Michelle Kwan - 2001 World Figure Skating Championships - Short Program

Music: East of Eden by Lee Holdridge

[@grumpyshoegirl]

If the Olympics were in 2001, she would have won in a LANDSLIDE. This program and her free skate to Song of the Black Swan/Dumky Trio will always be my absolute favorites.

[@mikeudolf3474]

Totally agree. No olympic crown is disappointing but I guess 5 world titles takes some of the sting out of that

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@mikeudolf3474 If people held the Olympics each year, Michelle would win the most golds in the history.

[@breahsaldana9251]

No other skater like Kwan always beautiful and perfect!

[@nancyhilliard1634]

This one always makes me cry the music and her skating is perfect ⛸

[@BillofRights1951]

No one has equaled her in how she carries herself on the ice. The epitome of poise and grace....nowadays they're just gymnastic jumping beans, checking the boxes. I don't watch anymore...they're just robots. the drama and emotion. It's NOT just jumps!!!

[@sassy9182]

Miss her skating so much -she just took your breath away.

[@dianaparker4807]

Gorgeous soundtrack, gorgeous routine, gorgeous Michelle! ♥️

[@skatefan9495]

She should have had all 5.9s--and maybe a 6.0 or two--on the second mark. But Michelle had the last laugh in the end with the gold medal.

[@erthyboy]

Greatest figure skater of all time!

[@Fhoebys16]

Legend! 👑💫

[@scotwilson7698]

Man I miss her

[@Laura-rm6us]

She has such a beautiful presence and lightness on the ice.

[@vistaprime]

I love East of Eden. beautiful music.

[@anthonydolio8118]

She originally used this music in the "artistic program" of a pro-am competition. It was a longer version. And after the performance, while the crowd was still cheering her on, said: "Michele conveys the feeling of flight more than any other skater." I'll always remember that because I could related to the comment.

[@breanatalley1894]

I love mitchele's iceskateing outfit in this video

[@nipaipo36100]

She was artisticly so better than slutskaya. To me this programm deserved 6.0 on the 2nd mark

[@Nalberto3511]

the best American skater ever! 💓

[@angiemaniaciskatingfan723]

Even without an Olympic gold medal.

[@baamtrazona2608]

I agree...

[@theprinceoftides6836]

Frack that. The best figure skater ever. The G.O.A.T...

[@theprinceoftides6836]

@@angiemaniaciskatingfan723 She didn't need it Ange, it needed her. Her overall achievement and legacy is bigger than Olympic gold. Without her name on it, it's just another medal, without luster, without shine. Without Michelle Kwan's name on it, it has no magic.

[@familyentertainmenttelevis8327]

Gorgeous

[@jblackinc]

My favorite programs of queen kwan are 2000 worlds , 2001 Nationals worlds , 2002 National LP ,2003 Nationals and worlds ,2004 Nationals ,2005 worlds SP

[@paul-zx5du]

Beautiful skater.

[@TT-ee4qp]

If people held the Olympics each year, Michelle Kwan would win the most golds in the history.

[@angiemaniaciskatingfan723]

The GOAT 🐐.

[@annaliese9453]

Absolutely stunning costume!

[@baamtrazona2608]

whos watching here 2001...

[@dmmchugh3714]

This program and the Salome from a few years earlier were my favorites. Third for me would be the Romanza.

[@troyaturner1979]

That spiral🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@CocogoatMain0501]

much better costume than what she wore at nationals

[@skatefan9495]

Ironic, because her luggage got lost with her normal costume and her sister had to bring some practice dresses for her to wear here and in the long program.

[@NIQ31]

So many people started to speak out about full blade assistance from the Russian skaters. Here is Michelle Kwan:

[@kjvill2013]

She was their template. This is why Michelle was so consistent. While I love her artistically like the next guy, but she has always had that if you go back and watch her broadcasted performances. It's funny in one interview Michelle said the loop was her least favorite jump, but her toe-assisted jumps (lutz and flip) almost always had a blade assistance, much like a loop. 😂

[@BmcC102]

The lutz was 2-footed, and they DID call it, in the replay. That's why Peter said, "one tenth right there."

[@sherryanng19]

Back then 2 footed jumps were two-tenths deductions (IIRC) .... I believe Peter said "one-tenth right there" referring to the flutz. I believe the judges took off for both the flutz and the two-footing. But I don't believe the jump was two-footed .... but it just barely, barely! made it through. The jump was just not executed well.

