But that's my point, Midori was inherently limited in this area, just as some skaters are limited in their jumping capabilities. I'm using the extreme examples of Ito and Cohen, but the reality is that a certain body type allows for an aesthetic more than others, just as a certain body type allows for better jumping ability. It seems to me, that for some, it's okay to be gifted with a greater capacity to jump than others, but skater's who are able to create a more aesthetically appealing look based on their physicality should not be. Cohen was never going to be able to do a 3A like Ito (or a 3A, period), while Ito was never going to have a Charlotte that looked like Cohen's.
The whole point is to use skaters who actually were good skaters and had no apparent deficiencies other than their physical attributes. Elvis arguably lost that 1994 OGM because he didn't look as good as Urmanov. Ito was considered less artistic than Kristi even though (IMO) her skating skills and quality of edges and power were a lot better than Kristi's. I even think Midori's spins were faster and more centered, though Kristi was more flexible and could hit different positions.
I don't think a skater has to have a dancer body to express music and have great extension. It gets problematic when a skater is deemed to have all of these qualities solely on the basis of appearance, as opposed to what they are actually doing on the ice which is why I brought up Nancy Kerrigan. Nancy and Tonya were both athletic skaters. I think Tonya had better musicality than Nancy, however Nancy looked "better" on ice, even though she wasn't doing much more artistically than Tonya.
Isabeau has the perfect proportions for European style ballet - the torso-to-legs ratio, ribbon arms, long neck & relatively small head. The plasticity of her torso is exquisite. Lindsay also has a lovely torso but doesn’t use it as expressively as Isabeau…at least not yet.
I would rather watch Sasha, or Alyssa C. or Isabeau skate and fall, than watch the majority of skaters skate clean.
Well, I did see Sasha complete a quad while working with Mr. Nicks at her home rink.
I don't know, Sjoko was into that macho, kung fu thing. I think these types of programs limit what you can do artistically. I think it hurt Joubert too. You need variety in expression to be interesting - hesitation, softness, peace, etc. as well as strength. All the later is boring, I think.
I think both Stoijko and Joubert were undermarked artistically. Both of them had an exciting, masculine approach to skating and martial arts is incredibly artistic. If you watch martial artists practicing, it is an art unto itself and Stoijko did that really well. I do think that over his career, he was frustrated that his artistic approach was not being valued and then he seemed to almost be defiant in his programs, standing still etc during his later programs. Stoijko will never be a ballet dancer on ice. I think Urmanov had better landing positions and being 6 feet tall (or almost 6 feet), he probably had bigger, more impressive jumps than Stoijko. However both of his programs in 1994 were not really well done artistically. I think Urmanov won because he was tall and handsome and received more credit for artistry than he actually had.
Urmanov didn’t have much single footed skating - like most Mishin skaters. He did have better landing positions and more traditional balletic music- and the knock kneed chicken dance. I like Urmanov, however IMO Elvis had the better program and demonstrated more skating skills. However that was not really a factor back in 6.0 era.
The thread has been stolen first byAh yes, those well-known U.S. women skaters Elvis and Alexei.
and 
, then by Elvis and Alexei. No discussion of the Kween? We're slipping, badly. 
Oh I don't know. Women skating.......makes perfect sense Elvis and Alexi should be focal pointsThe thread has been stolen first by
This is so very true!
I hope she recovers fully! Interestingly enough my daughter who is only 2.5 was diagnosed with this when she was 3 weeks old and had to wear a special device that kept her hips open and at a certain angle for 5 weeks, to avoid needing surgery in the future. Apparently it did the trick at the next scan, though we'll see.
Congratulations on the birth of your second daughter!
Best wishes to your daughter, @concorde!
Caroline did return to competition and placed 5th at 2017 Nationals and won the silver at Challenge Cup in The Hague. She had the surgery on her other hip after 2018 Nationals (her final competition).
"We're going live this Monday [May 9] at 6 p.m. ET to celebrate #AAPIMonth!
But didn't Midori Ito always do terrible in compulsory figures? I mean, in 1990, she was 10th in CF, won the other two parts and finished 2nd to Jill Trenary. In 1989, when she won worlds, she was still 6th in figures. Surely this says something about her edges and some of her basics?
Actually Midori had great edges and skating skills. You just have to watch her free skates. Her issues with compulsories were probably due to nerves. Just because people were good at figures did not mean that they had great skating skills. It's a totally different set of skills that needed to be practiced.
usfigureskatingfanzone.com
