Amazing Figure Skating Gold For Underdog Sarah Hughes - Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics

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Sarah Hughes wasn't a complete shock victor in the women's figure skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City but, given the quality of the field, it must go down as one of the sport's greatest upsets.
Sometimes the leading players in a given sport can be so focused on each other that they inadvertently allow a completely unexpected rival to sneak through and claim glory much like Hughes at the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
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[@cynthialuo8526]

You can see the passion and joy in her ice skating, especially at the end. Other competitors are just hungry for the gold, not really taking in the moment. That's what made her different.

[@TT-ee4qp]

Congratulations to Sarah. But I don't agree what you said. Nothing made Sarah different. She knew she wouldn't be the Olympics winner if the other skaters didn't make mistakes. That's why she just enjoyed herself.

[@JustinWirick]

This right here is the definition of magic and destiny. This was in the cards for her all along. Absolutely incredible. Been watching it over and over all of these years.

[@jdaniels1313]

That was one of the all-time great athletic performances, male or female. Watching it on TV as it happened, it was unbelievable watching this young skater totally in the zone, in the biggest performance of her life, on the biggest stage.

[@skylern.martinblackbottles3339]

Yes it was a glorious and emotional performance. One of the most memorable in my life still.

[@triciajohansen3027]

She was not favored, more or less, medal. And to come from 4th to gold medal was SPECTACULAR!! The favored stumbled and she was the phoenix who rose. Great job, Sarah!!!!❤🇺🇲🏅

[@MoMoMyPup10]

An all-time classic Olympic performance! Everything fell right for Sarah that day, but first, she needed to do this! ^^^^^^^^

[@LauraHernandez-ki8wk]

I show this video to so many folks, from time to time, just to prove how being humble, hard working, committed, graceful & grateful pays off. I saw this when it occurred, and I just dropped to the floor with glee. I'll never forget that night. I still get nervous before her jumps, cry when she when finishes. Unbelievable, and absolutely one of the top best moments in Olympic history!!

[@dantheman11964]

Who ever put this tribute together of Sarah's Gold medal performance did a wonderful job. This is by far the best quality video of all the video's I have watched. Thank you for putting this together. The music is awesome also. Bravo to you and Bravo Sarah Hughes Olympic Gold Medal Champion.

[@SweetSirenia]

I'll never forget watching this live. It was like watching perfection happen.

[@idk.what.to.write.anymore2520]

Wow.. Her performance really influence me with her smile n passion 😍 she looks so free n happy while skating there like nobody can stop her ☺️ ❤️the ending

[@nanka2002]

everything i wanted to write. from wow to the ending👌

[@idk.what.to.write.anymore2520]

+nanka2002 🙆🏻🖐🏼

[@FauveFire]

Perfect comment. Free n happy like nobody can stop her...

[@JeffersonDinedAlone]

She was so underestimated, and proved herself to be so worthy of her win. You have to love this.

[@redbean4469]

She looks great. Nothing pretentious, nothing labored. just joyful.

[@brutgray7341]

I'm Russian. And I can say honestly. Sarah deserved this gold for this performance

[@jaybarnes2302]

Incredible performance! I could watch this over and over a million times!

[@thelionsshare6668]

This my friends, is the example I use when explaining the difference between Happiness and Joy. Joy is what Sarah felt as result of the excellence of her performance--and that is what Happiness is--the excellence of doing what your were born to do.

[@melizaburn]

beauty, skill and passion! She had it all!

[@daraxiong19]

I was and still am a huge Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen fan, but when I saw Sarah skate I was like she brought it today. She skated amazingly and there was no stopping her.

[@flyingdordish1160]

Her smile is beautiful!

[@rafikicloud7113]

Most memorable moment of the 2002 games. Disappointing that original audio is overlaid with mystery music. Ravel: Daphinis et Chloé, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Variation XI) by Rachmaninoff & Piano Concerto No. 2, Adagio by Rachmaninoff

[@thomaswalsh4924]

+Rafiki Cloud well deserved gold, but the Aussie guy in the speed skating was one of the most memorable moments in Olympic history, let alone that games!

