Will there ever be another Janet Lynn?

[essence_of_soy]

Just wondering?


Nick

[Rachael]

Michelle Kwan?

[Samskate]

I agree with Rachael. I think Michelle is very much like Janet Lynn in many ways. :wink:

[Schmeck]

Rachael, I think Michelle has even gone beyond Janet Lynn :)

[tollerfan]

I haven't seen anyone surpass her absolutely lyrical and superb artistic style. Michelle certainly comes close. Also Oksana B. (when she was 16) and Yuka Sato in some ways as well.

[centerstage01]

My vote goes to Michelle Kwan. :D

[texasdancer]

I have often thought Michelle Kwan and Janet are very similar. They both seem to float, and skate in a quiet, peaceful, almost introverted way. I also think they show a pure joy in just skating, for the love of skating.

[Lucy25]

I remember a quote from many years ago in which Michelle stated that she wanted to be just like Janet; when she fell she got right back up with a smile on her face. I remember that Janet was said to be surprised and delighted at Michelle saying that.

[Yazmeen]

Sadly, if not for the 61 plane crash, there would have been another skater before Janet and Michelle who would have also been legendary for her lyrical style:; Laurence Owen. I've only seen brief clips of her skating, but they brought me to tears.

[Hannahclear]

In my mind, when michelle fell in SLC, and got up smiling, i think she fulfilled that goal of becoming like janet lynn. They are different in many ways but there are alot of parallels.

[Randy]

Hard to say if there will ever be anyone like Janet. She was ahead of her time in the jump and flow depts. She sucked at figures!

Michelle is actually a good candidate for Janets' equal. Both crumpled under pressure in the biggest skating event there is. They had different requirements (figures vs no figures, doubles vs triples) but the Olympic results and expectations were very similar.

Two extremely talented skaters in different eras who fell a rung short.

Randy

[olivia]

Kwan is about the closest thing to Janet Lynn as far as lyrical and seamless free skating, but has been far more successful at winning major competitions than Lynn was (hence Kwan's now title of the most decorated U.S. figure skater). The hardware was always the "rub" with Janet Lynn, but her magnificent free skating and remarkably positive attitude clearly outshined her failure to win the big ones, IMO.

O-