Michelle Kwan - 2001 World Figure Skating Championships - Long Program

Music: Song of the Black Swan by Villa-Lobos and Dumky Trio by Dvorak

[@reubenkeyz5131]

People still continue to doubt why Michelle is the champion that she is. Three words...SEVEN TRIPLE JUMPS.

[@troyaturner1979]

And a beautiful triple-triple to boot.

[@TT-ee4qp]

Artistry is the most difficult technique....Michelle is the best.

[@theprinceoftides6836]

Or quite simply, the complete package.

[@tally1604]

this is my favorite Michelle skate of all time. just love it. and i was there in vancouver watching it in the arena. she got the only standing ovation of the night

[@BoraViolin]

Tal Mamatov wow! I'm so jealous! I would have loved to have been there live!

[@maggietanzarella7718]

She deserves to have the gold medal

[@jarenmorris4621]

This is one of the best programs ever, if not the best! that falling leaf! I miss Michelle!

[@jrewing2383]

We will never see this kind of beauty, this kind of magic on ice ever again. What happened to this beautiful sport?

[@williamt594]

@@jrewing2383 ISU happened.

[@Parker528]

I agree, although just IMHO, her 2004 LP at Nationals in Atlanta to Tosca was seemingly other-wordly!

[@jarenmorris4621]

@@Parker528 She has so many good ones! Tosca for sure is one of them. I was in Dallas for her long program in 2003, Aranjuez. Mesmerizing doesn't begin to describe the experience. The level of artistry, athleticism and charisma are untouchable. It seemed like a Jr competition watching the others (no disrespect). She outclassed the entire field. One of the more unforgettable experiences of my life! 🙏🙏🙏 ---- Thanks for the comment. Take care of yourself!

[@theprinceoftides6836]

This is the Golden Age of skating. Pure perfection.

[@matthewdunaway7739]

still beautiful after all these years

[@kathy7107]

This is what figure skating needs today. More edging, more artistry. Not just jumping bots.

[@excalibur1812]

I totally agree. I've been watching figure skating since 1976 and skaters today have absolutely NO musical interpretation. They just skate from one end of the rink to another, mindlessly flailing their arms around that have nothing to do with music. One of the best examples of artistic figure skating was Karyn Cadavy in her U.S. premiere in 1985. Her mother was a professional ballerina and Caryn had the most artistic programs that I've ever seen. Every move of her arms, head, body and blades are timed with the music. She had some wonderful qualities, but could never seem to conquer the nerves that it takes and was plagued with inconsistent competitions. The biggest mistake that the ISU made was eliminating the compulsory figures from competition. I'm a professional musician and the core of musical technique is scales and arpeggios. The compulsory figures taught edge control, posture, body carriage. This carried over into their jumps and programs. Just look at how beautiful Dorothy Hamil moved. She didn't do very many triple jumps, because most ladies didn't do them back then, but watch her technique on the double jumps and her posture on the landings. Smooth as silk, with no hunched over landings. The other mistake they made was allowing vocals in competitions. And they're absolutely atrocious vocals, at that. You can replace the music with any other piece of music and would never know the difference.

[@kev7978]

Slutskaya delivered jumps. Kwan delivered a program. That's the difference.

[@thesupremediva]

She barely did that. Slutskaya's jumps would have mostly negative GOE under today's system. They were high; that's about it. Most weren't clean.

[@kev7978]

​@@thesupremediva I agree. She had terrible techniques, especially the flow of her landings-sloppy.

[@edwardallenmiranda8586]

she delivered jumps and program... michelle did.

[@edwardallenmiranda8586]

she delivered jumps and program... michelle did.

[@clairelivefreeordie2551]

Always love Michelle's performance and this one is just stunning & done with such elegance! This and her Fields of Gold performance. She's just magical & timeless. Will go down in history as one of the very best ⚘

[@piznoctsauo8141]

Her most beautiful program.

