Figure Skating Champions SURVIVOR: Ladies RESULTS AND REACTIONS..

[os168]

As any of you know who have seen my posts on this forum, I became a skating fan because of Michelle. ...There was always a fan base here for MK here - but in the past there was also so much negativity toward her and anyone who defended her...My point of this longwinded post is that is really nice to know how much so many on this forum value Michelle's contributions to skating at this point. I think it is fitting she won this poll and having FSU posters validate the importance of her contributions makes me really happy.

As a MK fan and YK fan, I totally understand you. I was surprised by the level headed results and enjoyed reading EVERYONE's insights including all the passionate defense from the ubers even some I might not agree with.

I personally think there's nothing wrong with uberism as long as it doesn't deteriorate into personal attacks with hurtful intention and pettiness. (Though it wouldn't be quite FSU without all the above would it )

I am happy with final ranking, it is what it is. Besides, I voted Michelle to win due to her seniority and in view of the sports as a whole, she truly was the ultimate survivor. It is a credit to Yuna she came as close with the amazing career she is having AND on going. The difference was 1 in 5 votes. Consider the population of Non-English speaking skating fans in Asia, it may get closer. Michelle inspired me to take up skating when i was young and then give up watching the sport all together because she no longer participates (or rather I was heart broken after Olympics 2002). Yuna inspired me to come back 8 years later and then travel all over the world to see her (and others). I wonder how Yuna would have ranked if she had not announced her intention till Sochi.

Thanks SamuraiK for creating this poll, it was fun.

[Rob]

Michelle
Yuna
Lu
Mao
Irina
Shizuka
Carolina
Miki
Tara
Sarah
Maria
Kimmie

[DimaToe]

Other than Caro overstaying her welcome, I was pretty satisfied witht the overall results, I would have had it:

1.Kwan
2.Kim
3.Slutskaya
4.Asada
5.Chen
6.Lipinski
7.Arakawa
8.Butyrskaya
9.Ando
10.Kostner
11.Hughes
12.Meissner

[Triple Butz]

For me, it would have been:
Kwan
Kim
Slutskaya
Lipinski
Asada
Chen
Arakawa
Butyrskaya
Ando
Kostner
Hughes
Meissner

[smarts1]

1. Kwan
2. Kim
3. Asada
4. Slutskaya
5. Chen
6. Lipinski
7. Arakawa
8. Ando
9. Butyrskaya
10. Kostner
11. Hughes
12. Meissner

[MikiAndoFan#1]

1. Michelle
2. Irina
3. Yu-Na
4. Mao
5. Lu
6. Tara
7. Miki
8. Carolina
9. Shizuka
10. Sarah
11. Maria
12. Kimmie

[Marco]

Not in order of competitiveness, but in order of how I perceive their skating:

Kwan
Kim
Chen
Kostner
Asada (would have been higher if not for poor competitive free programs)
Butyrskaya
Lipinski
Arakawa
Meissner
Ando
Slutskaya
Hughes

[Proustable]

The baker's dozen programs from these skaters I'm most inclined to revisit

Lu Chen: "The Last Emperor" and "Butterfly Lovers"
Carolina Kostner: "Pachelbel" and "Riders of the Lost Storm"
Yu Na Kim: "Gershwin," "Lark Ascending," "Dance Macabre," "Le Tango de Roxanne"
Michelle Kwan: East of Eden (Pro/Am)
Irina Slutskaya: Tontentanz, "Wonderland" (in Moscow)
Shizuka Arakawa: Turandot
Mao Asada: "Jupiter"

[shine]

Michelle may have more medals, but Kim really is the much more talented skater. And I am not really a fan of hers. Also, had Lu Chen had more consistency, she should be above Kwan as well.

[iarispiralllyof]

Michelle may have more medals, but Kim really is the much more talented skater. And I am not really a fan of hers. Also, had Lu Chen had more consistency, she should be above Kwan as well.

Debatable.
And Chen Lu isn't even close.

[mnstruck]

Yuna
Michelle
Irina
Tara
Lu
Arakawa
Carolina
Asada
Sarah
Ando
Maria
Kimmie

[FunnyBut]

Not in order of competitiveness, but in order of how I perceive their skating:

Kwan
Kim
Chen
Kostner
Asada (would have been higher if not for poor competitive free programs)
Butyrskaya
Lipinski
Arakawa
Meissner
Ando
Slutskaya
Hughes

Marco,

I am really curious, what happened to your Irina fandom ? For years I thought you argued her high placements , and now you have her below Meissner? I'm not her fan, but even I have her higher than that.

[UGG]

Michelle may have more medals, but Kim really is the much more talented skater. And I am not really a fan of hers. Also, had Lu Chen had more consistency, she should be above Kwan as well.

I disagree. If Yu Na did not have her consistant 3/3 she would not seem that amazing. Michelle was not considered a great jumper and many consider her amazing. Yu Na is stronger at more difficult jumps.But the more talented skater is very debateable. #ubering.

[Marco]

Marco,

I am really curious, what happened to your Irina fandom ? For years I thought you argued her high placements , and now you have her below Meissner? I'm not her fan, but even I have her higher than that.

Actually I have always valued attention to detail and finesse and care much about quality to difficulty. If you know what I mean.

However, I typed my list in a haste. I probably would have had her above Ando and had her around even with Meissner. When Meissner lost her jumps, I really started to appreciate the quality of her skating.

One thing to keep in mind though is that they are all champions in some way, and coming in last in a list like this is still nothing to be sneezed at.

[Dilng]

FIRST - I would have had Tara first as I became a fan of figure skating because of her. Also, she won an Olympic gold at 15 & Grand Prix Final gold at 15, a National, Grand Prix Final and World gold at 14 which is just incrediable!!! She made skating look so easy which is very hard to do! Olympic gold is the big prize and I think without that a skater, regardless of how talented you think they are, can't be considered the greatest.

SECOND - I would have Yuna second as she won all the big prizes too. Her skating didn't particularly move me, but she accomplished everything very well.

THIRD - I would have Shizuka third as she won the Olympic gold too, her competition skated badly and she didn't have that much difficulty at the Olympics, but she did what she needed to do so good for her! I wish she could have skated her Olympic program like her World 2004 program because that was so good.

Sarah won an Olympic gold, but I still can't put her fourth. If the skating order had been judged correctly after the short program at the Olympics, Sarah wouldn't have won. I just can't put her fourth. FOURTH - Instead that belongs as a tie to Irina and Michelle. They both won so many competitions and they both brought a lot to skating. I enjoyed Michelle's competitive programs from 1996 until 2001. One of my all time favorite programs will be her Song of the Black Swan as she was so musical in that number and interpreted the program wonderfully. I liked Irina's short programs better then her long programs, but I really enjoyed most of her non competitive programs. She was so competitive and skating competitions were fun to watch when she was competing.

I would put Mao fifth, Lu Chen sixth, Maria seventh and Carolina eighth.

[kwanatic]

Olympic gold is the big prize and I think without that a skater, regardless of how talented you think they are, can't be considered the greatest.

I'd wager a bet that one or two people here will disagree, but everyone's entitled to their opinion...

[BmcC102]

1. Michelle
2. Tara
3. Yu-Na
4. Irina
5. Mao
6. Carolina
7. Lu
8. Shizuka
9. Sarah
10. Kimmie
11. Miki
12. Maria

Actually, I really like all the skaters listed, other than Yu-Na, who does nothing for me. Even though Maria is ranked last (due to her REALLY jerky jump landings), I did love her SP at 00 Worlds, and of course her big LP win in 99 was inspiring too.