Figure Skating Champions SURVIVOR: Ladies ROUND 7

[SamuraiK]

Half the skaters that began the fight are gone now.. We move on the second half of the game. Only the really strong skaters reaming. But first we have to say goodbye to the youngest champion of all..

7th PLACE: TARA LIPINSKI (37.15% of votes)

The remaining contenders are:

Some Grand Prix Final Links (except for Lulu) this time.
01. Lu Chen - CHN - 1995 World Champion.
02. Michelle Kwan - USA - 1996,1998,2000,2001 and 2003 World Champion.
03. Irina Slutskaya - RUS - 2002 and 2005 World Champion.
04. Shizuka Arakawa - JPN - 2004 World and 2006 Olympic Champion.
05. Mao Asada - JPN - 2008 and 2010 World Champion.
06. Yuna Kim - KOR - 2009 World and 2010 Olympic Champion.

Already eliminated:
08th Place - Carolina Kostner (41.39% votes)
09th Place - Maria Butyrskaya (32.67% votes)
10th Place - Miki Ando (24.90% votes)
11th place - Sarah Hughes (53.06% votes)
12th place - Kimmie Meissner (50.26% votes)

Vote and discuss..

[SamuraiK]

Torn between Lulu and Shiz. But voted for Chen. They're both preety equal but Arakawa has the OGM edge and really paved the way for skating boom in Japan while its been almost 20 years since a good chinese lady.

[Marco]

Torn between Lulu and Shiz. But voted for Chen. They're both preety equal but Arakawa has the OGM edge and really paved the way for skating boom in Japan while its been almost 20 years since a good chinese lady.

Li Zijun and Zhang Kexin are coming!

I definitely admit bias but I am open to consider voting for Slutskaya or even Asada before Chen. I just remember more memorable performances from Chen than from Slutskaya and Asada.

[judgejudy27]

Chen and Arakawa both should not have outsurvived Lipinski, and neither are in the league of the other 4 women on this list.

[RumbleFish]

I would pick Arakawa or Asada.
They both were very inconsistent, and made livings off of big tricks they rarely delivered cleanly, i.e. triple-triple for Arakawa and 3A for Asada.
Another thing they had in common was getting inflated 2nd mark through their Tarasova choreographed shit programs despite being seriously lacking in artistry.

[gingercrush]

Lu Chen to go. Asada has two World Championships, same for Slutskaya. Kim and Arakawa have World Championship and Olympic Gold and no matter how much I dislike her, Kwan isn't going anywhere. Chen is the odd one out even if she was fab.

And Asada has pulled off Triple Axels numerous times and in combination. She has also performed Triple-triple combinations and have had them ratified under the tougher rule changes. And she has done numerous good choreographed and memorable performances. For me I loved Chopin's Nocturne No.2. I only wish she could have been clean in the SP at worlds. Claire De Lune at WTT was really good too. She always seemed to be a better SP skater than a LP skater. I really liked Fantasie Impromptu. The Nutcracker was good too. I've been really out of the loop post Olympics though.

And o.o she is the only skater to have beaten Kim in Kim's peak years of 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons.

[RumbleFish]

And Asada has pulled off Triple Axels numerous times and in combination. She has also performed Triple-triple combinations and have had them ratified under the tougher rule changes. And she has done numerous good choreographed and memorable performances. For me I loved Chopin's Nocturne No.2. I only wish she could have been clean in the SP at worlds. Claire De Lune at WTT was really good too. She always seemed to be a better SP skater than a LP skater. I really liked Fantasie Impromptu. The Nutcracker was good too. I've been really out of the loop post Olympics though.

You've got to be kidding. If she had been such a superb short program skater, why don't I remeber her being 1st after SP at the worlds?

As for 3A, I don't remember her landing a clean one these several years. Sure, she had some of them ratified, but for me at least, rotations were questionable at best. Only clean attempts that I remeber are those done when she was a little girl circa 2005-2006. Miss Asada has been living off her past junior performances for too long. She shouldn't talk about or attempt 3A she just can't land.

Lastly, when was the last time she landed a clean triple-triple? After 2007 Worlds, ISU got tough on underrotations and that was pretty much end of receiving free points with underrotated jumps for her.

[Aussie Willy]

Been waiting for the next round. It is getting exciting now.

