Debi Thomas (USA) - 1986 World Figure Skating Championships, Ladies' Long Program

Geneva, SWITZERLAND - 1986 World Figure Skating Championships, Ladies' Long Program - Debi Thomas of the United States placed 2nd in the Long Program. However, that was enough for her to win the Gold Medal.

[@cecilebarton4283]

Debi Thomas was a Stanford Pre Med student with Chemistry and Calculus finals. She wins gold at the World Championships! What a brilliant Renaissance Woman.

[@valmacclinchy]

Absolutely phenomenal achievement!!

[@andresuston7692]

Full time college student, training full time, she was always a champion.

[@valmacclinchy]

I can't imagine the pressure she felt! Legend!!

[@courylanders4142]

It caught up with her at the 1988 Winter Olympics. She got a Bronze medal. She took on too much. She had a pulled hamstring.She didn't make excuses.But her goal pay for college. Nevertheless Girl friend is a big time winner.✊

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

Debi had High Expectations for herself growing up. One has to Respect her Motivation & Achievements.

[@melbrooks1192]

What a multi tasker. Love her still.

[@shihlin1]

I'm not watching Debi skate. Instead enjoy watching the worried look on Katarina's face as she realizes Debi is about to dethrone her as world champion.

[@jillianmaloney3798]

It’s always about a dethroning with the media 😆! I’d imagine some competitors look at it that way too I guess.

[@peanutbutterguy71]

The best

[@jillianmaloney3798]

Totally flawless skate. The best performances are the effortless looking ones imo. She sounds like an amazing person. Love her costume, it’s so perfect for her and I can tell it’s well made.

[@Person-mh6xq]

What program were you watching lol? Wonky or troubled landings on literally almost every jump, two-footed her triple salchow, popped her triple loop into a double. Still love her but this was not a good skate.

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

​@@Person-mh6xq...Still...DEBI skated a better Competition than KATARINA, who was BAD in Figures...botched her Short Program Triple Jump Combination...and DIDN'T have a Triple Loop in 86. This year, DEBI was Better!

[@kirsilitmanen2340]

Exciting. 👍

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

Here, at this competition, DEBI was the Most Consistent Competitor. KATARINA was bad in Figures AND botched her Short Program Jump combination. DEBI, rightly, won this competition. And her 86/88 National Golds.

[@kirsilitmanen2340]

So fancy Dress again.♥️

[@ginacleveland7995]

Katarina must've really sucked because this should've been stronger but it was just good enough for Debi to win, so that's all that mattered!🔥

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

KATARINA...was bad in FIGURES, botched her Short Program Triple Jump combination and.... Didn't have a Triple loop in 86.

[@galileocan]

God, where is the Scott Hamilton mute button.

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

I miss Scott Hamilton 's commentary. Much better than what we hear..Now. But, then, Skating isn't the popular ratings sport it once was.

[@conradmartinez4175]

BEAUTIFUL SKATER STRONG BEAUTIFUL AND BUT SHE WAS NO TIFF.!😁 ANYWAY COOL 😎

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

Tiffany didn't have Debi's POWER, ENERGY & ATHLETICISM. Debi was more exciting to watch!

[@conradmartinez4175]

@user-kf8wb2cq4f I HAVE TO SAY YOUR RIGHT, IT'S LIKE APPLES AND ORANGES EACH ONE IS DIFFERENT. AND EACH HAS THEIR OWN STYLE BUT WHEN TIFF WAS ON TOP SHE WAS PRETTY GREAT.

[@tommurray4939]

You should have seen Liz Manley's program, with a triple lutz. She was totally robbed.

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

Not really. Her FIGURES weren't strong....and Figures were important back then.

[@johnorlando9839]

Scott Hamilton’s commentary was annoying.

[@cecilebarton4283]

Scott Hamilton was a multiple World Champion and Olympic Champion himself. He had every right to weigh in the way he did. He actually knew what he was talking about and true skate fans appreciated it. He knew Debi had done great unlike some bigots posting here. "Jez Jez," we're looking at you.

[@akimbohr]

Some shaky jumps. First double axel and last triple salchow were very nice, though. Well deserved 2nd place in the free programme, behind Witt.

[@dougierichardson484]

Manley honestly should have beaten her, but then again Manley also should have beaten Witt, so still would not have come in between them to cause Witt to win, not with fair judging anyway.

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

KATARINA..was Bad in FIGURES...and she botched her Triple Jump combination in the Short Program. And...she didn't have a Triple Loop in 86. She DIDN'T DESERVE TO WIN......Liz Manley's FIGURES were Inconsistent!

[@miesiemumford]

poor, that was poor- and no artistic impression!