[@CanalDeMusicaMusicChannel]

Daphnis et Chloé is the most beautiful music I've ever heard, PERIOD.

[@lauriecasano6962]

Yeah she was special and she skated her heart out. I was so thrilled when she won.

[@sappist01]

She looks like the swan that fly over the ice, she looks like a freedom swan.

[@kimberlybellefontaine1215]

She stepped up to the plate and DELIVERED!!!

[@rj238a]

All I can say is that by the end I knew I had witnessed something special.

[@neontastic13]

I’ve been watching a marathon of Olympic figure skating routines and Sarah is definitely the happiest looking dancer I’ve seen so far

[@philipgiacalone5605]

So beautiful and powerful. Gives me goosebumps to watch. Go Sarah!

[@jacktwist5907]

To all your critics: She gave a flawless performance. The fact that others made mistakes speaks to their inability when you are called to the plate to show up 100% She gave an absolute perfect performance-that is the difference. Technically and artistically this young lady gave that ONE performance that will be iconic.

[@jacktwist5907]

+girolle01 It makes no difference, You are not getting it. She gave an iconic performance as a skater. And as an artist. The work is fluid,like light, like mercury. She left the earth plane and went to that place artist go-to that meltdown area where there is no exact time, bit the immediate moment. No before, no after. Just now. Blink and it gone. Writers, painters, musicians, actors go there, rarely, but it is called the "Magic." She had it that night. If she never has it again it makes no difference. She had it then, when it counted. The other girls didn't.

[@jacktwist5907]

+girolle01 Ok, how about "unforgettable?"

[@mariashutter4587]

+girolle01 They could make it iconic depending on advertising. But they decided not to.

[@thelionsshare6668]

+Jack Twist The thing that's so cool about this is that she really believed she wasn't going to win. She simply gave up TRYING, and decided to enjoy herself out there.

[@pink-girl626]

rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged rigged......

[@wendymarksfiolek2290]

Sarah was amazing and deserved to win. Stop being so critical.

[@gulnaraahkoy7257]

Wendy MarksFiolek no she did not deserve.

[@MoMoMyPup10]

Mango Bay she was virtually perfect and the others all had major goofs. You may need to put your impartial glasses on.

[@mauriciobarrientos9633]

@@gulnaraahkoy7257 Yes shi did. She skates better and clean than others. At that time the cleaning matters... That was a skating full of love

[@MissAmericanPie88]

“Hughes wasn’t worried about gold. She said later that she wasn’t even thinking about medals, which she usually does. She was thinking, I’ll show them. She was angry, all right. About nationals. About her fourth-place standing. Now she’d show everyone what she could do.” -E.M. Swift on Sarah Hughes in Sports Illustrated, March 4, 2002. I kept that issue. I have carried it across 4 cities for almost 20 years because the story of a 16 year-old underdog who set her heart on fire and burned down the world of figure skating in a single night has never left me and never will. May we all be so brave to blaze on like this.

[@SweetSirenia]

I just looked up that article because of you. Thank you! Sports Illustrated has it on their website.

[@AynManRand]

When the 2002 Olympics started the reigning women's Figure Skating World Champ was Michelle Kwan the most decorated American skater ever, Slutskaya had finished second to her at World's that year. Even at the 2002 American Championships Hughes had finished behind Sasha Cohen, so when Hughes fell to 4th overall after the short program she was not considered in the race. Also she was 16 years old!

[@MankariosX]

An upset is one someone isnt expected to do any good against an opponent but completely destroys them :)

[@aleshaj.9884]

The people who are criticizing her need to realize that 1) this happened OVER 10 YEARS AGO and 2) Sarah herself even acknowledged that she didn't think it was gonna happen. When reporters claimed she was the best she gave looks that said "I don't know about that" but you could still tell she was excited and didn't know what to do with all the attention. Her technique was impressive and she knows she only won because her competitors (the favorites) all made mistakes. Had they performed at their best, she wouldn't have been the winner.. but I think that's what makes her win that much better!! I still love watching her LP. :)

[@willow3837]

+Alesha J. i think she won not only because her competitors made mistakes, but also because her routine was almost flawless and i think the judges saw that she loved what she was doing, hence all the smiling she was doing throughout her performance.

