KAREN PRESTON 1994 CANADIAN NATIONALS FP

Karen's heartbreaking yet strong performance at 1994 Canadians that prevented her from making the Olympic and world team, as Josée Chouinard placed 1st and Susan Humphreys 2d.
Her tears are painful to watch, esp. since she coped well with pressure and fought through the whole performance, landing 6 triples and a gorgeous double axel but only 3 triples are clean (flip, salchow, 1st toe) and half of them are two-footed (flutz, loop?, 2d toe though the latter two slightly) and falling on a courageous second triple flip attempt (that was close and would have assured her a spot). What is more, this program is maybe too focused on jumps and lacks artistic intricacy, although it is skated with good speed, attack and flow.
How unfortunate that Humphreys outskated her (she had the skate of her life and landed six clean triples but it was a close call as the commentator says. Still, she deserved to be ahead of Karen if not of Josée, and the judges were extremely fair and did not consider the past -her strength and good standings on the world scene-, the present -this FP- and the future -she most probably would have placed higher than Humphreys at worlds and OG as she had poor performances at worlds and O.G. and after that season her carreer went downhill but who could have known?) Karen, after the trauma of being written off the national team, quit eligible skating and went pro, which I think was an emotional and rushed move, as the next season, there was no contention at all with Josée gone and a weaker Susan, so that an unknown Netty Kim won the 1995 Canadians and did not even qualify at worlds!!!
Poor poor Karen, this FP must be her worst memory but it is nevertheless a good one and the only chance to see this new Swan Lake FP which I never saw the GP versions of (if anyone has them, please post them). Hope you enjoy and "live" it like I do.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• figure
• skating

[lookscudkill]

I remember this event very well from '94. Humphreys and Preston were very close, but even without Preston's fall, you'd have to take a look at the performance factor. Preston was clearly pressured while Humphreys delivered a program with passion and elegance. She did win second place and the trip to the Olympics. Preston would have had better chances had she kept her 1993 LP or had an LP more like that. And Humphreys result at the games has nothing to do with this discussion, she had a bad day.

[stefrevollo]

@lookscudkill I wouldn't call landing five triples having a bad day...

[yngtxtopbear]

Wow, she looks exhausted at 3:00

[proxy22]

something happened after 1992.... shes started two footing everything!

[skateelectric]

I would have gone with Preston over both Josie and Susan on the basis of her edge control, stroking, and knee bend. Josie skated well for her but was always a headcase who could never seem to bend her knees or arch her back. Karen to me was the lovlier skater and had more snap to her movement and better overall technique.

[barkingtree88]

I wish she would've come back with vengeance the next season.

[JeremiVW]

@herminator65sf I mean atleast wear something that's relateable to the music.. Though over played..its lovely to watch skaters perform programs atleast relate-able to it.. I agree with you fully Herminator!!

[barkingtree88]

Interesting... "Battle of the Swans"

[timothyhh]

I bet the CFSA wished she had stuck around for another year or two.

[herminator65sf]

Really heartwrenching to watch. Kind of ironic that both she and Susan skated so Swan Lake.  Although in the words of Dick Button, 'there wasn't much Swan in that Swan Lake' - and this applies to both of them. Very close, but I would have gone with Karen over Susan.

[lookscudkill]

Also, it was clear that Humphreys had possible superstar tagged all over her, and she didn't fulfill that (and retired too early), although that again has nothing to do with this issue. But what's worse is how Preston retired and was not there for Canadian women's skating after '94 when it regressed so much and Humphreys began to underachieve. Anyways, Preston actually skated better here than I remembered her doing so. She was prepared for this event.