Maria Butyrskaya 2000 Worlds SP

[@warriorgr]

This is by far the best SP in ladies' figure skating in the last many many many years. Simply incomparable!

[@xmykeyx]

one of the most beautiful double axels i've seen.

[@ancamg]

This is the best short program I have ever seen. Music, skating, interpretation, all are like a dream! I really miss her skating!

[@warriorgr]

Oh my God! This has GOT to be the most breathtaking SP in figure skating history. Magical, lyrical, with a divine flow. I can watch this a zillion times and still melt on my screen.

[@mlc2005]

I asked a similar question about that, and I was told that this was acceptable because the "vocals" did not have words. In other words, the voice acted as a musical instrument, as there were not actual lyrics. I agree that this program deserved 6.0 for presentation. This was Maria at her absolute peak.

[@schulz1]

When she was on form she produced some of the best ladies' skating ever.

[@NashfanVash]

When Maria was on, she was one of the most enjoyable skaters to watch. I This was one of her best performances. I love her sophisticated lines, posture, correctness of edges, especially on the triple lutz. She was a lady among girls (with a few exceptions like Kwan).

[@Taan123]

really one of her best programs ever, loves it

[@faeryquene]

I agree. I was thrilled for her when she won Worlds in 1999-well deserved. Her SP here has a loveliness about it-haunting, beautiful, ethereal.

[@warriorgr]

I would also add the Olympics 98 short program, which was amazing, as well as her short program at the 97 worlds and her free skate at the 98 worlds, 00 euros and 01 worlds. The programs you mentioned and those above are indicative of her abilities and how beautiful and mesmerizing she could be when she was on.

[@hilljacknutjob]

Gorgeous!!

[@mlc2005]

I keep coming back to this, and several of kwan's, programs. This really makes me miss the old judging system (faults and all). We no longer have skaters who have DISTINCTIVE styles!

[@xlutskaya]

she is a fighter! So determined! She puts hart and soul in everything she does.. mesmerising :D

[@warriorgr]

If there has ever been a short program worth of a 6.0, this is definitely the ONE! IMO the best SP ever! When Maria got it right she was in a class of her own. Too bad she wasn't very often that consistent with her technique.

[@mlc2005]

I really miss Maria. I dont know exactly what it was about her, but I was just mezmorized whenever she took the ice, and was always hoping she would do well. This was an incredible program.

[@muscleboi4use]

@mic2005 & @leonidasse I am British and I love Michelle Kwan (HUGE fan) and also adore the quality that Maria Butrskaya. They both skate with 'heart', as Dick Button would say. Dick Button is always a bit biased when an American is in contention but he does give credit where it's due and, here it is certainly due. I really think we, as fans, are so lucky to be able to watch all these great programs on here. So, again, I say, thank you for uploading!

[@glennd5574]

You can critique Maria all you want for her technical limitations, and it make no difference to me. Art cannot be quantified, and she created a masterpiece!

[@mlc2005]

raichmaneuvers: She gave several other performances of this quality; just look at some other youtube clips (1998 olympic short program, many grand slams, 1996 centennial-both short and long, 2000 euros free, etc). I think she took a while to get her confidence up, and she always struggled with nerves, which is a shame. I saw her live once, and her practices were smooth and always flawless, and then she got stiff because of nerves. Still, a fav. bc of her unique qualities, and perfect lutz.

[@schulz1]

Spot on! Brilliant comment.

[@leonidasse]

I'd say that there's been only one lady out there on ice - and that's Maria. None of her sports opponents could stand up to the level of her maestry in elegance and sophisticated beauty of her skating. As for the commentary here - this program could only appeal to the European sensitivity, which is so different from the American one. That's why one concentrates on how an element is worse or better in comparison to Kwan's performance rather than share the emotional thrill Butyrskaya has caused.

[@mlc2005]

Hell, the fact that Button and Flemming couldn't really think of anything negative to say about a non-US skater tells you how good this one was.

[@Dylvente]

A better comment for Dick Button on Butyrskaya's spirals would have been, "Very nice spiral sequence." No need to stress that it wasn't as good as Kwan and Hughes. It actually covered the ice very well, and the first spiral position was very attractive even if it didn't have the greatest extension.

[@troy0515]

1984/88 Olympic, Witt won w 4 triples, no lutzs/flips, 1992 Olympic, Kristi won w/ 6 triples,1 fall,one 3-3 triples, 1996 Olympic, Oksana won w 5 triples(few were double footed). During Kwan era, 1988 Olympic, Tara did 7 triples, two 3-3combos, 2002 Olympic, Sarah did 7 triples, two 3-3combos. Post Kwan 2006 Olympic, Arakawa won with 5/6 triples, 2010 Yuna did 6 triples, one 3-3combo. Not to mention last year World Champ won with no Lutz or 3-3combo. Please wear your glasses people!!!

[@hairbrush81]

Those marks are crazy. Why no 6.0s for presentation!!? This was easily worth a 6.0 for presentation. Also technical marks should be more 5.9s. Yeah the last 2 elements were so soish, but the other 6 were just amazing this day.

[@mlc2005]

@grafgirl27 : I think what you are missing here is that Maria won her world championship in 1999 with two flawless routines, including her free which was a seven triple, perfect program. Many, many world champs have not been able to accomplish this, particularly under so much pressure. While I agree that Maria is not in the same league as Kwan or Irina in terms of consistency, she IS a strong skater. U can't win worlds with a 7 triple free and not be considered a strong skater.

