Michelle Kwan 2002 Olympic Long Program

[@delray29]

Still love you Michelle, even though you never won the olympic gold, you are still one of the greatest american skaters ever. The sport will never be the same without you.

[@citysurfer1]

Why does she have to be so cautious. I love how the commentator says her goal is to be free. Her goal was to win a gold medal.

[@saireea]

wow. this program does nothing but break my heart. i still have a hard time watching it.

[@Flipboy5]

I remember being so heartbroken after watching this. Michelle is the only skater I know and watch, I guess the gold just wasn't meant to be hers. That's life.

[@Ganymede_52]

It doesn't matter. Sarah and Tara had their moments in time and they are in the history books. No one can take away their moment, not matter what is said. It was meant to be and they have their glory and their memories, and so do the women they beat on that one day in their lives when everything was perfect.

[@filchijap]

she is a very admirable athlete. wonderful work after all these years. one whom you may call worthy of being called 'an excellent figure skater' worthy of the praises bestowed upon her.

[@whateverdude88]

My heart broke when she fell on that jump way back when. But she's still one of the greatest skaters I've ever had the chance of seeing skate.

[@needtocatchsomesleep]

I think Michelle Kwan is an amazing ice skater and an absolute inspiration. Now I kind of wish I took up ice skating when I was younger.

[@TheHighRoad7]

When she fell, a part of me died.

[@klkpiano]

Yes, Sarah Hughes had a fantastic skate that night, and I am happy for her accomplishments. However, I firmly believe without a doubt that Michelle truly earned 1st place in the SP (not enough room to explain why here) and should have been placed 2nd in the LP. I will firmly maintain and defend that even with the botched flip, this Scheherezade program was better than Irina's LP (whom I also adore), thus giving Michelle the 2002 Olympic Gold medal. Alas, it remains true only in my heart.

[@aclearblurr93]

well, there's an old saying in figure skating. sometimes the title goes to the person who makes the least mistakes.

[@Eagle009]

Even with the fall, this program was beautifully skated. Slutskaya is known for her technical merit and without her triple-triple combinations (along with several mistakes), there is no way she should have been placed above Michelle. I can understand why it was a difficult decision though, especially after the pairs judging scandal.

[@ADEAL416]

Agreed--the problem with that judging panel is it almost seemed that the judges also took off from Michelle's second mark for the botched flip, when they're only supposed to deduct from the first mark. Michelle only getting 2 5.9's on the second mark was ridiculous, especially with the second marks that Slutskaya got.

[@mlc2005]

Kwan will do more for us than any gold medalist in history! She is the best.

[@CamilleNadia]

Me too. It was her gold medal to lose both here and in Nagano and she lost it both times (and she skated perfectly in Nagano!) Five world championships, nine US titles, two Olympic medals, one of the best and most decorated athletes of her sport, gender, and country--but for the rest of her life, will no doubt be remembered far more for never winning an Olympic gold. :(

[@delray29]

Can anybody try and explain this to me. How Irina get the silver and michelle end up with the bronze. If michelle did not do well with the technical marks, she at least had the artistry marks to back her up. The judges were generous with Irina on the technical marks. I watched all three of the medalists carefully and noticed that the two americans deserved to be in first and second place. No offense to Irina, she is a great jumper but her jumps were not clean that night.

[@ibreakhearts66]

man i still can't get over the gasps from the audience when she slipped out of the 3flip.

[@ADEAL416]

That's not entirely true the way you analyze that '94 situation. The problem there was that Oksana's technical marks were MUCH higher than she deserved. In fact, 3 of the 5 judges who put her over Kerrigan actually gave them both the same second mark, but gave Oksana the edge on the FIRST mark. That was ridiculous. Tara got the edge in '98 simply because of the difficulty of her performance--an edge the judges didn't give Kerrigan for the same difference in difficulty in '94

[@barkingtree88]

To this day, I still think that this is the best music arrangement of Scheherazade in figure skating history!

[@enochxu]

this is so touching!! my eyes are warm every time seeing michelle waiting the marks at 6:40. in my opinion scheherazade is kwan's second best program, next to aranjueze

[@38crush]

I read that she was going to try for the 2010 Winter Olympics on Wikipedia so we'll see. It wouldn't surprise me.

[@aclearblurr93]

thank you! finally someone gets it.

[@katinkaballerina]

oh god i love her

[@elaria6]

I would have to agree that Sasha should have come in third based on both of their long programs. She fell on a triple-triple combination while Michelle fell on a simple triple flip. Michelle didn't even attempt her triple-triple combination. Sasha's program seemed just as difficult as Michelle's maybe even a little bit more. I also think Sasha has amazing artistry too, just as good as Michelle's.

[@1andonlyCobra]

If you are talking about Michelle in this competition, no. She placed 3rd in the FS, 3d overall. Sarah Hughes won here in SLC.

[@dohnpedro]

very elegant...she looks like she is floating on the ice...

[@flamehairedbeauty]

Sasha deserved the Bronze, without a doubt. She did more technical moves like a leap, 2 Russian splits and complicated extensions. Sure, she fell, but on a difficult move, so she should be given more credit for it. Michelle skated well, but her moves were basic. Sasha was much more exciting to watch in the short and long program combined.

