Best Female Olympic Champion [Archive]

MQSeries

10-31-2003, 01:52 PM

It's too difficult to compare champions from different eras.

I've been watching skating since the 1980 Olympic. The most memorable winning performance for me would be Tara Lapinski in 2002 followed closely by Sarah in 2004.

Oracle

10-31-2003, 02:06 PM

Easy for me to answer: Dorothy Hamill, without a doubt. The only skater I can remember coming onto the ice amidst major booing, later explained as booing for the previous skater's marks but I remember being just as shocked as Dorothy was by the boos. She burst into tears, went back to her coach, pulled herself together & came back onto the ice to skate a brilliant performance. Not only made me proud to be an American but proud that she could show the world that she had backbone as well as beauty & talent.

A.H.Black

10-31-2003, 03:01 PM

If we are really going to be objective, I guess we really have to say Sonja Henie. After all, she really put skating on the map. I don't know if any of us would be watching if she hadn't skated.

Dolly

10-31-2003, 04:03 PM

It was Oksana, for me. She was the one who really got me hooked. At the time, I couldn't get enough of her story, or her performances. And I would love to see her skate again. Then, it was Tara. She was a joy to watch. I loved Sarah's Olympic freeskate performance. Just awesome!

sk8er1964

10-31-2003, 09:00 PM

Originally posted by Oracle
Easy for me to answer: Dorothy Hamill, without a doubt. The only skater I can remember coming onto the ice amidst major booing, later explained as booing for the previous skater's marks but I remember being just as shocked as Dorothy was by the boos. She burst into tears, went back to her coach, pulled herself together & came back onto the ice to skate a brilliant performance. Not only made me proud to be an American but proud that she could show the world that she had backbone as well as beauty & talent.

ITA!!!!

Roma

10-31-2003, 09:09 PM

Yamaguchi -one of the best combinations of technical ability and artistry ever. Ironically, she was known as the 'artist' in comparison to Ito and Harding, but she pulled off a great triple lutz/triple toe at the Olympics. That is one heck of a move now, and was even moreso in 1992.

supersk8er

10-31-2003, 09:41 PM

KRISTI ROCKS! :D:D:D

mission99

10-31-2003, 10:49 PM

I give Yamaguchi the most credit cause she went on to have a successful profeesional career and stayed in for a long time after her win to entertain her fans. I also give Witt a lot of credit for this. Baiul and Lipinski both kind of faded away and I have a feeling Hughes will do the same.

Tapper

11-01-2003, 02:58 PM

Originally posted by Oracle
Easy for me to answer: Dorothy Hamill, without a doubt.

Me too! Me too! ITA too!
Nothing can compare with the excitement that her win generated in 1976. And, talk about a catapult into fame! Still love that girl!

Gotta also mention Peggy Fleming, who brought a new grace and style to figure skating when she won in '68. But, Dorothy and her win in '76 will always be the greatest Olympic moment for me.

I am disappointed that Dorothy and Peggy (and Sonja) fall into the "other" category. Guess I'm one of the older ones on this board!:lol:

icedancer2

11-01-2003, 07:37 PM

I'd go with Peggy Fleming.

Nicki

11-01-2003, 08:22 PM

I voted for Kristi as well.Of all the women listed here, I feel that she best represents the words "Olympic Champion". she has continued to set new and challenging goals for herself while keeping up the technical skills she already had.

In addition, she has handled herself with a grace and dignity that few other athletes have been able to match. It has been almost 14 years since her olympic win, but it is stil enjoyable to see her skate.

juzub

11-02-2003, 01:42 AM

I voted for Witt because she won TWO Olympic gold medals in the 80's and to this day she is still performing.

Dilng

11-02-2003, 01:47 PM

Definitely Tara!!! Tara had a completely clean performance with great speed and she was artistic. Kristi fell on a jump, I think it was the triple loop,in her Olympic performance so it wasn't a completely clean performance. Oksana would have to be my second choice because she was so artistic, but she wasn't great technically. Katarina was good artistically, but wasn't that great technically.

