Anett Pötzsch (GDR) - 1980 Lake Placid, Figure Skating, Ladies' Long Program

Lake Placid, New York, USA - 1980 Winter Games, Figure Skating, Ladies' Long Program - Anett Pötzsch of East Germany managed to win the Gold Medal here, despite winning only the Compulsory Figures.

[@barkingtree88]

I honestly always liked this program, despite the negative criticism it gets from Fratianne fans!!

[@grantnoroyan4083]

LOL she was god awful and so UN deserving of an olympic gold medal

[@jeanettebird2739]

Back then figures made up an important part in the overall sore!

[@ashleynoelle1632]

Its sad that no one ever mentions the people that didn't win . Linda fratianne roz Sumners Debi Thomas such amazing skaters for there time

[@twilightblue8566]

She popped out of a double and did a single instead and had another bobble, but Anett showed personality and seemed relaxed during her performance.

[@grantnoroyan4083]

She was god awful and was something like 6th in the short program and still won.............terrible so called champion!

[@Brissieskater1]

Anett Potzsch, sister-in-law to Katharina Witt.

[@lexiekrewitt1735]

Great performance!!! I love her!!!

[@ManuelPabloArnao]

Don't get the controvery. Anett's program was technically harder and better than Linda's.

[@Person-mh6xq]

She two footed her triple toe. Not technically harder than Linda's.

[@waynehentley4332]

No! Look again!!

[@karlmtinsley8297]

Yanks doing what they do, bellyaching and whining for themselves 🥱🥱🥱

[@grantnoroyan4083]

She was god awful denise bielman was by far the better skater linda was 2nd best and anette was 3rd best at the most! and she did NO MORE technically than linda did and denise was by far the best so that is NOT an accurate comment!

[@user-gb1mj4ob7o]

Перформанс.Воспитанница Юты Мюллер

[@bethanycook8430]

Only one triple!

[@barkingtree88]

she did two!! same as Linda

[@mikelara2151]

I still can’t believe she beat Linda Fratianne.

[@grantnoroyan4083]

EXACTLY i think it was politics!

[@waynehentley4332]

Stiff as a board!

[@grantnoroyan4083]

Boy she was awful so un deserving of an olympic title!

[@davidliers9215]

Anett Pötzsch 👍👍👍

[@3Axel1996]

Actually, today, there's a lot of criticism about Scott's win, that had it not been the figures, Orser would have been Gold. Also, Scott placed 2nd in the Free, while Brian Boitano placed 3rd.

[@JOSALDINHO22000]

TALENTED

[@MrJonidavid]

really poor comments here.Some should be ashamed of their own words.

[@grantnoroyan4083]

She was god awful and so UN deserving of an olympic gold FACTS!!!!!!!!!!!

[@MTVMANN]

What's funny is that most says that she was not the class of her field artistically or technically. When you look at other debates like Bauil vs. Kerrigan, Lipinski/Slutskays vs. Kwan you can clearly state that each skater had one or the other. Also, you can see the influence of the coach, Jutta Muller, in the music. She had Katarina Witt skate to Broadway Scores too.

[@grantgoffin4774]

She was the class of the field in figures and that is where her wins came from. Back in the days of figures there were many skaters who weren't the class of the field technically or artistically, but in figures. Poetzsch, Nepela, Schwarz, Danzer, Schuba, DeLeeuw, Dijkstra, Seyfert, Kovalev, Hoffmann. It only seems uncommon compared to skaters since figures were removed, it was totally common back when figures were around.

[@russianskatingfan]

@libralady1010 The reason it wasnt a big media scandal was that it was well known her win was based purely on her lead in figures, not her free skating. After all the public had already seen Trixi Schuba, even a worse free skater win due to figures. What goes underreported is that while she was the best in figures of her time, she was nowhere near the amazing figures skater Schuba is, which makes her wins more questionable than Schuba.

[@sezwho747]

Denise Biellmann should have placed ahead of her

[@ilovebeinagirl]

She kind of looks like Shirley MacClaine

[@loopingonice]

Very wise words on school figures, svetaswan. I miss them, too.

[@piramis7615]

GOLD!

