Oksana Baiul- 1994 Winter Olympics LP (Gold Metal Performance)

Oksana's Gold Metal Performance at the 1994 winter Olympics. Nancy thought she had skated the best performance of the night but a few minutes later the raining world champion came on to skate. She had a few Double footed landings but later changed the end of the program adding a triple that she thought would help her. I guess it did:-)

[@lynnk6550]

Kerrigan complained that Oksana cried, but this precious girl was in tremendous pain during this performance and was way better than Nancy.

[@vc23]

Lynn K Yes, totally agree with you. Oksana just seemed to get on with it despite being in pain from the collision, she had to have 3 stitches on her leg. She had such tragedy by the age of 13, I really don’t know how she coped with it. I read some comments that Nancy was making fun of her dress, do you know what she said? I do remember when they were waiting for the medal ceremony she moaned that Oksana was putting her makeup on and what was the point as she’d cry anyway. I think Nancy just assumes she would win.

[@Berserker_flying]

It's took time to find Ukrainian anthem

[@beckybryant9891]

Oksana seemed like a little fairy compared to the other two, so light on her feet and so delicate with a stunning performance.

[@chooseyourpoison5105]

@RKS CA Her dad was a plumber, which while technically a working class job, actually pays pretty well. While her family may not have been rolling in it, I doubt that Nancy had to go picking up cans by the roadside to cash in to get money for food, as Tonya Harding did. Nancy also had one huge advantage - the support of loving parents and a stable home, while Oksana had absolutely no one.

[@chooseyourpoison5105]

@RKS CA It's true that all three of them trained hard. And to be fair to Nancy, I don't blame her for the crying and wailing 'why, why' after the attack, as I believe it was largely a response to the shock and pain; even if she did just sustain bruising, being belted in the thigh would have still hurt like hell, and being attacked in a dark corridor would have frightened the bejesus out of anyone. I just always thought that even though she wasn't necessarily spoilt in terms of money, she always came across as a bit immature. Perhaps it was because she was the youngest in her family and the only girl. By the same token, Tonya always came across as a bit hard and defensive, but I don't blame her for that, either. The whole Nancy vs Tonya thing was just a sad situation all round - there were no winners

[@kenteek5010]

At the end Oksana and Nancy's score was almost even. Oksana knew she had to landed all her jumps that's why at the last minute she threw in an unplanned triple. That was helped seal the gold medal. At 16 yo she knew what was needed to win and she did it. Amazing!!!

[@1Cheytown]

Yep….I think her deviating put her on top

[@whosaidthat84]

If i remember correctly, they were dead even. But Oksana had received the highest individual score from any judge which gave her the edge. She deserved it.

[@PungiFungi]

@@whosaidthat84 personally, Lu Chen should've gotten the silver. Kerrigan's program was safe and stiff, the kind that cost Michelle Kwan a gold medal several years later. She did not had the grace and artistry that Oksana had and personally, I think her artistic scores were inflated.

[@whosaidthat84]

@@PungiFungi I don't really remember to be honest but I can see that.

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

She double-footed jumps in bother the short & long programs. The JUDGES had had Enough with the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan incident....and this effected their view of Nancy.

[@IcyHot311]

Okay as a person who knows nothing about figure skating, watching this performance was 100 times more entertaining and pleasing to the eye than Nancy Kerrigans.

[@donnagail8217]

You are right. Oksana exudes a natural talent and feels the music. Nancy is more robotic and programmed.

[@lcbw]

Nancy Kerrigan is like watching a robot on skates- Oksana performed with personality and passion and she deserved that gold medal!!

[@cowsongs]

Exactly. And that's why she won.

[@jaxguy52]

Kerrigan was WAY better. Sorry. And she didn't have the two footed landing.

[@conniemaheswaren554]

Royce Bardin Kerrigan was trash lmfao

[@charismatic9904]

The world watched for Nancy vs Tonya....and then Oksana came outta nowhere. And Nancy went from America's sweetheart to America's whiner. God I love 1994

[@pandzida98765]

+ charismatic9904 Oksana was not a girl from nowhere. A year earlier in Prague, she won the gold medal of the World Championship, where she won, among others, with Nancy Kerrigan

[@krissy7342]

charismatic9904 🤐

[@tuulawestra1837]

Tonya should have gone to jail.

[@deeskers1]

Lol charismatic. True. In a way, I always wondered if they just darn weren't going to give Nancy the gold, no matter what, because people might say it would be a pity thing and an 'in-your-face-Harding' move and wouldn't have been fair and objective. But* after seeing this program again after all these years, yes, they gave it to the right girl. And yes, Nancy doesn't come off as someone who is very endearing.