[@troyaturner1979]

It doesn't get any better than this. She attacked the program with presence, speed and a fire that we normally don't see from Michelle. Carolina Kostner tried skating to this music but I'll always remember Michelle when I hear it.

[@erivera4928]

michelle attacked her performances with fire most of the time. 1995 Skate America, 1996 Worlds, 1997 Worlds, 1997 Skate America, 1998 US Nationals, 1998 Keri Lotion, the 3-3 in 1999 US Nationals, 2000 Worlds, 2001 Worlds, 2002 Worlds, 2002 Nationals, 2003 Nationals, 2003 Worlds, 2004 Nationals, 2004 Worlds. She skated like a champion.

[@jrewing6836]

Probably her greatest triumph. She practically shut the door on her opponents having any chance of winning.

[@ashleyrhodes1531]

Michelle floated on the ice. I lived watching her skate when I was a kid.

[@Sknastics]

Me too! I look back at this stuff all the time and it reminds me of being a teen and recording all the skating (especially Michelle Kwan) on VHS!!

[@BoraViolin]

She's sooooo glorious! Just chills on this skate. I miss her dearly. I was such a fan of Michelle one of my oldest daughters first words was Michelle lol She left such a gaping hole when she retired. Franks expression during scoring was priceless lol

[@lukeferrante497]

I miss these days of skating.

[@jamesfox6909]

Luke Ferrante me too :(

[@Pinesol605]

Me too I use to love watching this on t.v as a little kid. I miss those days

[@jrewing2383]

@@Pinesol605 Carrie, this figure skating,s finest moment, skated by the sports most magical skater.

[@karlalvsmissy9437]

Me too....almost every weekend I was glued to tv watching figure skating. I knew all the skaters too. Ask me now in 2021 and I have no idea who the skaters are. Those were the best years of figure skating. Side note: my daughter started skating and in 2009 she met Michelle Kwan at her east west ice palace in California.

[@theprinceoftides6836]

That's because it's the best.

[@MTknitter22]

Wow, nearly 20 yrs ago

[@dennypng7391]

Beautiful masterpiece & skating so beautifully! Michelle

[@AT-jm4dl]

SOTBS was MK's best program and best performance. It was really hard to understand how Michelle could've skated with so much confidence and authority in 2001 and then one year later in 2002 skated so tentatively and made some really awful skating career's decisions. If Michelle had kept the same support team that she had in 2001 for 2002 then I'm sure she would've skated well in SLC.

[@jimmyfab]

It's weird she didn't keep the same support team. I forgot about how strong she was here. She would have won Gold in 2002 if she skated like this.

[@reubenkeyz5131]

Lost on American soil too! So upsetting.

[@mikeg8375]

I agree - this performance simply cannot be criticized. Sad thing in 2002 was she wouldn't have even needed to be this good. She could have left out the 3-3 and still been good enough to beat Slutskaya in the long program without any mistakes. It was hers to win.

[@AppleAbston]

I remember annoying my mom so adamantly to watch Michelle Quan at 6/7 years old. Yall couldn't tell me she wasn't an ice fairy queen bruh I wasn't going 😆😁 and that's for life🥰

[@tj205bama]

She was out performed at both Olympics ...I never understood it. She made history tho..when. You think of skaters you don't think of Sarah or Tara .

[@ART-re1vq]

I remember her coach Frank Carroll really detesting the fact that she was just a lyrical artistic skater and arguing that too, she was also a athletic technical skater . Though rare, her triple triples had great form and good clean height. All the commentary about her practices I could only imagine what she would do i her practices let alone her private practices. Frank Carroll was well aware .

[@TressBraga]

Which was ironic because Michelle started out as a technical skater having mastered the triple axel at only 12. The fact that she became the most artistic skater in history was quite miraculous.

[@thesupremediva]

Michelle's technique was marvelous and steady. You don't land true triple lutzes for 10+ years without such technique. Also, that double axel of hers had gorgeous height and flow out of it. She had rock-solid athleticism as well. It's just that her artistry was so far ahead of everyone else's, that it's what she's best known for.