[@aleshaj.9884]

Of course, I think her routine was lovely. But even with that great of a routine she needed a little help from the other competitors to win the competition. I love her LP. :)

[@joantaggart266]

Alesha J. I

[@phyllisdale5579]

Willow Burger g

[@cassidytracey8722]

She trained just as long and hard as Kwan, Cohen and Slutskyia. She did it when it counted, she deserved it just as much as much as they would have .

[@PolynesianGirl13]

That was wonderful! I'm a huge fan of figure skating and that routine was most certainly a display of great skill and a work of art!

[@davidvoelkel8392]

An amazing moment in 2002.

[@jantellit123]

I remember this girl was always COMPETING all season skating really strong. She was really a great competitor and this is sometimes what it takes to outpoint your opponents. People forget its a sport. You have to be relatively consistent in both programs.

[@JackJohnson-fy4hr]

She was my very first "sports moment". Never watch sports but saw this when it happened. Teary eyed I get😢

[@hellohappytori]

That was beautiful, you go Sarah Hughes!

[@kimberlybellefontaine1215]

I remember watching this and I was rooting for her!

[@floramajesty6679]

She is so talented, beautiful performance with high skill, she deserves the golden medal

[@marciaokamurabrasil6507]

1:33 : no words.

[@Nox.INkRecords]

More like goosebumps overload.

[@sahpire75]

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago. The gold was awarded to the best athlete of their sport because they deserved it. Nowaday's, anyone who get's the gold is subjected to ridicule,politics, accusations of robbery. The olympics used to be so fun to watch, now it's been reduced to name calling and racism and the worst part is, the althlete really has nothing to do with it. Sad

[@lavendyrchi]

EUROPEAN BURMESE Racism has always been apart of the olympic s lol

[@christinawasch4526]

Especially in the cold war times was Everthing about talent and not nation..oh wait. Look at tonya harding and surya bonaly such Talent but it was not awarded

[@iosebdzamukashvili5360]

This programme is the real figure skating! ❤️

[@clarencebland4861]

I’m not an expert or anything like that. How does this performance compare to what they produce today?

[@snail134]

I love how this matches up with any song you put on

[@caroldriehorst1165]

Such beautiful moves, wonderful .

[@truemon]

Where's the original audio? Her performance was great but replacing the broadcast audio ruins it for me.

[@wellywog]

TheFluffyHotdog ...skates are covered by tights (by some skaters) as it gives the illusion of having longer legs as the leg line is uninterrupted. Used to be a show skater thing, then it caught onto the competitive circuit....

[@marychocolatefairy]

Oh man, this performance still gives me chills. I first saw her skate when she was just 13, at her first Worlds- she was able to go because she had medaled at the Junior Worlds. She surprised everyone by skating very well and getting 7th place. She gradually improved, getting 5th place at 14, and 3rd at 15. In the season that led up to the Olympics, I thought she was the best in the world- though the judges didn't always give her credit for it. I remember there was some controversy over the Skate America decision that put her behind Michelle Kwan. But she did beat both Irina and Michelle to win Skate Canada. And when she won the Olympics- magic. Her competitive career didn't continue long after that between injuries and going to Yale- but I'm glad I got to follow her the three years that I did

[@Stonymypony]

Love the split jump! Beautiful!

[@formerflautist]

I just wish Sarah would have stuck around longer. It's hard to know if she would have been able to continually compete against the world's best or if this was just a fluke. I mean, she's an Olympic champion but hardly a legend and people are going to remember Michelle Kwan and Irina Slutskaya before they remember Sarah Hughes.

[@cassidytracey8722]

She vortex in Worlds after this and placed down in the standings. Irina won gold, Sasha Cohen silver.