[@stephaniekelly8754]

I was thrilled she won.... horseteeth didn't deserve silver

[@itwasgames7899]

She is a true embodiment of the American dream. At first Oksana lost her mother, she became an orphan. Then she lost her coach, who left her for a career in Canada. She lost her home and spent the nights in a tiny back room near the ice rink, where a new coach Galina Zmievskaya coached her... if she didnt win, didnt get a gold medal, then what would happen to her in a poor Ukraine? Without money, no relatives? And I'm not surprised by her breakdown in the end! Survive as many hardships and eventually compete for the gold in the world figure skating ... She's a real fighter! It is worthy of respect!

[@lovesilk1]

Oh my Lord I am crying too!!

[@mykolamysko987]

So am I.

[@paralle1]

wheres the america in this equation lmao

[@xsomili5501]

Beautiful

[@lolanakahale1665]

and they call nancy is the sweetheart

[@letgo2217]

Incredible performance. She moved so fluidly and you could tell by her facial expressions that she was one hundred percent feeling the routine and the music and it definitely showed. And I'll never understand why some people made fun of her for crying after she got off the ice. She had literally just skated the best routine of her life after all of the years of hard work and dedication that she had put it into skating, not to mention unfortunately none of her family members were alive to witness her performance. She had every right to cry tears of happiness!

[@anahernandez-zv1od]

+letgo2217 heyy you are so right, I do agree with you. saludos desde México

[@brka7551]

totally agree plus she was just a kid!

[@MyriadMythial]

Hell she had every reason to cry because she had to do that routine after a sustaining a severely pulled muscle in her back from a practice session just previous to her long program. Even with the anesthetic shots I have no doubt she was still in a good deal of pain. If you had any idea just how much pressure many of those jumps she performed put on your back you'd know she had EVERY reason to cry once it was over and she didn't have to go through that anymore.

[@1Cheytown]

She wrenched her back and a cut to her shin that needed 3 stitches the day before after a collision.

[@soniquecat4745]

Nah, I don't think she can do fun and lighthearted without coming off goofy and juvenille. This was not a good program. The choreo and music didn't suit her. She did better at ballet like performance... her swan like was incredible. This is a child goofing around in horrible costume.

[@LoreleiCarlsonTV]

omg just seeing her break down at the end shows how much pressure is on these kids. Wow.

[@shimmeringfairydust3275]

Honestly, I think Baiul has mental problems - she has had some real problems since her win, poor girl. The crying was probably due to stress and the horrible conditions she endured during her life. I don't think she deserved to win - and I really wish she hadn't. I think she would have trained for the next Olympics and won outright. She would probably be remembered as the greatest skater ever. Instead, I think Kim Yuna has that title.

[@steverakes6182]

From all your overly long and biased comments aimed at Oksana, I'm guessing that you are somehow related to Nancy Kerrigan?

[@victoriaindigo]

Elaine Snow Well she won Gold, whether you "wished" it or not.

[@namafarm]

good lord its cruel

[@erinm9568]

I'd have to give Michelle Kwan the greatest female that ever skated award...

[@sophiedellapenna8223]

Nancy skated with grace. Tonya skated with spirit. Oksana had both of these qualities, plus a sweetness about her that made everyone fall in love with her. She deserved that gold medal! ❤

[@StewNWT]

Oksana also skated with speed

[@lillybloom5330]

tonya? lmao drama queen, should have never been allowed to skate period!

[@richardchen9912]

it was one of the all time best stories in figure skating, and one has to realize that this was 1994, Ukraine was in complete shambles at that point, it's a miracle she could compete at all.

[@nonplayerzealot4]

+Yu-Hsing Chen Who cares about them?! You wanna know if they can institute Ukranian tort reform in America? That'll never happen! YOU SAID we should all get into a boat and move to Ukrainia.

[@user-ow1qs7jo7f]

@@nonplayerzealot4 can you stfu

[@roter13]

Well the Ukraine is in shambles now so not much has changed unfortunately.

[@oliviabb73849]

@@roter13 I was just about to comment this :(

[@claudiacanales2662]

Strange that we haven’t see Oksana on tv especially with such atrocities going on in Ukraine!

[@TechnicJunglist]

watching this when I was ten, she was like a little fairy on the ice. all class.

[@FallenAngel2021]

TechnicJunglist - Same here! I remember watching her routine aged 11. Looked like a princess on the ice. Made me want to skate at the time!

[@ap-ne8gn]

i know . nancy just looked regular but oksana was a real fairy . felt so like in a fairy land .

[@Ally-zp5lf]

BEST COMPARISON to her is a fairy

[@susannestein3955]

I was 9 years old when all this was happening. I still remember the drama, the attack on Nancy, and watching this on TV in our living room on antenna TV. It was great!

[@fcobbxx1939]

What are things if you show up with this program in 2020 I would laugh it is more until you would be in place 10. Now with the Russian evolved skating

[@tennisguyky]

Absolutely beautiful. Amidst all the Nancy/Tonya crap, Oksana came out there and blew them all out of the water with her artistry and jumps. She feels there music so deeply. Unforgettable!

[@MsJubjubbird]

Oksana was the world champ. So it wasn't like she was a surprise

[@micheleh5269]

That scandal was so embarrassing as an American. It was truly a moment of grace when magical skating mixed with a humble spirit stole the show and stole our hearts

[@tjp2109]

@@MsJubjubbird it's an expression. The media was so extremely focused on Tonya and Nancy, Oksana came out of nowhere, like the media was blindsided. The majority of Americans had no idea who Oksana was because figure skating kept her tidied away. I'm speaking as someone who lived through it.

[@lindagreene1815]

There will never be a skater as good as Oksana !

[@naruto1999sakura]

​@@tjp2109The american media, the rest of the world doesn't care about that petty squabble. So yeah she didn't "come out of nowhere"

[@grass7864]

Poor kid. I think she earned a good cry. Her skating was fantastic. I'm delighted that she won. I hope she's doing well today!

[@junejunejuniejune]

I hope shes safe amidst all that is happening in Ukraine.

[@corawaller-jacobs8007]

She is pretty active on Instagram. I think she lives in Las Vegas.

[@myzacky96]

Oksana was the only one I enjoyed watching skate, with such grace, no one else had that grace, she did cry a lot, but she only a baby who lost her mother 2 years before, I could watch her skate over and over again,

[@lflagr]

I love how she just crams all these jumps into her program at the last second! haha...gutsy.

[@mattg.812]

lflagr More like 'sloppy' and 'depserate'..

[@gordondeprest]

Matt G. great grammar

[@GGE47]

Did you join you tube just so you could make these snoddy smart ass remarks about Nancy Kerrigan? I can see you don't know the first thing about figure skating. Nancy wasn't the least bit sloppy in her performance.

[@moonlight_oats]

Garland English I think it was more about how oksana put the toe in there at the end and then the axel with it being so close together.

[@kaitlyngreigson7197]

I dont know if it was still this way in 1994, but up until recently if a skater did a certain amount of jumps in the 2nd half of a long program they got a bonus 20% onto their final score. I think they changed it because russian skaters wouldnt do any jumps in the first half and it took away the artistry by the end

[@marthaanderson2967]

Nobody could move quite so beautifully as Oksana .

[@nspector]

+martha Agreed. She was unreal.

[@fcobbxx1939]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZaTmqipq96Xopo

[@laurahuston2187]

Even now.

[@ninab.4540]

*Yuna Kim joins the chat*

[@morellawalker373]

Elena Gordeeva

[@vegasgirl3538]

Aww, man. Watching Grinkov cheering for her in the stands was a kick right in the feels.

[@andro7862]

Poor Grinkov 😢

[@ravenel2]

He was beautiful, though, wasn’t he? I had forgotten about that enthusiastic cheer after Oksana’s performance.

[@GeometricMason]

Yea crazy to think that he would be dead less than two years later.

[@rocksane]

Yesss

[@HausdorffLover]

Exactly😭😭😭

[@russiaboy58]

For the last time; everyone that bashes her two-footed 3-flip... Guess what - Nancy doubled hers. As a skater I can vouch that a two-footed triple flip is more difficult than a cleanly landed double (and therefore technically more difficult). Oksana was the winner fair and square. If there's any controversy it's how Nancy finished ahead of Lu Chen.

[@mattg.812]

lol

[@GGE47]

And I am telling you Russian outside that triple shortened to a double early in her program was the only thing that could be said wrong with Nancy's performance.Everything else she did was perfect. Oksana tried to make p for her obvious two foot landing, but the Western judges weren't buying it. Two of the them even had her third. Nancy just shortened it to a double. but at least made a perfect landing. Maybe Liu Chen won the silver and Oksana won the bronze, but there was no way in HELL she won the gold. The East just outnumbered the West 5-4 and that is the only reason she was "given" the gold.

[@GGE47]

Russian judges were always cheaters to begin with. They always gave Americans lower scores than honest judges. This was the Cold War still being played out and you seem to be a part of it. I feel so bad for Nancy. This must have hurt more than being clubbed in the knee.

[@GGE47]

American judges did not cheat and neither did the other Western judges. The five Eastern judges got their heads together and figured out how to cheat the American out of the gold. Part of it was to have the East German judge take all the heat with him making that tie breaker.The German judge did skate for East Germany.

[@queenmaoasada8447]

russiaboy58 And her artistry and maturity at this incredibly young age! Only skater I've seen with comparable maturity-beyond-her-years is Medvedeva, who's obviously incredible, but IMHO her programs are so boringgg. Baiul's a talent that's never really been replicated in a skater so young.

[@twiggish]

oksana is like a little fairy - her hand movements and footwork are much like a ballerina's! so graceful, lithe, and light. nancy could only dream of having the je ne sais quoi that oksana had; and the class, too. imagine scoffing over a child in pain's tears. pitiful!

[@amybarrett7300]

I remember watching this, along with everyone else alive in 1994. The drama that year was insane. Oksana deserved that gold over Nancy Kerrigan, no question.

