Anett Poetzsch - 1980 World Championships Long Program

Despite only finishing 6th in the short program and 2nd in the free skate, Anett Poetzsch does go on to win her 2nd World Championship at the 1980 Worlds in Dortmund, her final eligible competition.

[@MADHAUSMARKALLAN]

I remember that year… Snd always thought Poetsch was a putz. Frank Carroll packaged Linda to perfection. and she was a really hard worker. She deserved gold here. Lackluster year in womens figure skating.

[@lorenzoramsey5948]

No way!!! Anett was unfairly given 2nd place in the free skating which allowed her to win here. My FS scorecard: 01. Fratianne 02. Watanabe 03. Zayak 04. Poetzsch. This would place Watanable onto the podium and give Fratianne the gold.

[@Dossen_A]

But then, not points for places were counted, but the marks themselves, in order to determine each judging ordinals. Anette had a huge advantage 3.68 pt, even if Anette were in 4th place in the free skate, she would still have won. As well as Dagmar Lurz was only fifth in the free program, but she also surpassed Fratianne in total.

[@lorenzoramsey5948]

@@Dossen_A How does that work mathematically?

[@Dossen_A]

​@@lorenzoramsey5948 For examlpe, Italian judge marks for three compulsory figures was: Poetzch 4.4+4.3+4.4=13.1 / 2.5 = 5.24, and for Fratianne 3.8+4.1+3.9=11.8 / 2.5 = 4.72. Anett had big advantage 0.52 pt. In short program Poetzch 5.5+5.5=11.0 / 2.5 = 4.4, Fratianne 5.8+5.9=11.7 / 2.5 = 4.68, so Linda beat only 0.28 pt. In free skating Poetzch 5.7+5.8=11.5 3rd place, Fratianne 5.7+5.9=11.6 2nd place, so Linda beat another 0.1. Totally 0.1+0.28=0.38, but Anette had 0.52 pt. But more, if italian judge gave 5.7/5.7 (4th place, like you), Linda beat 0.48 pt, but not required 0.52. Similarly, 7 out of 9 judges gave Poetzch 1st places totally, over Fratianne.

[@renzy79]

@@rolandgreen7484 Got it. Dossen did a very good job explaining it above.

[@peppe201]

@USAGymnast Yes, I understand from someone I know who attended these worlds, that Anett's figures were excellent.

[@serenakicksass]

@twilliger123 She was 2nd BEHIND Fratianne in the free skate. The best free skate of this competition was really done by Emi Watanabe but the judges placed her 3rd in the freeskate.

[@averyfrederick5745]

The best free skate was by Linda, IMO. I did love Emi Watanabe. She only did a triple toe she didn't do a triple salchow I believe in her program although very artistic, technically it wasn't superior to Linda's.

[@tumicduguar2583]

@@averyfrederick5745 Linda and Emi did the same jumps. A triple toe and triple salchow, both solo. Linda is one of the most overrated and overscored skaters in history. Emi by far had the best free skate.

[@Dossen_A]

REMEMBER! Here was another scoring system, and Anette receive 1st place with BIG advantage in compulsory figures. Here in free skate Fratiani was 1st, that you all want?

[@dolcevitausa]

@bemar1972 If memory serves correct there was an article in 82 or 83 that stated if the scoring system had been changed a couple of years sooner Linda would have been World Champion all 4 years leading into the Olympics. She would still have lost the Olympics to Denise..I may be totally wrong with my facts since it was a LONG time ago that I read the article.

[@user-vt6iv9mn6t]

아넷 푀이츠시( ANETT POETZSCH) 보고 싶다 1980년도 무렵 Yes, Sir. I can Boogie 음악에 맞추어 멋진 피겨 하는 모습 지금도 눈에 선한데... 어디서 좀 다시 볼 수 없을까? I am Korean.