[@SweetSirenia]

She had injury issues that really impacted her ability to compete beyond the 2001-2002 season. It just perfectly worked out for her that her health was at its best in the Olympic year.

[@Watchabufi]

Still gives me goosbumps

[@Ehaleidla]

Mdsss, que lindo! espetáculo! encantador!

[@VicGon07]

Wow, she's amazing!

[@earlofhixon146]

My favorite Olympics performance of all time.

[@KSfan4ever]

Sarah's gold medal win in the setting of some of the "bigger names" falling during their programs, when Sarah not only skated well but also did not fall, reminds me of when Kristi Yamaguchi won her skating gold medal. Same scenario. Kristi, if my memory serves me correctly, was the only ladies single olympic skater that did not fall during the short or free programs.

[@Pastadudde]

Yuna Kim skated 2 perfect programs (you can read the results sheets at the ISU website, she did not get any edge calls, and no negative GOEs for any of her elements) at the 2010 Vancouver games and won gold.

[@slojinPA]

Kristi Yamaguchi did fall during her free program...on the triple Salchow.

[@shottut]

Nice triple flutz !!

[@methedonutgirl3302]

She was so amazing it looked so....Amazing and Great and Just really profesh ( I probably spelt that wrong!) ;) anyway she was amazing

[@brahminangirasgotraraniselvisu]

Sometimes SIMPLICITY WINS above Glam

[@chellem4567]

All I have to say is NEVER underestimate us Americans. We can have GREAT athletes, if they don't let the media try to take them down. Look at all the success stories rather than the few glitches that can ruin it for so many. She is one of the good ones as far as I can remember.

[@lovepalawan]

10 years gone by already.

[@ETsonggalaxy]

Sarah Hughes is far ahead of her time! Remarkable skills! That last minute of her performance will be forever unforgetable! Damm, how did she ever do that????

[@MoMoMyPup10]

daria gubskaya "this is the only thing she ever won". Well, that makes it real. She won.

[@psychstudentrip]

daria gubskaya She went the Grand Prix Final and the world championships after this Olympics

[@cassidytracey8722]

+Haikal Danial (hdhaikal11) Yes and placed way down in the standings.

[@TT-ee4qp]

Sarah isn't far ahead of her time, Even she won the Olympics gold 1998.

[@teopatino]

whoever that refers as an "Underdog " to a person that work hard to make its way through life in such hard discipline is simply an IDIOT

[@teopatino]

Indeed.

[@HowDareThey1970]

They only mean she wasn't seen as a top contender due to the prominence of other skaters who were expected to win. They weren't knocking her work ethic.

[@slojinPA]

You have no idea about the way figure skating operated back then. Favoritism, reputation. Sarah was never seen as a top contender. She simply wasn't....that does not detract from her skate or her win, it's just reality.

[@tanvichaurishi1687]

Amazing....really great

[@ronronizetti2534]

Unexpected!? I'd predicted this 3 yrs earlier! I kept telling everyone that the next Olympic Champion would be Sarah Hughes... from the moment I first saw her skate as a 13 yr old girl I KNEW she had it in the bag. I NEVER doubted it. I laughed continually at all those predicting Kwan, I knew, too, that was never to happen, so caught up in promotion and hype few knew what I had long seen - Sarah's determination and skill ... I'm ever thankful THESE were my first Olympics to attend and that I got to see Sarah fulfill her dreams and my prediction and faith in her - Brava!

[@Nox.INkRecords]

Love her performance!

[@vaishnaviyadav986]

she was amazing in last 15 sec

[@Ryan-eu3kp]

Just fantastic

[@BlaineAlisonClark]

I love this program.

[@metsedudenj]

Slutskaya isnt snotty, I met her and she was kind gracious and unpretentious

[@twigb1]

that would be so fun and she spins so gracefully and so fast

[@locomadre3520]

I totally agree:)

[@hugo1043ify]

beautiful woman.

[@maddalendemars2822]

Does anyone know the song used in this? I don't know but I really like it, and absolutely spectacular performance. Beautiful.