[@BmcC102]

K J Did you watch the replay? I didn't think so the first time, but you can actually see particles of snow/ice kicking up from the left blade touching the ice. I think they deducted for it, either way.

[@BmcC102]

Many people have said it was two-footed. It's just my opinion.

[@jjh2456]

It was not 2-footed, but they got her for the flutz. She basically did 2 flips and that is a no-no.

[@skatefan9495]

@@jjh2456 At worst it was a !. She clearly took off on the outside edge. Not a flip.

[@lukyone11]

Does anyone know if Michelle invented that layback spin?

[@lawr17]

She did not. Tonya Harding was doing a spin with both hands clasped behind her back. Elena Liashenko was also doing a version of this spin as well in the late 90s.

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@lawr17 However, Michelle layback spin was better than Tonya Harding. （∩▽∩）And yes, Peggy Fleming said Michelle's layback spin was created.

[@TressBraga]

I love, love Michelle... but at 3:49 you can tell that both her flip and lutz (wrong edge) jumps were not toe jumps, but rather pre-rotated edge jumps. Basically, her lutz/flip turned into cheated LOOP jumps. The ISU is cracking down on this now -- 208-2019 season.

[@johndoyle3514]

Your profile pic of Tonya Harding says it all...clearly you have no idea what you are talking about!

[@skatefan9495]

She clearly picks in. Not an edge jump.

[@evanperilstein5308]

idolfan9495 She’s talking about the excessive pre-rotation. Toe jumps are only supposed to pre-rotate by 1/4 of a rotation. Michelle’s flip and lutz pre-rotate by 1/2 a rotation. Krist Yamaguchi did the same thing. A lot of people think it’s a new thing that Eteri Tuberidze started, but it has been around forever.

[@skatefan9495]

@@evanperilstein5308 If she picks in, it's not an edge jump.

[@victorspanbauer4813]

00

[@metsdudenj]

Every technical mark is fair on there, except the 5.4, but would need to see how they ranked Michele versus the others. Artistic marks correct

[@erivera4928]

THe combo was not 2 foot. Her knee bucked and kicked out the other leg to swing wide

[@metsdudenj]

The steps into the flip were nothing special either, I see 5.5-5.6 the correct mark for technical

[@estherjemima7857]

Double life is not double jumps

[@excalibur1812]

As usual, corrupt judging biased against American skaters. It went on for decades. Just look at the travesty of the 1984 Olympic Ice Dance event where the judges strategically scored Judy Blumberg and Michael Siebert so that they would lose the bronze medal by a tie-breaker to the 2nd soviet pair. The judges claimed that they penalized Judy and Michael for skating to classical music, which they skated to Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov and had multiple tempo and meter changes. Then they hypocritical judges went on to give Torvill & Dean perfect 6.0's for skating to Bolero, which is classical music and doesn't change tempo or meter throughout the entire 16 minute piece. Completely biased judging saying the T&D transcended their sport. Apparently, they transcended the rules, too.

[@nathanielharper8701]

I never understood the orange costume

[@skatefan9495]

Her luggage was delayed (or lost) so she had her sister bring some practice dresses. Funny, because her raspberry colored dress in the long program became kind of iconic.

[@evanperilstein5308]

I love it. She looks like a gorgeous orange creamsicle.

[@nipaipo36100]

generous technical marks considering the inside edge of the lutz and the two feet landing on the lutz. i would have given her 5.2 and 5.9. i m really bored with these american journalists and commentators. the marks she received were not at all undermarked. they are ridiculous.

[@TT-ee4qp]

Tara Lipinski was overrated to win the Olympics gold....

[@TT-ee4qp]

Sasha Cohen had to skate on crutches or she would fall everywhere on ice.....her artistry was overrated.....

[@mattg.812]

It's breathtaking that Fleming and Carruthers both missed Kwan's obvious two-footing of the triple lutz, and that they were "shocked" at the marks Kwan got. In light of the mistake, Kwan was actually overmarked.

[@erivera4928]

It was not 2 footed loot again. Wide swinging leg.

[@erivera4928]

I'm sorry please look again, no snow flew up and you can see that the blade and the reflection never connected. They called it right, no 2 foot.

[@mattg.812]

Nope. Was not clean.

[@kamwrites]

+Matt G. Then what on earth is Peter talking about in the replay?

[@BmcC102]

Matt G, please watch the replay where Peter Carruthers says there are two things went wrong with the jump combination. One, that it took off on the inside edge and two, that it was a 2 foot landing.