[@jjh2456]

The change came in the 95-96 season. Frank Carrol was a master of a coach. What he was able to do with Michelle going into that season was genius.

[@Patrick-vj1qu]

Love the "fuck yeah!" At the end... Legendary

[@luizteixeira9823]

The Song of the Black Swan by Villa Lobos is beautiful

[@attnMoFo]

This program is a masterpiece. I'm sure Slutskaya has pulled off some great jumps and programs but I seriously can't remember any of them.

[@magnificent7667]

Great jumps yes, great programs never

[@magnificent7667]

***** The new code was supposed to be about quality but it isn't.,

[@attnMoFo]

To me it seems like skaters today are cramming too much content into their programs at the sacrifice of choreography and taste, particularly the young phenoms out there. If I see another Bielman followed by that front split catch foot spin thing again I"m gonna change the channel.

[@magnificent7667]

attnMofo we all need to change the channel. Maybe if the rstings are bad they will change it

[@attnMoFo]

***** I didn't see the Worlds this year. I'll check it out.

[@jjh2456]

I'm glad you could post this.

[@teacup2579]

i had a snow globe as a child with her in it, and it would play Für Elise. but one day it fell off our shelf in my apartment and i was absolutely devastated i should be asleep right now but i’m trying to find said snow globe again hopefully somewhere where i can buy it..that globe had meant everything to me. so much that for weeks after that i would still cry about not having it play as i relaxed off to sleep..it was horrible but ofc since i’m older now it doesn’t hurt as much as it used to

[@ART-re1vq]

5.7 for this technical ?? Two triple lutz' in the program as well as 1 triple-triple totaling 7 triples ... Ridiculous.

[@jjh2456]

Dee Zyre they have always undermarked her for that 3/3. They wanted her to do a more difficult one especially since Sarah Hughes and Irina Slutskaya did a 3sal/3loop.

[@thesupremediva]

MK's 3-3 was fully rotated with beautiful flow. Slutskaya's were often sloppy and two-footed. And let's not go on about Sarah's glaring underrotations and egregious flutz for which one judge in Salt Lake marked her 10th in the short.

[@jjh2456]

Meghan Elizabeth under rotations were not enforced in the 6.0 era. That was the time then. Also to be fair, Michelle flutzed from time to time, though not here.

[@pennywise8041]

Two 3lz with wrong edge as ever for Michelle Kwan...

[@tsmith908]

@@jjh2456 watch her Lutz in slow-mo, it was a flutz.

[@sallydaniel1023]

Absolutely gorgeous program 👏

[@dkblazer24]

Does anyone have a clip of her doing the triple sal/triple loop combo in the 6 min warm up that Peggy said looked really good?

[@yoojin3877]

I've never seen a video of it, but I was at that practice and vividly remember it. Both jumps were fully rotated and the Sal had a nice running edge out of it.

[@nipaipo36100]

5.7 for technic is ridiculous.. 5.8 for presentation is too low. 5.9 or 6.0

[@SonOfAGun1814]

5.7 for technical for this program is absurd

[@thesupremediva]

+snofagun1814 Totally preposterous. She outskated Irina by a mile. They were really trying to hold MK down here, but her perfection couldn't be denied!

[@afrogirl757]

+snofagun1814 and of course the following year the OL caught the judges game.

[@lexismith8325]

snofagun1814 did they look at edge calls under the 6.0 or is that a COP thing? Michelle flutz'd really badly throughout her career but I don't think they were looked at (and underrotations weren't called as hard, as seen with Irina).

[@B___T985]

Most people didn't notice incorrect edge takeoffs or underrotations under the old system, especially casual skating fans. I think if judges would have voted certain skaters over others based on those kinds of small, hard-to-detect details, that would have alienated some fans. (Oh wait, that's basically what happens in skating now..)

