Profile: Oksana Baiul

[leafygreens]

Does anybody know what the rules are, today, about what makes you an amateur or a pro? Because it seems these days, there's little difference. You can be amateur and have a multi-million endorsement contract. I know that USFS skaters can only do "sanctioned" events, but other than that I don't know anything. I feel sorry for skaters of yore who could not have endorsement contracts. It's no different than having a job.

[berthesghost]

^the ISU determines if you are eligible or not, based on ISU sanctioned vs non-sanctioned events. I believe the IOC follows the ISU determinations. That's why there was a whole todo about Plushy a few years back. He lost his ISU eligibility by skating in a non sanctioned event, but the RUssian federation protested and were successful in getting the ruling overturned.

[SkateBlades17]

I was just watching an old tape of Peggy Flemming's Ice Stories with Oksana last night and she said (this was before the cut off on April 1st 1995) that she for sure wanted to go back am and compete at the 98 Olympics. She acted very confident in that decision. I really wish she would have! I've heard that Galina wanted her to stay pro and in an interview from the 95 Worlds, where was had announced that she was staying pro, she mentioned that it's too hard and something about it being hard for Galina, which is funny though because Galina still coaches am skaters. If she had gone back to am though, with the way her jumping already was when she was skating pro (possibly due to knee injury), I think she would have done horrible against Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski, Irina Slutskya, etc., considering she could never really do a combination jump and Tara was doing triple loop, triple loop & Irina & Michelle were doing combo jumps.*

[blue_idealist]

I was just watching an old tape of Peggy Flemming's Ice Stories with Oksana last night and she said (this was before the cut off on April 1st 1995) that she for sure wanted to go back am and compete at the 98 Olympics. She acted very confident in that decision. I really wish she would have! I've heard that Galina wanted her to stay pro and in an interview from the 95 Worlds, where was had announced that she was staying pro, she mentioned that it's too hard and something about it being hard for Galina, which is funny though because Galina still coaches am skaters. If she had gone back to am though, with the way her jumping already was when she was skating pro (possibly due to knee injury), I think she would have done horrible against Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski, Irina Slutskya, etc., considering she could never really do a combination jump and Tara was doing triple loop, triple loop & Irina & Michelle were doing combo jumps.*

Yeah, I think she would have been bronze AT BEST in 1998, and I doubt that would have even happened.

[jenniferlyon]

I was just watching an old tape of Peggy Flemming's Ice Stories with Oksana last night and she said (this was before the cut off on April 1st 1995) that she for sure wanted to go back am and compete at the 98 Olympics. She acted very confident in that decision. I really wish she would have! I've heard that Galina wanted her to stay pro and in an interview from the 95 Worlds, where was had announced that she was staying pro, she mentioned that it's too hard and something about it being hard for Galina, which is funny though because Galina still coaches am skaters. If she had gone back to am though, with the way her jumping already was when she was skating pro (possibly due to knee injury), I think she would have done horrible against Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski, Irina Slutskya, etc., considering she could never really do a combination jump and Tara was doing triple loop, triple loop & Irina & Michelle were doing combo jumps.*

At the time, there was a rumor that Oksana was planning to reinstate before the deadline and even had the paperwork prepared, but Galina vetoed the decision.

[leafygreens]

Yeah, I think she would have been bronze AT BEST in 1998, and I doubt that would have even happened.

A bronze still counts for something! Would have loved to see her try, anyway.

[sadya]

We probably would have seen more competitive programs with better choreography and even that would have been enough for people to respect her more and love her skating. Some of my favorite skating programs ever are from the early days of Baiul.

To be honest, I don't like many of her later programs, I enjoyed the earlier Baiul more. For me, no skater could match the elegance and artistry and emotion on ice of the early Baiul, not even Cohen or Ruh or Czisny or you name whoever. The later Baiul however is a different story.

[leafygreens]

I also wish she would have stayed in longer and gotten "more respect." Her competitive record is so similar to Lipinski's and I wish they both would have stayed and given us "more". I really like Oksana but I'm still torn on who should have won in 1994. There wouldn't be talk about her being the "weakest" OGM if she had gone on to do something else.

Of course, it doesn't really matter what armchair critics think. A gold medal is a gold medal. However, it's kind of weird that she really only had one senior LP, ever (repeated from 1993). She just came and went like a thief in the night. Her WC win is often over looked, as well. I don't know if an athlete has won their first time out. Oksana was definitely unique.

[Cherub721]

Of course, it doesn't really matter what armchair critics think. A gold medal is a gold medal. However, it's kind of weird that she really only had one senior LP, ever (repeated from 1993). She just came and went like a thief in the night. Her WC win is often over looked, as well. I don't know if an athlete has won their first time out. Oksana was definitely unique.

You can't knock a 100% successful record at Olympics/Worlds.

[sadya]

I think both programs were gold worthy in '94 Olympics lp, they both had something which would have made a great Olympic program, I even wouldn't have minded if Chen won that competition.