[@bekalynn1980]

Annette though was a better free skater than Trixie...Its not like Annette winning figures was some shocking thing. She always beat Linda in figures. The difference between 1979 and 1980 is that Linda did not win the free program. Biellman did. And do you really want to argue with that?

[@dennisjacks7923]

Anett was held up by the easter bloc judges after her short program which should have effectively took her out of contention for a medal. She should have been 8th ...not 4th.

[@Dcofycats]

I love listening to both commentators mispronounce Fratianne as (Fratty Annie). It just makes me laugh.

[@janemariecox6547]

I

[@dennisjacks7923]

She shouldn't have even been in the running for a medal after her short program. It was a complete travesty that the judges held her up so she could get a medal. It also prevented the far more deserving Denise Biellmann from getting a medal she ended up fourth.

[@geoboe84]

Dennis Jacks My thoughts exactly. Her SP was horrendous and should've dropped her down the standings.

[@grantgoffin4774]

Watanabe was 8th in the short and had a way bigger mistake than her. She would have had to literally be 20th in the short to drop out of the medals with her figures lead on the field and her 3rd place in the long (which was the correct result there). Someone did a calculation and even if she were 6th in the short which probably is right, Watanabe who had a way bigger mistake was 8th like I just said, found she still wins overall over Fratianne even in that case. The only way for Biellmann to medal after her 12th in figures is to catch Lurz and Lurz was only 6th in both the short and long, Biellmann was 2nd to Linda in the short and won the long, and she still didn't catch her so I don't know if that were possible. Maybe if Biellmann's short and long programs scores were raised even higher, but not sure if that is enough.

[@svetaswan]

Awww, I miss figures, in a way- just as I miss "compulsories" in gymnastics. I can see figures being difficult to judge,but they seemed to measure worthwhile basic skating skills- skills that benefited the skaters in their more spectacular events. I can appreciate the tenacity it took to master them. As far as I'm concerned, golf is sometimes not much more exciting to watch. I consider Brian Boitano's school figures a great Olympic moment, just as I consider his victorious free-skate to be one.

[@gertieshaw90]

She doesnt have "that sweet poise" and so what does that have to do with skating?

[@bekalynn1980]

Scott Hamilton lost the short and free program to Orser in 1984 and nobody questions Hamilton's Olympic win.....In fact if I recall Scott finished much lower in the free than Annette did.

[@karlmtinsley8297]

Typical American Bias 🥱🥱🥱

[@matthough3590]

Not true. Scott was 2nd in the free; Anett was 3rd in the free behind Denise and Linda.

[@grantnoroyan4083]

GREAT COMMENT orser should have won in 84 hands down i heard they kept him down in figures to assure hamiltion won...........sad situation as orser was 2nd in 88 to boitano

[@metsdudenj]

two footed triple toe loop, this woman deserved the silver, nothing more

[@MTVMANN]

I would say it was the SP where she got the advantage. The Free Skate was fine in terms of what she did compared to Linda Fratianne.

[@grantnoroyan4083]

LOL she did a double loop double toe combo in the short and was 6th she should have been 9th or 10th she was awful

[@weekendhacker]

Back in those days the figures were worth too many points and almost always determined the winner even if they didn't win the long or short programs. That is why that hideous Trixie won in 72 and then Annet in 80. Glad the figures are no more.

[@nondescriptnyc]

I always thought she skated well there, but now I watch this 30 years later, I realize she only had one clean triple...w/ the 1st 3S doubled and the 3T two-footed... I really like this program, but........well, it's been 30 years. I am over it.

[@locomadre3520]

Compulsories were easily 'misread'...the judges could pick them apart or say they're just perfect, no? No particular accountability seemed to be in play....since Frank Carroll knew every aspect of this sport like the back of his hand and nearly left the sport says a whole lot.

[@tylerbam7183]

Like Frank Carroll isnt famous for being insanely biased in favor of his own skaters. He is the same one who called Lysacek the most passionate and artistic skater in the world ahead of skaters like Takahashi and Lambiel, LMAO!

[@mattg.812]

This WAS the most undeserving ladies figure skating Olympic gold medalist...until 2014.

[@lordfuzzy8723]

metsedudenj No, 1972!