[@donnalombardo1135]

Liked Nancy better

[@Shnoodle0101]

She looked like she was having so much fun out there. Very impressive performance.

[@erikag3409]

What is crazy, is that only 20 years later, the difficulty has increased so much. This program wouldn't even get you into the Olympics now.

[@vincentvangogodancer]

I was thinking the same thing about a lot of the old stuff I've been watching (distracting myself) today. But Oksana actually has a lot more jumps than the other women- she could compete today. That said, check out Katerina Witt in 1988- I can't believe THAT won a gold medal

[@mattg.812]

vincentvangogodancer lol

[@starsmoon0216]

Agreed. I was never a fan of Nancy Kerrigan or Oksana Bauil. Neither one of their programs would have made it into the Olympics today.

[@soraiabranco8687]

+Erika Marshmellow The technical difficulty increased, but the artistry diminuished. For me, they can spin 10 times in the air: I prefer watch a good dancer than a good robot with ugly poses. I don't watch Olympics anymore...

[@psychstudentrip]

Soraia Branco Ashley Wagner.

[@Snowy547]

It's bittersweet to see Sergei Grinkov in the stands next to Viktor Patreko, cheering for Oksana. He died so very young, & it was such a tragedy for Ekaterina Gordeva & little Daria.

[@slcRN1971]

😪🕯🥀

[@andreadetata4801]

Truly a talent. She deserved the gold.

[@rebeccamorrissey9520]

I remember this performance like it was yesterday. So caught up in in the Nancy/Tonya drama, then Oksana quietly and fiercely showed everyone what a true champion was. I remember asking my mother "Why is she crying? She nailed it and skated perfectly?" I just didn't understand, and my mom told me Oksana was very young and how difficult this pressure is on a teenager - I honestly had no idea about her personal struggles and physical pain. And to perform so beautifully on the world stage... just incredible to watch. ❤

[@JuliannaDimino]

She has amazing musicality

[@andresuston7692]

While Kerrigan was stiff as a board.

[@gilbertlaylay8210]

Andre Suston Super stiff.

[@andresuston7692]

@@gilbertlaylay8210 👍

[@itzjoeymac]

I was pulling for Nancy but Oksana beat her. Flat out. There was no conspiracy.

[@deborah8887]

Joe Bones Exactly. Oksana was just straight-up so much better, so much more raw talent.

[@chrystalmiller5864]

If only she wasn’t found “using” drugs to help

[@ittakesavillagelearningcen7915]

She skated beautifully despite being in pain due to her collision with another skater. That injured her badly. You dont hear about that in the media.

[@auntiechercher4266]

I don't understand those who say she beat Nancy. I don't get it . . . .she two foots two jumps, had no combination and she doubled one of her triple jumps that was planned (Toe Loop). When she threw in a Toe Loop at the end of the routine . . . that was one of two jumps she two footed. She changed the program to a messy ending with a double-double that she barely hung on to. (By comparison the only "error" Nancy had was making the Triple Flip into a Double Flip. Oksana had great artistry, but I think Nancy did too. Nancy was better technically so how the hell did those judges place her under Oksana? Somebody tell me what I am saying doesn't make sense!!!!!!

[@victor382]

Cher Cher her artistic impression was much better than Nancy’s.

[@deborah8887]

Oksana has that superstar quality; that “it” factor. She was so unique, special and entertaining to watch. Nancy was very beautiful and technically good, but seemed to be more going through the moves robotically. Oksana was so ‘there’. She definitely deserved the Gold in my book.

[@MTknitter22]

yes @Deborah 888, there was a coldness to Nancy’s performances, so true. The aloofness showed up as well in her few interviews since then. She struck me as a spoiled gal who thought she was guaranteed Gold because of Tonya. Oksana came in, was not only better on the ice but utterly charmed the worldwide audience. Kerrigan was just jealous and that too was borne out with later leaks of her nasty comments about Oksana just before medal ceremony.

[@Juice_Lover123]

That was the problem with a lot of the Scotvold skaters: robotic actions, stiff posture. Paul Wylie (whom she trained with) was also very much like this but he made it work to his advantage as his programs were always high drama. He never tried to play to the crowd directly, there was no fun "break" in the choreography to lighten a mood. He wasn't capable of expressing much joy on ice, neither was she. But they kept forcing her to try and the result was a bit awful when she attempted it. Paul made it work to his advantage and was highly esteemed for his vision of skating. Paul was also adept at footwork and spins, though. Nancy kept trying on the same standard ice princess routine and she absolutely could not sell that image. Not with those facial expressions, not with that highly mannered posture, not with those stiff movements that clearly conveyed it was all business, all prescribed movements, there was no "skating" in her heart -- only the desire for success. They kept choreographing Nancy like she was a natural lighthearted ballet dancer at heart -- she was not. She was a girl who took herself too seriously and either needed to be a better actress or needed better music/choreography more suited to her natural style.

