Tara Lipinski Question

[Roseline]

This has been bugging me for a while now. Hopefully someone can help me out.

I know that in Tara Lipinski's 1998 gold medal win she became the youngest woman to ever win a gold medal in the winter olympics. What other records did she set? Was Tara the first woman to land two triple-triples? To land ANY triple-triples? Or was she just the first to land a 3loop-3loop.

Thanks for you help, everyone!

[fadedstardust]

This has been bugging me for a while now. Hopefully someone can help me out.

I know that in Tara Lipinski's 1998 gold medal win she became the youngest woman to ever win a gold medal in the winter olympics. What other records did she set? Was Tara the first woman to land two triple-triples? To land ANY triple-triples? Or was she just the first to land a 3loop-3loop.

Thanks for you help, everyone!

3loop-3loop combination only. :) It's in the guiness World Records book.

[icyboid]

Really? I thought Eric Millot was doing the 3Loop-3Loop before her.

[Live-a-little]

Tara was the first female to land the triple loop/triple loop.

[prunes89]

Wasn't Sarah Hughes the first lady to land two 3/3 combos? Someone said Irina Slutskaya was the first, but I watched my tapes and hers were cheated and landed badly, like, a complete standstill. Was she credited with this?
Tara is the youngest ever to win Olympics, and always will be since they changed the age stuff. Tara was also the first lady to land the 3loop/3loop. Sarah also landed this consisently. I also hear Sasha is practicing this. Maybe Sasha will be the first lady to land 3/3, quad AND triple axel in her program. I hope this happens.

[danibellerika]

Sasha hasn't mentioned 3axle. She has never remotely mentioned even considering it I believe. And if Sasha hits a 3/3 and quad in her program, I hope that's not all she hits. I hope she hits everything else. Remember, the "easy" stuff tends to be what gets her into trouble.

[proam]

Irina was the first Lady to land two triple/triples. (ISU)

Sarah was the first Lady to do that at the Olympics.

[icenut84]

Was Tara the first woman to land two triple-triples? To land ANY triple-triples?

She certainly wasn't the first to land a 3-3 = I believe Midori Ito was (IIRC she could do a 3toe-3toe when she was something like 12 years old). I don't think Tara's two from Nagano count as two "3-3s", regarding records anyway, because the 3toe-half loop-3salchow is a sequence, not a combo.

And re: Irina - even if she landed a combo at slow speed, if Sarah Hughes's underrotated one in SLC counts, then Irina's should too.

[MQSeries]

Wasn't Tara also the youngest National Champion ever?

When I rewatched some of my old tapes of Tara's skating, I cringed everytime I see her toe-picked in for the lutz and flip. The jamming and sideway placement of her toe-picks for those jumps were so wrong that I'm always suprised Tara was able to pull those jumps off successfully. I'm sure anyone else trying those same technique would have landed on her side instead. Tara's technique's on the toe, loop, and salchow, however, were very solid.

[Roseline]

Thanks everybody for all of your help! It's always nice to have your questions answered...and learn a little more in the process! :)

Tara's skating always fascinated me because, in a lot of ways, it wasn't the norm. Wish we could still see her skating!

[icyboid]

Tara's technique's on the toe, loop, and salchow, however, were very solid.

I have to disagree on the salchow. She cheated the takeoffs on those terribly, and they were practically axels with a back inside three turn entrance.

[MQSeries]

I have to disagree on the salchow. She cheated the takeoffs on those terribly, and they were practically axels with a back inside three turn entrance.

Tara's placement of her free leg was a little bit unorthodox on the jump take-off, but I don't really see any cheat on the jump at all. You really do jump facing more or less forward on the 2 and 3sal.

[LWalsh]

[QUOTE=icenut84] because the 3toe-half loop-3salchow is a sequence, not a combo.

Correction. A 3toe-half loop-3 Salchow is in fact a combination. You can have three jumps in a combination and this is a combination because there is no change of foot. The half loop lands on the LBI edge which is the same edge as the salchow takeoff. The change of foot is what is the difference between a combination as opposed to a sequenece. Had it been a 3toe-half loop-Loop, then it would have been a combination because she'd have to step onto the RBO edge for the loop takeoff.

Lwalsh - wishing I had even a chance of performing a triple.

[LittleBitSk8er]

Wasn't Tara also the youngest National Champion ever?