[@nondescriptnyc]

@dolcevitausa True in many ways. But, to this day, the judges have always found ways to manipulate the results...so I am not so sure. In 1977, for instance, Vodorezova won the SP/FS combined, and Biellmann won the same in Lake Placid--maybe because the judges were comfortable giving them the top marks for their SP and FS, knowing the they would NEVER threaten the top skaters due to their low placements in CF. Had they been better at CF, I am not so sure... Look at Emi Watanabe...

[@clarriona]

Watanabe didn't have any combinations but whatever, you are right, Elaine didn't do much apart from jumping but her jumps were incredible.

[@nondescriptnyc]

Given the heavy emphasis placed back then on CF, I don't have a problem that she was the overall winner. As I watch this performance again 36 years later, however, I just cannot remember WHY virtually nobody questioned Poetzsch placing 2nd in FS ahead of Watanabe here. I think some people here seem to be influenced by one minor remark Debbie Wilkes made on Watanabe's FS (separate clip) that none of her triples was in combo. But neither Poetzsch nor Fratianne (the winner of FS) did any triple combos!

[@russianskatingfan]

Yes Wilkes was clearly demanding more of Watanabe than Fratianne or Poetzsch, since she wasnt as big a name and didnt have the political clout they did, especialy the insanely overrated Linda Barfianne.

[@northsmoket]

annet had good basic skills but was in my impression only slightly better than trixi schuba in 1972 with artistic impression, her triples were passable and her 2 axels good but not spectacular@@russianskatingfan

[@russianskatingfan]

I enjoyed watching Watanabe, Biellmann, young Voderezova (not the later Voderova who was more a medal contender in 82-84 just since she was better in figures even as a heftier and weaker free skater), Marie Allen, and Lurz. Fratianne was plausible. Poetzsch on occasion was plausible (not all the time). Still with Poetzsch winning so many big titles and Lurz on the podium of so many, just due to their figures expertise it made it a weak era.

[@galileocan]

In the history of figure skating, Poetzsch has to be THE if not one of the most overrated skaters ever. Artistically vacant, technically poor - there is nothing about her that is memorable. How she won Worlds in 1980 and Olympics, should be added as an "Eighth Wonder of the World"

[@tumicduguar2583]

It isn't a wonder. It was figures. The same reason Schuba and some others won too.

[@barkingtree88]

Anett skated well during her freeskate in Lake Placid, but her freeskate here in Dortmund should not have beaten Emi Watanabe's!!

[@clarriona]

I think zayak was the best in the free skate with all her triples and combinations. No one came close to her in that aspect, not even Biellman who had a bad day back then.

[@TheSienna29]

No expression or artistry in her skating. Yikes

[@averyfrederick5745]

This program was absolutely dreadful. but it was the scoring system to win a world championship with that kind of performance. Even then announcer said' that was not a championship performance"

[@grantnoroyan9275]

one of the worst world and olympic champions in history

[@corymajor7811]

There are actually many terrible ones in the figures era. Altwegg, Poetzsch, Schuba, Dijkstra, the list is endless. None of them would ever win free skating but had big enough lead in figures to win often. On the mens side too. Thank goodness they got rid of figures.

[@sloams]

She did not deserve to win!! The judges held Linda down During the school figures from what I remember and gave her lower marks then she deserved. These Championships were held in Germany. Linda was robbed!!

[@tylerbam7183]

Linda was not held down in figures. She was 3rd which is the highest she ever finishes in figures. She simply was not that good at them.

[@grantnoroyan9275]

she was awful never deserved to win

[@galileocan]

Horrible. Horriffic. Terrible. This is the Olympic Champion?? Ridiculous

[@russianskatingfan]

Cmon it was a weak era. Figures impact the results but nobody cared about figures by the time skating became big TV which it had already become by 1980. Then as far as free skating Fratianne was just ok, Poetzsch was mediocre, and Lurz was plain bad. Yet those three zzzzz women were on the podium in some order at every big event pretty much. The more appealing free skaters werent winning medals so in a way they didnt matter much. So yes it was a weak era like grafgirl said.

[@averyfrederick5745]

Linda was just okay are you kidding me? I think this program was cleaner than the one that the Olympics. You obviously was watching something else.

[@Marchjoy1963]

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