Debi Thomas 1986 Worlds LP

[@gheefreak]

...This woman has a MEDICAL DEGREE. Can you imagine being so dedicated to a sport that you become an international champion, at the SAME TIME as studying to become an honest to God doctor? With a degree from frikkin' STANFORD? That's so impressive!

[@freddiemercury4evr]

@@fatherfabulous she has depression. Have some compassion.

[@htownhomie06]

i read a recent (old) interview where she says winning this world title was "nice" but she was actually prouder of winning the 86 nationals b/c it proved she could win the big ones.

[@Beargeek616]

Don't listen to the haters! I love Debi too! I wish she had won more back in the day though :(

[@oofahman]

Katarina sure lookede pissed..WOW!!!

[@jmnny85]

Well done Debi!!!

[@VeronicasPlace]

i luv her routine. she did a great job.

[@MrOu83]

@indiatree - The fact that Debi did not skater her best at the Calgary Olympics had nothing to do with her work with two famous dancers/choreographers: Mikhail Baryshnikov and George de la pena. In fact, her artistry and presentation in 88 was the best it had ever been. Her movements during Carmen at the US Nationals were polished and refined. i was amazed at the improvement and I told her as much in Denver when meeting her at the skaters' ball following her victory. Issue: nerves and jumps.

[@gloss26]

@twilliger123 Great comment.I grew up skating with Brain, Rudy and Debi. Yes, Debi is considered a power skater, but only someone ignorant to the subtleties of skating would consider her anything less than graceful. Still, to this day, the absolute best layback in the business. In this program alone, note her hand catching the back of her head. It made my eyes water. LOVE DT!

[@user-gf3wn1ne9n]

The absolute best layback in the business? Ridiculous.

[@gertieshaw90]

Katarina Witt looks so worried and unhappy when Debi nailed her jumps, and that's interesting that Katarina wanted to win so badly, just watching Debi like an owl for the mouse. But at that time Katrina was a competitor before anything else - why bother skating if you don't compete? And then winning was everything and that was instilled in her by her federation. Debi just wanted a perfect program for herself because her goal was to go to medical school. Too bad what we know now, how idealistic dreams need to have an edge of brutality and life hits you in the face with bills to pay and bureacracy to confront, all the time it never ends, and your pure dreams are nothing. Debi never wanted to play those games, she was always about her personal best, "things should be how we dreamed them if we are good and true and work hard and play by the rules" but they're not. Poor Debi she was a winner even if things have slipped away.

[@MrOu83]

@theviles - I disagree with you on Debi's choice of Carmen. I saw that lp live @ us nationals in 88 in Denver and have watched it many, many times since. In her interpretation of Carmen, she was not the actress thay Witt was. But, what she was, was more refined and elegant in her presentation. She improved her artistry manifold from 87-88. Her work with Barish and de la pena was apparent.

[@metsdudenj]

Debi needed to listen to her coach more. He was very patient with her given her scheduling and all of her other stuff goign on. She did a good job considering she did all of her choreography

[@NJNupe1911]

@buchananbji I sooooo agree! I can't tell you who even skates anymore...

[@RedbeardNC]

@buchananbji I'm not any expert, but it seems that the moment the scoring changed from the 6.0 system to the GoE, skaters were pressed to simply rack up points and not skate programs that the audience enjoyed (not that it's all about the audience, but you know...)

[@htownhomie06]

@2:22 commentary--Completely Disagree! I read in interview where Debi said of back then she knew she "had to be waaaaaaaaaaaay better" than the next skater just to get "half of what she deserved." she was also very well aware of skating politics with the judges favorites. hardly believe she came to worlds pressure-free.