When I rewatched some of my old tapes of Tara's skating, I cringed everytime I see her toe-picked in for the lutz and flip. The jamming and sideway placement of her toe-picks for those jumps were so wrong that I'm always suprised Tara was able to pull those jumps off successfully. I'm sure anyone else trying those same technique would have landed on her side instead. Tara's technique's on the toe, loop, and salchow, however, were very solid.
The youngest Olympic champion ever is Marjorie Gestring USA, Springboard diver she was 13 years, 268 days in 1936 at the Berlin games....

[Steffi]

Tara was the youngest Olympic champion ever in figure skating, not all sports. She is also the youngest world champion and US national champion ever in figure skating.

It really is such a shame she didn't stick around longer.

[tikiti maji]

Correction. A 3toe-half loop-3 Salchow is in fact a combination. You can have three jumps in a combination and this is a combination because there is no change of foot.

Nope. The half loop isn't considered a jump, more of a connecting move since it doesn't land on the right back outside edge. At least, if in some bizarre decision this is now recognized as a true jump, it definitely wasn't at the time Lipinski was performing that sequence. Now, if it had been a triple toe-single loop-triple loop, that would be a real combination.

Surprised no one's mentioned Tara's "unorthodox" technique on her axel :P

[valuvsmk]

Nope. The half loop isn't considered a jump, more of a connecting move since it doesn't land on the right back outside edge. At least, if in some bizarre decision this is now recognized as a true jump, it definitely wasn't at the time Lipinski was performing that sequence. Now, if it had been a triple toe-single loop-triple loop, that would be a real combination.

Surprised no one's mentioned Tara's "unorthodox" technique on her axel :P
The lack of height - often referred to as a "roller axel"?

[newfieskates]

This is ture Tara was quite short and tiny but I guess that helped her with her rotations. I thought her jumps were great. I loved to watch her skate.

[prunes89]

Maria B. also did the 3/.5/3 sequence and was never credited with a 3/3, so I knew Tara's wasn't considered a 3/3 combo. I think these sequences are sloppy and should be left out.
The only one that can do it with style and grace is Sasha Cohen. She lands them very smooth, not hunched over like Tara was, or "mad magician" like ala Mara B.

[flippet]

I think these sequences are sloppy and should be left out.
Well, sloppy depends on who's doing them. Maria's looked absolutely awful--I agree that she should have just scrapped the whole idea. (Didn't she take a really ugly fall on this once, trying to heave herself into it?) Tara's was okay, but she flung herself into them in such a way, that they didn't look graceful, like they ought to. The fault isn't the sequence, it's the skater.

[loveskating]

Irina Slutskaya was the first woman to land a 3 lutz/3 loop combination (at ISU Grand Prix Final in 2000 or 2001, can't recall), NOT the first woman to land a 3/3 jump...not by a long shot. Ito, harding, Kerrigan, Syura Bonaly, all sorts of skaters landed 3/3 combos prior to Tara.

I've never seen anyone with tighter, faster rotations in the air than Tara Lipinksi! That was really great to see. Others who come close are Sasha Cohen and Irina Slutskaya. They all have great "proper backspin positions" in the air as well.

I think any jump sequence with a half loop is amazing to see...and really difficult. A jump sequence of 3s gets more credit than a single 3 jump, although a 3/3 combo usually gets more than a jump sequence.

Tara flutzed and did not step up into her axel. Othrwise, her jumps were technically sound IMHO. All you have to do to see what a great champion she was, who earned what she got, is to realize how few 3/3 loops you have seen lately.

Also, she was just very exciting...she never held back! Every time she hit that ice, she went for it! I remember at her first worlds, she fell on her 2 axel in the SP, and in the LP, she landed a 3 sal/3 loop! She was an amazing competitor.

[LETHESK8NBEGIN]

I know that in Tara Lipinski's 1998 gold medal win she became the youngest woman to ever win a gold medal in the winter olympics. What other records did she set?

Tara's records:
Youngest Olympic Festival winner
Youngest National Champion
Youngest World Champion
Youngest person to win a gold medal in any sport (Olymp Fest)
Youngest Olympic Champion
Youngest National roller skating champion
First lady to land a 3loop/3loop in competitoin
Youngest World Professional Champion

I know there is more but right now I can't think of them.