Michelle Kwan 1999 US Nationals LP

Music cuts: Scene finale from Orchestral Suite No. 3 / Bacchannale from Orchestral Suite No. 6 / Arianne Opera (all by Jules Massenet)

[@zigzaggyp746]

Masterpiece! How I wish more of today's skaters would broaden their musical horizon's! Michelle & Lori were a powerhouse!

[@robertoignacio4054]

i'm still amazed by Michelle, I still get so upset that she never attained the Olympic Gold Medal..she was magnificent that night..but the great ones sometimes don't get the top price ...but she did get every other top price she ever went for. I just wish, for her ,that she would have gotten that one...but having said all that ,I never get tired of watching her..no other skater in history has affected me like her. She will always be mine and our skating Kween

[@tysonbradley1465]

Her legacy is better without the Olympic Gold, or atleast not getting it in 98. She never skates as long as she did otherwise, and her biggest legacy is her longevity of excellence which is rare in the sport.

[@theprinceoftides6836]

She never needed Olympic gold , her overall career achievements and records is so much more than that medal. Her legacy is complete.

[@christyyz]

I can't believe I forgot about this program... She had so many masterpieces...

[@theprinceoftides6836]

Exactamundo. Too many. Most skaters nowadays R lucky to create 1 masterpiece in their career. M.K. Has dozens lol.

[@lowdaisy1]

Fall or no fall, this is still a fantastic performance. Lori Nichol is one of the best chreographers ever.

[@shineluvslambiel]

I LOVE this program. My favourite Michelle Kwan program. It is similar to the other dramatic ones like Dream of Desdemona, Salome, and Taj Mahal, etc. But IMO she has really reached he artistic maturity here. Beautiful music and expression.

[@Bnizzofashizzo]

I agree. There was no longer a need for a charter as Michelle could get you to experience mood and she had such a deeep catalogue of moves , positions and great edges to skate

[@cw6391]

that 3-3 was stunning

[@psylockheart]

Had she landed the lutz, I would have put this performance as her very best. It was musical, technical everything. Plus she had her short hair which I really loved. I loved how graceful she was yet she attacked her jumps with such power in this performance. That triple-triple is the best she's done.

[@troyaturner1979]

She did a better one at 2001 Worlds in Vancouver.

[@jjh2456]

+Troy Turner the 2001 worlds was the best performance of her career.

[@troyaturner1979]

Jose Hill So was her 2000 Worlds performance. She was the only one to land a triple-triple combination out of the top ladies.

[@evanperilstein5308]

Troy Turner I’d say this triple-triple was of about the same quality.

[@drpepperzenguin]

her triple triple was amazing

[@Will_3000]

One of, if not the best, triple toe triple toes she's ever done!!! Great program!

[@koolaidnhemlock]

she makes me love skating.

[@CoCoNuTsiopatHic]

I miss our Kween... :(

[@jjh2456]

The 3flip, 2axel, 3sal sequence in this program is just technical perfection. There was so much difficult choreography in this program. It would have worked well in the new code of points. The precision of this program always impressed me.

[@RachelDavisMatthews]

If she landed that 3x3 at 98 Olympics. the gold would've been hers..............

[@jjh2456]

She was still a little injured. She wasn't fully able to do the 3toe/3toe.

[@crazyasianman07]

RachelDavisMatthews yes, in addition; that triple toe was the jump that hurt her foot.

[@newvie08]

just face it folks --- kwan moved all of us upside down, there is no other ladies in figure skating that touched every single living human and none-humans on earth-- she owns the ice,she's a good role model and a bankable person,now, abc 7 won't even take skating coverage and even cbs 2 because of rating, when kwan exit,ratings went down the drain,coz she's the only one who could get a whole lot of crowd to watch skating.

[@theprinceoftides6836]

Truth nailed.

[@nike10is]

That’s one the best 3flips you’ll find. Her landing blade literally landed perfectly!

[@newvie08]

perfect or not perfect performance, she's so exciting and fun to watch.

[@baamtrazona2608]

Her best performance ever.

[@newvie08]

the funny thing is that when i visited all of michelle kwan's program that were posted in you tube how in the hell were anti-kwans spend even a minute to watch her programs?? why is that?? because me if i don't like someone, i won't even bother to look or spend my time he he he....

[@skatefan9495]

She did a triple-triple and all of her other jumps, and her presentation was worthy of the 5.9s she received. She definitely deserved first place in the long. I liked Naomi's program, but she double footed a jump and, in any event, was in 4th after the short and had no chance to win unless Kwan came in third in the long--not likely after that performance. Her short program, The Fate of Carmen, was textbook perfect in this competition.

[@looneybun1]

well put!!! (Blakmajik78)...They were all the different flavors of icings on the cakes...the flavor of the year, etc. MK IS the cake. and perhaps the filling as well. lol

[@skatefan9495]

Too bad about that fall on the lutz--otherwise this is an incredible performance. Nice height on the 3-3. I love the music--so dramatic.

[@uwoeric]

Absolutely, I hope she comes back for 2010.

[@mari15589]

wow!!!!

[@sharlylpn]

wow i've just now started watching skating again. I'm glad I missed the 2009 nationals. doesn't sound like much. That's horrendous! is it me or has skating gone down lately?

[@asheeasmith]

i love the short hair!!!! boy she has a fcae on her...gorgeous. love her

[@joaocampelo3725]

I just noticed that she made the today so popular “full blade” lutz by Eteri’s students...

[@uwoeric]

Short program only. Deductions are usually up to the discretion of the judges in the LP, and a lot of times they don't deduct for the top skaters (you know, politics).