[@TheDiamondRealm]

Didnt Oksna Byul (sp) made three mistakes and still win because her artistry was so beautiful? I think she it was more technically more complicated too. But still she made at least three mistakes. Got to give her credit though, she had fallen on the ice and had split her leg open from top to bottom, and with pain killers, still completed her performance. But, as far as I know it, judges are not supposed to take that into consideration. Still I say, Kwan, should've got perfect artistic marks.

[@ADEAL416]

Oksana was a different case. People remember it as a contest between her better artistry vs. Kerrigan's better technicality, but that's not exactly what it was. They got the exact same artistic marks total, the problem with that situation was that Oksana's technical marks were MUCH higher than they should have been. In fact, three of the five judges who put her over Kerrigan actually gave them the same second mark but gave Bayul the edge on the FIRST mark.

[@brunofttt]

Makes me cry.

[@larzander]

i'm no kwaniac, but even i am heartbroken watching this. :(

[@Eagle009]

No, it was to make up for the 2nd triple toe that was supposed to be in the triple-triple combination.

[@filchijap]

i think kwan's predominant critic is just in fact ONE person cloning herself/ himself ;)

[@befreetofly]

after watching kim yuna's scheherazade, i feel this can't measure up in terms of feeling, though it measures up in terms in technicality?

[@ADEAL416]

Different circumstance. Oksana's program was MUCH less challenging than Kerrigan's in '94 in addition to being less effectively executed. And both skaters got the same set of second marks--(six 5.9's and three 5.8's)--it was just a matter of which judges gave the three lower marks. And actually, of the 5 judges who put Oksana first, 3 of them actually had them tied on the second mark but gave Oksana higher FIRST marks. But in this case the problem was Kwan's second marks were WAY too low

[@crazyasianman07]

yeah, she was pretty nervous.

[@geoboe84]

The triple flip seems to give most skaters trouble.

[@elaria6]

I would have to agree. Based on both of their long programs, Sasha fell on a triple-triple combination while Michelle fell on just a simple triple flip. Michelle didn't even attempt a triple-triple combination. Sasha's performance seemed to have just as much or even maybe more difficulty as Michelle's. I think Sasha has just as much artistry as Michelle too.

[@jabolanos]

can someone please explain me how the system 6.0 worked? i dont get if sarah hughes skated first than michelle and she was first, then michelle skated and she also placed first(like the sp) then irina slutskaya finished 2 :S

[@ADEAL416]

That's not exactly true, that Oksana was "rewarded for her artistry"--only in the minds of 2 judges (including German judge Jan Hoffmann, the one CBS played up as ultimately making the decision sits he was sitting in the "9th judge" spot) .The remaining 3 judges who had Oksana first actually had her TIED with Kerrigan on the second mark but put Bayul first on the FIRST mark. THAT was the controversial part about that decision, especially the Czech judge who gave Bayul a technical 5.9.

[@sk8412c]

i think there was something wrong with her hip.

[@espinaca79]

In extension Cohen is better. OTOH Sasha has never had the quality of the edges that Michelle has.

[@xlutskaya]

Michelle lost the free skate for sara here but how sara was in fourth in the short and michelle won, michelle maintained her first place. when irina received her marks, she was placed in second, michelle dropped to third and sara manteined her first at free skate. If irina was ranked in third place michelle were the olimpic champion. irina deserved this gold... ahh sorry about my english lool

[@katinkaballerina]

she's can't she's over the age limit

[@geoboe84]

1 mistake compared to several by Slutskaya. (See her perfromance yourself).

[@mlc2005]

You know, Ive been watching Kwan videos on youtube for a while now, and I really think "ithinkformyself" needs professional help. To devote so much time to criticizing someone is really disturbing. If you don't like Kwan, stop watching her videos and making people who did get pissed. Im convinced that your obsession with belittling Kwan indicates something about yourself: Small penis size perhaps?

[@Zuranthium]

1st - Hughes, 2nd - Kwan, 3rd - Cohen, 4th - Slutskaya.

[@citysurfer1]

Even if she didn't fall, she wouldn't have gotten first place. This is a mediocre program. She has bever been technically as great as alot of skaters. It is evident in the new scoring system. She is more of an ice show type

[@mlc2005]

ithinkformyself... dude(or gal), you are truly in need of help. You spend so much of your time berating a five time world champion as a "phony, selfish." Don't you have anything better to do with your time. Seriously, stop looking up kwan youtube vids and commenting on them if you hate her so much!!!!!! Get a life! Seriously, im asking you nicely to STOP. It's really getting a bit absurd.

[@cbd123456789]

Really?

[@ibreakhearts66]

haha seriously. something must be wrong with their opinion if they have to make new user names to create support

[@fsfan818]

That's a negative.

[@Gusty85]

i love her artistic skating but she would need to be more secure of herself. More diva, I think mostly of here landings. Looks like she is surprised she landed. More bitching! ;)

[@shayneinsc]

so much more beautiful than youna kim