[@rickram1961]

Agreed!

[@GGE47]

It was definitely 1994 when Nancy Kerrigan was ripped off by the five Communist "judges" deliberately still fighting the cold war. There is no way in hell five of the former and still Communist countries should have been on the panel.

[@grantnoroyan9275]

agree 94 98 2002 and 2014 as well :)

[@Ilovegymnastics-ks4ii]

Garland English Oksana beat Nancy fair and square. She was miles ahead both technically and artistically.

[@metsdudenj]

@twilliger123 pitiful

[@shimmeringfairydust3275]

Great compulsory figures skater. Not such a great short or free skater. Could not believe the female commentator said this was a clean program - she had at least three mistakes. Fratienne had none. I don’t think Anett deserved the gold but figure skating and controversy go hand and hand. Anett worked very hard, and even though I think Fratienne deserved the gold, props to Anett for winning. She was the dominant skater in the late seventies, thanks to her amazing compulsory figures.

[@twilightblue8566]

"said this was a clean program",,,,,,,no it was not.

[@karlmtinsley8297]

GDR Gold medal 🥇 Own It 😅

[@Marchjoy1963]

After her diasterous and disgraceful short program.. I don't know how the judging held her up for the gold... well I do.. cold war cheating !!

[@karlmtinsley8297]

Go change your tampon

[@mattg.812]

This won the olympic gold medal? It is to laugh.

[@dawnheft7436]

Good lord, this won gold? Technique and artistry are awful!!! I'll just never understand!

[@diamond13130]

Dawn Heft My feelings exactly.

[@grantgoffin4774]

It was since it was a super weak era and field. Everyone except Biellmann was forgettable and she was horrendous in figures. The whole podium that year does not even medal in most Olympics.

[@waynehentley4332]

She managed to stay on her feet and not fall apart.

[@kboy1961]

linda was indeed robbed...

[@galileocan]

God, I actually felt pain watching this miserable, boring, "performance". It was like watching a corpse placed on the ice

[@grantnoroyan4083]

She was GOD awful such a weak skater

[@bikerguy5944]

Biellman was so much better. This is a fraud

[@victoriagill3337]

Umm figures

[@vallardforsythe5624]

How in the world did Linda get Silver? It makes me sick to watch this. But then again, the Russians ROBBED Yu Na Kim of a Gold In Sochi,so I suppose this has happened before.

[@russianskatingfan]

+Vallard Forsythe Linda was a boring and mediocre skater. I agree how on earth did she get silver but as high as silver. Biellmann's free skating was so vastly superior to Linda Fratianezzzzz that she should have passed her, and Annette being vastly superior in figures and competent enough in free skating deserved to beat her too. Bronze at best for Linda if the judging were fair, but Linda Fratianezzzz was a notoriously overscored skater with a whiny crybaby of a coach.

[@user-ln9mb9sk3l]

It is so boring...😕

[@shottut]

More muscular because of the drugs !

[@mattg.812]

Her style was awful! And only one clean triple.

[@russianskatingfan]

+Matt G. 2 clean triples. Toe loop early and salchow late. Watch the program again. I agree her style was meh, but so was Linda's. What a boring, uninspired, and snooze inducing interpretation of Carmen. It is pretty bad Linda even manages to make Slutskaya's Carmen of 2000 look very artistic by comparision.

[@Jhojsh101]

roger leblond triple toe was badly two footed, one clean triple

[@galileocan]

One of the most uninspiring, boring, and forgettable gold medal performances in the history of sport - any sport. There was no connection with the audience. She skated very nervous and slowly. Turn the sound down and simply watch the skating. The Funny Girl music helped artificially elevate this performance. So poor. Imagine being a figure skating judge, and your judging legacy is giving this insipid performance an Olympic Gold Medal. Ridiculous.

[@yorokobiyos2729]

So boring!

[@karlmtinsley8297]

So bitter 😅

[@faeryquene]

Annette Poetzsch and Trixie Schuba- the two most mediocre Olympic Champions in the history of the sport. They should bow to the gods of school figures for medals with an asterisk.

[@sdcashman45]

Yet another half-butt skater who benefitted from the school figures...Trixie Schuba is smiling.