[@FischerFan]

@@MTknitter22 Kerrigan's comments wreaked of a sense of entitlement. She did herself no favours in the court of public opinion with her insensitive remarks. Of course, they were nowhere near as vicious as the ones that Oksana's fellow Ukrainian made about her four years later, referring to Baiul as a 'fat has-been', a drunk and a criminal!

[@tinamaria514]

Oksana was the surprise of the 94 winter games in ladies figure skating. In the midst of all of that madness with the Kerrigan/Harding fiasco, Oksana was the Star. Such a wonderful skater. She had the best artistry.

[@JeffB2015]

Surprise? She was reigning world champion...

[@tjp2109]

@@JeffB2015 the world champion meant nothing when Nancy and Tonya were duking it out. It took the Olympics for people to recognize it. Shut up already.

[@ljcovey5266]

Must have been a bit of a surprise. I remember vividly (I was 12 at the time) waiting for the medal ceremony because no one had a copy of the Ukraine National Anthem. 🇺🇦

[@canadianbeef1958]

She singlehandedly ended both Kerrigan and Hardings careers that day.

[@lilamydogscruffy8842]

Oksana Baiul. The ice Queen of skating. Imo. Saw her live and she was spectacular. My favorite of all time. I hope she's doing well.

[@lillipad67]

Her reaction at the end is so powerful and heartwarming, you can just see that her entire world has been shattered by her own feat. What a special moment to witness! The fact that Nancy reacted the way she did just shows everyone the magnitude of her character. I have absolutely no idea how someone could skate like that with two shots of anesthetic to the back and shoulders.

[@Stardust414]

The more she cried at the end 😢 The more I cried for her 😭 94' Olympics was like nothing I've seen replicated to date. If you missed it's worth a documentary!!

[@bellazoe1]

Greatest moment in womens figure skating history.

[@sebastianrojasmaruda8738]

I am Ukrainian. I can’t help crying every time I rewatch this performance. Watching it as it was happening in 1994 cannot be described by words❤

[@janeterry8236]

There is no question that Oksana turned in a gold-medal performance. I will take courage and guts over "perfection" any day, and Oksana had those things in spades! Remember, she was only 15 years old. Amazing.

[@bellazoe1]

No question whatsoever.

[@FalconTypo3]

Exactly: at least one skater chose to perform amid the chaos.

[@andrelhuliganga7312]

After watching this a few times and Nancy's performance, I have to say that Oksana's performance artistically was a lot better. It was more graceful and she got the jumps she needed. Though this performance will not be considered a difficult program these days now, it still is a performance that will be considered one of the best in skating history.

[@paulief.biggie5459]

look at it again. not artistically better. Two foot understated everywhere?.

[@siribaimusic]

the two-footed part is technical, not artistic.

[@GGE47]

@@siribaimusic And no deductions from the Communist judges. Oksana's gold is tainted with red or should I say 5 REDS. Without them she doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of winning.

[@crikeymikey4966]

@@GGE47 Leave the kid alone ffs. She had a terrible background and had suffered serious injuries before skating. At least be happy that such a sweet girl achieved so much.

[@GGE47]

@@crikeymikey4966 I didn't say anything against Oksana Baiul. She didn't achieve anything. That gold was given to her free of charge. She didn't earn it. Commie judges cheated Nancy out of it. Deliberately.

[@catherinesalierno9596]

Sportsmanship...Oksanna was flawless and she was in tremdous pain, but pulled through. She exemplifies a "true champion", and it shows in her performance.😱

[@MTknitter22]

Yep, the artistic expression plus very difficult program did it. Every time I watch it, I think judges were right. Every part of her graceful body interpreted and embodied the music. Just gorgeous.

[@MediaLover194]

As a Broadway geek, GREAT choice of music!!! It's a medley of all classic shows.

[@FischerFan]

That choice of tunes from the various Broadway musicals resonated with the crowd, unlike Kerrigan's performance to Neil Diamond tunes. With this artistic impression, and Baiul adding another jump to her program, unleashed her Hammer of Thor on Kerrigan.

[@wombokkiesan3988]

Everything was sooo fluid. Her transitions were smooth ❤💗❤

[@michaeldurham7341]

I remember falling in love when I first watched that performance; the grace of her movements, how she could turn any technical movements into pure beauty. Nostalgia at its best.

[@tanyaobregon2266]

Exactly! To this day, her short technical program to Swan Lake is my absolute favorite! I can watch that all day!

[@davlynnolan236]

Not only did she skate 10 times better than Nancy… her program was so fun… just adorable so graceful

[@misssofija6760]

I don't know much about figure skating, but GOD what this poor girl had gone through emotionally and physically is heartbreaking. It made me tear up to see her pain and emotion after her performance. How could you not feel for her? Nancy Kerrigan is vile for mocking her.

[@angelicam7179]

I think she definitely deserved to win! What a great performance :)

[@slpostal]

Kerrigan was so boring compared to Oksana, no artistry or beautiful footwork, all she cared about was the jumps!

[@ZilchFan66]

Are you blind? LOL. Nancy Kerrigan was not about jumps. She was not regarded as athletic. Read up on Kerrigan. Get your facts straight.

[@demigoregirl]

Not true

[@jumpincad]

Yea i aree, nancy was dull.

[@janetekins1383]

Shannon Postal Kerrigan couldn't even compare

[@LexiBytes]

agreed. she only got so far because she was America's sweetheart at the time. even as a kid, i saw nothing special in her.

[@AnnabelleCharrier]

I just love that vivacious swagger Oksana has. I've watched both performances and to me there is no competition between her and Nancy. Oksana deserved that gold, plain and simple!

[@summerw.1425]

I remember watching this live as a kid. I will never for the rest of my life forget that smile after the triple at the end. So great.

[@paconot]

This is one of my favorite moments in olympic skating.

[@MrErinholbert]

Oksana is special in so many ways ❤

[@dearmaria4654]

I've watched this performance when I was 14. We always watched, my mom, sister and I in our living room in the Philippines. Very nostalgic to see these Costumes, never thought it'd look vintage in 2022. 😅

[@minoyd]

This was the best performance, hands down. She deserved that gold medal.

[@donnalombardo1135]

I liked Nancy better

[@mickikindley7821]

Is it me or was skating better or more fun to watch back then? Idk? I enjoy it more

[@LaurenThompsonIsMyRealName]

No one mentions that step sequence. I would say that is one element that matches today as far as difficulty. If not exceeds it. Not only is there a variety of steps and edge changes, Oksansa is straight up DANCING.On ice. That is a skill of hers thatI dont think anyone as of yet can rival. And I am not an Oksana-Stan though being 12 years old in 1994, maybe I was at that time. It was she who made me fall in love with skating, and I have remained so to this day.

[@Seabacon346]

I’d be crying too! All that hard work they do to get where they are and to finally reap the reward of winning. That’s a lot of freaking pressure to endure for years

[@juliamiller5120]

Yes with the Broadway show tunes! She skated so beautifully and had a blast with it.

[@TheCopper05]

She was just simply the best that night. I like Kerrigan, but Baiul was simply beautiful in her moves/jumps. She flowed out of her jumps to more beautiful skating. She was worthy of being the Olympic Gold Medalist that night.

[@heavenawilson5140]

Everyone was focused on the front runners and she just skated so beautifully and Won Gold...She was entertaining from beginning to end...from her smile to her selection of music..

[@hannibaljustincase9985]

Oksana was the reigning world champion, she was very much a front runner

[@StargazerLily82]

I watched this live 24 years ago and watching it now still makes me emotional. Also, as someone who has had a lifetime relationship with the ice, I can say Oksana wins every time.

[@futuresonex]

It's amazing how much things have changed in the past almost 30 years. I just watched Alexandra Trusova land five quads and a handful of triples all in a single performance. It really makes you wonder what they'll be doing 30 years from now.

[@miabardot4427]

yeah ive heard that there are some girls in the junior ranks landing quintuple jumps already

[@helendavies1326]

I was very disappointed with the Women's figure skating at the olympics 2022. Those Russians may be spitting out quads but they are not attractive to watch. The S Korean woman was much easier on the eye

[@wandamontgomery6030]

Some of these little girls are so tiny. Poor things look hungry.

[@ninab.4540]

No one has managed a quad axel so far in both sexes competitions. It's fair to say it's gonna be surpassed soon.

[@bridgetbinion8494]

Speaking of whiners....

[@enchanter5]

I love her performance. Graceful, expressive, fluid and beautiful.

[@857pgsny98]

Re watching what at the time and now consider to be Gold worthy . She was truly fantastic.

[@cyrilproudbottom]

A great example of not cracking under pressure. Of giving it your all & enjoying the moment. She definitely deserved the win 👏

[@andy47456]

2:55 MY FAVORITE MOVE OF ANY SKATING PROGRAM-ever. I don't know if it has ever been repeated but it was so creative, she deserved the GOLD!

[@mcpaplus]

I'm no fan of ice skating, but Oksana's performances are a huge exception. I remember watching this "live" on TV and thinking...this is a real Olympic moment.

[@portlandgirlx0x096]

Oksana had such talent also in her footwork. Man. What fun to watch still all these years later! ⛸️🥇

[@tennisguyky]

Oksana was sublime. Her artistry, her emotion, the feeling she put into her skating, her delicacy on the ice, and flawless technique. Like a ballerina on ice. She deserved that gold medal. Nancy Kerrigan skated dull flat and boring, not to mention she didn’t seem like a very nice person.

[@sanemataitusi14]

The fact that Oksana's routine was to some extent by American composers and the extra triple she threw in her routine made me realize how SMART and competitive this girl was. While the clown show of Tonya and Nancy flooded the Olympics media Oksana quietly and strategically put a plan in place to SNATCH that GOLD right from under Nancy BUT in a very quiet way hahahaha...that's what I loved about it! First she knew that skating to American composers would make the USA public root for her. So she did it! You know us Americana when you show us a tiny but of Patriotism the Americans would eat you up with LOVE SUPPORT and 💰 MONEY no matter what country you are coming from. One the other hand, when you start behaving like Nancy of heck naw the Americans would QUICKLY AND LOUDLY CANCEL YOU LIKE THERES NO TOMORROW. And that's EXACTLY what happened in this situation. It's like the ladies quickly switched places! I remember watching this performance and thought surely the 🇺🇸 USA went to sleep on her with all the hoopla with Nancy and Tonya. Yet she came out of nowhere and stole the show. Her performance was a tad bit better than Nancy in technique and style and artistic and in everything else. I mean come on, she was a petite lil bird in comparison to Nancy gigantic body size just wasn't gonna cut it.

[@ocky88]

Why was the comment at 2:03 even necessary? If the pain meds were Olympic approved then that really did not need to be mentioned. That guy just knew she was going to win. I really wish Olympic commentators would stop throwing shade at the other competitors, it is tacky. Anyway, Oksana skated beautifully and her music and dance were more upbeat and whimsical than Nancy's. Yes, everyone *wanted* Nancy to win, but it is what it is. Oksana inched out the win.

[@amyemerson2382]

Mic Do Nancy Kerrigan was given the opportunity to go to the Olympics; she did not compete in the finals to get there. Tonya Harding's ex hit her in the leg the day before she was supposed to compete; the Olympic committee agreed that she would move forward and that Michelle Kwan, who won the right to the Olympics, would not go that year. So really, Nancy Kerrigan would have had no room to complain.

[@NYCBlonde]

Al's comment wasn't "shade." Journalists' job is to provide context. As a journalist Al's job is to inform any viewers that Oksana was there under adverse conditions. If anything it made viewers warm up to Oksana. Don't be weird. It's not personal, it's just their job. No one was throwing "shade" at Oksana, it's just their job.

[@mattg.812]

***** There was a fix on the juding panel for Oksana, besides.

[@gordondeprest]

***** not everyone.

[@chooseyourpoison5105]

I think that perhaps he was pre-empting any criticism, because despite Kerrigan / Harding getting all the publicity, he knew Oksana was the one who was actually likely to win - she was the reigning world champion, after all - and that as soon as she'd won the gold the haters would come out going "ooooh, she was using drugs blah blah" By saying straight up that she was competing with two Olympic-approved painkiller injections in her back for an injury, the haters were left with nothing to say.

[@PozoBlue]

I remember watching this as a teen. This is one of the things I DO love about youtube, that we can rewatch iconic moments of history, whether it be sports, music, or world events, from decades ago when we didn't have streaming services at our finger tips. You'd watch it live once if lucky and that was it. At best an old VHS recording if you even thought about it lol.

[@myownlilbubble]

The very first ice-skating performance in an Olympics that I was mesmerized by as a kid. Almost 3 decades later....Oksana Baiul is the only name that I associated with ice-skating for years until Yuzuru......she was like a fairy on ice for a kid like me back then. I learnt to ice-skate because of her........

[@roccogant4057]

Oksana deserved the Gold medal...... she was the top performer by far....

[@auntielisa7919]

I have wanted to see this again since 1994. What a brilliant and brave 16-year-old she was. Amazing.

[@spikemcge3857]

This is my favorite skating performance of all time. Whatever medal it deserves is something I know nothing about. But I was enchanted. Still am 28 years later.

[@alexgerdt2278]

Effortless jumps, great spins, beautiful footwork and wonderful interpretation of the music. nancy never stood a chance.

[@compilation7782]

to be honest I dont even think nancy deserved a spot in the olympics, she skates like its a hobby, not a career

[@lizbett570]

@@compilation7782 she skates like it’s a job she hates but gets paid well for

[@bethmissbenett]

Amazing! Such gracefull and a joy to watch!

[@lumpyspacecadet]

This Olympics is burned into my memory forever.

[@SomewhereInIndiana1816]

She was an amazing athlete. I hope she's doing well today.

[@hannibaljustincase9985]

she's quite a drama queen to this day lol

[@serenitachan3013]

She truly expressed the emotions of an excelent artist! She was overwhelmed and did so GREAT anyways, beautiful artist

[@suxere123]

I just love how her coach just kept saying that she was very beautiful and that there is no need to cry, that she did so well. I think that is what she was saying. I only know some Russian, but she was speaking Ukrainian.. If that was what she was saying, and I think it was. Great coach! Some should learn from her. And that performance from a 16 year old?!?! Mesmerizing, truly mind blowing.

[@marianalishchynska1006]

she speaks russian like most in central ukraine and basically says “everything is fine, calm down, make a smile, we did it, you’ve made it through that’s the most important, you made it through, that’s the most important, don’t cry, it’s gonna be on tv, wave hi to everyone, calm down”

[@suxere123]

@@marianalishchynska1006 See, i was not the brightest in my class at school when it came to Russian :)

[@marianalishchynska1006]

@@suxere123 I mean you basically said it all right, I just wanted to specify it a bit more if you were interested! Im Ukrainian so it’s pretty easy, Russian must be near impossible for foreigners, I cant even start to imagine

[@crsseventyone]

Being American myself and struggling with a sense of loya...nah!! Oksana Baiul forever!!

[@Loos-e]

That girl looks like she’s having the time of her life out there and I love it.

[@oikaka07]

she deserved gold, she absolutely felt the vibes of the songs and projected it amazingly with her performance. GOLD MEDAL FOR SUREEEE

[@victoriagreenfield5781]

Oksana has always been my favorite all time skater. I never understood all the fanfare for Nancy and Tonya.

[@lauras.1908]

Oksana will always be The best Gold Metalist and truly won the hearts of all Americans. She overcame the loss of a good friend and mother and then an orpahn and with hard work and positive thinking she is the best!

[@elizabethfaraone]

I remember when I watched this during the 1994 olympics, I thought she was the best skater I had ever seen - such grace, expression, artistry and personality. At the same time, I thought this was the most damaging thing she could do to her body after her injury. Her body changed, as she was still growing, and this performance could never be replicated again. She sacrificed so much to give so much to the viewers who will watch it for eternity.

[@Ceridwen-mu7wd]

She is such a beautiful skater. I remember watching her performance that night and was so glad she won over the drama queens Nancy and Tonya.

[@shihlin1]

Best way to describe Oksana is "an Actress on Ice". It really was like watching a performance with her as an actress playing out a role. Here, she's a Broadway showgirl and no one can touch her artistically. Yeah, I was one of millions who got pissed when Kerrigan narrowly missed Gold. Now in retrospect, No, I don't believe Kerrigan was shortchanged. Yes, Oksana didn't skate a clean program (she two-footed that triple toe jump). But the choreography and the way Oksana moves the viewer are absolutely breathtaking ! She deserved the Gold ! And the Broadway showtunes are spot on !

[@federicopascucciclassicroc7662]

At fifteen she was so much more artistically mature then all the others, but there was much more: she delighted the odience with her vitality. Those jumps are even better than today's jumps; so high and fast...

[@RhondaVenice11]

Best of all time. Best there ever was. Effortlessly executing the most difficult jumps with ease. Style, great music, facial expression - she had the whole package. I watch this all the time - magic!

[@annecohen8927]

Nancy didn’t understand that Oksana Baiul’s an orphan who lost her mom at a young age and whose father abandoned the family . In fact Nancy was numb to pain because she experienced pain of a different source.

[@MTknitter22]

Nancy didn’t understand because Nancy was only interested in Nancy.

[@oilersridersbluejays]

Remember watching this with my and sister and mom. I was never really much into figure skating and was more about hockey and bobsledding but after we watched Oksana skate, our jaws just dropped.

[@papayasalad4508]

After seeing Oksana crying, I could feel her pain and her past. She was so emotional because of her struggles

[@juliewhat134]

the way she broke down after,,, skating was all she had.

[@titandragon753]

Such a lovely girl who went through so much. I’ve always been happy for her. ❤️🌸❤️🌸

[@rhondaramirez2563]

4:26 😭 Sergei Grinkov

[@larissak.9213]

Twenty-five years later (!!), this performance still inspires me. Thank you, Oksana!

[@CanoManuelGonzaga]

Gold favors the gutsy :)

[@timothygriffith8583]

Exactly.

[@vivianpowell1732]

Oksana's segment featuring "Somewhere" from West Side Story is the linchpin of her program. An exquisite interlude by Baiul and Bernstein, bringing out the best from both masters.

[@sarahlelievre6391]

I was 4 during those olympics yet to these day I remember having been impressed by Oksana Baiul!

[@oliviabb73849]

Me too! Isn’t that odd? And I somehow remembered the Tonya Nancy drama too!

[@wandamontgomery6030]

She skated with such joy and was amazing to watch.

[@wendymarksfiolek2290]

Wow you would like think you all are experts or something. The scoring is a combination of technical and artistic. Oksana won fair and square. I couldn't stand Nancy and I'm glad she didn't win and the way she handled it was despicable.

[@mattg.812]

Wendy MarksFiolek Shut up, Wendy.

[@PrincessSerene]

@@mattg.812 No, Matt. You, shut up

[@Terri1976]

Beautiful and raw expression of the pinnacle of so much hard work..pain..sweat.. tears and loss. Oksana deserved gold far beyond anyone else. God was with her and her mother was her heart. A bright shining ✨️ star she is💐

[@jennifermasiello2128]

She moves like a dancer on the ice. What a beautiful skater.