Vaytsekhovskaya's interview with Irina Slutskaya

[aftershocks]

Michelle was ill with a cold or the flu at 1999 Worlds and she still pulled out a silver medal, despite faltering on a jumping pass in her sp. She had excellent technique and skating skills, gained from a great coach, Frank Carroll. If you are referencing her lack of difficult technical content in terms of consistent 3/3s @Tobbe, that's entirely different from saying Michelle didn't have good technique. She could execute all of the basic jumps (doubles and triples, except for the 3-axel, but of course she was very consistent with her double axel). Command of all the basic jumps is not something that can be said of many of today's skaters. Probably the toe loop and the double axel were Michelle's strongest jumps.

Granted Michelle did not have especially standout elements, aside from top-notch technique, gorgeous arms, beautiful expression, lovely flow over the ice, and her signature spiral which she developed to compete with Nicole Bobek's amazing spiral. When Michelle first vaulted to seniors, she was known as a jumping bean, despite not being fully polished in her overall execution. Her polish and artistry came later with a bit more experience, but it came with a bang, ovations and multiple 6.0s.

What made Michelle stand out and what made her a legend in her own time was her tremendous desire, her work ethic, and her fierce competitiveness and belief in herself. While she was not powerful or especially speedy, she moved with rare grace and conviction. She was a complete skater who paid attention to nuance and detail. As Dick Button said, Michelle always 'wore her heart on her sleeve.' She was a determined competitor with a reputation for consistency. It was the sum of everything put together that made Michelle a nearly unbeatable champion on so many occasions.

Michelle's achievements in the sport, including record-breaking 6.0s and nine U.S. National championships (tied with Maribel Vinson Owen), will surely never happen again. The former because IJS/COP, the latter because that's an incredible winning record bound not to happen again at least for some time, considering the depth of talent today. Nathan Chen might have a chance to set such a record in the U.S. men's division, but only if he decides to remain eligible competitively through at least 2025.

 

[Erin]

I love that this thread has turned into a 1999 Worlds retrospective, a competition that Slutskaya didn't even attend

Continuing on that trend, since @Brenda_Bottems talked about Brittney McConn in this thread, and I had lamented that her best performance from the 1999 US Nationals free skate was not on YouTube, this seems as appropriate a place as any to post said performance, which is now available:

1999 US Figure Skating Championships Ladies Free Part 1

youtu.be

 

[Skibean]

I do remember that Kwan had the flu during this event. I always gave her credit for not withdrawing.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

I do remember that Kwan had the flu during this event. I always gave her credit for not withdrawing.

Yep. #MeToo. When you have a bad cold/flu, skating is miserable. Your muscles ache and don't have the snap for triples. Imagine SPINNING with a head cold!! Let alone the mental aspect when you are just trying to get through it, not exactly going to be a performance for the ages. I admired Kwan for going and finishing the competition. She easily could have just pulled out.

 

[Eeyora1]

Yep. #MeToo. When you have a bad cold/flu, skating is miserable. Your muscles ache and don't have the snap for triples. Let alone the mental aspect when you are just trying to get through it, not exactly going to be a performance for the ages. I admired Kwan for going and finishing the competition. She easily could have just pulled out.

And by not withdrawing she kept 3 spots for the USA the following season.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

And by not withdrawing she kept 3 spots for the USA the following season.

Yes, I've always respected her as a person and athlete. Sometimes you just have to compete and take a loss when you're not 100% but still compete for the sake of the team. Kwan was a wonderful ambassador and representative to the US. No question.

 

[antmanb]

I will always remember Robin Cousins on the BBC having a hissy fit about Kwan's final placement at 1999 worlds and him wanting Malinina on the podium. When the BBC aired the exhibitions from that worlds Kwan's was Chacked and I always wondered if that was because of Cousins.

 

[Tobbe]

LOL! Kwan got Chacked by the BBC! That proves my point that she was not that popular in Europe.

 

[Brenda_Bottems]

Continuing on that trend, since @Brenda_Bottems talked about Brittney McConn in this thread, and I had lamented that her best performance from the 1999 US Nationals free skate was not on YouTube, this seems as appropriate a place as any to post said performance, which is now available:

1999 US Figure Skating Championships Ladies Free Part 1

youtu.be

Thank you for sharing. While Miss McConn's skating was certainly not very ladylike,I firmly insist this is better than 95% of the performances Slutskaya showed over the course of her twenty year career. If McConn was Russian,she would have been on the podium in international events as well.

Tangentially, what a travesty Erin "Legwrap" Pearl was held up above this stunning athletic performance. Twenty years later,this still unsettles me enough to indulge in a cigarette.

-BB

 

[thvu]

LOL! Kwan got Chacked by the BBC! That proves my point that she was not that popular in Europe.

Would most continental Europeans agree with your notion that the Brits are representative of all Europe?