[@lexismith8325]

6. 0 I'm not talking about fans, I was asking about the 6.0 rules. I don't care what fans think. And, if anything, people want more accountability for the technical scoring in the IJS system. Fans want to see proper scoring (ex: Evgenia's borderline flutz that isn't called a lot).

[@jennifer5512]

No one skates like this anymore! She puts those little Russian girls to shame.

[@erivera4928]

The judges were trying to coronate slutskaya here! In the qualification round Michelle skated with a 3-3 and got 5.6s . In the short, she was marked low, even with review of her lutz, which was clean. In the long she skated lights out, and was barely rated higher than slutz. In a way I'm glad that system is gone, but look at Sochi, tuna was ROBBED.

[@erivera4928]

I agree, Yuna should have won. Sodnikova was NO WHERE near her in components. They needed a Russian champ.

[@SonOfAGun1814]

+Dale Bergman :D

[@billyng2012]

+E Rivera Tuna or Yuna?

[@Jude74]

Billy Ng I prefer Tuna, it's funny. 🤣

[@user-vn7sj5ig8w]

LOL!!!!!! :D

[@nipaipo36100]

5.8 and 6.0

[@oceanle]

5.9 and 6.0 is what I would have given Michelle if she skated before Irina.

[@will74lsn]

very good cross-overs

[@Tytytytyty1776]

Does anyone agree that she fought for that 2nd lutz? From my point of view, it was just as secure as her first.

[@thangvuong9196]

Good flowing edge out but slightly under rotated.

[@e2theeyepie]

Yes, in today's COP it maybe could've received a "

[@psylockheart]

i dont think there was no cheat or underrotation.. i kept replaying it.. scott hamilton always says some random things. but what was blatant there was the flutzing.

[@tyronebranch2946]

@@thangvuong9196 Nope! Fully rotated

[@GaryGarlic]

This program is the best ever along with her 98 routines. I wish this was her 2002 Olympic LP instead of what she chose for the following year. She was fast and powerful here and at the 02 games she was cautious and the choreography seriously lacked and was simplified IMO.

[@auntiechercher4266]

I agree with you. Her programs in 2000 and 2001 (Red Violin and Black Swan) were much better than the 2002 Scheherazade - which, for whatever reason, seemed kinda lame at the time. In retrospect it appears better than it did initially, but I didn't find it compelling when it was first brought out back then. A shame too because it was her Olympic year.

[@AT-jm4dl]

I think Michelle repeated SOTBS at the GPF competition later that year, but the performance at that competition was lackluster and slow and included a fall on the final 3t. I believe she had already broken up with Frank by that time.

[@arlenedecastro3328]

An icon in the ladies figure skating that's Michelle Kwan. I can't even remember the names of the two ladies who won gold in the Olympics who beat Michelle Kwan.

[@MTknitter22]

Arlene De Castro Well other people do.

[@katherinetan4587]

not as many as remember michelle though..

[@katherinetan4587]

you don't even like her but are all over her videos. that just shows her power.

[@MTknitter22]

Katherine Tan Everybody is all over all the great women ice skating videos right now -- ITS OLYMPICS WEEK 😬

[@MTknitter22]

Katherine Tan Nope. The Gold Medalists Kristi and Tara are beloved too and nobody loved more than Gordeeva and Grinkov in their day. 💕💕💕

[@MrTurtledove1981]

I wish someone would post a video of michelle doing different 3/3 combo--Peggy has mentioned on more than 1 occasion that michelle has done the 3sal/3toe?(3sal/3loop?) at 2001 worlds in practices/warm ups and at the 2001 skate canada LP, the 3lutz/3loop combo in practices as well--MIchelle was, is and will always be my favorite skater. I just want to see her land a different 3/3 combo. P.S. Since Michelle has been doing the 3lutz/2toe for the longest time, Wouldn’t it be a more logical move to upgrade it to a 3lutz/3toe in competition rather then the 3lutz/3loop??

[@nathanreddy8368]

What's even more interesting is she was doing the 3Sal/3Toe as late as 2005!

