Michelle Kwan 1997 Worlds LP (high quality)

[@khailac]

This is one of my favorite long programs of hers. SO many transitions and details to the program. It's really jam-packed AND every nuance relates so well to the music. WIth upgraded spins and spirals, this would make a very COP friendly program.

[@pueraeternus111]

This is the zenith of beauty and artistry in all of skating. It's been 21 years but it still remains fresh and unsurpassed today.

[@jarwillnc]

I too find this performance under appreciated. The choreography in my opinion was superior not to mention Kwan's overall mesmerizing presence on the ice. Personally I think had the current judging system been in place we would have seen a different outcome. That wasn't the case so Michelle couldn't place any higher than second because of her short program results.

[@grantdesjardins764]

Well yes but the case could be made Irina's program should have been 2nd in the long behind Michelle but ahead of Tara. Personally technically I found Irina's the strongest program over both Tara and Michele. She did 1 less triple than Tara but the jumps were bigger and more impressive, and the spins and speed superior. Artistically Michelle's was the best of course. I would have scored Michele 5.8, 5.9, Irina 5.9, 5.7, and Tara 5.8, 5.7, which would have had Irina 2nd in the long and given the gold to Michelle overall.

[@jarwillnc]

@@grantdesjardins764 Are you referring to Irina's "Phantom..." free skate? If we're thinking of the same program, I remember Dick Button just not feeling the music in his commentary. '97 Was an off-season for her but her jump potential wasn't in doubt.

[@grantdesjardins764]

@@jarwillnc I agree Irina's artistry was not great, but neither was Tara's so if we are talking about who comes 2nd in the free skate I don't think it really hurts her. I still would have had her over Tara technically even with Tara's slightly higher jump content due to the superior amplitude and power of her jumps, her spins and speed as well. I would have them about tied on the 2nd mark, both behind Michele of course. Irina highest of all 3 on the 1st mark, and 2nd in the long over Tara, which would have given Michele the victory.

[@PurpleZebraSF]

For all the haters... I will simply say in quoting a famous figure skater "I didn't lose the gold, I WON the silver" nuff said.

[@Dylvente]

The commentator really nailed it with this: "She's only two years older than Lipinski, but the difference in grace and elegance is clearly marked." He might have added "maturity". That difference held for the next year's Olympics, too. She just didn't have the same repetoire of difficult jump combinations.

[@aspenrobinson8797]

Dylvente No she didn't..that is why Michelle lost because Tara's jumps were more difficult. If Tara didn't go pro after 98 Olympic win Michelle would never of won all those titles because Tara would of beat her.

[@evanperilstein5308]

Aspen Robinson You can’t say that for sure. Maybe Tara would have lost her jumps. Besides, Tara had a hip injury that required surgery, so she would have had to retire anyway.

[@jjh2456]

Aspen Robinson Tara had a hip injury after the Olympics. No more 3loop/3loop for her. Tara was lucky she won when she did. After the Olympics she really hit puberty and body changed drastically. Tara's jump technique was woefully flawed hence her hip injury. Basically Michelle, Irina, Sasha, et al would have wiped the floor with Tara.

[@grantdesjardins764]

@@evanperilstein5308 With her hip problems she would lose her triple-triple combos and her triple loop-triple loop for good. Even keeping the triple lutz and triple flip consistent would be hard. I see her probably having a hard time scraping out a bronze in figure world and Olympic meets had she stayed. Irina would have consistently beaten her, along with Michele. Maria was erratic always but when she skated well she would start beating Tara. And when Sarah Hughes came along, even with her cheated 3-3s that would still beat Tara who would never be doing any 3-3s with her hip problems she would be regularly beating Tara too, including at the 2002 Olympics.

[@grantdesjardins764]

@@jjh2456 Sasha wasn't a top skater until 2003. In 2002 she couldn't even beat Fumie Suguri most of the time yet. So I don't see Sasha wiping the floor with her as Tara probably retires after the 2002 Olympics at the latest anyway.

[@zigzaggyp746]

Adore this program! Michelle is quite fantastic!

[@eblocrock]

This program is genius - prolly one of the greatest womens long programs of ALL TIME. if you've ever listened to the hot mess of a symphonic poem that the original composition is and how lori nichol and lenore kay pieced together this amazing edit with lion of the desert you'll realize how brilliant it is.

