Most underwhelming ladies world bronze medalist since '91?

[blue_idealist]

I voted for Lepisto. She was a lovely skater, but IIRC, there were lots of double jumps in her medal-winning long program.

 

[bardtoob]

oh
my
god


that was possibly the longest four minutes of my life. I can't believe this was 1991! Everything about that video, from the hair, dress, music, styling, 2 triples, choreography screams early 80s to me, not early 90s.

Thank god they got rid of figures, the sport would probably be more dead than it already is.

In contrast, Holly had a shockingly energetic original program (short program) with a lot of speed and power that allowed one to overlook any flaws in style.

Toller Cranston on CBC would have usually torn Holly apart because of her style but he had to admit she performed with superior energy.

Holly Cook OP 1990 World Figure Skating Championships

Holly Cook

youtu.be

 

[tennellicious]

In contrast, Holly had a shockingly energetic original program (short program) with a lot of speed and power that allowed one to overlook any flaws in style.

Toller Cranston on CBC would have usually torn Holly apart because of her style but he had to admit she performed with superior energy.

Holly Cook OP 1990 World Figure Skating Championships

Holly Cook

youtu.be

ok we've progressed from 1981 to 1988. The energy was.definitely there!

 

[tennellicious]

To be fair Soldatova had pretty solid tech content for that event - a clean 3S+3T, with just a fall on a 3F<. Even though her salchows were WHACK. All in all she did 6 clean triples and even though her program was tacky as hell, her closest competition was Malinina's Aladdin which was a legendary $hitfe$t in its own right.

Soldatova skated well, but the 4th and 5th place finishers skated well, with just one less triple jump. And I actually liked the Aladdin program!

 

[caseyedwards]

I voted for Lepisto. She was a lovely skater, but IIRC, there were lots of double jumps in her medal-winning long program.

What’s most telling is the point totals of 2 of her combos!! Omg this is real
2.80 2loop 2 toe
4.29 2 Salchow 2 toe 2 toe

Those were the values of her combos

That’s real

She also did a solo double loop

You can’t begrudge her the double axels I guess!!

 

[Coco]

Hey man, the Olympics took a lot out of people. You guys can make fun of how she won that metal all you want, there were a lot of good skaters that could not outscore her.

 

[caseyedwards]

Hey man, the Olympics took a lot out of people. You guys can make fun of how she won that metal all you want, there were a lot of good skaters that could not outscore her.

That’s true but it’s also true of everyone on this whole list really! It’s like when you look at these performances and these jumps and or programs which is the most yikes in one way or another. Maybe compared to their best? Maybe what was usual for the era? For the era in 2010 3 triple long was beyond.

 

[VGThuy]

I would rewatch Holly Cook’s short program over many other skaters. Whoever choreographed that would be deserving of an ISU Award for choreography today.

 

[tony]

Hey man, the Olympics took a lot out of people. You guys can make fun of how she won that metal all you want, there were a lot of good skaters that could not outscore her.

This is a poll about the most underwhelming bronze medal since 1991. Discussing the reasons why someone picked Lepisto isn't exactly shocking or new for FSU. I picked her too for both the TES she did complete and the fact that it actually earned her a medal.

 

[guignardfabbri]

In contrast, Holly had a shockingly energetic original program (short program) with a lot of speed and power that allowed one to overlook any flaws in style.

Toller Cranston on CBC would have usually torn Holly apart because of her style but he had to admit she performed with superior energy.

Holly Cook OP 1990 World Figure Skating Championships

Holly Cook

youtu.be

Yes I think her short definitely deserved its placement. Her long program though, LOL!

I would rewatch Holly Cook’s short program over many other skaters. Whoever choreographed that would be deserving of an ISU Award for choreography today.

It was pretty brilliant. It really highlighted her strengths, while masking her (many) weaknesses brilliantly. Very much enjoyed it. Cranston thought she might even deserve 2nd over Yamaguchi who did a triple lutz combo to Cook's triple toe combo.

Her long was a whole other story though, and the complete opposite in that sense. Really highlighted all her weaknesses in full. I honestly thought she deserved only about 8th in the long, LOL! But it was probably the buzz of her figures being underscored, the great impression of her vibrant short, and the big luck of skating last, that combined for her result. She drew last to skate in both short and long btw, a huge benefit.

I would rewatch Cook's short program over any skate I ever saw Soldatova do though. Honestly even her pretty bad bronze medal winning long program just for the all around LOLz, while watching even Soldatova's technically solid 6 triple bronze medal winning long still just leaves me bored. Or Lepisto's 3 triple bronze medal long in the year 2010, even as lovely as her basics are.

 

[overedge]

The most underwhelming bronze medalist at Worlds is still one of the top three skaters in the world. And in a lot of countries they placed ahead of literally hundreds of other skaters to even be at Worlds.

 

[Seerek]

I still vote for Susanna Driano from 1978 above any of the poll options, as she didn't place top 3 in any of the competition segments to win her bronze medal (4th figures, 6th short program, 6th long program).

That year, Biellmann, Allen and Vodorezova were better in free skating but were simply too far behind in figures to catch up.

1978 World Figure Skating Ladies LP

youtu.be

 

[Marry]

Where's Alysa Liu? Should be on the list

 

[tennellicious]

Where's Alysa Liu? Should be on the list

rude!

 

[Marco]

Soldatova, based on a basket of considerations including how much the medal was deserved, overall consistency at a high level, ability to hit other than at that competition, overall skating package, etc.

Lepisto may have lucked out to have won bronze at 2010 Worlds, but she did skate well at 2009 Euros and 2010 Olympics.

Daleman skated CLEAN to win bronze at 2017 Worlds and repeated that free skate at 2018 Olympics team event.

Tanja S had a relatively lower hit rate due to her 2footing habit, but did nail it once at 1997-8 GPF. Bobek also, but then 1998 Nationals happened.

 

[olympic]

Uh oh. Hell just froze over. CaseyDesanctimoniusEdwards and I agree on something.

I’ve long been annoyed Lepisto win bronze, mostly bc everyone else also imploded. I was especially bummed for Mirai. Had she landed a double axel, she would have been third. The tech content of that era up through 2012 worlds was pretty lackluster with not many 3/3s from women. And not many with the 7 triple/full 3 up to lutz arsenal.

What was unique about 10 Worlds was that so many skaters in the LP were more inspiring than the actual medalist Lepisto: Any of Phaneuf, Ando and Kostner would have been more memorable bronze medalists. And yes, a better 2A from Mirai would have come out in front.