Just like with the men, picking just one favorite ladies program is too difficult for me... so once again, here are a handful of favorites of mine.
Michelle Kwan 2004 Nationals Freeskate.
Passion, power, perfection. This one has made me cry so many times it's ridiculous.
Michelle Kwan 2003 Worlds Short program AND freeskate.
I've watched my tape of that World's over and over again, but it never really lost it's charm and magic. Also, a tidbit: I got to meet Michelle not long after that World's, at the Champions on Ice tour (Oh, how I miss that tour... so much better than Stars on Ice!). Upon meeting her, for once in my life, I was speechless. My 11 year old self could only barely squeak out that she was my favorite skater. Haha... sweet memories. =)
Two more recent ones would be...
Kimmie Meissner's 2006 World's winning freeskate, which unfortunately, I can't seem to find on youtube. :|
Alright, so she may have had some technique issues, but this is a more sentimental one for me. Kimmie was in the same club as I was when I was really little, and skated at the rink I switched to a few years later occasionally too. I remember seeing her there after she had just won her novice National title and I had seen her exhibition on tv, so I went to congratulate her, etc. She was very sweet and humble and seems to have kept that demeanor as she's gotten older. Anyway, it was really, really amazing to see someone I had actually MET and shared the ice with win a World title, and it really couldn't have happened to a nicer girl.
Mirai Nagasu's Olympic Freeskate
And... the same case of it not being on youtube.:| NBC has it online somewhere though, I'm sure.
One of the few of the current crop of girls whose skating I particularly like, Mirai's hard work after National's really payed off with a fantastic freeskate at the Olympic Games. Plus, I never, ever would have guessed she would snag fourth place at only 16 years old. Here's to hoping that Mirai can skate like this again AND with some consistency.
Sadly, for the most part it seems like the ladies aren't skating great these days, even on the elite level. There's hardly any I'm even remotely interested in. The men are now what the ladies used to be, in my opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment