Michelle Kwan 關穎珊 - 1998 United States Figure Skating Championships, Ladies' Free Skate

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - 1998 United States Figure Skating Championships, Ladies' Free Skate - Michelle Kwan earned 8 perfect 6.0s for Presentation with her skate to William Alwyn's "Lyra Angelica." She would easily win the Free Skate and, in turn, win the National Title.

[@dellpellegrini3707]

25 years and it still takes my breath away.

[@adamfirebear]

just watched it for the billionth time and got chills all over again

[@tanithschneider3051]

That spiral is a work of art.

[@mammac4333]

Miss her!

[@sallydaniel1023]

We gave up this artistry and emotion for jump jump jump

[@jamesyu5212]

No we gained jumps and lost all the fake emotion. Michelle cries literally everything she takes the ice.

[@joaocampelo3725]

@@jamesyu5212it’s about what she makes us feel.. what I feel when I see skaters today is fear, that they might end up injuring themselves

[@alazjaw.8968]

@@jamesyu5212and now they cry all the time with a lack of artistry and jump jump jump. artistry has definitely been lost.

[@syrinx114]

@@jamesyu5212 Your inability to feel emotion doesn’t mean it’s not real for others.

[@jamesyu5212]

@@syrinx114 lol when evgenia pantomimes and leaves a gaping mouth open you oldies criticise the fakeness but when Michelle cries ( like she does a lot of the time) you think it's sincere. Please. It's a sport.

[@fitgraphisva]

Can I just give props to the audience here? They screamed after Michelle's second Lutz, then louder during her spiral, then even louder (and on their feet) during her final spin, then loudest during her second set of marks. What a great group of fans that day.

[@MichaelDruck]

We will never see this beauty in figure skating ever again. New rules. The new judging system just rewards spins and jumps. It's not about the whole package. Michelle was and will always be the whole package.

[@kheirbasileus2126]

The greatest ever. A perfect example of athleticism and artistry. The most balanced and beautiful. God Bless Michelle Kwan.

[@npkrn6764]

My favorite performance of Michelle's - at least of those I've seen. Along with her skating, of course, I've always remembered this in large part I think to the 👗 simple, yet beautiful dress. To me, she was one of the first to not wear all that bedazzled garbage that many skaters wear which just detracts from the performance, IMO. This night, everything was perfect 👌 ❤

[@troyaturner1979]

This program still brings me to tears. Ive never seen a skater embody the music like Michelle does. Every move, every jump has meaning. I miss her style of skating so much.

[@jackg701]

agree

[@xxwhispersxx2856]

They need to bring back the 6.0 system. Bring back the 6.0 system and you'll bring back half the fans for the sport.

[@tuxtommy69]

I agree! I no longer watch figure skating competitions since the crybaby Canadians & their skating federation got the ISU to change the scoring system. That and the elimination of Compulsory Dances did it for me!

[@ryan-pf9ud]

100%

[@tonypenny6312]

Michelle Kwan is the most exquisite storyteller on the ice. She is the greatest figure skater of all time!!!!!

[@luiso9H]

This performance brings tears to my eyes every time. Michelle gives us an insight into human potential. She allows us to see the beauty of humanness all the while displaying the qualities that cannot be described or explained by logic.... Something "greater than" shines forth. Thank you for the blessing of this beautiful individual.

[@jackg701]

yes

[@blpalv15]

My all time favorite free skate from her. Just breathtaking. Soft edges, gorgeous jumps. The movement of her hands, her spins. Everything just amazing.

[@pj-fx7gx]

I’m torn between this one and “Salomé”

[@sallydaniel1023]

You just don't see this kind of emotion in skating anymore. It's gone down a similar path as gymnastics...it's all about the difficulty minus the artistry

[@wksleep]

Wow, it feels like she is floating on the ice. So elegant with an amazing sense of freedom.

[@michaeldruck7060]

Quite possibly still one of the best LPs ever!