[@beetiki99]

I am a ice skater and that was 50X better off what i can doo like she did triple salchow followd by a double loop jump!!! Wow

[@slojinPA]

She did a triple Salchow/TRIPLE loop

[@suzipuzi2001]

why not just use the music that she skated to?

[@sivayamsiva9343]

Excellent performance congratulations 👌👌👌

[@karencooper4031]

My favorite is ice skating, but I like all. of the Winter Olympics

[@thaopham210]

I love Sarah Hughes

[@JackJohnson-fy4hr]

Oh and I remember thinking at the time it seems she was skating with an unseen angel

[@Somnusrei]

That was amazing!

[@izzad777]

why is it called the 'greatest upset'? i don't know figure skating someone please explain. i like her smile by the way. i think she's beautiful

[@karenshoucairmcgray4902]

Beautiful Skate!

[@amyedits180]

1:34 tho 😱

[@AbhilashNoxBaruahnx1ee7]

seriously!

[@birgitdahl3452]

She looks like the ice princess

[@beautybychloemoore6082]

I thought she was a modern Dorothy Hamill out there

[@TT-ee4qp]

Well....no.

[@allisonwentworth401]

Wonderful.

[@zzzxtreme]

wow sarah is perfect

[@aethrpriest1348]

cool music

[@babyblues9975]

awesome!! She didn't blow it like Michelle Kwan always did.

[@ETsonggalaxy]

@ babyblues9975: I enjoyed watching Michelle Kwan and Kristie Yamaguchi, but...with Sarah Hughes , there are more thrills and execitment with her! Watch how she is so graceful and her turns , jumps , and the way she spinns so fast like Bruce Lee, amazing! God forgive me for falling in love with a female i never met! Love ya Sarah!

[@cassidytracey8722]

I know, I actually expected Kwan to fall on her jumps everytime. Sasha Vohen was the best in the world, she was a magical skater.

[@verticalhorizon4633]

Good on her. Beautiful.

[@prayoza]

very beautifully !

[@RodgersXLVmvp]

I remember watching this , but back then I really didn’t understand what made it so great. Watching it now , decades later , I understand it a little better. But still ... call it my ignorance as far as this particular sport goes , but I wouldn’t have the first clue on how one would go about judging these performances, I feel like it’s highly subjective, which if I had to guess would lead to a high level of corruption and politics in the sport and determining the winner. I’m glad she wasn’t robbed here , this performance was undeniable, it touched a lot of people , everyone treated it the same as US beating the Soviets at Hockey , or the Michael Phelps relay comeback win for gold, I knew it was epic , but I didn’t understand why , until now , going back and seeing it all Over again.

[@mimimoon9313]

absolutely beautiful

[@Oiltuber]

What is the music? Anyone know? Update: Shazam and Soundhound both misidentify this song as 2Hurt "Days of Wine and Roses", but though that song does indeed have the same instrumental, 2Hurt "Days of Wine and Roses" was not released until 2Hurt's Mexico City Blues album on June 12, 2013, a year and a half after the upload of this Sarah Hughes video, so 2Hurt "Days of Wine and Roses" is sampling some earlier song. (And the song they're sampling is not Henry Mancini "Days of Wine and Roses", which sounds totally different from the song used by 2Hurt.)

[@AbhilashNoxBaruahnx1ee7]

I got the same question. What's the name of the song in the background.

[@user-iw8sj7pz3e]

2019

[@i-cadoll5440]

wow!

[@AbhilashNoxBaruahnx1ee7]

Holy potatoes! It's majestic.

[@bombdottcom111]

E X C E P T I O N A L! omg

[@Rouben19]

take a look, 2003 nationals, she was there

[@msmithrandir561]

151 people are nuts

[@Pianolegend1921]

It is not fake, it is the winter olympics and they happen two years after the summer in which this case the summer was Sydney 2000. DUH

[@alexak1183]

No matter how fair anything is there will always be those stubborn people....

[@angelaaiello1385]

Wow

[@rebecahernandezresendiz9607]

espectacular