1987 World Figure Skating Championships - Ladies Free Skate

Claudia Leistner FRG
Kira Ivanova URS
Caryn Kadavy USA
Elizabeth Manley CAN
Debi Thomas USA
Katarina Witt GDR

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

Debi, Karen and Katarina were exceptional this Competition.

[@abyss51]

Apparently some people still suffer from the fact that Katarina was the queen of the ice in her time. I was happy to be able to watch the American competition TV show here again. Back then, I was sitting in front of the television as a love-struck teenager in East Germany. Thanks for uploading.

[@Brissieskater1]

It must have been rather interesting to be in East Germany when the borders were opened and the Berlin wall came down.

[@PerAllwin1963]

The U.S. judge gives Debi Thomas a 5.9 for technical merit, yet Thomas two-foots her triple loop, and gives Katarina Witt a 5.8 for technical merit though Witt lands her triple loop cleanly and has a perfect performance?? 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@martinpascoe7678]

your point being?????

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

And...... KATARINA skated the EASIEST TRIPLE JUMP COMBINATION of ALL the Women Competitors and Still WON the Technical/SHORT PROGRAM. What were the Judges "seeing"?

[@kerstinrieck3648]

Was reden Sie für einen Blödsinn? Im Kurzprogramm sind die Sprünge vorgegeben.

[@victoriagill3337]

@@martinpascoe7678umm blatant favouritism perhaps?

[@rekr3316]

@Kerstin: nein, nur der eine Sprung der Sprungkombination war vorgegeben, den zweiten konnten die Läufer frei wählen. 1987 war für das Kurzprogramm der Doppel-Toeloop vorgegeben. Kadavy sprang 3Rittberger-2Toeloop, Thomas sprang 2Toeloop-3Toeloop und Witt sprang 3Toeloop-2Toeloop.

[@franktorres2718]

Debbie is The REAL Winner🖤👑

[@kerstinrieck3648]

DEBBY lief schrechlich. Technisch gut aber mit einem Fehler, aber künstlerisch wie ein Stück Holz.

[@rekr3316]

With errors in both, the short and the long program? Come on…😂

[@arz9163]

Debbie two footed two of her jumps. Katarina none.

[@franktorres2718]

Denise Biellmann 👑

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

Nah

[@PerAllwin1963]

Donald Trump helped Debi Thomas, her coach says. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@martinpascoe7678]

Manley certainly had the last laugh

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

Not really. Liz NEVER WON a Worlds or Olympic Championship. She just had one good night in Calgary.

[@victoriagill3337]

Not here she didn’t

[@dmp7252]

I was never a Katerina Witt fan. I just felt her lines were sloppy. However, I felt that both Debbie and Katerina really tried to do their best. Unfortunately Debbie had to many two-foot landings, and Katerina's jumps were clearly clean (the landing of the triple loop was questionable, likely two-footed). Also, in the slow section, Katarina really emoted MORE. She played the card of the feminine beauty, versus Debbie's more stronger persona. In ladies figure skating a clean "feminine" program will always beat a clean "strong-looking" program, because judges will inevitably think the more dainty performance is more artistic. It's not always fair. But, hey, welcome to the player's club. But, regardless of the dainty vs. strength argument, Katarina truly emoted more, and was sharper in her execution in general. Still not a fan of her skating, but a I can recognize that she won here.

[@martinpascoe7678]

oh please she played up to the judges at every opportunity

[@dmp7252]

@@martinpascoe7678 Oh please, what? What are you talking about?

[@azbycx56]

I’ve always wondered about Katarina’s Triple Loop in this competition. It does look slightly suspect though she at least maintains good flow coming out of the jump which suggests to me that if it was 2-footed it was very minor. However, I saw a version of her skate on Japanese television with a different camera angle which does actually show a slow motion replay of her triple loop after she finishes skating. It looked like a clean jump from this version. I think the slight jarring you can notice on her landing was to do with a slightly awkward landing on the skating foot.

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

​@@azbycx56...It was definitely a two-footed Loop. But...the JUDGES always gave her the Best marks.

[@3l3llala13]

Katerina's LP was artistically better. It smartly stuck with the WSS theme throughout. Debbie's LP was a hodgepodge of three unrelated music pieces. There wasn't anything "dainty" about Kat's program or performance. She attacked everything.

[@gaelgarciabernal2434]

The American judges were notorious for playing the strategy game in a way that adversely affected their own skaters. Tiffany Chin at the 1984 Olympics was much better than Roslyn Sumners and the American judge looked the other way. Here, Caryn Kadavy was better than Debbie Thomas. Guess what? The US judge ranked Thomas first, lol!

[@victoriagill3337]

With a blatant 2 foot landing on the 3Lo 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@MrAntoniocanada2002]

Debbie Thomas was better!!!

[@mht4908]

Caryn should've placed 2nd here in the free skate, maybe even first since she has 2 triple loop combinations versus Katarina's single triple loop jump. That 5.4 for her technical merit was a joke. Rosslyn should've placed behind both Tiffany and Elaine in the free skate, Tiffany had a triple flip and triple loop (not well executed but still more difficult than Rosslyn's Salchow), Elaine hit her triple loop and a 3-2-2 combination. That should've been enough for them to take the top 3 places along with Katarina Witt, or maybe even placing Tiffany above Katarina (I'm a Katarina stan). Elaine also should've placed above Rosslyn in the short, I couldn't believe how blatantly underscored she was. Basically Rosslyn should've placed 6th at best in the short and 5th-7th for the free skate. She was a great skater but really did not hit when it counted other than the figures

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

ALL the Countries played "games" with Judging and Supporting the Athletes they thought had the Best opportunity to place.

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

Yes...ALL the Countries played Favoritism. The Olympics Pairs Cheat-Judging by the Soviets FOREVER CHANGED the Marking System. Of course, blame Americans for what Others are doing. Hypocrites!!!💥

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

KATARINA's Figures were worse than 5th....and then the JUDGES gave her the SHORT PROGRAM Win for skating the EaSieSt TRIPLE JUMP COMBINATION of ALL the other Female Competitors. Why?? Because ...They wanted Katarina to win.

[@rekr3316]

Did you see Debi’s big mistake in the short? Did you see, that Elizabeth Manley skated exactly the same combo like Katarina Witt? I guess you have to open your eyes a bit..

[@rekr3316]

And… Even Kira Ivanova skated the same Combo like Katarina (but had a mistake with the 3Toeloop)!

[@franktorres2718]

Scott, Always Talked TOO Much😡

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

No. I disagree.

[@franktorres2718]

@@user-kf8wb2cq4f ...TOO Much!

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

​@@franktorres2718..I don't agree and that..end this.

[@franktorres2718]

​@@user-kf8wb2cq4f....You Agree👍

[@mattg.812]

Leistner got hosed.

[@victoriagill3337]

I’m afraid i didn’t find her easy to watch. She made her programme look quite laboured and difficult

[@user-kf8wb2cq4f]

She seemed to go from jump to jump..move to move. Seemed rehearsed and lacked Expression.