[@Dylvente]

I agree as to Lipinski. The trouble with the old system was that a skater who brought down the house technically, as Tara often did, automatically got top artistic marks too, even if her artistry was just good (as opposed to exquisite, awesome, too-great-to-describe like Kwan's). The same principle goes for the 98 Olympics. Tara was overmarked artistically and got the title that way.

[@operadoc]

but the current system is worse

[@r.g6170]

tara was overmarked technically as well. she was a very constant flutzer but got away with it

[@auntiechercher4266]

@@r.g6170 But so did alot of skaters . . . she WASN'T the only one who flutzed

[@pueraeternus111]

​@@r.g6170 Tara, despite her flutz, was a really amazing athlete. Her jumps were fully rotated, and her toe jumps were actual toe jumps. The only flaw was her lutz because of the severe wrong edge, unlike Michelle who disguised her flutz better. But, yes, Michelle was light years above Tara in terms of artistry. With that said, technical ability shouldn't solely be based on jumps, either. Michelle had better technical elements --- footwork, spins, edges, speed, glide, etc. --- than Tara. So, yes, Tara was overmarked because, overall, she was nowhere close to even a flawed Michelle Kwan.

[@mht4908]

@@r.g6170Michelle flutzes as well, so they would get the same deductions (if the judges even pick it up, they never do especially with the Russians)

[@anne91276]

Michelle Kwan will be the most beloved figure skater on the planet. Sasha comes second, Mao comes third and the list, as you know it, goes on.

[@QueenVelveeta]

Breathtaking

[@familyentertainmenttelevis8327]

Gorgeous

[@nancybreazile9648]

She far out skated Tara.

[@pueraeternus111]

Even in the short, too, despite the step out with the lutz. Michelle won that championship!

[@Samir9439]

music is wonderful!

[@gonzo77ffm]

thanks michelle she should have won gold and irina the bronze

[@jjh2456]

gonzo77ffm she had to land that the 2nd lutz. She doubled out of it and that’s what cost her. She had to be perfect, and sadly she was not.

[@jjh2456]

@@PanchoMaldonado-hf6rq I am aware. What I am saying is that had Kwan landed that 2nd lutz, it would have been enough for the judges to put Irina over Lipinski and thus give Kwan the gold.

[@pueraeternus111]

@@jjh2456 Even with a perfect performance -- all 6.0s -- Michelle would have still placed 2nd to Lipinski because of their ordinal placement after the short program, where Michelle placed 4th. What really cost Michelle the title was how severely punished she was by the judges after she merely stepped out of her triple lutz in short program, which was actually the most exquisite performance of the night.

[@skatefan9495]

She won the long program here. Actually, in terms of individual programs, Tara only beat Michelle three times-- 1997 Nationals LP, 1997 SP and 1998 Olympics LP. The USFSA had a solo Hall of Fame induction for Tara just like they are doing for Michelle. Oh wait, they didn't. This is not to say that Tara was not a very good technical skater and competitor. But she is just not in the same league as Michelle. No one is.

[@eileenmcqueeney1262]

Coming from a Retired Competitive Figure Skater , myself, Michelle Kwan never Won the Gold at the Olympics because She was never the Best.

[@eileenmcqueeney1262]

So many of the Ladies were way above Michelle's Leaque. The judges know what to look for and who is the best. Michelle Kwan was never the best.

[@eileenmcqueeney1262]

Tara beat Michelle when it counted at the Olympics.

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@eileenmcqueeney1262 Michelle was the most important and popular skater in her era, Tara can NEVER. Michelle got into the World Figure skating Hall of Fame, Tara can NEVER. Michelle got the most 6.0 ( 57 times ) in the history, Tara can NEVER.

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@eileenmcqueeney1262 Some people deserved the Olympics gold but never got it with bad lucky, like Michelle. Some people didn't deserve the Olympics gold and got it with good lucky, like Tara.

[@lexlib]

this was a COP ready program when COP wasn't even a pipe dream.

[@erivera4928]

look at the height in the first 3 lutz lol, amazing!

[@reubenkeyz5131]

Her spins were strong here. This is why she is the most decorated US skater. Nobody can beat Kwan in her prime.