[@MrTurtledove1981]

Nathan Reddy yeah I've also heard of that. If someone could just post that video of michelle landing a different 3/3 combo, That would make my year..

[@singsongeric]

That was my same thought watching this video, they kept talking about it over the years but there was never any evidence or build up. You would think if there was ever plans to introduce it to her program they would have at least put a 3S/2L placeholder, but she never did. Also this jump layout wouldn't make sense here, if she did 3T/3T and then added 3S/3L, she would have had to drop her 2nd 3Z at the end which was a money jump for her. I have to imagine her game plan was decided before the program, and not a "wait and see how we feel" because it would have only made sense to drop the solo 3L if she was going to plan a program with 2 3/3's.

[@grandmaj6557]

Gifted and focused beautiful

[@breanatalley1894]

I like mitchele's iceskateing outfit in this video

[@Iwatchstuff1000]

Irina never stood a chance when Michelle was on!

[@菩提那蒂]

im enjoy with her program also..not bad

[@PrinceofTroy-kx3nk]

The G.O.A.T...

[@metsdudenj]

I stopped watching figure skating after 2006

[@flywings111]

+metsdudenj Yes I also wanted to quit watching the sport fter 2006. Then came Yuna and she changed everything.

[@harveychadbourne5180]

Velvetblue amen no Kwan no more soul

[@Lightlaser18]

then quitted after 2014... we don't even have to say what happened that year...

[@thesupremediva]

So did a LOT of people.

[@kimp7160]

I actually held on until last year. But skating has entirely lost its soul. All the skaters have grown up under the new system and it's just points-getting. Even the skaters I kind of like have the EXACT SAME jump/spin/step layout every single year. And step sequences used to be the highlight of a program (listen to the cheers in all the older videos) but now there is so much busy-ness I just want to get out there and push them to go faster and just fly to the music. There is a place for slower sequences if the program calls for it, but there is so many twizzles and stops and starts, it is just frustrating.

[@mduette6341]

Amazing 🤩 🇺🇸👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@MTknitter22]

I do not think Irina was better either. Kwan was never my all time favorite but oh my WHATS with those judges??

[@user-ey5np2pv1r]

It's delightful!

[@tally1604]

but i can't help but feel that she shouldn't have left Frank and Lori. i know it's all coulda shoulda wouda, but i believe deep down she would have been able to hold it together 10 months later in slc if she'd stayed with them.

[@anitabreakone]

Tal Mamatov I would have left him too after he said Tara was better than her that night after the 1998 Olympics. Michelle was amazing and the judges went with Tara and that's all. Tara was not better and it was a mean thing for him to say. Also the runner up here win silver over her in 2002? It was such a crazy result that Michelle was in first place over Sara Hughes but if the Russian skater beat Michelle she would win and Michelle would be second. Well that makes sense except J don't think she beat Michelle. And another crazy thing was if the Russian, Irina beat Sara Hughes then Sara would win and she would get silver knocking Michelle to third place. ????? Well that's what happened and it still makes no sense today.

[@BoraViolin]

anitabreakone Michelle has never talked about why she left him, neither has he. Michelle has so much integrity she would never put her "business in the street" I had never heard Frank say he thought Tara was better at the 98 Olympics. When did that happen, is it hearsay or documented. Honestly Michelle should have had gold in 1998!

[@erivera4928]

I believe both their explanations that she had to find motivation within herself. Thats not an idle statement. She was having a hard time enjoying skating.

[@auntiechercher4266]

​@@anitabreakone​Wrong it does and did make sense because Sarah skated better than both of them in the long program. It is easily justified to put Irina over Michelle because Michelle fell and Irina (although sloppy) did not. The result was right . . Sarah deserved to win in 2002!

[@anitabreakone]

Cher Cher Well not in my opinion. Sara was never as great as Michelle. She was just a flash in the pan as far as I’m concerned and never THAT great. Never heard from her much after this one event.