[@stevenvalencia6353]

This right here past future present is the best figure skater ever. Flawless this is skating at its finest. No one can surpass this skater machelle kwan she go in hall of fame

[@jjb8842]

that poor judge that gave her 5.9 in presentation probably can't forgive herself to this day.

[@tally1604]

that judge expressed her regret over not giving Michelle a 6 many times after that.

[@dinh5532]

@@tally1604 Is that true?

[@rebarox85]

Why didn’t she give her a 6 ?

[@tally1604]

@@rebarox85 because the competion wasn't over and there were still skaters left in the final group.

[@ohioweatherguy]

@@tally1604 There was one skater left in the final group, hence why a 5.9/6.0 was a deserving set of marks to award Kwan for this performance since technically there was still room to place that final skater (Kwiatkowski) ahead if warranted.

[@ANC2002]

I love Dick Button so much! You can just hear how much he loves figure skating in his voice.

[@laurielynne2006]

I truly miss his commentary!

[@pj-fx7gx]

This is still beautifully elegant and so very graceful - I never tire of it 😍

[@mlc2005]

Dick Button hit the nail on the head with this one: "What a JOY!" and "What you have to remember is that honesty is central to her skating." A perfect way to describe that special, intangible quality about Michelle Kwan's impact on her emotionally touched audiences.

[@nadiarodriguez4834]

What a brilliant performance Michelle did at the 1998 nationals. The entire program is great but my favorite part is the one that follows her second triple loop. The way she moves her arms and the expression on her face is so passionate; just perfect.

[@jjh2456]

Nadia Rodriguez add in the 2nd 3loop and that sequence in the program was exquisite.

[@callmej5337]

3:31 That spin was also very beautiful and mesmerizing

[@larrypascua4587]

I still love her!

[@CanadianMonarchist]

Who doesn’t?

[@berengerecollet7620]

C'est un programme très riche en émotions et en grâce et surtout en élégance et dommage qu'on ne voit plus cela de nos jours.. En tout cas merci infiniment Michelle je ne t'oublierai jamais car tu es gravée à jamais dans mon cœur

[@tally1604]

remember watching it live (remember those times when fs was shown live on national tv) and the thrill and awe that overcame me from seeing what i immediately knew was figure skating history in the making. just pure liquid gold

[@troyaturner1979]

She is just floating out there. I remember seeing this and crying at the end. She truly is the Gold Standard.

[@MS-df2fk]

I know she's worth like 13 million dollars, but it's still kind of sad she never got her Olympic gold. She melded the athletic and artistic sides of figure skating like no one before or after her. This long program at the U.S. Nationals is probably the best ladies figure skating performance of all time.

[@jrewing2383]

Matt, Olympic golds value has lessened by the simple pact her name in not on it.

[@larrypascua4587]

Thanks Matt. I agree. That Bronze in Salt Lake City was it, and Silver in Nagano..again,as SCARA LIPSNIKI...stole it from her. Couldn't Tara just wait for 2002? No. She had to STEAL that moment from her

[@larrypascua4587]

And Aghhhegh..Do you hear how Tara Scara Lysincki..COMMENTATES..lots of bullshit that's not even related to the ice skater...I love Johnny Weir though

[@debsam77]

@@larrypascua4587 well it’s very unfortunate that Michelle didn’t get the gold but Tara didn’t steal it, she won it with a more technical program and a lucky draw to get to skate next to last preventing Michelle from getting perfect 6.0 for presentation. But boy did Tara look sad here after Michelle skated.

[@divineson1681]

Not sad. She made so much history . She inspired a whole generation

[@andrelhuliganga7312]

Such a beautiful performance! I have to say it was and still is one of my favorite performances. It's crazy how much figure skating has evolved because if this performance was used in today's competition, it probably would not be considered a difficult program and she probably would not even place on the podium. Overall though a performance to remember in figure skating history.

[@marywillametz6225]

Loved her performances

[@PerAllwin1963]

The best performance by a female figure skater in the history of the sport, technically and artistically.

[@TrinityE77Thepresent]

Michelle Kwan has always been my favorite figure skater, and she remains so!♥️♥️♥️💐

[@fjn219]

This was the BEST performance in Ladies' figure skating ever.

[@seanhuang8229]

always watch this with tears... hard to describe the beauty....

[@csopa08]

No other skaters have not ever touched me the way Michelle Kwan did. And so many times over!

[@denaspohn5207]

I've been watching a lot of skating this month. Michelle is my favorite. She and Sasha Cohen did incredible spirals. Their grace was incredible. Michelle seemed like such a lovely gracious person, too. The athleticism and jumps seem to be the most important thing now. I watched a clip from the film Ice Castles yesterday. I kept wondering if the character would ever do any jumps. Eventually, but it took forever. With 7 triples now expected the sport has truly changed.

[@KellySmith1215]

Just lovely, something so magical about this performance.

[@PrinceofTroy-kx3nk]

Still the benchmark after all this years. The best that ever was and ever will be. Nobody even cones close. The great Michelle Kwan 🌷.

[@ahmednouredine6036]

Meilleurs patieuse dans l'histoire du patinage artistique

[@TT-ee4qp]

How possible that Tara's Disney Cartoon program won the Olympics ？Michelle kwan skated like an angel on ice, so elegant, so peaceful, so beautiful....WOW.

[@lkfrostad]

Triple loop/triple loop combination that’s how

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@lkfrostad Seriously ? Tara's flip and lutz would be called out for under rotation today. Tara's triples were cheap. Tiny, rushed jumps. Tara's artistry was far from Michelle's. Overall, Michelle Kwan was robbed. 😎

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@lkfrostad The ISU raised the age limit to 17 NOW, which means Tara Lipinski should go to the kid's Olympics with her Disney Cartoon program.

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@lkfrostad Michelle had triple triple combo since 1995 ~ 2004 ( not every time ) , which means her technique was stable and better than the other skaters like Tara had triple triple combo just for 2~ 3 years. 😎 And without a kid's body and weight, Tara couldn't make any triple triple combo. 🤣🤣🤣

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@lkfrostad Only kids enjoyed Tara's Disney Cartoon program. 🤭🤭🤭

[@bindi06]

I wanna know who the hell gave her the 5.9 in the artistic portion? Really?! Were they not watching the same program? Also, I miss the days of the 6.0 judging system. I've never warmed up to this convoluted judging system that runs skating today. If only the ISU would've dealt with the judges who were in cahoots to block some skaters from winning a medal, we might still have the 6.0 system.

[@sikavik]

i miss her so much.

[@edwarda.7761]

Two judges were in tears after this performance.

[@dinh5532]

Is that true, where did you read that?

[@nathanielharper8701]

Can we get a documentary on the judge who gave her a 5.9 for presentation?

[@paulief.biggie5459]

Artistically, this program will NEVER be surpassed.

[@angelafoster7168]

I agree

[@jjh2456]

Nope. Never. They don’t skate like this anymore.

[@pamelamonahan1776]

Spectacular! Love this costume

[@edwarda.7761]

The best ever by far

[@wendellroden7037]

If she had skated this program like this in Nagano, she would have won gold.

[@debsam77]

I was about to type the same thing. She looked so elegant and confident here!

[@rachelplows3001]

I love the grace in which she handled defeat in Nagano though, sad as it was. It was in stark contrast to the way Kerrigan handled defeat 4 years earlier.

[@wendellroden7037]

@@rachelplows3001 Nancy showed her true colors. But no surprise after the way she acted on camera after her '93 Worlds LP disaster.

[@jjh2456]

It's the 2nd 3 loop that gets me. When that jump is done like that, it's breathtaking.

[@jrewing6836]

Figure Skatings finest moment, skates by the GOAT.

[@USA-qm2bk]

Frank was her best coach

[@snopesshop1903]

Those left/right spins

[@alphabetacanton]

Sublime!!

[@Mikemixolydian]

No one shall ever be this special.

[@edwarda.7761]

Gorgeous performance! Nothing else like it.

[@katherinetan4587]

Those landing positions though

[@thesupremediva]

Perfection

[@jjh2456]

The only thing not perfect about this is the position on the layback. Other than that, this was sheer perfection.

[@mts6376]

Perfect!

[@danasuperstar]

LOL @Tara's face.

[@terrancejohnson3071]

I thought the same thing. lol she knew it was over and she lost.

[@ec5582]

Tara could only beat Michelle when Michelle messed up a little

[@venuzmodeling]

E C she skated cleanly at the Olympics and Tara beat her so what’s the truth? LMFAO

[@dinh5532]

Timestamp?

[@jjh2456]

Venuz Modeling Michelle squeaked our the flip in Nagano.

[@uncchristine99]

I just love listening to the announce read out the 6.0s... never again!

[@KellySmith1215]

I agree, so beautiful.

[@edwardbak4459]

She is a goddess

[@scarlettohara2070]

Ice skating has become so focused on jumping, i.e., quads, etc., that the sport has forgotten about grace and elegance. Michelle is both.

[@isabellahrem5727]

Sehr elegant !💯💖💥

[@igloosheeshio]

PERFECTION.

[@psylockheart]

This was just perfection... the only flaw I can nitpick from this was that the Salchow could have been landed more beautifully but thats just me nitpicking.. Everything was just beautiful.. the jumps (entrance and landing), the footwork, spins, spirals, everything

[@Jude74]

Dan which is ironic because statistically it's her best jump.

[@reubenkeyz5131]

Haha I saw that too. And a little under rotated to be honest. I love Michelle though!! This was perfect to me.

[@triplelutz17]

Imagine being the 1 judge that gave her the 5.9 for presentation

[@snopesshop1903]

Clap, Tara, it won't kill you.

[@ejpaprocki8995]

a 5.9 for presentation? Really?

[@locomadre3520]

Interesting that Dick Button has said something to the effect of 'leaving it all at Nationals'.. regarding other skaters.....hmmm....this was back in the time when the Nats before the Olympics were the determining factor in the makeup of the USA'S Olympic Team....

[@vansbert1930]

can someone tell me at what time michelle did her footwork sequence....

[@aspenrobinson8797]

vansbert1930 Did she do footwork ? I mean she had to of as it is a major requirement, lol, it must just very subtle.

[@TheWesBradshaw]

Right before the first Lutz after the opening movements she stops back to the one end of the rink and does steps into the setup.of the Lutz....subtle in deed but it did go into two separate directions and.change feet once. But that's just nitpicking lol.

[@bordeauxhouse]

@vansbert1930 back then the artistic or free program had no required elements.

[@heatherramsey9190]

I wish this program had more difficult jumps - She could have won the gold at the Olympics. I feel that throughout her career she may have played it too safe. Would love to have seen harder jump combinations. As a competitive skater you have to keep growing.

[@TT-ee4qp]

Michelle's artistry and technique were better than Tara. Michelle's performance was classic, beautiful and womanly. Tara's performance just like a kid. Tara had a kid's body and weight so easier to jump, nothing more. Tara retired because she got hurt and grew up, then everything changed. Actually, Tara didn't really make a correct 3+3, so she was overrated. Michelle was robbed.

[@TT-ee4qp]

As a competitive skater, Michelle finished no lower than 3rd place between 1995~2004 , her artistry and technique were hard to close for the other skaters like Tara.

[@TT-ee4qp]

Maybe Tara should go to the kid's Olympics with the Russian girls today.

[@TT-ee4qp]

Dick Button : This lady Michelle kwan. This kid Tara Lipinski.

[@rebarox85]

Wait why didn’t she get the gold? She had all 6’s except one 5.9. Tara Lapinski didn’t have any 6’s.

[@debsam77]

I think you have this confused with the 1998 Olympic Games. Michelle got first place here and Tara came in second but at the Olympics it reversed and Tara was first and Michelle second.

[@adrian123781]

she did well here, same as the olympics yet she got silver in Nagano hhhmmm

[@debsam77]

Well in the televised biography of her she said that after she bobbled on the one jump it scared her and she proceeded to skate too cautiously. And I got aggravated how everyone kept gushing over Tara being so young but hell there had to be a lot of pressure on Michelle at 17 whio wasn’t t exactly a grandmother lol

[@anne91276]

getrealandchoke, you will NEVER again try to report me again, or else I will personally inform you tube of your conduct and I will personally make sure that you will never post any more acidic comments about Michelle Kwan. Also your behavior should make you more likely to be reported to You Tube.

[@VTMCompany]

5.8?

[@jjh2456]

Victor TalkingMachine no 3/3

[@mattg.812]

Yuna WHO????

[@pallafox]

what a fail. Yuna is this era's Michelle Kwan.. Get overt it!!

[@jjh2456]

Yuna is actually quite wonderful.

[@Vihzel]

+Matt G. What an idiotic statement made by an idiotic...

[@debsam77]

@@Vihzel oh stop calling people names over their opinions damn!

[@laurenbrown7403]

Is her sister older or younger then her?

[@rebeccajackso12]

Karen, her sister, is 2 years older, while Ron, her brother, is 4 years older. Not being a "know it all," or showing off, just sharing my own knowledge from reading her biography approximately a gazillion times...that's a technical term. ;-) Kwanatic4Life

[@Indiegirl007]

That 5.9 was from a hater.

[@USA-qm2bk]

Why don’t she do a triple triple here? I think her 96 worlds long program was harder

[@jjh2456]

She had a stress fracture in her foot so she couldn’t pull off that second triple at the end of the 3/3 combo.

[@lyann1213]

I think she could've challenged herself at least a little bit more.

[@TT-ee4qp]

She did. She created so many different style programs in her career. Tara Lipinski was a kid and never changed her style but a kid.

[@pianoplayrpiano99]

Way, way too much yakkety yak from the commentators. Very distracting

[@heatherratliff1813]

🤣🤣

[@JarenMorris21]

Never, Ever.....

[@jacquelineblance4861]

I love Michelle but this program is lacking a step sequence...

[@aspenrobinson8797]

She is a beautiful skater, but Sasha Cohen in my opinion was the best in the world. I just wish her nerves didn't get her .

[@jjh2456]

Aspen Robinson no one hit a spiral position like Sasha. No one.

[@reubenkeyz5131]

Best in the world needs to be consistent with jumps.

[@cassandrahowell8055]

Sasha should have won gold at the Olympic games....and she would have easily if she could have skated 2 clean programs...I only saw that once in her senior career. She was the most beautiful on the ice and NEVER hit a bad position.

[@venuzmodeling]

The most overrated skate in the history of figure skating.

[@jjh2456]

Venuz Modeling How so?

[@venuzmodeling]

Jose Hill there’s countless performances better than this one artistically. All anyone does is talk about this performance when Michelle has done better performances artistically herself. This was a wonderful performance but it doesn’t deserve the hype. Her Taj Mahal performance is better than this one in my opinion

[@SDoesNotKnow]

Wah wah wah.

[@zacharywalzer696]

Contrary to almost everyone I have never liked Michelle Kwan. I thought she was stiff and most of all completely lacked emotion. The fact that she draws so much reaction from anyone is completely beyond me.

[@katherinetan4587]

Watch her exhibition performances - Fields of Gold, On my Own, My Hands, Dante’s Prayer, Winter and you might feel differently

[@jjh2456]

You are entitled to your opinion and don’t be scared to express it.

[@harveychadbourne5180]

That’s because your an idiot

[@jrewing2383]

I think U need a new brain shit4brain.

[@arlenfillmore9492]

Michelle's programs are boaring because she only concentrate on her jumps. I see nothing special on her. seh is average.

[@SDoesNotKnow]

Idiot.

[@harveychadbourne5180]

Your as stupid and troll like as Tara who did not deserve olympic gold what a travesty of justice that Tara the troll won

[@LaTonyaStJames]

She gave up on improvement after this season. The rest of her "career" was all about prancing and wiggling around the ice since she was the "darling" of the judges.

[@jonjames2789]

yea the rest of the field sure sucked crap since she was able to win so many times without improving. hmmm, let me count the times little sasha and big irina fell down.

[@harveychadbourne5180]

LaTonya St. James Michelle is the greatest female figure skater of all time. No one before her or after will ever do what she has done for the sport. Especially miss no career Harding u know Godzilla on ice

[@harveychadbourne5180]

You know who else is better than miss Harding nancy you ugly dinosaur troll

[@jrewing2383]

Jesus, Ur one gruesomely ugly troll.

[@hhluvzmagik]

If she had skated this program in Nagano like she had here, she would have won convincingly.

[@debsam77]

If only. I hate she never won Olympic gold 🥺

[@aliciascott4299]

I also think if she hadn’t skated first that night, she would have won. Skating first was usually a huge disadvantage to skaters in those days.

[@dixrekbeavers4376]

This is skating perfection. The artistry is second to none. I've not seen anyone come close to this.

[@sandyvale1038]

Oh, so many skaters have not only surpassed her 'artistry' but they have also challenged themselves on the technical and athletic side of figure skating. Sasha, Yuna and those young Russian skaters are the first to come to mind, and Kwan's 'sit' spin really was more of a crouch spin.

[@sandyvale1038]

Oh dear, Tryone do stop guzzling the kool aid so fast lest you choke on :) I expressed an opinion and this is the best you can do to refute it? Sad to see yet another typical Kwanatic who resort to insults when the truth isn't to their liking but hits home.

[@tyronebranch2946]

Sandy Vale Based on your words you're expressing what is true or a fact not an opinion. There's a difference.

[@sandyvale1038]

Well, Tyrone it **is a fact** that while this program was 'artistic' I think there was a huge bias that Kwan was ever so artistic but in later years she wasn't, she didn't evolve and other skaters truly were better artistically and for sure technically. And why call me a liar? That seems to indicate that you have the **facts** and express them as such, not as an opinion. It didn't do Kwan any favors to keep handing her high scores which were undeserved in the opinions of sports experts, and in fact there has been been more than one time that the audience flat out booed when her scores beat someone far better. I am aware that this program ranks very high in the annals of figure skating, however it was only worth the Silver at Nagano when all thing were taken into consideration. And the artistic marks at that time were the tie breaker. Same in 2002. And then there was 2006 which showed the total lack of integrity, character, and graciousness of Michelle Kwan. I say this despite all the scrambling to make it sound like she was awesome for giving up ''her' spot. It wasn't hers, and she didn't even skate. I don't think she intended to, I think she just wanted attention and praise. She took away time from Emily, time that Emily needed to acclimate and there was never once an apology for being so greedy. I was quite pleasantly surprised that your second comment was so civil, I expected to be attacked and called names:)

[@katherinetan4587]

+Sandy Vale the “young Russian skaters” can’t hold a candle on technique and artistry.

[@王燕泽]

who is still watching this one of the most eligent and beautiful program for the whole time

[@shihlin1]

I read she came in to this competition with no high expectations, simply wanting to test her injured toe to see how it would hold up. Tara was defending champion with all the pressure. That allowed Michelle to skate arguably the best program of her life. A month later their positions were reversed for the Olympics and Michelle had all the pressure. Still this skate will be hard to top, perhaps if Michelle added that triple-triple combo back into her program, she would've received higher technical marks and edged Tara for the Gold at the Nagano Olympics.

[@ralphbourgeois5875]

She couldnt do a triple-triple combo since the only one she was technically capable of was a triple toe-triple toe and her toe hurt the most on the toe with the injury. It was hard enough to do a solo triple toe, let alone a triple-triple. She even replaced the triple toe she always did in the short back then with a triple flip due to the injury. If she were a strong enough jumper to do harder jump combinations or ones with a loop jump like Slutskaya and Lipinski it would probably be fine, but unfortunately she isnt.

[@edwardallenmiranda8586]

She should have still beaten tara in my opinion those artistic marks for yara in nagano were too high..

