Which Michelle Kwan Worlds winning performance is your favorite?

[Sasha is DIVINE]

I apologize if this poll has been done recently as I am unable to search the forum.

I am far from a Michelle Kwan but I have great respect for her. She turned in some great skates to capture her World titles. Which is your favorite?

I voted for 2003. The crowd reaction was legendary and Dick sounded like he was sobbing by the end.

[Vash01]

We can never tire of talking of Michelle Kwan.

For me it was a toss up between The Red Violin and Song of the Black Swan. I voted for SOTBS because I saw it live in Vancouver and it was an unforgettable experience.

[barbk]

Agree with Vash -- it was electric, especially after the drama of watching her come out for practice just before the qualifying started, skate, shake her foot a few times and head to the referee. Folks in my area thought she was withdrawing. She went off the ice, she came back on the ice with no warmup, and skated a solid qualifying skate. We didn't learn until later that her boot had come loose from her heel -- and it was only an emergency fix by (I think) her dad that with some screws or glue that let her come back and skate. Yet she came out and skated as if none of that had happened at all.

[jenny12]

We can never tire of talking of Michelle Kwan.

For me it was a toss up between The Red Violin and Song of the Black Swan. I voted for SOTBS because I saw it live in Vancouver and it was an unforgettable experience.

I agree. I voted for Song of the Black Swan but it was really a toss up between those two. I think those were two of her most free performances she ever gave at a major competition and equally impressive artistically and technically.

[Karpenko]

Favorite win was 2003, maybe even 2000 because I loved how she pulled that one off after being 3rd in the SP and skating 1st in the LP, best program I'd say her 96 and 98 programs.

[semogal]

Here are some videos to help with the decision:
1996: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKmUW8wPB0s

1998:URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLikltBERCk

2000:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ptj_tO7tIXg

2001: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzL8m7KUWHM

2003: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfluAux0Sf0

[orbitz]

2001 SOTBS.

2003 performance was good, but the choreography was too watered down.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Song of the Black Swan is one of my favorite ladies routine. It was sophisticated, and skated to music hardly done in skating at the time (mostly soundtracks or bombastic pieces as opposed to chamber music).

Here's a better quality version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kInhOUrcDhM

I loved the pacing and the way the elements were lined-up. I have to say it was one of the best choreographed routines I've seen win a world title. In a skating scene where all the elements are itemized and predictable, there hasn't been a program like Song of the Black Swan since. Although, I do think the GP versions had nuances that I really loved and wish she was able to keep for the Worlds version, but overall the Worlds version was the best.

[olympic]

I have to agree with many people and say 2001. I just thought that she had hit a perfect balance of athleticism and artistry, and that was probably her best 3t-3t ever!

I do think the 95-96 'Salome' program was maybe her most technically ambitious (wasn't there an extra 2x, an ina bauer - 3loop, and a planned 3t-3t?), but the 3t-3t wasn't realized for Worlds.

[kwanatic]

It's tough to choose, but I'd say it's a toss up b/w 2000 and 2001.

2000 was somewhat of a rough year for Michelle and then to be in 3rd place going into the LP, she had to rely on all of the stars to align in order for her to win...and they did! She skated lights out (first off the warm-up) and had to wait to see where she ended up. It was just wonderful seeing her reaction to winning. Plus that program was amazing and her skating was perfection. Tons of speed and attack...she killed that program!

2001 was another great one. I loved the program of course and the skating was relaxed and calm. This was the year everyone was so convinced Irina was going to win b/c she (supposedly) had multiple 3-3s and had beat Michelle at the GPF again. Michelle put out an amazing performance and then had to wait for Irina. Irina went for difficulty rather than a clean program and ended up shooting herself in the foot by delivering a sloppy program with less triples than Michelle's 7. Irina was pissed when those scores came up! Michelle won for the second year in a row.


2003 was a great too. There was a calmness and ease about her skating that year. Aranjuez was not Michelle's absolute best program but she delivered it so well that season. It had lovely moments and the footwork and ending were excellent. That was a year Irina wasn't around but rather than phone-in her performance, Michelle went all out and delivered.

Nobody has had more amazing moments at worlds than Michelle.

ETA: I just went back and watched Irina's 2001 LP and, by today's standards, both of her 3-3s (3S-3L and 3Lz-3L) would have been downgraded. She was 1/2 short on both of those...just a note. So those 6 triples she completed were actually more like 4...

[briancoogaert]

Song of the black Swan is my favorite, because it was her most polished performance. Everything was so clean, so perfect, and so graceful.

[Vash01]

Song of the black Swan is my favorite, because it was her most polished performance. Everything was so clean, so perfect, and so graceful.

I would add to that- the emotion she displayed after she finished that performance was precious. I had never seen her display that kind of emotion before (it used to be more like tears, and not puching the fists in the air).

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Strictly from the videos, I can't tell which crowd was louder, the Nice audience or the Vancouver one. Vancouver was in a larger arena and stood up before she finished, but the crowd in Nice was so loud and applauded every element with boisterous enthusiasm.

[bardtoob]

2000 Worlds LP The Red Violin ... I am sold when I see her layback spin free leg parallel to the ice.