 

[Tobbe]

Great stuff! I don't think I have ever seen this McConn girl before. She had a true Lutz, something very unusual from the Americans at the time. And she actually reminds me a bit of Slutskaya (minus the spins).

 

[VGThuy]

Would most continental Europeans agree with your notion that the Brits are representative of all Europe?

I don't think Eurosport ever chacked her.

 

[Tobbe]

Would most continental Europeans agree with your notion that the Brits are representative of all Europe?

Yes, I would say so. At least in Figure Skating.

 

[VGThuy]

Yes, I would say so. At least in Figure Skating.

Oh yeah, I'm sure that was true during the 1994 Olympics with the Torvil/Dean bronze medal finish and the Brits' reaction to that.

 

[Tobbe]

Oh yeah, I'm sure that was true during the 1994 Olympics with the Torvil/Dean bronze medal finish and the Brits' reaction to that.

Well that is a completely different story. Of course the Brits were disappointed at the Russians at the time. But it has nothing to do with Kwan's (lack of) popularity in Europe.

 

[VGThuy]

Sure Jan

Sure Jan

www.youtube.com

 

[tony]

Welp, the floodgates were opened again for 1999 and since it's one of my favorite Worlds (and the first that I actually recorded all US coverage of), here's my two cents:

Gusmeroli should have been a clear 2nd in the short IMO. She also should have done enough to finish with the silver medal overall. Yeah, yeah. Malinina and her dream season. But Gusmeroli's LP was 1000x more interesting, and they landed the same amount of triples in the end-- Vanessa's not as clean, but much better in every other aspect. We all wanted to love Tatiana but the choreography of Aladdin was ridiculous.

Rechnio was one of my favorites but she was super lucky she didn't get hit harder than she did in the SP IMO. Two-footed Lutz, no steps into the flip, and those last two spin elements (at least the layback) were disastrous. On the surface, it looks like a great skate. But the deductions should've added up.

I liked Kwan's Carmen and wasn't so brutal as most of the people here. I still think she deserved to be on the podium- albeit bronze.

And yes, Diana Poth was the one really robbed in the short. I still think it!

 

[Skibean]

LOL! Kwan got Chacked by the BBC! That proves my point that she was not that popular in Europe.

How ironic that Cousins got Kwans exhibition cut and some say it’s because she wasn’t popular, but does anyone even remember who this Cousins man is? .

Kwan’s exhibition was actually the highlight of all the ladies skating at the Olympics. Definitely an iconic performance. If some
bitter commentator really got it cut, he should’ve been reprimanded. Seriously. It was a great exhibition.

 

[mjb52]

Wait are you being sarcastic? You're talking about Robin Cousins? Yes people remember who he is.

This is making me curious about Kwan's exhibition though, I don't think I've ever seen it.

 

[tony]

Wait are you being sarcastic? You're talking about Robin Cousins? Yes people remember who he is.

This is making me curious about Kwan's exhibition though, I don't think I've ever seen it.

It was The Red Violin. I checked some tape listings and two other medalists- Soldatova and Zagorska/Siudek, were also not shown on that broadcast, as well as most of the 4th and 5th place finishers.

 

[VGThuy]

Kwan fans got their revenge when he did a fan Q&A for Goldenskate like fifteen years ago and like 1/3-1/2 of the questions were about Kwan and why he dislikes her. I remember he had to keep saying he admired her or liked her haha. At least Jan Hoffman likes/liked her.

 

[Skibean]

Wait are you being sarcastic? You're talking about Robin Cousins? Yes people remember who he is.

This is making me curious about Kwan's exhibition though, I don't think I've ever seen it.

I don’t remember anything he did for skating. No sarcasm.

 

[mjb52]

He won the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics and is one of the most renowned skaters in terms of artistry that I can think of.

 

[Tobbe]

Kwan fans got their revenge when he did a fan Q&A for Goldenskate like fifteen years ago and like 1/3-1/2 of the questions were about Kwan and why he dislikes her. I remember he had to keep saying he admired her or liked her haha. At least Jan Hoffman likes/liked her.

And what a crappy Q&A that was. Half of the questions about Kwan...how rude. That shows the lack of objectivity from the K fans.

 

[VGThuy]

Lack of objectivity runs rampant everywhere.

 

[Tobbe]

Lack of objectivity runs rampant everywhere.

Which is sad. I can only give you an ABBA song as an answer to that...

ABBA SOLDIERS

An ABBA video I made for a beautiful song. I hope you like it!!Made in CHILE

www.youtube.com

 

[VGThuy]

Which is sad. I can only give you an ABBA song as an answer to that...

ABBA SOLDIERS

An ABBA video I made for a beautiful song. I hope you like it!!Made in CHILE

www.youtube.com

That reminds me of that K-Pop group BTS fandom. They call themselves "army". I guess they felt the compulsion to adopt the war mentality to be a fan of theirs as they want to fight in the name of their beloveds. Fans will fan.