Mishkutenkok & Dmitriev RUS 1994 Lillehammer, Pairs' Free Program

[@jarwillnc]

I remember being so happy for Gordeeva and Grinkov and their win. However, looking at M&D's performance later on with a more objective eye I have to concede that M&D should have won this free program. It was technically more solid and artistically captivating. In fact this performance was far superior to their '92 gold medal performance.

[@mlc2005]

I agree that this program is the program by which I have judged all pairs skating... I remember being absolutely floored by this masterpiece of art.

[@mlc2005]

The audience certainly chose this performance as gold, that's for damn sure!!!!

[@mlc2005]

The gold medalists in my book. This competition, for some reason, felt like the winners in Pairs had been decided ahead of time These two were by far the most original and unique, not to mention flawless!

[@BillF1967]

I remember watching this live and being the moment I learned that I would never understand figure skating. This was THE performance of that evening- Athletically bold, perfect synchronicity, and artistically powerful. And yet, they didn't win.

[@uncchristine99]

This is GOLD! Nothing but their negative press hurt them here. I love that the movements weren't always perfect--I love that it feels reckless yet complete in itself. Such a gorgeous pair and a perfect skate for all the talk of perfection that was not on them. Yes, it's Passion vs Perfection... still being argued today in Davis/White vs. Virtue/Moir.

[@toxic-low-key-ghost7934]

Yes yes and yes, their press was nothing but negative and they were always being compared to G&G with the press obviously doing everything to praise G&G. It was way too obvious the complete bias everyone had towards G&G

[@mom232000]

This is stil my FAVORITE figure skating show/pair and I have been watching since 1976. I love their passion, their music, their choreography. I wish the Russians still turned out skaters like them.

[@mom232000]

I too had them on VHS and watched them over and over in 94/95. Thank god for youtube!!!

[@vkvandyke]

i never get tired of watching this. someone remind me why this didn't win gold? i love love love G&G, but this LP is one of the best EVER.

[@erinm9568]

They may have had an slight edge technically. But watch the throws....Grinkov keeps flowing and this guy just STOPS. No one compared artistically this night with Sergei and Kat.

[@Ирина-х9ы1г]

Потому что заранее было решено отдать золото тем, а не этим, по справедливости надо было отдать им ведь они качественнее выступили и Техничнее, и только придурки не видят этого как и судьи. 😡😡😡👎👎

[@beckylink]

I too am disappointed to see that the Russian pairs have dropped down in quality. The artistry of this pair, led by Artur, is, to quote the announcer, "breathtaking". They WERE the best pair ever. I didn't realize at the time, with Oksana Baiul, and these two, how RARE and special a time it truly was. it is gone now... so sad. I MISS this! Thank God for KZbin!!!

[@gonzo77ffm]

I love G&G but Artur deserved the Gold that night look at the last artistic ballet jump from him stellar!!!!!!!

[@KageZX10RRonin]

I vote M&D all the way. I've always loved them . It is based on personal taste though, and the program has a gothic appeal that I love , plus their overall appearance. Grinkov slightly bobbled a side by side camel, and the judges overlooked it. No disrespect to G&G,but watching M&D in their prime is mesmerising.I love her death spiral, it showcased her sensual shape.

[@starsmoon0216]

As much as I loved G&G, M&D had the winning performance. M&D and G&G were the two best pair teams of all time. No pair team today holds a candle to either team.

[@beckylink]

WoW - They SO should have won. This was so beautiful there are no words to describe.. The favorite pairs these days are not even close. G&G tho excellent weren't on this level either IMO. This is Oksana Baiul great. Where sport becomes total art. Brings tears and chills... unparalleled. They are without peers.

[@mlc2005]

G&G were obviously beautiful, and perhaps smoother, but they simply didn't have the technical strength of M&D. Not only were G&G not perfect, they didn't even have the same base level of technical difficulty (no triple jumps or throws). Frankly, it appeared that G&G had the gold before they arrived. And that is not to take anything away from them, as they are incredible!

[@mjji21]

this was the gold medal performance!!!!!

[@pffffffffft406]

Ridiculous.

