Favorite Olympic silver medal performance by a lady

[Vash01]

What was the best Olympic silver medal performance by a lady, in your opinion and why?

[VALuvsMKwan]

Michelle Kwan, 1998 Olympics - beautiful, difficult, just barely too tentative compared to Tara - IMHO would have won any other Olympic Ladies' competition.

(I mean, what do you expect me to say?)

[judgejudy27]

I voted for Kerrigan not since I really felt it was the best (although it might have been top 3 on that list) but because it was such a huge victory for her to perform a long program that strong given her history, and also given the infamous events leading up to the Games.

Manley would be a close 2nd for the same reasons.

[DimaToe]

It was between Kwan and Kerrigan for me, but ended up choosing Kwan because her performances in Nagano would have easily made her the OMG in 1994, Kerrigan was also good, but not as intriguing. These two are the only ones that didn't have falls or other big mistakes.

[judgejudy27]

It was between Kwan and Kerrigan for me, but ended up choosing Kwan because her performances in Nagano would have easily made her the OMG in 1994

It definitely should have but you never know with the judges. Most everyone thought Kerrigan had beaten Baiul for the OGM that year and the judges shocked everyone, and some though Michelle had beaten Tara for the OGM in 1998 too.

[Vash01]

For me it came down to Michelle vs. Mao vs. Midori and I voted for Mao (even though I agree that Michelle's performance was good enough to win OGM in 98).

Midori had one fall, but it was a gutsy performance. It took courage to even attempt that second 3A in her LP.

Mao skated really well. In any other year her performance would have been good enough for an OGM.

(Note: I knew that Michelle will get most of the votes, so I did not need to vote for her ).

[judgejudy27]

It would be interesting to switch Michelle's 98 and Mao's 2010 performances into the other competition and see who would have done better. Would Mao with her 2 triple axels and arguably superior artistry have beaten Tara even with her 2 mistakes? Kwan would have obviously lost to Kim in 2010, but would it have been by a lesser or larger margin than Mao did?

[leafygreens]

Liz Manley because she is the only one HAPPY TO HAVE the silver medal and was not a "favorite" who faltered. She was an underdog who did way better than she expected, and it showed in her personality.

Everyone else (not sure about Ito - don't remember) was either royally pissed off or at least very disappointed with their silver medals.

[dawnie]

For me it came down to Michelle vs. Mao vs. Midori and I voted for Mao (even though I agree that Michelle's performance was good enough to win OGM in 98).

Midori had one fall, but it was a gutsy performance. It took courage to even attempt that second 3A in her LP.

Mao skated really well. In any other year her performance would have been good enough for an OGM.

(Note: I knew that Michelle will get most of the votes, so I did not need to vote for her ).

Mao made history with the 2 triple axels, but I don't agree her performance would have been good enough for gold any other year. Maybe in 1992? But even then I think is questionable. Kristi still would have won IMO.

Without a doubt Michelle had the best silver medal performance and probably will hold that distinction for a very long time. Her Lyra program will stand the test of time for many, many years unlike the other silver medalists.

The other performances upon re-watch just look cheesy and outdated- Kerrigan and Manley, or just plain bad- Slutskaya.

I'd say Cohen's is the 2nd best since everything but the 2 huge mistakes in the beginning was sublime.

Kerrigan's is probably the next best but again, the program almost 20 years later just looks outdated and nothing special.

[Laney]

Irina. I still think she should have won in 2002...

[dawnie]

Irina. I still think she should have won in 2002...

Are you being sarcastic? Her performance was the worst among her, Hughes, Kwan, Cohen, and even Suguri.

[Cherub721]

Choreographically and artistically, Cohen, the two falls notwithstanding. I'm surprised I'm not the only one to vote that way!

[VALuvsMKwan]

Irina. I still think she should have won in 2002...

That's niiiiice...

If Nancy K.'s performance looks "cheesy", Oksana Bauil's performance looks like something from "Toddlers and Tiaras" in comparison (including that horrible costume).

