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5 hours ago, gingerella said:

I think the reason Tanith and whatshername yakked so much over the Gala skate is probably because they want to be considered first string skating commentators. But to be honest, it just wont ever get any better than Terry/Tara/Johnny. Sorry ladies, you're too late!

To be fair, Ashley was the culprit.  Tanith talked quickly to get it in before the skating started.  Ashley covered at least 1/4 of the actual program to jabber.  Tanith does a great job at ice dance commentating, and doesn’t tend to talk too much.

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Watching that replay of Tara’s reaction winning the Gold bring backs memories.  Not pleasant ones.  I thought she was way Over The Top back then and I still do. I know, she was just a kid, but she jumped up and down like a 4-year-old.

I also like hearing Tanith’s commentary for ice dance.

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I enjoy Tanith as a commentator. She's informative, particularly when it comes to ice dancing, and she isn't too chatty. Ashley Wagner is a different story. Whenever I've heard her do commentary, she talked nonstop. Also, and this is definitely shallow on my part, I can't stand Ashley's voice. 

Add me to the Terry Gannon fan club. It's obvious he has great respect for the sport and the athletes, and he's a calming presence without being a wet blanket. He's the perfect person to have with Tara and Johnny. He's willing to participate in their antics without feeling the need to try to top them. He doesn't seem worried about being overshadowed by them and genuinely seems to enjoy spending time with them. 

Case in point is his little dance with Tara and Johnny: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CaMyWISF02X/?utm_medium=copy_link

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17 minutes ago, sweeks said:

Case in point is his little dance with Tara and Johnny:

I've been following them on Instagram.  They're fun to watch, especially Johnny's expression when he dances into the studio to 'River Deep Mountain High.'  

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(So did the 13th-place Italian pairs team, and I don’t know what the hell that was about.)

Maybe they were there because Italy is hosting the next Winter Olympics?

 

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Watching that replay of Tara’s reaction winning the Gold bring backs memories.  Not pleasant ones.  I thought she was way Over The Top back then and I still do. I know, she was just a kid, but she jumped up and down like a 4-year-old.

Sorry, but pure unadulterated joy is wonderful to behold!  We should all have more joy of 4-year-olds in our lives!

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2 hours ago, Thumper said:

Watching that replay of Tara’s reaction winning the Gold bring backs memories.  Not pleasant ones.  I thought she was way Over The Top back then and I still do. I know, she was just a kid, but she jumped up and down like a 4-year-old.

Sometimes they celebrate too much and that makes us mad. Sometimes they are like this year’s winner and they are sad, and that makes us sad. Maybe next Olympics they can celebrate just right…..

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2 hours ago, Thumper said:

Watching that replay of Tara’s reaction winning the Gold bring backs memories.  Not pleasant ones.  I thought she was way Over The Top back then and I still do. I know, she was just a kid, but she jumped up and down like a 4-year-old.

I also like hearing Tanith’s commentary for ice dance.

I saw this clip somewhere of Tara and Johnny commentating on her gold medal skate and seeing herself react to winning. It was from a couple years ago, but Tara seemed to think her reaction was over the top too.

But I think it is nice to see the athletes when they are super happy. You don't get to see people that legitimately happy in too many circumstances. It is much nicer than when you have to watch them sob over losing (or even getting second).

 

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11 minutes ago, KaveDweller said:

But I think it is nice to see the athletes when they are super happy. You don't get to see people that legitimately happy in too many circumstances. It is much nicer than when you have to watch them sob over losing (or even getting second).

 

Yes, I have to wonder what Trusova will think of herself 20 or 25 years from now when she watches her meltdown over not winning the gold medal in 2022.

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42 minutes ago, legaleagle53 said:

Yes, I have to wonder what Trusova will think of herself 20 or 25 years from now when she watches her meltdown over not winning the gold medal in 2022.