Roma

11-02-2003, 04:13 PM

I already voted, but I'll add this bit of trivia in favor of Yamaguchi: unlike Sarah, Tara, Oksana, and Witt (88) she won both the short and the long programs. (Prior to 88 I don't remember.)

So, although Kristi had 1 error in the long, the Olympics include the short performance as well, and her short was flawless, gorgeous, and I believe got unanimous firsts. Overall, she was wonderful both technically and artistically and thus a highly deserving champion.

luna_skater

11-02-2003, 07:14 PM

Originally posted by MQSeries
It's too difficult to compare champions from different eras.

I've been watching skating since the 1980 Olympic. The most memorable winning performance for me would be Tara Lapinski in 2002 followed closely by Sarah in 2004.

I think you mean Tara in 1998 and Sarah in 2002. :)

IceDanceMom NW

11-03-2003, 11:49 PM

Tough one: Certainly if we are talking Ladies, one of the alltime best skaters was never the Gold medalist, but the silver medalist, and the British National Champion and that was Cecilia Colledge. She was a spitfire, and the first skater ever to do a camel spin (she called it the parallel spin and loathes the term camel) and the first to ever perform a layback spin. She lost to Sonja Henie, who took the Gold to her Silver, but she was one of the most innovative and athletic ladies ever to skate, just bested in the PR department. She is still alive and very much with it mentally, but unable to skate since a fall several years ago. You can see her at some of the big competitions, modestly dressed, unpretentious, with pithy and insightful comments about all the skaters, if you are ever lucky enough to overhear her.

PAskate

11-04-2003, 06:38 AM

I'm with a couple of other people - my favorite is Dorothy Hamill by a landslide.

sommerfugl

11-04-2003, 10:14 AM

Originally posted by Ivan W
I'm surprised no one even mentioned Sonja Henie! 8O

So am I and I'm glad you did :)

Bryan

11-04-2003, 02:21 PM

I voted for Kristi too. To echo what others have said, she had the amazing combination of athleticism and artistry and just that extra special something. A truly deserved Olympic champion, IMO.

Here's hoping we can add Michelle Kwan to the list in 2006! ;)

Raine

11-05-2003, 02:58 PM

Dorothy for sure. She was a great technician and powerful skater. Her SP was outstanding. Her LP was conservative (no real jump combination and a scarcity of footwork), but there were no major mistakes, and she carried herself beautifully through the whole event. Most fans here are probably too young to remember, but her win was a big deal and inspired skaters like Kristi.

Cheers,
Raine

sasafrass452

11-06-2003, 10:41 AM

Those are hard choices, but I would say Kristi since she's my favorite :)

duane

11-06-2003, 06:38 PM

I voted for the skater who is both artistic and athletic--landing a 3/3 combo that, 11 years later, is still rarely landed. She was perhaps the first female skater to include two 3lutzes in her long program. Also, she remained eligible after winning Olympic gold and competed at Worlds--and won.

icekat

11-08-2003, 08:55 PM

Kristi!!! She set a standard that is still not matched today, both on and off the ice. She is a champion who you wouldn't be embarassed to say represents your sport. I always thought she never got the recognition she deserved because lesser skaters attracted all the attention with their drama on and off the ice. Also, the champions after her seem to have faded while she was still able to do those 3lutzs. IMHO, she definitely would have won in '94 if she remained eligible.

mission99

11-10-2003, 11:12 PM

I agree with icekat. She won almost 12 years ago and would probably have won in 94 with the same perfomance, and if she was just as good today as she was then would still be very competitive!

miranda

11-18-2003, 02:35 AM

:lol: I loved Sarah for not being afraid to do two 3/3's which some skaters I won't mention would never do in competition and that's one of the reasons they lost. (besides falling on their butt) I don't care how many sore losers talk about cheated jumps- whatever. She won gold that night for the record books. It was almost as good as Tara's gold win, maybe better.