eva Pawlik. Pawlik unterstrich die künstlerischen Fähigkeiten, die Janet Lynn als erst 14jährige trotz ihrer Jugend schon fast voll entwickelt hatte.

Category:

Sports

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• Janet
• Lynn
• Eva
• Pawlik
• Olympic
• Games
• 1968
• Grenoble
• sportscaster

[floskate]

Unbelievabe that this even exists! Thank you so very much for sharing such a treasure.

[ballinagra13]

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this. I have idolized Janet Lynn's skating for more than 40 years, and despaired of ever seeing programs like this again. I am thrilled that Janet's 1968 Olympic program is saved for posterity, as I was afraid it was lost forever.

[jillinois100]

@faeryquene Yeah- back then they had so much time devoted to compulsory figures that some of the stuff we see today wasn't even considered :)

[roarcompany]

My mother was 10 months pregnant with me, watching Janet Lynn skate in 1968. She was so overwhelmed by her gracefulness that she named her baby, me, Janet Lyn. I'm proud to be given her name. Thanks Mom!

[faeryquene]

Janet seems much freer, more avant garde in her movements and music (Afternoon of the Faun) than Peggy. Fleming was the last I think of the old style of skating which seemed a bit more static in the upper body, and general choreo/expression.

[GwennBottolenee1]

nunbin total ungezogen heute! wer hat lust zu chatten oder camen

[HattieLovesCattie]

@ballinagra13 I'm so glad her skate from Sapporo is on YT now.I got to see her in person in NC in 1976.She was judging a kids skate at a mall ice rink ( for Easter Seals ) and was like 7 months pregnan with her first sont.She looked so tired so I didn't get up the nerve to ask her for her autograph.

[Chutson353]

Absolutely incredible for a 14 year old.