[@gutsfinky]

I always thought Lipinski's spin positions were hideous. Her sit spin and layback spin, especially.

[@mlc2005]

I love this program too, although I wouldn't say she went down from here choreographically. I felt 2001 and 2003 were particularly stunning. I was surprised that they chose a theme so similar to Salome, honestly, but regardless, Kwan is incredible.

[@StageAurora]

triple toe + triple toe combination!

[@debbwin]

@idolfan9495 It's not against the rules to repeat a jump...thus Michelle's many many many 2-triple lutz performances. You have to do one in combo tho. Thus the 3toe-3toe is completely legal.

[@skatefan9495]

@debbwin Yes, I know that. But the point I was trying to make was that Michelle wouldn't have been allowed to do the 3T-3T twice. I was responding to a poster who thought Michelle did two 3-3s in this and other programs. Since Michelle only did the 3T-3T (in competitions, at least), she never did the combo twice, because it would have been against the rules.

[@ChristineTheHippie]

This served her well in her career after this, she pretty much had no pressure the year before so after that season she learned how to fight and deal with pressure, which you need to know going into the Olympics. BTW, allenglandlaws is probably the same poster as getrealandsee HowsaBowsa, he/she lives to bash Kwan, she seems to be a Sasha Cohen fan who thinks she can boost Cohen by being rude and hateful. Just report her next time.

[@lexlib]

had tara placed 3rd in the long behind michelle and irina, michelle would repeat as world champion.

[@jjh2456]

lexlib She had to land that 2nd lutz. If she did that she would have won.

[@evanperilstein5308]

Jose Hill No, Michelle won the long anyway. Because of her sp, she needed help from another skater beating Tara in the long in order to win. Same scenario as Sarah Hughes in Salt Lake except that actually happened there.

[@jjh2456]

Evan Perilstein Yes, Michelle won the long program, but it was not perfect. If she skated a clean program with the 7 planned tripled the judges would have put Slutskaya over Lipinsky and thus giving Michelle the gold.

[@JarenMorris21]

@@jjh2456 110%

[@lutz84]

@kwadruple you are absolutely correct 3 first place orders each for lipinski kwan and slutskaya

[@debbwin]

@idolfan9495 Oh, I'm sorry. I get it. You are totally correct. I heard she practiced other combos, but not in competition. I still love this 1997 Worlds LP.

[@nancymckeon]

This program is, as Peggy Flemming would say, breathtaking. It is so well done that I am speechless that she was not 1997 World Champion. What kind of lame ass judging system were they using?

[@jjh2456]

nancymckeon had she done the 3lutz at the end instead of doubling it they would given it to her.

[@edwardallenmiranda8586]

even of she did the 3 lutz she would have still got second because of her placement in the short... she did win the long program

[@breanatalley1894]

I like mitchele's iceskateing outfit in this video

[@onetwocue]

When i was younger i always said her outfots either gave her luck or bad luck. It was either this outfit which she always skated better vs the other eed sequined one which i disliked when i was younger that gave her so much trouble.

[@katydid41]

Yes, vav those names but go back and check Peggy Fleming's long program in 1968. That softness (and grace) on the surface of the ice is still unmatched except for maybe G&G and Kim Yu-na now. The Austrians (where that event was held) nicknamed Peggy "snowflake" because she landed so softly on the ice and because they considered her unique in her artistry. She was way ahead of her contemporaries (except Lynn) vav artistry. People nowadays don't seem to know Peggy's contributions.

[@CanadianMonarchist]

Senor Chang will never forget her.

[@TT-ee4qp]

I love Peggy, Michelle, Yuna...they had beautiful performances and amazing artistry.

[@acuison1]

Who is Tara? LOL

[@timothychow177]

Tara is 1997 world figure skating women's gold medalist and 1998 Olympic champion.

[@onetwocue]

But...still who is she? It's 2021 and no one remembers her.

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@timothychow177 Michelle beat Tara at 1998 US.

[@skatefan9495]

@TheWhatsinaname I don't think she ever landed two 3-3s in a long program. She didn't here. The only 3-3 Michelle ever did in competition was the 3toe-3toe, and it is against the rules to repeat a jump.

[@timothychow177]

There was this one time Kwan tried 3t-3t and 3z-3l I think in Skate Canada but missed both attempts.