[@sharonbrown5162]

Imagine - some one without any skating skills trying to dismiss this performance. Opinions are like xxxxxxxx everybody has one. Get over yourself!

[@BlakeBarbieDoll]

Beautiful performance!

[@StageAurora]

A SUPERB HISTORIC MOMENT performed by an AMAZING CHAMPION!

[@lillieherold7943]

That's My Girl!! CONGRATS!

[@kamwrites]

Eighteen friggin years old. That ain't right. LOL!!

[@laurenbrown7403]

What was the music she skated to?

[@EEDiazL]

I think she recycled this dress for the 1988 Olympic season. She just swapped the blue for red fabric and beading. Even the skirt detail is the same!!!!

[@MADHAUSMARKALLAN]

Katarina Witt doesn't even applaud for her... what a witch... now she's lovely but back then she was just wishing Debbie would fall. Nasty. All you can control is what you do not what others do.

[@MADHAUSMARKALLAN]

@@madelainemadelaine2934 Normal? When did you concoct that disingenuous anti-sportsmanship view?

[@MADHAUSMARKALLAN]

@@madelainemadelaine2934 You’re probably too young to know this but the Eastern Block countries like East Germany were political enemies of the free Western Nations. I lived in Germany for 11 years. I was there when the Berlin Wall fell. The mentality of Skaters, Judges, Skating Federations was highly competitive and yes, nasty. Of course that has change over the last 30 years but your young gaze is viewing Katarina as some normal contemporary skater. The times are unlike anything you could understand and you don’t care to consider the times. Most skaters and champions today have a level of generosity of spirit towards their fellow athletes that is sportsmanlike. As champions like Viktor Petrenko, Kurt Browning, Michelle Kwan, Brian Orser, Mao Asado, all understand that your destiny as a competitor rest solely on yourself. Sometime uou skate brilliantly and your placement then is based kn how others do. Do you know why they even changed the judging system and why? There’s nothing normal about not celebrating another skaters failures. it’s bad karma and at the end of the day you go home with your own sucky attitude whether you win or lose.

[@Person-mh6xq]

@@MADHAUSMARKALLAN it IS very typical. Human nature.

[@metsdudenj]

Untrue, GDR athletes were always cordial to their competitors. I competed against them in the 80s and they were never disrespectful or disingenuous. While they did not actively seek conversation when they were alone or unsupervised, they always congratulated the winners, and did not openly ignore the competition. Want to know who ignored the US athletes? The ones from some of the Western Countries! The Soviets couldnt be bothered because they were so much better than anyone else so they never played the bullshit mind games. Oh, the Romanians and Czechs were always weird.

[@metsdudenj]

Actually, Tiffany Chin in an interview said Witt was always cordial and the first one to say hello. She had nothing but nice things to say about her, and Debi said the same.

[@jezjez3938]

This performance was dynamic but far from stellar. Technically it was mistake free, but, for one triple salchow, the landings weren't secure. Artistically, she at times reminded me of a toddler at a pageant performing to a number forced on her. I applaud Debi for her accomplishments, but Katarina Witt sealed her fate with her errant short program. Katarina looks preoccupied because she knew the ordinal scoring would hold up Debi despite this mediocre skate.

[@MrOu83]

JEZ JEZ - It was good enough. Katarina should have kept her azz off the ice yet again (also at the year’s Worlds) in the short program and we wouldn’t be having this discussion. With that said, Katarina usually spent a lot of time simply posing and flirting during the slow portion of her long programs. This appealed to the Eastern Bloc judges. In terms of actual technique and pure skating, Debi was a cut above Katarina. Famed skater and figure skating analyst once said of her, “ Katarina’s lines and positions are NOT first rate.”

[@cecilebarton4283]

Debi Thomas was brilliant. In more ways than one. Debi was a premed student at highly prestigious Stanford. She was taking Calculus and Chemistry finals and Still beat inferior Katarina Witt. No telling what kind of cheating the Russians were doing, anyway. They certainly sabotaged Debi at the Olympics. Only way they could win. Disgusting. And letting Russia get way with it and that ROC nonsense probably helped make them bold enough to think they could invade neighboring countries today. The world should have put its collective foot down where Russia and sports are concerned.

[@belartful]

It WAS Stellar..thats why she won!

[@dougierichardson484]

@@MrOu83 Witt did have better choreography though despite the posing sections. Thomas choreographed her own programs and while they weren't bad, she would have been better and had more potential had she hired an actual choreographer. She had nice lines and showed some good sense of the music, but needed better choreography through a professional choreographer rather than doing her own.

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

KATARINA was Bad in FIGURES....She didn't have a Triple Loop in 86 and she rarely challenged herself, technically, at the Senior Level. It was about "Performance" for her, AND in the 80's, the Judges were in her and Coach Frau Muller's pocket.