[@russianskatingfan]

This was an excellent skate. Only the second triple lutz kept it from being her best. I still think she might have won Worlds over Maria with this skate, even with the fall. Her triple-triple might have compensated for the fall, and the overall program is excellent.

[@rfillangi]

Okay if you say so...Okay Michelle fell she still had harder technical content than NNN including a triple/triple. If you don't like Michele fine but she wond this title fair and square (even with inflated marks)

[@sk8trjess]

Deductions were definitely made for short program errors since it was a technical program. Deductions were made for the long, but not as judiciously since it was an artistic program and as long as the fall didn't detract from the overall performance it could be forgiven. When quads were new, skaters trying them were not penalized at all for falling.

[@uwoeric]

It's true, but under the 6.0 system, the scores were usually given for one skater relative to another, since there are no specific deductions that the judges absolutely must take in the LP. Under the COP, this isn't as big of an issue, you get marked based on what you do.

[@lambielkwanfan]

Of course as you can tell by name I miss Michelle but no athlete can go on forever. I think there are some very talented skaters but the new judging system sucks and does not allow tho really be original or special which is unfortunate. As for the lack of interest in the U.S, as russianfan said, lets face it U.S cares about anything they are winning at and dont care if they are not winning. It is really simple.

[@2ndAveLine]

@waddleduckie1 Naomi's '99 LP was amazing- just 13 yrs old and such talent. I thought she had the most stunning layback- better than Nikodinov, Cohen, or Zhang. Sure Zhang spun faster, but Naomi's looked so elegant, limpid, and refined. What a shame those injuries!

[@russianskatingfan]

The U.S in the 80s were much stronger in skating then they are now. The U.S had Thomas, Kadavy, Trenary, Boitano, Watson/ Oppergard in the mid to late 80s. They had Sumners, Chin, Zayak, Hamilton, Carruthers, Blumberg/Seibert in the early to mid 80s. I dont know why you say the U.S wasnt winning then. Hamilton and Boitano won and won often. Sumners, Zayak, Thomas, all won world titles and always were in contention for them. The rest of them all won medals at the world level, most many.

[@russianskatingfan]

Under the 6.0 system you just get no credit for the jump she missed. There is not a required deduction. Technically she was far ahead of the others in this very weak field even without the 2nd triple lutz so I can understand 5.9 technically possible. Nari Nam won silver with no triple lutz and two footing the triple flip or triple loop.

[@pearrock2]

Did the rules change under the old scoring system. I could recall many instances where the announcers say that a fall on a jump means that there must be a 3 to 4 tenths deduction. Or was that rule applied for the short program?

[@newvie08]

michelle kwan got the most exciting programs of them all in her time,look at ladies figure skating tight now, is is soooo boring...figure skating is michelle kwan period.

[@Blakmajik78]

I agree, Kwan WAS figure skating..she was the cake, Tara Lipinksi, Chen Lu, Slutskya were all the icing...now that Kwan is gone..IT SHOWS! Skating just isnt the same anymore..the judging system is messed up, skaters dont skate with feeling, they only JUMP JUMP JUMP..and viewers do not want to see, we want to be moved by the artistry of the skater. ABC has jumped off the wagon and CBS doesnt want to jump on. Figure skating unfortunately is on a downward spiral..until things are back the same.

[@looneybun1]

cerdanM...I LOVE alllll things Michelle...but I must admit..this is one of my least loved things about her. I really love her long hair better, it is gorgeous, and she looks to me...really old with short hair. but i am glad you liked it, i have heard a few people say that, lol. But then...she'd be beautiful bald! ;)

[@russianskatingfan]

Americans will always watch a winner if it is their own, no matter who it is. The reason Americans have stopped watching skating is they have always had someone winning, especialy in womens. For a long time that was Kwan, before her Fleming, Heiss, Hamill, Yamaguchi. Now Kwan is gone, Hughes is gone, Cohen is gone. Meissner won a World title but everyone knows that was a huge fluke. Now Americans dont have a winner or even a real contender anymore so they dont watch. Pretty simple.

[@jjh2456]

roger leblond That's still true today. They will watch the men though due to Nathan Chen.

[@taofolk]

where can I get this music ?? please

[@dsfddsgh]

Michelle sure didn't like it when someone challenged her did she? Just look at the expression on her face after Naomi Nari nam's performance. Michelle had the same look in 2000 when Sasha Cohen skated lights out.

[@erivera4928]

when did cohen skate lights out?

[@user-vn7sj5ig8w]

+ddfddsgh. I saw those looks she had on her face too. Michelle was a very competitive skater and in general. When she was behind I can see the tiger look on her face. She was ready to pounce after 1998. That is what made her so great and a legend.

[@dsfddsgh]

Man Sarah Hughes looked young then. But i guess when your 13 you should look young. LOL

[@hrjr2009]

its funny how kwan has been gone for 7 or 8 years and still these undercover tara lipinski's hate on her! lol, L.O.S.E.R.S.!!!

[@37tonya]

I absolutely ADORE Michelle but I didn't like the short hair. She looked like a boy. Glad she grew it back.

[@lexlib]

1st

[@russianskatingfan]

1996 Worlds the most perfect in history, ROTFL!! She didnt even deserve to win the 96 Worlds so it wasnt even the most perfect that night, Lu Chen was. The only one of those that was historic was the 1998 Nationals. There are others who have done more exceptional performances then Kwan did at any of those other events. In fact Cohen with her best skate would have beaten Kwan at any of those last 3 events.

[@katherinetan4587]

You’re bitter. Michelle had better spins and 7 triples.

[@getrealandsee2013]

She's not pretty enough to wear short hair.

[@parisbrat]

Bull. You're kinda nuts.