[@kirstenneville1934]

nobody comes close.

[@erivera4928]

Yuna**

[@b0rtie]

The replay at 5:33, it looks like the second triple toe was under rotated?

[@estherjemima7857]

Be a sport person for God also..good girl like u..

[@cheryllynn5004]

Icon

[@nnicollan]

So much better than her olympic performances! I didnt know how good she actually was ...

[@katherinetan4587]

anni collan her Olympics were her never her best. Watch her world championship and national wins (try 2003 worlds she was incredible)

[@jasonaldeen7374]

💜🧡❤️💛💙💚❤️💜

[@singingsalmon3452]

Как деградировало фк за 20 лет

[@queenmaoasada8447]

Who’s her coach here? Looks a bit like Frank Carroll except his face isn’t down around his ankles and he’s smiling and laughing...

[@AT-jm4dl]

Frank Carroll.

[@nipaipo36100]

another perfect programm. clearly superior to irina

[@vistaprime]

I was never a fan but her skating is far and above the current crop of top female skaters especially those from Russia.

[@evanperilstein5308]

How could you not be a fan of programs like this, though? Look at the emotion and passion! And everything is so polished!

[@carolfoster9966]

I think the judges got paid off so the RUSSIAN can win and she was a bad skater .

[@pinkvelvet3865]

I only watch skating because of her. They can give the gold to the crazy horse jumper but no artistry at all. Hahahahah!!!!

[@Bronze349]

So I hear, them talking about this little Russian girl has revolutionized skating. I mean lol

[@Alexandra_Indina]

Well, she brought 3-3-2 and 3-2-2 to a regular basis, so in terms of technics, yes.

[@bordeauxhouse]

Medvedeva is special in her own way.

[@lexismith8325]

This was a great program but man, she flutz'd like crazy.

[@erivera4928]

She did not flutz all the time. Most of the time she took off a flat edge like irina. And yes she was penalized at times for it

[@jjh2456]

Not on the first one, but for sure on the 2nd one.

[@evanperilstein5308]

I looked at both in slow-mo. It's difficult to tell, but it appears that for both lutzes she stayed on a slight outside edge, flat at most. It doesn't look like it rolled over to an inside edge. Earlier in her career she definitely had a flutz, though.

[@rachelplows3001]

I thought both Americans were better than Slutskaya

[@AT-jm4dl]

Tara and Sarah "flutz'd like crazy." Michelle slightly flutzed sometimes.

[@user-fp3ml4oj9l]

Robbery Irina Slutskaya gold! The whole world saw this robbery! Slutskaya two complex cascade Salchow 3 - 3 and 3 rittberger lutz - 3 rittberger - Kwan did not even dream of! Ugh. Pales Kwan skating with such speed and complexity of the technology Irina!

[@e2theeyepie]

LOLOLOLOL! Apparently you totally missed Slutskaya falling out of the 2nd triple rittberger and doing 6 triples to Michelle's 7. Nice try though.

[@user-fp3ml4oj9l]

Irina Slutskaya completed 7 triple jumps. And that the whole world knows. You can continue to deceive ourselves! The most difficult jumps and combinations of Irina. Michelle Kwan - primitive, and the same pattern as 1996-2003. Multiples program.

[@e2theeyepie]

LOLOLOLOL! You're so precious. =)

[@sherryanng19]

Robbery is Irina receiving 5.8 and 5.9 for presentation. Irina never deserved presentation scores that high during her entire career. Granted she had speed and jumps but she was never musical, lyrical, or artistic enough to achieve presentation scores that high. That's my opinion. (also she cheated a lot of her "3-3" combos. There was no flow out to her jumps ..... many times they came to a dead stop on the ice."

[@BoraViolin]

sherryanng19 yasss totally agree. people need to understand this is a package deal! You need both artistic merit and technical! People also don't understand the importance of Quality of Movement. Michelles edges, lines, stroking, posture ALL superior to Irina (even on her worst day) and frankly the rest of the field!