[@KageZX10RRonin]

Ha ha ! Why thankya Nephertiti and thank you for posting that performance. I haven't skated in a long time and seeing that made me want to lace 'em up and start practicing again !

[@if1byland]

I am curious. I know we have opposing viewpoints about 2002, but do you think this program deserved the gold over G and G? I feel it is so good. I think it did deserve the gold.

[@mlc2005]

The GG spins may have been a bit harder, but what about the non-existence of any triple jumps from GG, either side by side or thrown?? That more than makes up for the spin issue, imo. GG just had an easier program (by far).

[@MrPAN52]

Je ne ferai pas de comparaison entre Gordeeva-Grinkov et Mishkutenok-Dmitriev! Pour moi,certes dans un style différent,ils représentaient la perfection et la beauté.On veut toujours un numéro un et un numéro deux,c'est la loi de la compétition,on n'y peut rien changer (sauf peut-etre la fiabilité des juges),mais dans le spectacle de leur patinage et dans mon coeur ils sont à jamais unis!

[@intldawn]

Does anyone believe that if they'd skated after G & G, they might have won? Clearly, the judges had to hold back the marks until G & G skated, so perhaps the impact of this program on the judges is stronger if they know they're not going to see any better. What a difficult night of judging, when you have the last four World Champions and past two Olympic champions going toe-to-toe like this. That why I'm wondering if the order of skating made the difference here. Just a thought.

[@intldawn]

@FettesHouse Me, too, but whereas Swan Lake had been skated to many times in the past by other skaters, this piece was an original choice (at the time). Can you imagine if they hadn't skated to this music? Figure skating fans everywhere would have been denied one of the very best performances of all time. Although, I'm sure they could have done wonderful things with Swan Lake, too.

[@spartyutube2020]

Both teams are great in their own way. If I was a judge, I would have picked G&G also. D&M had more difficulty, seemed more energetic, had a great program, but the throwing and lifting of the partner sometimes seemed labored. G&G didn't skate a perfect program, but their body line, emotional connection, and fluidity is undeniably the greatest ever imo.

[@koolaidnhemlock]

i take it back - that was ridiculously intense.

[@НатальяМалая-б1и]

Новаторами быть трудно.

[@signorinakitty]

questa xformance valeva l'oro!

[@espinaca79]

@gonzo77ffm I actually don't like the jump being done there beacuse it overshadows Mishutenok. They don't look like skating together at that point. I like the their 1992 LP better.

[@MTVMANN]

This time the "bad" judge was the U.S. judge!

[@ХудожникнаСевере]

Технически хорошо, но вот души как-то не хватает в их прокате... Движения резкие, жёсткие...нет чувства единения, как у Гордеевой и Гринькова. Поэтому они и заняли лишь 2 место.

[@nephertiti77]

Hi Matthew C, I don’t know if you have noticed that: GG had 2 death spirals, MD only one. GG had 3 lifts, MD only 2 GG had 2 combination jumps, MD only 1 combination jump I’ll invite you to watch my video "Mishkutenok & Dmitriev versus Gordeeva & Grinkov" (biased but true in terms of technical content)

[@ehmykyra9235]

THOUGH MY EYE WAS NOT TRAINED FOR THIS KIND OF SPORTS , I STILL VOTED FOR G&G PAIRS THAN M&D . .THIS ISMY PERSONAL JUDGMENT . .BOTH WERE SO MARVELOUS BUT THEY HAVE HAD DIFFERENT IN STYLE . .TECHNICALLY M&D MADE THEM TO BE SECOND OR SILVER MEDALIST . AND I LOVE THEM BOTH EQUALLY . .NOT BECAUS3 THEY WERE GOOD FRIENDS BUT BOTH WERE GOOD IN THESE KIND OF SPORTS . .I LOVE PAIR SCATING THATS WHY I ALWAYS SEE THIS MOST OFTEN . I'M A FILIPINO CITIZEN FROM THE PHILIPPINES . .WISH I COULD SEE YOU IN PERSON MINUS SERGIE . .LOVE YOU ALL ,. . .

[@koolaidnhemlock]

beautiful - i've always thought this was the superior free skate that night - but looking back it was very cold and formulaic. like they were skating for a gold medal, not for the love.

