I miss Oksana

[yogurtslinger]

Is Oksana ever going to take the ice again? I was 13 when she won the Olympics, so in some ways it's like I grew up alongside her. When she started having all those troubles with her jumps, and then the alcoholism, I was kind of going through a rough time in high school myself. In fact, I began my senior speech with something along the lines of- when she takes the ice, she still feels the love of the crowd and displays the love of skating. It was something about dealing with adversity, etc.

Don't want to come off as an obsessed fan ;), but somewhere in the bottom of my heart I'm still hoping that she will come back and give us that one inspired performance. I think she herself really wanted to win the Goodwill Games (remember how she was so well trained and toned during that brief period where she worked with the Russian ice dancing coach?)... and when she fell on that added triple toe, I think she knew it was over. I've always wanted her to win at least one more professional competition- for herself, if for nothing else. She's a good jumper too, just looking at her technique... it's really too bad that she seems to have faded from the limelight.

We all make our choices... but it's really sad to have someone you look up to not fulfill their potential. Hopefully, she has found happiness and peace.

[PlatniumAngel]

I love Oksana. I think she was the best skater of all time. I know she had some rough times....but she's truely the most beautiful skater there ever was =) I hope she's happy being married, with her shows and her skating wear line. Good luck Oxy!! =)

[loveskating]

I miss Oksana too, in her prime, and I also agree, she was among the best ever, but I think her decision not to skate professionally was a very wise one...she grew too tall to consistently land those 3 jumps, and she also could not hold the former angle of lean on that incredible catch spiral of hers...

OTOH, a happy and well centered Oksana could just do 2 jumps along with her incredible artistry and presence on the ice in shows, and I think lots of us would enjoy it.

But I'm happy to see her settled, and she did seem very much her old happy self in recent interviews.

[ROBROY43]

If Caryn Kadavy could manage to be in the top four or 5 pros til about 30-I've got to think Oksana could make a comeback should she so chose.

Right now Yuka's the cream of the crop with 3 triples & a double axel so if Oksana could get 2 triples she'd atleast be in the hunt. I didn't like her Olympic performances but she really had talent and flair (bobek X 2).

Also I felt she was the most capable of bringing a baletic style to ice- usually I'm not big on that but she did it so well. I especially remember her & Petrnko doing Nutcracker & her doing double loop variations in the footwork & being blown away.

That whole '94 podium was so filled with talent but just didn't have it in the pros. I hope she makes a comeback like Beillman did in about 90 or even Zayak in 94. If not she seems to have gotten it together off ice- so let's hope she's happy.

Funny thought- one could argue '94 was the only Oly podium w/ 3 women who could do actual lutzes.

[duane]

i miss Oksana as well.

like many, the famous WACK was the reason i became interested in figure skating, but it was the talent of the skaters (mainly oksana, elvis, and M&D) that made me a diehard fan.

i remember after the 94 olympics SP, the next day at work, figure skating was the topic of discussion--even among the "we only watch real sports" football/baseball fans--and oksana was the most popular of all the skaters--from her "orphan girl" story, to her "ballerina" style and grace, to (among many guys) her "long legs". it seems everyone was rooting for her, and not nancy or tonya.

[Spark]

I miss her too.

I thought she had some great programs as a pro. She had a fantastic style, and was so versatile. She could skate to any type of music, and get right into it. It's too bad we didn't see many solid performances from her after Lillehammer.

Actually, I wish we were seeing more pro skating. Or I wish there were some other vein of skating, where the jumps are not the emphasis and choreography and musical interpretation was more important. I've always enjoyed those kinds of programs from Oksana, Josee Chouinard, G&G and the rest. Even Tara Lipinski came up with some good programs, and I was never a fan of her skating when she was amateur.

[Germanice]

I feel the same. To me she was the most natural talented female figure skater of all times. Sometimes I wish she wouldn't have won Olympic Gold in Lillehammer 1994, even though she DESERVED to win (... NO DOUBT about that!!!). But it wasn't good for her. Too early, too much to cope with. I don't wanna even think about it what she could've given to eligible skating for many years without being "done" so early! Aww, this is such a sad story! kwan would've been only a bit part player now if Oksana would've stayed eligbile, I'm pretty sure about that.

Anke

[duane]

anke (my favorite yagudin fan ;) ),
i understand your point, but i think oksana won (like you, deservedly so) at the right time...for two reasons:

1. i think even if she had won Olympic silver, with all the publicity and massive media coverage of the Olympics that year, it would not have diminished her newly found Worldwide fame, and the riches that accompanied it. i think she would have likely retired from eligible competition, to, say, enjoy her fame and wealth.

2. if she hadnt won Olympic gold and had remained eligible, i just dont think she would have been able to overcome the 5-inch growth spurt that she later experienced. i know many young skaters experience growth spurts, but five inches? that is a lot, and would be difficult for any skater to maintain the rigors of eligible skating.

[viennese]

I miss seeing her skate.

Another one I miss is Oksana's early skating idol, Jill Trenary. She was a gorgeous and tenacious skater who seemed to put unpleasant pressure on herself in pro-competitons, and she was far more relaxed and wonderful to see when she was skating in exhibitions.

Though she didn't take the path of some recent world champs (TV announcing or headlining a tour), it sounds like she's got a happy life.

I hope that Oksana can find a satisfying and maybe less celebrity-like life for herself.

[loveskating]

"2. if she hadnt won Olympic gold and had remained eligible, i just dont think she would have been able to overcome the 5-inch growth spurt that she later experienced. i know many young skaters experience growth spurts, but five inches? that is a lot, and would be difficult for any skater to maintain the rigors of eligible skating."

I agree, and its not just a huge growth spurt like that, 4 inches of which occurred for Oksana between Lilliehammer and the next fall, but what the final height was...once you get to around 5 feet 5-6 inches you are in the very inconsistent space as to the 3 jumps is all, its a matter of physics (unless there are other compensating factors).

[JillLaQ]

Kwan, a bit part player? Surely you jest, Germanice! Not to take away anything from Oksana, but she hardly has the work ethic of Kwan, and that is one thing you've got to have if you want to stay in the big show.
Pro or eligible, it doesn't matter. You have to work like hell and pray that your bones hold out. Oksana would rather shop.

[Germanice]

That's the thing, isn't it? In an ideal world Oksana would have been Champion for years, because of her unbelievable talent and charisma. But she wasted it, which is a tragedy for her and figure skating. kwan instead, with more limited skills, brought it to the max (almost! ;)) because of hard work, but also an awful lot of hype. Chapeau for that. But whatever she does, whatever effort they put into her, she'll always remain kinda plastic. "Perfect" somehow, but blank.

Well, this is not an ideal world. They're numerous examples for it, not only in figure skating ...

Anke