Without figures, who would be the past Olympic Champions?

[originalQA]

Just curious.
If figures had been eliminated in 1967, would Peggy have won the 1968 Olympics?
Would Dorothy, Scott, Brian B., Kat, etc. have been Olympic Champions?
I think Liz Manley would have won 1988, am I correct?

[originalQA]

I was thinking about it, and the SP did not show up until 1971, correct? So I guess we have to start there.....

[leap of faith]

Brian Orser would have won in 1984.
He was 7th in figures but won the SP and LP

Liz Manley would be Olympic champ 1988.
She was 4th in figures and 3rd in the SP and won the LP

[Debbie S]

I believe Linda Fratianne would have won in 1980.

Another issue, but if tiebreaks in the LP were decided the way they are now (pres. mark), than Brian Orser would be a two-time Olympic champ - Brian B. won one of his 5 judge votes on a tiebreaker that favored the tech mark. Of course, many people don't think the judging should have even been that close (more in Brian B.'s favor). And if the tiebreak rule was not changed when figures were dropped, then Nancy K. would have won in 94.

[Snowflake3939]

Karen Magnussen would have won over Trixie Shuba in 1972. Maybe Toller Cranston would also have won. I haven't looked at the scores to verify though.

[dcden]

You mean Janet Lynn would not have won? I thought Janet Lynn won the LP in the 72 Olympics.

Funny though, if there were no school figures in 73 worlds, Janet Lynn may not have been on the podium at all due to her disastrous SP... but I don't know the actual placements of that competition.

[cem]

1968-Peggy still won the free skate with her mistakes.

1972-Janet Lynn would have won in the Olympic Gold not Karen M. She won the free skate.

1976-John Curry and Dorothy Hamill would have won anyway because they both won the short progam and free skate

1980-Denise Beillman would have won if figures were not include.

1984-Orser would have won. Katarina would still have won

1988-Boitano would have still won because even though Orser won the short program Boitano won the free skate. Those who make the argument that Orser would have won if the presentation mark was the tie breaker I believe are wrong. I think the judges worry more about the correct playment then the actual mark.

Plus Liz Manley would have been an Olympic Champion had figures not been include.

[bcskater]

just a question while we are on the subject of past olympics -- but where would i find all these results from those past olympics? like even the results of short and long programs? thanks if anyone knows.

[Tania]

cem,

Without a doubt, Biellman would have won in 1980. Wasn't that the year she went from 12th to 4th on the strength of her freeskate?

Tania

[purplecat]

Remember though in those early days...didn't they add up scores? I'm not sure you can say who would've won for sure if compulsories were out in those days or can you? When did the ordinal/factored placement system begin?

[Debbie S]

I didn't think that Denise Biellman was in the top 3 in the SP in 1980, was she? I know she won the LP, or free skate, as it was called back then, but unless she was one of the top 3 after the short (using today's SP/LP weighted %ages), Linda Fratianne would have still won b/c she was 2nd in the LP and won the SP (I believe).

purplecat - I think that the ordinal system was used to determine winners of the SP and LP individually (but I could be wrong). When figures were part of the equation, they essentially devalued the importance of the SP and LP, compared to today - not unlike the situation at recent Worlds where the QR standings get counted in the final score.

[Cruella de Kwan]

I think Ito would have won an OGM am I right?
~MaryJo