[@schulz1]

@warriorgr I agree with you - I think it was absolutely exceptional - maybe the two Americans had better spirals but her jumps were rock solid and better and the interpretation is spellbounding. I'd have pushed for a 6.0 for her for presentation. Lesser programmes have received one.

[@mlc2005]

Very good points indeed! I think from the mid-90's to mid-2000's (Kwan's era), the level was upped several notches. Ito revolutionized the technical side of skating (pushing Kristi, Tonya and later Tara), and Kwan, Chen and later Cohen redefined what "artistic" was all about. Posing and preening were no longer enough. Spirals got better too Worlds Gold (# triples): 96 MK: 7 97 TL: 7 (3-3) 98 MK: 6 99 MB: 7 00 MK: 7 (3-3) 01 MK: 7 (3-3) 02 IS: 6 03 MK: 6 04 SA: 7 (3-3) (3-3) 05 IS: 7 (3-3)

[@mlc2005]

what passed as "artistry" or a spiral sequence before the mid-90's falls way short of what was required in 96 onward. It's funny, I actually think a lot of skating fans feel that the very period you mention 96-2002 was a high point in skating, It certainly attracted the largest audience ever, and imo the most well-rounded programs. No longer was standing in one place and flirting (ala Witt) enough to get high presentation marks.

[@Zuranthium]

No, he criticized Kwan's layback. That is perhaps the reason why she modified it to have a more difficult position with her arms behind her back.

[@mlc2005]

@leonidasse: I agree to an extent. I'm not sure if there's really a particular "European sensitivity" that Americans can't get though. The commentators here were actually very nice about everything except the spiral and lay back (her spiral was not as good as Kwan's). Remember, this is a technical program, and their job is to point out each component and comment on it. I'm American, and I LOVE Maria and this program. I think Kwan is the best, not for being from US, but for her artistry.

[@Zuranthium]

No, they did criticize her Spiral and her Layback. Which are of course the two things Dick ALWAYS focuses on.

[@jimmyseraphin7314]

5.8 and 6.0 for me

[@dc19921000]

Great. getrealandsee now posts about Kwan on Butyrskaya's videos as well? Though I have to say that Butyrskaya at her best would have easily won Olympic gold in 2002. Her 1999 title was not a fluke.

[@serenakicksass]

I notice the 2 judges who gave Hughes 5.0 for elements also gave Butyrskaya 5.9. That is way too high a gap as some of Hughes's elements were better than Maria's, and she skated cleanly (apart from the flutz).

[@faeryquene]

I think the vocals are allowed if they act as an instrument-almost a capella but I'm not quite sure.

[@ostar85]

So, is it true that there would have been an automatic .1 deduction from presentation for using music with vocals? Ergo, she would have had some 6.0s for this performance based on some of the 5.9s she received for presentation. ???

[@schulz1]

I meant that comment to be in response to mlc2005!

[@mlc2005]

I always thought that skaters weren't allowed to have vocals with their music.. Was this okay because there were no words? Just curious.. Anyway, loved this performance.. I too agree that there should have been a few 6's for presentation.

[@nAdDlEkAtI]

songname pls!!! wonderful program :)

[@JoshPaulFlocco]

I enjoy certain aspects of Maria's skating. However, her forward landings are not only a technical issue, but they take away from the overall presentation of the program. I found that she was often overscored when she was able to put together a "clean" program.

[@warriorgr]

Vocals are allowed if they don't have lyrics.

[@beuuus21]

what is the music name?

[@schulz1]

I think the rules governing vocals are such that you are allowed to use anything where there are no audible words in a recognisable language. So Sarah Brightman's la la la would have been okay.

[@serenakicksass]

5.9s for elements is too high since her last 2 elements were poor. A 6.0 for presentation would have been acceptable though.

[@mlc2005]

@raichmaneuvers: Here's what bugs me about your argument though. Because you say Kwan didn't have "tough competition," that somehow implies that she doesn't deserve all the praise she has received. It's not Kwan's fault what her competition was or wasn't. What matters is the performances that she gave, perfectly, and repeatedly. She towered over her competition, I agree, but there was a reason for that: She was that much better. So was Michael Jordan in his prime; so was Roger Federer.

[@mlc2005]

@grafgirl27 Just please read my comment before replying. I didn't say she was a legend, I was commenting on your statement that she was "not a strong skater." As far as I am concerned, anyone in the top ten of any worlds qualifies as a "strong skater." There are 10's of thousands of skaters out there trying to make it, so for u to say a world champ (and several other medals) is not strong is ridiculous.

[@mlc2005]

@grafgirl27 What skaters do you like? I don't know where you're getting your conclusions. Have you seen the number 9 skater for example, at worlds in 1985, 1991, etc?? U make it sound like they were all Michael Jordans, and then BOOM, 1996 came along. I think Ito set the standard in 1990 to push ladies skating to new heights, where women going forward had to do much harder jumps to compete. I look at some of the 3rd place winners at worlds in the 80's and stratch my head. And looking at...

[@mlc2005]

Five years after Kwan retired from skating and getreal is STILL posting shit about her. I think that says more about getreal than about Kwan frankly.

[@skatefan9495]

If the post-Kwan era is so strong, how does anyone explain Miki Ando winning two World Championships? Yu Na and Mao didn't bring it in those years. If they had, they would would be close to Kwan's record. But they didn't and in the end, winning is what matters.