Sarah Hughes - 2002 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Ladies' Free Skate

Los Angeles, California, USA - 2002 United States Figure Skating Championships, Ladies' Free Skate - Sarah Hughes placed 3rd in the Free Skate to win the Bronze Medal.

[@intldawn]

I understand why they changed the ending to give it more oomph and impact with the Olympic crowd, but I really preferred the program as it was here. I liked the softness of it but it still had plenty of rides and falls and contrasts with the music. Really effective. I also preferred this costume to the one she wore at the Olympics. Lovely design and color

[@crazyasianman07]

To be honest, I like Sarah in comparison to Sasha because she was more of a consistent skater. & hardly makes mistakes & is able to maintain doing a clean program without any flaw or hardly any flaws. But Sasha on the other hand, as talented & beautiful of a skater she is, she always had issues with consistency & can't be sure if she'll do a program without mistakes. & like Tara Lipinski, Sarah does more difficult jumps doing triple-triple combinations.

[@theprinceoftides6836]

Tru Dat. Sarah was a competitor and was always ready for a fight. Something Sasha as beautiful as her skating never was.

[@laurenbrown7403]

Way better then the Russian Oylmpic Gold medalist Sotinkova!

[@barkingtree88]

everyone is better than Sotnikova... why even bother bringing her name up?? She was only 5 years old at the time!!

[@dmp7252]

What is astonishing is the improve Sarah made between this point and the Olympics. It was like watching two different skaters. I'm glad they changed the dress! The dress really met the moment on Olympic night.

[@annecohen8927]

Her performance needed no drama. It had plenty of grace and elegance. Whats NOT to like?

[@ronnieconner259]

Many had plenty to complain about, but she showed her doubters at the Olympics! HATERS! LMAO

[@Ronizetti]

She had the great sense not to peak too early ... She did it when it counted! Thank goodness I went to Salt Lake to see her win the Olympics - having first seen her skate as a 13yr old I instantly proclaimed her to be the next Olympic champion! Boy was I right!

[@ronnieconner259]

I agree, exquisite performance especially at the Olympics! 💪❤️

[@TT-ee4qp]

And she's lucky.

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@ronnieconner259 Sarah surprised what happened more than anyone. Sarah said : I never skated that before. 🤭

[@TT-ee4qp]

It's a accident that Sarah won the Olympics. Sarah was a middle skater who never won the US title or the World medal . If Michelle and Irina didn't make mistakes, Sarah had no chance to win.

[@waynehentley4332]

@@TT-ee4qp Here we go again!!😝😝😝

[@averyfrederick5745]

Was that a true lutz. From that angle it looked like she took off on the wrong edge. She's a pretty skater but she landed too low sometimes on her jumps

[@aromaticchicken518]

definitely a flutz

[@SaelPalani]

She reminds me of Hamill

[@auntiechercher4266]

Actually, I know that Sasha Cohen was extemely artistic and she did have a more refinded style than Sarah, but I would have ranked Sasha below Sarah here at these Nationals. I think Sarah's program was better. Sarah should have been 2nd after Michelle Kwan.

[@dwayneparkerUSA]

Sarah is a modern-day Dorothy Hamill. Utterly breathtaking. Here, I don't think Sarah realized how breathtaking she was on the ice. The dress, the long lines, the freedom and beauty with which she moved her arms, stunning. And this is only half as good as she looked at Olympics a few months later. The change was abysmal. Sure, triples are important, but another layback would have been divine. She's had one of the best, and I relish in the joy of it whenever I can see one done as well as Sarah's.

[@ferdyspears]

Her credential obviously will never be questioned, but why didn't she wear this dress at the games. The one she wore in SLC was dreadful.

[@auntiechercher4266]

I think the lavender dress was wore at the Olympics was pretty. It was perfect for the great performance she gave as well . . .which matched the lightness and daintiness of her skating.

[@hazeleyees]

Sarah had two things going for her that Michelle did not. She had a coach and was aggressive with the triples.

[@TT-ee4qp]

Her terrible jumps wouldn't get marks today. Totally overrated. 😇 And she never did 2 triple triple combo again......😎 She was a lucky Olympics Cinderella. 🤭🤭🤭

[@dwayneparkerUSA]

Totally agree

[@sherryanng19]

Dorothy Hamill ... Sarah Hughes? Their posture was no near the same. DH's back was flat and straight, SH - not so much! However, Sarah's layback was near perfect. The whole reason she and her coach changed the end of her program for the olympics was to make it more athletic and aggressive instead of soft and lyrical because Sarah is not a lyrical, elegant skater.

[@elizabethhurley1129]

No, Sarah is vastly superior to DH.

[@falconeddie4109]

@@elizabethhurley1129 Hunchback Hughes isn’t fit to carry Hamill’s skates. Dorothy was an original who actually contributed to the skating world by giving it the, ‘Hamill Camel’, while Sarah’s main contribution was demonstrating a record amount of flutzing. Both Sarah and Tara owe their gold medals to Michelle, neither of them could have taken gold away had Kwan not succumbed to nerves (2002) and conservatism (1998).

[@TT-ee4qp]

It's a accident that Sarah won the Olympics. Sarah was a middle skater who never won the US title or the World medal. If Michelle and Irina didn't make mistakes, Sarah had no chance to win.

[@ronnieconner259]

Well T T, she won and all the analysis and opinion's is not going to change a thing! I had even forgot I wrote a comment on this. I loved Sarah's performance but liked many other skaters thru the years better than her!

[@brynneholt1990]

True, but that didn’t happen. I’m glad it was her instead of Slutskaya (although I liked her just fine).

[@snopesshop1903]

Music has no drama, no thrill, she deserved something better

[@victorserrano8294]

That’s the risk with impressionist-type music. It was the right choice to change it for the Olympics

[@jeffreyabess6542]

Tell that to her gold metal

[@victorserrano8294]

Jeffrey Abess thank goodness she changed the ending of her program facing the Olympics. Having used the final minutes of Dafnis et Chloe in her Olympic program gave her and extra thrill. Well deserved gold medal

[@TT-ee4qp]

@@victorserrano8294 Sarah was lucky to win the Olympics because the other better skaters like Michelle and Irina made mistakes.

[@waynehentley4332]

@@TT-ee4qp Again?😝😝😝