[sk8ingcoach]

Goodbye Lulu... about time

[briancoogaert]

Really too difficult.
I like Lu Chen and Shizuka Arakawa's skating.
I don't like Irina Slutskaya's style, nor Mao's technique.
But if I try to be objective, Shizuka is probably the weakest in competition. Even 2004 Worlds, her jumps were under-rotated.

[spikydurian]

I haven't voted here yet. I will toss in my vote with the last two standing. I will vote fairly but interesting to see which lady have more ubers and hatezzz dominating FSU.

[robinhood]

from that list, the one I enjoyed the least is Kwan. She had wonderful choreography up to 98-99 but then she played it very safely IMO...every program looked kind-of the same, I feel. Anyway she's the most decorated skater, so I'll understand she wins this game. For me, even though she was very musical I never felt truly connected with her skating, and I can't point out what it was
Anyway, probably it's between Chen and Arakawa if I'm objective. Arakawa is totally my fave skater, but her accomplishments and consistency are lacking in comparison. Chen was a gorgeous sublime skater, somewhat underscored in the beginning of her career and probably the most artistic skater left here.
I'll have to wait and ponder this one...it's tough

[galaxy]

The remaining contenders are:


01. Lu Chen - CHN - 1995 World Champion.
02. Michelle Kwan - USA - 1996,1998,2000,2001 and 2003 World Champion.
03. Irina Slutskaya - RUS - 2002 and 2005 World Champion.
04. Shizuka Arakawa - JPN - 2004 World and 2006 Olympic Champion.

05. Mao Asada - JPN - 2008 and 2010 World Champion.
06. Yuna Kim - KOR - 2009 World and 2010 Olympic Champion.

So some people want to make Arakawa go before anyone else.
This is quite a poll, indeed.

Maybe these people have personal bias against her (each in their own different ways) picking her on details , ignoring her great qualities and abilities that deserved her World title and OGM, and her great presence and magnificence on the ice as a champion. Is it because she is one of the two who have OGM among the list ? Or maybe I should refrain myself from saying this, but maybe because she is the first skater from Asia who won OGM?
And I must add that I think people who say Arakawa is boring and not so great are ones who have had almost no opportunities to see her skating live or ones who only saw her when she was in a very bad shape.
Remember in Dortmund, where she won her World title (It was under 6.0), the audience gave her enthusiasitic standing ovasion already in the preliminary round. No need to say about the free skate, from　the moment she started skating and as she continued, the heat and excitement of the arena grew up, up and up, and it nearly blew off the roof. The moment she finished, everyone jumped up on his feet from joy and applause. The people gave her the hugest and most enthusiasitic standing ovasion of the day.

[gingercrush]

maybe because she is the first lady from Asia who won OGM?

o.o

I haven't been the most active on the figure skating board as I have previously but I have never seen such a reference to Arakawa whatsoever. In fact I don't ever recall racism being displayed here. At the most we've had a bit too much patriotism. Mostly explained due to the history between Japan and Korea. But even then it boils down to ubering.

We're down to six skaters all of which have legitimate claims to staying around. Someone has to go.

[RumbleFish]

So some people want to make Arakawa go before anyone else.
This is quite a poll, indeed.

Maybe these people have personal bias against her (each in their own different ways) picking her on details , ignoring her great qualities and abilities that deserved her World title and OGM, and her great presence and magnificence on the ice as a champion. Is it because she is one of the two who have OGM among the list ? Or maybe I should refrain myself from saying this, but maybe because she is the first lady from Asia who won OGM?
And I must add that I think people who say Arakawa is boring and not so great are ones who have had almost no opportunities to see her skating live or ones who only saw her when she was in a very bad shape.
Remember in Dortmund, where she won her World title, the audience gave her enthusiasitic standing ovasion already in the preliminary round. No need to say about the free skate, from　the moment she started skating and as she continued, the heat and excitement of the arena grew up, up and up, and it nearly blew off the roof. The moment she finished, everyone jumped up on his feet from joy and applause. The people gave her the hugest and most enthusiasitic standing ovasion of the day.

Are you serious in writing this stuff?
So, people who vote for Arakawa to be booted out are crooked racists and ones who vote for any other Asian lady is not?
Please, get real.

BTW, Arakawa had her moment in Dortmund. But so did all other ladies when they won their own world title or two. Even Kimmie Meissner, who were voted out the first, had her wonderful moment in Calgary.

