1992 Worlds: Ladies Short Program

[Marco]

Why the shot at Gracie for not being as mature a skater as Kerrigan was considering Nancy was already in her early 20's when she hit the big time. Of course Kerrigan was more mature.

My point was projection and musicality, not maturity.

[bardtoob]

Well, Kerrigan at least attempted to project to the audience, effective or not. Can't say the same for Gold.

Well, at least Gold can project a 3/3 to the judges

[Marco]

Well, at least Gold can project a 3/3 to the judges

Let's see if she could do it at Worlds and Olympics like Kerrigan.

[bardtoob]

Agreed, let us see . . . thank goodness we won't have to wait very long

[neptune]

I enjoyed Tonya's Moon River much more than I thought I would. Shame she never really got back to 1991 form.

Shame she never really practiced.

[Skater91]

Can anyone tell me the starting order of the ladies for the short? because on the old system that would have affected the scoring!

[TheIronLady]

Can anyone tell me the starting order of the ladies for the short? because on the old system that would have affected the scoring!

Great Question. Tony Wheeler's Blog did an amazing recap of it. See this link. Flutzing Around, Tuesday July 6, 2010 It has all the video links too.

Short Program Skate Order

1. Nancy Kerrigan, USA
2. Anisette Torp-Lind, DEN
3. Joanne Conway, GBR
4. Kristi Yamaguchi, USA
5. Lu Chen, CHN
6. Patricia Neske, GER
7. Nathalie Krieg, SWI
8. Laetitia Hubert, FRA
9. Surya Bonaly, FRA
10. Yuka Sato, JPN
11. Karen Preston, CAN
12. Marina Kielmann, GER
13. Josée Chouinard, CAN
14. Tonya Harding, USA

[neptune]

But I agree with you about her skating, powerful and good technique.

Nancy did have good technique, but I don't believe she had that much speed.

[neptune]

because on the old system that would have affected the scoring!

Actually, I've read that skating order affects the scoring even more under the IJS.

Incidentally, concerning the mentions of Gold, is she working on a triple axel? Meissner made a brave attempt at one, but it was puny at best compared with Tonya's. However, I do think Gold could do the jump justice. OTOH, under the IJS, it's really not worth the trouble to acquire one IMO.

[sk8ingcoach]

These are the results i agree with

1st: Kristi - 5.8 5.9
2nd: Chen - 5.7 5.8
3rd: Josee - 5.6 5.7
4th: Karen - 5.6 5.6
5th: Latetia- 5.5 5.5
6th: Nancy - 5.2 5.5
7th:patricia- 5.2 5.4
8th: Yuka - 5.1 5.4
9th: Surya - 5.1 5.3
10th:Tonya - 4.9 5.3

Feel free to agree or critisize

[essence_of_soy]

These are the results i agree with

1st: Kristi - 5.8 5.9
2nd: Chen - 5.7 5.8
3rd: Josee - 5.6 5.7
4th: Karen - 5.6 5.6
5th: Latetia- 5.5 5.5
6th: Nancy - 5.2 5.5
7th:patricia- 5.2 5.4
8th: Yuka - 5.1 5.4
9th: Surya - 5.1 5.3
10th:Tonya - 4.9 5.3

Feel free to agree or critisize

Interesting. Where would you have placed Belgium's Alice Sue Claeys who was eighth in the short. (I am assuming she went clean and landed a 3toe/2loop combo.) For a first year senior, she had the look of a seasoned competitor, too. It is a shame she got injured, because I thought Claeys was a skater with medal winning potential.

Apart from Yamaguchi, Neske and Harding, it's funny to think that Bauil would beat them all the following year.

[judgejudy27]

These are the results i agree with

1st: Kristi - 5.8 5.9
2nd: Chen - 5.7 5.8
3rd: Josee - 5.6 5.7
4th: Karen - 5.6 5.6
5th: Latetia- 5.5 5.5
6th: Nancy - 5.2 5.5
7th:patricia- 5.2 5.4
8th: Yuka - 5.1 5.4
9th: Surya - 5.1 5.3
10th:Tonya - 4.9 5.3

Feel free to agree or critisize

I think 5.6 for elements is a bit high for Josee since too much her miss was a blatant step out and should have been more than .2. I think 5.8 for presentation for Chen is much too high for that program which was not at all artistic.