[@elizabethpaczolt5326]

My problem with Tara winning Olympic gold? She never did a true triple lutz in her LIFE. She'd skate backward on the outside edge but then just as she picked in with her other foot, her ankle would roll over to the inside edge so severely it looked painful. She should have been penalized for doing multiple triple flips, but that didn't happen in those days.

[@aliciascott4299]

@@elizabethpaczolt5326 I agree with you. Tara had one of the worst flutzes I’ve ever seen. I always thought her technique was poor, that stupid roller skating kick takeoff and her tiny jumps that barely seemed to get off the ice. I was shocked when she won the gold and I still think to this day Michelle should have won. If Tara skated like that under the new scoring system with her poor techniques, she would lose so many points.

[@theprinceoftides6836]

Simply the best.

[@pueraeternus111]

Michelle Kwan - you are irreplaceable in this sport. No one has ever come close to the magic you brought when you performed on the ice. It was as if the music inhabited your soul and played your body like a musical instrument. You were utterly dazzling!

[@gregklein7640]

The judges did Kwan a great disservice by scoring her technical element higher than Tara. It gave her a false sense of security going into the Olympics that she didn't have to increase her difficulty to win. Well the Olympic judges rightly weren't having any part of that as Kwan discovered too late in horror at the Olympics.

[@jjh2456]

You are correct. Kwan was going to win Nationals this year but she didn’t need to be propped up like she was here.

[@xxwhispersxx2856]

Are you saying that if they had placed her second and Tara first it might have turned out different results at the Olympics?

[@kjvill2013]

Even if they did, I think Tara would've still won because of the technical side of the scoring; she did have a 3/3 and a 3/1 eus/3 combo, both in the second half of the program, and none of the other girls could match that closely at the time. Michelle was coming off a stress fracture and the little time she had between Nats and OG was not enough to up her technical difficulty; she would've reinjured her leg and wouldn't have gone to the OG at all if she tried. If she had skated like this at the OG AND skated after Tara did, I think she would've won due to the presentation marks. However, I don't think the judges would 've given her the gold if we take into account the Olympic performances they both put down, regardless of their skating order. Michelle was too uptight that night and did not exude the same fluidity and artistry she did in this competion. As much as I love Michelle, the presentation from her OG performance wouldn't have been enough to match Tara's technical content.

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@kjvill2013 Tara's technique wasn't better than Michelle, or Tara hadn't to make a incorrect 3+3 .Tara just tried to surprise the judges with good lucky.

[@MichaelDruck]

Lori Nichol her choreographer even said the goal wasn't to add as many triples as possible it was to be able to keep Michelle on her feet for a 4 minute program as her stress fracture had just healed. I don't think lower marks at nationals would have made Michelle increase her technical difficulty so close to the Olympics. Michelle even was quoted as saying, "That was the program, we were not going to change it." Not taking anything away from the great job Tara did, but I wonder in an alternate universe how the judging would have went down if Tara drew first and Michelle got to close out the Olympics and get that extra point or two the judges save for the final skater.

[@baamtrazona2608]

Perfect performance...

[@TT-ee4qp]

Much better than Tara's Disney Cartoon program. 👍👍👍 Michelle's artistry is the most difficult technique which Tara Lipinski never touched the level. 😎 The ISU raised the age limit to 17 NOW, which means Tara should go to the kid's Olympics with her Disney Cartoon program. 🤭

[@debsam77]

That truly was a joy to watch. And now it’s a jumping bean contest 😞

[@TT-ee4qp]

Michelle is an artist on ice.

[@debsam77]

Correct. I wish she had skated like this at the Olympics. Michelle is a legend and Tara is a champion 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@debsam77 Tara Lipinski didn't deserve to win because she had no artistry and she had a incorrect triple triple combo.....Tara should go to the kid's Olympics.

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@debsam77 Michelle skated like an angel at the 98 Olympics, Tara skated like Peter Pan.

[@stpark22]

Absolutely STUNNING!!! Simply the best ever in my opinion (artistically)

[@originalkekebrown]

Thanks for all these wonderful posts! ;-)

[@beausunshine1]

The BEST of the BEST - Greatest Of All Time (G.O.A.T.)!!!!!!