[@toxic-low-key-ghost7934]

But artistry doesn’t = love? This was a very artistic program on its own. For me it felt like to be an artistic pairs skater you had to be in love? That’s what the commentators were pushing. Many pairs skaters today do not skate with the same romantic qualities that G&G had yet they are still considered artistic, singles,skaters can’t be romantic because they are on their own yet they can still be considered artistic. So why is it that G&G were the only ones who had “artistry”

[@Alex-Astashov]

Если по-честному, именно они - победители этой Олимпиады, а не Гордеева-Гриньков. Катание на голову выше, в отличие от ГГ - Сергей пару раз чуть не упал, да и Катя не очень чисто каталась. но судьи закрыли глаза. Вот вам и честность спорта.

[@signorinakitty]

i migliori!!!!

[@alexidgboy2008]

I think the drama was wondeful, I look back now and just can't help but wonder what the deciding factor was between G&G and M&D.

[@MissFit29]

2 simple lifts compared to G/G's 4, plus slower spins. Plus, the double axel may have been 2 footed by Natalia.

[@oravaskvirel]

@plankboi I don't want to say that m&d skating was bad. It was very interesting to watch and skated at a great speed. What I mean is that comparing m&d and g&g is like comparing two dresses. m&d is a spectacular and bright one but it lacks precise lines of a first class tailor. Whereas g&g is the opposite case, with the tailor having just missed a couple of stitches. Nevertheless, there is a certain difference in the level, which, although a huge one, often requires a trained eye to see.

[@oravaskvirel]

@plankboi Artur had same difficulties with lifting Kazakova who had "a much smaller butt". Moskvina was rather successfully hiding this with spectacular dismounts but the judges could not be deceived. Regarding their noisy blades: listen to this video once again.

[@koolaidnhemlock]

i never realized how much they hacked the music until now... mixing the first and second movements so jarringly did not win me over.

[@starjp8429]

Nowadays point system would choose them to be gold.

[@kookykrumbs]

I could barely hear the music over the sound of their skate blades on the ice. G&G won because their choreography was better and their technique was better and their unison was unparalelled. M&D often tried to hide their lack of technique through dramatics that casual fans often misinterpret for 'passion'. Pairs skating is all about unison and Marina Zoueva choreographed a program for G&G that highlighted that. If you watch this program how often were M&D actually in unison?

[@victoriaindigo]

Did they win the gold in 94?

[@АлексейВозьмилов-у6г]

За оценки судей надо на мыло хозяйственное. Это было бы золото. Но Катю и Сергея слишком любили судьи и закрывали глаза на их ошибки. Но Артур тоже 2 олимпийский чемпион. Ему орден вручал Собчак зимой 1996 г в Спб. А Катя и Сергей слишком слащавы и приторны. И смерть Сергея осенью 1995 года в США от болезни сердца,а также жизнь Кати после этого(особо её книга "Мой Сергей") доказала,что это не просто жить в спорте и после. Думаю,что сегодня Гордеева с радостью отдала бы золото 1994 г на то,чтобы ее первый муж был бы жив. Не надо им было возвращаться в любители.

[@gonzo77ffm]

@espinaca79 well i can get your point, but they never skated together, Artur was always leading and the better skater, also later with Kazakova! he was the star!!

[@ВдадимирЧепиков]

К,сожалению,козакова,непспр нимаеться,так,как,Наташа,пара,Наташа,Артур,лксанпсильгая,тоже,обеих,любдю

[@Ирина-х9ы1г]

Зато в 1998году они вернут золото Дмитриеву, которое отняли в 1994,но увы лучше бы они в Лиллехаммере им отдали, тем более они лучше выступили, вот за это и не люблю Гордееву с Гриньковым, за то что они незаслуженно получили золото. 😏😏😌😌

[@30barajas]

Yup, G&G deserved the gold. It surprises me that people really can't tell the difference between the two.

[@ВдадимирЧепиков]

А,выбиосы,а,поддержки,а,с нхрлнность,да,

[@ВдадимирЧепиков]

Зр тебя,необманешь,не ,

[@ВдадимирЧепиков]

Вел Колпино,браво,браво,браво,брпви имо,