[judgejudy27]

Apart from Yamaguchi, Neske and Harding, it's funny to think that Bauil would beat them all the following year.

Given the dire quality of the event it shouldnt have been that surprising a newbie came in and beat everyone with Kristi retiring next year. Kristi was so far ahead of the rest this year she could have probably won with 4 falls.

[olympic]

Given the dire quality of the event it shouldnt have been that surprising a newbie came in and beat everyone with Kristi retiring next year. Kristi was so far ahead of the rest this year she could have probably won with 4 falls.

But I seem to remember '93 Worlds as a mixed bag. Surya Bonaly had the performances of her life (I think she should've won, personally), Chen Lu gave her best performances up to that point, Yuka Sato maybe had a step-out and/or pop in there but was otherwise great, the German skaters Marina Kiehlmann and newcomer Tanja Szewczenko were clean, as was even Karen Preston. But, I think the one skater the judges would've put over Oksana Baiul was Nancy Kerrigan and she was a disaster, only to be out-disastered by Josee Chouinard!

[TheIronLady]

Interesting that Karen Preston beat Chouinard at 1993 Worlds. Did she have a problem after 1993? Why did she not qualify to the Olympics?

[falling_dance]

Interesting that Karen Preston beat Chouinard at 1993 Worlds. Did she have a problem after 1993? Why did she not qualify to the Olympics?

Preston two-footed several jumps in the free skate at 1994 Canadians (and fell on a triple flip IIRC), which might not have been fatal errors vis-a-vis Susan Humphreys except that her Swan Lake program wasn't particularly well-suited to her. That Humphreys skated very nicely to music from the same ballet without falling certainly didn't help.

[Susan M]

But, I think the one skater the judges would've put over Oksana Baiul was Nancy Kerrigan and she was a disaster, only to be out-disastered by Josee Chouinard!

I agree. My recollection is that everyone assumed Kerrigan (the highest ranking skater returning after 92) would win 93 Worlds pretty easily. She did have a strong SP then totally imploded in the FS. While Bonaly was able to win Europeans, the judges at Worlds so hated her technique flaws and lack of presentation they were never willing to put her on top, regardless of how many jumps she landed. So that left Baiul with a strong clean skate. Even though she was a comparative newcomer, she was so obviously and extraordinarily gifted, I think the judges were happy to give it to her.

The most significant repercussion of Kerrigan's meltdown from the US POV was that left us with only 2 ladies spots at Lillehammer, meaning a very young Michelle Kwan didn't get to go.

[Marco]

At 93 Worlds, Bonaly actually produced 7 clean triples and 2 2axels. No 3/3s but no URs either. But yes she was a very flawed skater. However, as strong as Baiul was, her whole package was also severely lacking when she didn't do any combination jumps, a fourth spin, a step sequence and both of her 2axels were flawed. Definitely not a well balanced program (although I am not sure if this term existed in 1993).

In hindsight, I would give the free to Chen (5.8/5.8) who produced 5 solid triples and a 6th slightly flawed triple together with a complex program, and also have Bonaly (5.8/5.5) ahead of Baiul (5.6/5.6).

[neptune]

In hindsight, I would give the free to Chen (5.8/5.8) who produced 5 solid triples and a 6th slightly flawed triple together with a complex program, and also have Bonaly (5.8/5.5) ahead of Baiul (5.6/5.6).

I definitely agree about putting Chen first. I can even see putting Bonaly ahead of Baiul as well.

[Marco]

I definitely agree about putting Chen first. I can even see putting Bonaly ahead of Baiul as well.

But I haven't watched their short programs in a while and don't know how this placement would affect the overall podium. IIRC Baiul was clean in the short. Don't remember the rest.