In 20 years from now Trusova will be a middle-aged woman living quietly. That's what tends to happen to figure skaters, even the wild ones. Today Pasha Grishuk is a pleasant looking lady who coaches and dotes on her daughter and watches ice dance at home. She left a very nice message for Gabriella Papadakis when Gabby won gold.

Tara and Michelle follow each other on instagram and frequently leave nice comments. It's the fans that keep these rivalries still fresh. 

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8 hours ago, AuntieDiane6 said:

Sorry, but pure unadulterated joy is wonderful to behold!  We should all have more joy of 4-year-olds in our lives!

Could not agree more. And I’ll go even further to say that her unadulterated joy, and uninhibited passion in her free skate along with its technical difficulty is what won her the OGM. Many will disagree of course, but I think she earned that gold medal. That night she was better than Kwan IMO.

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12 hours ago, Thumper said:

Watching that replay of Tara’s reaction winning the Gold bring backs memories.  Not pleasant ones.  I thought she was way Over The Top back then and I still do. I know, she was just a kid, but she jumped up and down like a 4-year-old.

I also like hearing Tanith’s commentary for ice dance.

I was just going to comment on that.  It still bugs even today.  I thought I was over that…but that brought it all back lol

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Tara winning Olympic gold, skating on what looked like stiff legs, skates repeatedly clonking down onto the ice (I don't think she ever got over the switch from roller skates to ice skates) truly bugged me. Stars on Ice smoothed out her skating, fortunately.

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3 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Tara winning Olympic gold, skating on what looked like stiff legs, skates repeatedly clonking down onto the ice (I don't think she ever got over the switch from roller skates to ice skates) truly bugged me. Stars on Ice smoothed out her skating, fortunately.

I agree. She never got much height on her jumps.

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1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

Count me as someone who absolutely loves when the winners exhibit exuberant joy. It's even more fun when it's the person/people winning silver or bronze. Or people who don't even get a medal but have their best score/time/whatever.

Same! I love it so much. I loved the huge reactions that you could see even through a mask!

One time I got a job offer, and I played it cool on the phone. Then as soon as I hung up I jumped up and down and screamed in my house. And that was just an office job, not an Olympic medal.

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20 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

In pairs, they cannot do headbangers or Detroiters.  A headbanger is a spin in which the male partner holds the feet of the female and does a spin while lifting her up and down which makes it look like she's almost hitting the ice headfirst and bouncing off.

In a Detroiter, the male partner lifts the lady and holds her straight up over his head and spins as fast as he can with her horizontal above him.  The one armed Detroiter which is self explanatory, is a popular exhibition trick for pairs.

Look up former Canadian champions Brasseur and Eisler on Youtube,  He was a big strong guy and she a tiny, strong girl and they did these moves in exhibitions all the time.

Found a link describing what's illegal:

https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/list-of-banned-moves-in-figure-skating.64834/#:~:text=illegal maneuvers include%3A twist-like or rotational movements during,leg%2C arm and neck of the other partner

Yep, for the Pairs short program as promised.  They mentioned it at the top of the show.  The outfits were white.

Headbanger, aka the first part of the Pamchenko Bounce.  Toe pick!  [Anyone...anyone??  I broke my arm last year falling on ice, and my glamorous cover story was that my pairs skating partner dropped me while we were practicing a Pamchenko.  No one got it.  Philistines.]

I always said that Lloyd Eisler threw Isabelle Brasseur so high in the air he could sit down and eat lunch while he waited for her to come back down.  And a big guy eats a big lunch!

 

I know I'm about 2 weeks late on this, but my BFF and I finally sat down to watch all of the men's, ladies', and pairs' long programs over the weekend and holy crap Nathan Chen was FANTASTIC.  I knew he had won, I don't live under a rock, but that was a magnificent skate.  What a way to win!  I love how he kept popping up in the audience at other events, too.  With his skate on the books and the gold medal in his pocket, he could relax and enjoy the rest of the Games.  He rolled into one of the pairs events with a backpack full of snacks that he started passing out to the folks around him, and I found that so endearing.  He seems like a good kid, and I'm so happy for his success.