I would have had Bauil no higher than third behind Nancy K. and Chen Lu.

[Vash01]

Are you being sarcastic? Her performance was the worst among her, Hughes, Kwan, Cohen, and even Suguri.

I disagree. None of them skated great. Cohen with two huge mistakes, Kwan with one huge mistake and one small mistake, and Hughes with her ur jumps (but big smile) and lack of maturity in her skating, were all about equal with Irina's skate. The only thing is it was one of Irina's worst skates upto that point (not counting her struggling year '99). Suguri may have skated well, but she was not in contention for 1st or 2nd place, so it's hard to compare her with others. Kwan & Slute were about even- imperfect. IMO Hughes wasn't even in the same league maturity wise. She had a clean performance, that's all. I would say Cohen had the worst performance of the group you mentioned, and she won the silver only because Irina had a melt down in 2006.

[Alex Forrest]

Seriously, no Liz Manley? When I think of all the silver medal performances I've watched more than ten times, I always go back to Liz Manley. The performance of her life, and the right time to do it.

I know people are going to say Kwan, but after Philadelphia, she wasn't going to repeat it. Way too tentative.

Liz Manley by a mile, and I'm going to YT her just to watch it right now. Her lutz was dead on. Much better than Kwan's flutz by a mile.

[blue_idealist]

Michelle Kwan, 1998, because it was so good, they could have given out two golds at that event and I would have been pleased. Elizabeth Manley's was close, since it was so joyous and exuberant. I also think if it had been judged on the FS alone, the 1988 Olympics could have gone either way (Katarina or Liz).

[dawnie]

If Nancy K.'s performance looks "cheesy", Oksana Bauil's performance looks like something from "Toddlers and Tiaras" in comparison (including that horrible costume).

I would have had Bauil no higher than third behind Nancy K. and Chen Lu.

Yeah don't get me started on Oksana and her novice winning program.
Thankfully we are only talking about the silver medalists.

I disagree. None of them skated great. Cohen with two huge mistakes, Kwan with one huge mistake and one small mistake, and Hughes with her ur jumps (but big smile) and lack of maturity in her skating, were all about equal with Irina's skate. The only thing is it was one of Irina's worst skates upto that point (not counting her struggling year '99). Suguri may have skated well, but she was not in contention for 1st or 2nd place, so it's hard to compare her with others. Kwan & Slute were about even- imperfect. IMO Hughes wasn't even in the same league maturity wise. She had a clean performance, that's all. I would say Cohen had the worst performance of the group you mentioned, and she won the silver only because Irina had a melt down in 2006.

I don't remember what Cohen's other mistake was besides sitting down on her 3/3.

They all had their mistakes/weaknesses but performance wise Slutskaya's was by far the worst for me. Cautious, clunky, and sloppy as usual. And the horrid choreography. Grabbing her head how many times? Just...no. I also don't think her 2006 LP was a meltdown. Didn't she double a flip and fall on the loop (her money jump)? Cohen's 2 falls were more glaring but her performance was way superior so that's why she got the silver.

[peibeck]

And the horrid choreography. Grabbing her head how many times? Just...no.

I totally agree, that "Tosca" program had the WORST choreography and interpretation.

I do give props to Irina on doing some difficult transitions (like the turning threes into her loop) though. When she was on, her jumps were pretty amazing, even if (IMO) the rest of her skating was lacking.

[Vash01]

Yeah don't get me started on Oksana and her novice winning program.
Thankfully we are only talking about the silver medalists.



I don't remember what Cohen's other mistake was besides sitting down on her 3/3. the silver.

She FELL on her first triple, and placed both hands down on her second triple (current COP rules would have called it a fall -1, but that time they only counted the first one as a fall).

[judgejudy27]

Sasha wasnt that good a skater yet in 2002. Her Carmen was also not very well choreographed, and was mostly plain stroking between the elements, really no more choreography than even Slutskaya had. Had the Olympics been outside the U.S she would have finished 5th behind Suguri.