[@BeautyQueen79]

BS commentary

[@metsdudenj]

Cunterina said she knew she could win because she had a better costume and a better cut of the music. which is true. However, I think Debi's short program music was an unwise choice, as was the clothing she wore. It did little to boost her image as a Champion figure skater. That said, had she hit a clean program with four triples, she would have won the gold medal. And at worlds, the judges left her the door open to GIVE her the gold medal and she totally botched that, not even using a second TT

[@metsdudenj]

she barely landed a few of those jumps, this could have easily been a silver or bronze medal performance. She could have fallen on one of those salchows and that lutz also

[@anne91276]

Sarah Hughes also applied to be a doctor too.

[@fjn219]

The cut of music was ridiculous!!

[@NJNupe1911]

///me neither, i cant even name ONE skater out nowadays...

[@vistaprime]

I don't care much for the programs back in these days, from anyone. they seem to lack cohesion and don't care either for jumps again from everyone. I do appreciate the edge quality however and the spins many skaters.

[@surge2k7]

While she was studying to be a doctor independently, Katarina studied acting with the help of the East German block.

[@officeaddict33]

True, it's a lot of tiny 14 yr old super-skinny 4 ft tall girls who just go through the motions.

[@metsdudenj]

I totally agree. My father used to say she was as "graceful as a ship" . Most of the landings in this program were very shaky, ESPECIALLY on the double jumps. She had really only landed one triple with flow. I would have given this performance 5.7 and 5.7 tops. I had Witt at 5.9 and 5.9 for this one, and Manley at 5.8 and 5.7 and Chin at 5.5 and 5.8 for the LP. Thomas' technique on her salchow fell apart after 1987, she couldnt land the jump anymore after that.

[@vistaprime]

what mind games?

[@queenmaoasada8447]

Figure skating won't be the same if they phase out Scott Hamilton for Johnny/Tara... His emotion and excitement can't be beat. Plus he doesn't wear fur :-/

[@surge2k7]

San Jose gave you the first black, mexican, japanese and techincally the first gay U.S. champions

[@KappaClaus]

@WHATTHEBUCKSHOW skating was NEVER exciting.... also, i love your show :D

[@mst3kanita]

Scott just doesn't care what Teshie is saying lolz.

[@vistaprime]

did anyone fall in those days on those easy jumps.

[@robborders9193]

I love her, but am I the only one who hates her Frankenstein arms on that first sit spin? It's by far my least favorite move in her routine. Adding arm movements like that increases the difficulty of the spin, but it sacrifices the beauty.

[@metsedudenj]

+Rob Borders (Pasodoble67) Her choreography was a little immature, but she did it herself, I think once she got a choreographer in 1988 her look was more refined, but her music choices were a little odd

[@KK-hp1sx]

同じ黒人でも彼女とスルヤ・ボナリーの差は、観客を楽しませているかどうかの違いである。ボナリーのは「芸術性に乏しい」と聞くと難しく聞こえるが、ショーとしてのレベルが問題視されただけの事。フリー演技でトーマスはヴィットに及ばなかったが、ショーマンシップは相当なものである。

[@metsdudenj]

@indiatree She worked with one for 88 and she skated the worst program of her life. Go figure.

[@shihlin1]

Witt looks like she's about to cry. Muttering to herself in German: "You black B*tch. Why didn't you fall??"

[@elamantebilingue]

This was an enthusiastic skate, but it was, ultimately, uninspiring and technically flawed. The scores were very generous. The music was like background noise to contrived choreography and substandard jumps. 5.6/5.5 at best in my book.

[@sgsmozart]

Her 1987 long program at the World's was better than this one....even though she places 2nd...

[@keithvnumber1]

That wouldn't cut it in the 90's. She's not as good I thought she was. Her jumps aren't very good. Katarina wouldn't even have been able to compete in the 90's either.

[@Bnizzofashizzo]

what a odd music cutt

[@NJNupe1911]

I have to agree with you I lost interest after Tara Lipinski won in 2004....

[@elizabethhurley1129]

Tara won in 1998.

[@rellik187redrum]

She apparently is bankrupt now living in a trailer.

[@minavamp2811]

unfortunate she has a lot of psychological problems that needs to be worked out. i feel really sad for her.