[FunnyBut]

If it's between Shizuka and Lulu, I'd vote off Shizuka. Lulu had 3 great Olympic performances, an amazing span of years. She didn't medal in Lillehammer, but she was the cleanest skater there. For me her body of work through her career may be second to Kwan, even if she didn't win as much. I also think there needs to be more separation in scores on the artistic (not presentation) side, and Lulu as one of the most ably interpretive skaters would benefit more from this.

I've seen Shizuka live. I think she is a magnificent skater, I was wowed by her smooth edges, soft knees and regal carriage. I just don't think she gave enough medal worthy performances over the years, although the OGM and WGM are impressive.

I'll hold out on voting, too. I'd rather see Irina go than either of these two (or Tara), but I want my vote to count.

[Karpenko]

Arakawa was so smooth, and IMO was one of the most smooth, polished, and effortless skaters out there. I still find her skating very under rated even though she didn't necessarily knock you over the head with excitement. Even her 3/3's had an effortless quality to the way she did them that I often had to remind myself what she just landed (especially that 3-3-3 she made look easy in Torino practice).

It will so be Kwan vs Kim and it will be ugly.

While artistically the best I think Lulu is far inferior to the rest of the list technically and doesn't have the hardware these other ladies have.

Personally while a favorite of mine I think that Slutskaya is the least polished skater on the list, but one of the best technically.

Voted Lulu, though her 96 LP be my favorite out of every program any of these ladies have performed.

[briancoogaert]

The remaining contenders are:

Some Grand Prix Final Links (except for Lulu) this time.
01. Lu Chen - CHN - 1995 World Champion.

I remember so well when I first watched this program. I was impressed. It was a beautiful moment for me. And I loved this costume too.
It's so hard to vote for her !

[Amy03]

You've got to be kidding. If she had been such a superb short program skater, why don't I remeber her being 1st after SP at the worlds?

As for 3A, I don't remember her landing a clean one these several years. Sure, she had some of them ratified, but for me at least, rotations were questionable at best. Only clean attempts that I remeber are those done when she was a little girl circa 2005-2006. Miss Asada has been living off her past junior performances for too long. She shouldn't talk about or attempt 3A she just can't land.

Lastly, when was the last time she landed a clean triple-triple? After 2007 Worlds, ISU got tough on underrotations and that was pretty much end of receiving free points with underrotated jumps for her.

what the hell, have you even been following skating, pretty much everything you say about mao is bullshit. Mao attempted, landed, and rotated countless of beautiful 3A, i will show you what amazing stuff you have missed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ8LXKlFjUI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWdY5...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKxgK...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwgyJz-le1w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=327n8Gue9Ic............ and many many more

and to give you just a few videoes where she landed amazing 3-3 combinations:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp5ao...feature=relmfu
here she landed two 3-3 and a 3A a layout that not even your queen couldn't dream of doing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz-AktwtDfs another gourges 3-3

and unlike your queen she has done all kind of tripples in her splended career, and pushed her layout always be her absolut maximum and thereby always pushing herself, and taking risks like one should in a a sport, and not go safe with the fricken same layout year after year...

[UGG]

So some people want to make Arakawa go before anyone else.
This is quite a poll, indeed.

Maybe these people have personal bias against her (each in their own different ways) picking her on details , ignoring her great qualities and abilities that deserved her World title and OGM, and her great presence and magnificence on the ice as a champion. Is it because she is one of the two who have OGM among the list ? Or maybe I should refrain myself from saying this, but maybe because she is the first skater from Asia who won OGM?
And I must add that I think people who say Arakawa is boring and not so great are ones who have had almost no opportunities to see her skating live or ones who only saw her when she was in a very bad shape.
Remember in Dortmund, where she won her World title (It was under 6.0), the audience gave her enthusiasitic standing ovasion already in the preliminary round. No need to say about the free skate, from　the moment she started skating and as she continued, the heat and excitement of the arena grew up, up and up, and it nearly blew off the roof. The moment she finished, everyone jumped up on his feet from joy and applause. The people gave her the hugest and most enthusiasitic standing ovasion of the day.

I would say its because she was never truly dominated the sport and while she did win the OGM and was a very worthy winner-that Olympics was totally lackluster and she really only won because Irina and Sasha made huge errors in their programs. I would not catagorize her a someone like Sarah Hughes who was just totally lucky because, as you said, she had an amazing quality to her skating. She was just sooooo inconsistant- I mean one year you are world champion, the next year...9th?

No one is racist. seriously...Pu-LEEZE with the Asian stuff. With the exception of Irina, everyone left on the poll is Asian.

Anywhoo-I have no idea who to pick!