[@pueraeternus111]

It wasn't against the rules; they were allowed to repeat any 2 triple jumps, but at least one had to be in combination. It's called "The Zayak Rule."

[@mlc2005]

As a Kwan fanatic, I have to give Tara some props here. No she was not on Kwan's level artistically (no one was, or, unfortunately, probably ever will), but she had excellent jumps, smoothness, joy, and the second best spirals of the night. IMO, the artistic quality of this worlds was ranked: Kwan (head and shoulders above everyone else, Maria, Irina/Vanessa/Tara on par with each other). I'm okay with the results.

[@operadoc]

The only skater who was on a past with Kwan artistically was Janet Lynn

[@CanadianMonarchist]

For a short woman Miss Kwan has long limbs.

[@sonyaballo4282]

Not a big fan of her skating but this program was not that bad at all, the music suited pushed her to be more creative, I liked that

[@icesk8girl26]

Kwan has a nice layback!

[@anne91276]

I thought Johnny was scored higher.

[@timothychow177]

You mean Weir?

[@gonzo77ffm]

why underappreciated? she won the free program with this and almost gathered the gold! The judges did not wanted to give her the gold, irina was way better than tara, so michelle could have won! for me it's her second best program after 1996!! my problemin those years was that there always got second the one i saw as winner 1995 bonaly 1996 Lu chen 1997+1998 kwan

[@excaliburblade96]

The judges were obviously on crack or something. A 5.6 for technical merit. Her technique is superior to Tara's, even though Tara did harder jumps, Michelle's technique was so much better and Tara couldn't even touch her artistry. Her skating was on a different plain than any skater of her time, including Sloppyskaya.

[@TT-ee4qp]

Tara was younger than Michelle, Tara had a kid's body and weight so easier to jump, nothing more.

[@TT-ee4qp]

Without a kid's body and weight, Tara couldn't do anything. The ISU raised the age limit to 17 NOW, which means Tara and the Russian girls all should go to the kid's Olympics.

[@koolaidnhemlock]

yea okay like vanessa gusmeroli is somebody

[@jillgalloway6116]

What's the story behind this Taj Mahal program supposed to be? I've always thought it was a much more boring copy of Salome.

[@TT-ee4qp]

This program is about true love, memory, time. It's different from Salome. Do you understand the story ?

[@damianlee5438]

Are you kidding me? This program is her masterpiece. Salome may have gotten the ball going but Taj Mahal was a slam dunk!!!

[@jjh2456]

@@damianlee5438 I think the main issue with this program is she never performed it once cleanly. Had she done one clean then people would get into what really made this program memorable.

[@snopesshop1903]

Salome was her tour de force. She should have done something completely different here

[@anne91276]

I don't think Galindo's homosexuality has anything to do with the downgrade. Johnny Weir is also a homosexual and he has been a rising star with countless amount of fans rooting for him. I think its more with Galindo's attitude.

[@aliceabasolo4901]

It’s a matter of opinion. I think Michelle did better than Tara.

[@cbd123456789]

I love every aforementioned American (except Sarah, she won that one night super fair but isn't the most memorable). Objectively, Kwan outskated Tara's lp with this skate imho, but Tara fair and square deserved the title since Kwan bummed her combo in the short. Sasha is beautiful and certainly memorable but she is no Kwan or Lipinski as she lacked that lp mental toughness. And her '06 oly lp was no where near as good as Kwan here nor was it anywhere near her real potential.

[@TT-ee4qp]

Sarah is Lucky. Sarah did a good job never happened before to win the Olympics gold at 2002, and the other better skaters like Michelle and Irina made mistakes. It's a accident that Sarah won, but she deserved it.

[@vistaprime]

I wonder why she could never fix her layback spin.

[@operadoc]

SHE ACTUALLY did later on but it never matched the layback of Janet Lynn

[@TT-ee4qp]

Michelle is short. That's why.

[@fanc.5711]

This music is meh

[@TT-ee4qp]

So you had no sense.

[@damianlee5438]

Nah. They just have no taste.

[@nancymckeon]

This program is, as Peggy Flemming would say, breathtaking. It is so well done that I am speechless that she was not 1997 World Champion. What kind of lame ass judging system were they using?

[@familyentertainmenttelevis8327]

Gorgeous