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I recorded the Gala on USA but then decided to watch on Peacock after seeing reactions here to the commentary. I then went back and re-watched a few skaters on the USA recording. Interestingly, some camera angles were different - though both NBC, yes? Peacock did a better job in general, IMO, and no commentary was a bonus. 

Thoughts on a few skates (not necessarily in order of appearance):

-So great to see Vincent Zhou - what a rough break he had. I'm so glad he at least got to skate in the Gala.

-Enjoyed the very brief moonwalk that Shoma Uno did in his routine. 

-Alysa Liu was fantastic. Impressive that she learned a routine so quickly (how much notice to they give those they invite?) I love that some of the other women treated her like a little sister.

-Kaori Sakamoto was so filled with energy and fire, maybe even more than her competition skates. She was great.

-Both Keegan Messing's and Nathan Chen's skates were fun.

-While I understand being a little tired of slow sameness in programs, I LOVED Chock and Bates' routine, which I had seen before and am so glad they used here. It was beautiful, soft, and romantic, and more than that, it looked genuine. No need for acting or manufactured glances or touches. Others are, of course, performances, and not everyone is in a relationship off-ice so... yeah. But this soft, slow program was especially lovely because of their personal connection. It seems they deliberately avoid that in competition - which is fine and probably smart - but I enjoyed seeing it here. 

-Also not a new routine, but Yuzuru Hanyu just about had me in tears. His skate was so beautiful and so moving, and the performance seemed more mature than previous times (makes sense, being older). I thought this one in particular was better on Peacock, both for camera angles and for no commentary interrupting it.

And watching that performance does make me wish there was an artistic-only category for single skaters. Imagine the choreography. 

-Missed seeing Jason Brown. How do they decide who to invite?

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1 hour ago, justmehere said:

I recorded the Gala on USA but then decided to watch on Peacock after seeing reactions here to the commentary. I then went back and re-watched a few skaters on the USA recording. Interestingly, some camera angles were different - though both NBC, yes?

From my understanding they use the World Feed for Peacock and NBC cameras for the NBC/NBCSports/USA so the camera angles are different. 

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2 hours ago, justmehere said:

-While I understand being a little tired of slow sameness in programs, I LOVED Chock and Bates' routine, which I had seen before and am so glad they used here. It was beautiful, soft, and romantic, and more than that, it looked genuine. No need for acting or manufactured glances or touches. Others are, of course, performances, and not everyone is in a relationship off-ice so... yeah. But this soft, slow program was especially lovely because of their personal connection. It seems they deliberately avoid that in competition - which is fine and probably smart - but I enjoyed seeing it here.

For a pair that has the most interesting and creative competition pieces, I was kind of surprised by how boring their Gala number was. I wish they had done something more fun, but also respect that they wanted to do a skate that was more personal. 

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2 hours ago, justmehere said:

Also not a new routine, but Yuzuru Hanyu just about had me in tears. His skate was so beautiful and so moving, and the performance seemed more mature than previous times (makes sense, being older). I thought this one in particular was better on Peacock, both for camera angles and for no commentary interrupting it.

That was always one of my favorite exhibition programs from Yuzuru and it really displays his incredible talent. I'm slowly (and not happily) accepting that his best competitive days are behind him because he's so much older than most of the other skaters he competes against and he's had so many injuries to his ankles. At some point, a younger skater was going to be the new "best" - at least as far as competitions go. While Nathan is not my favorite and I can't help from compare his style of skating as less favorable to Yuzuru, I accept that he's the current "best" (at least until the new "best" comes along).

But when Yuzuru can just skate without judges, he is beyond sublime. There is no one that can touch him on the quality of his footwork and the nearly ethereal way he moves across the ice and the emotion he brings to his performances. That delayed single axel is a thing of beauty and he reminds us that figure skating is more than just jumps. I'm torn between wanting him to stay competitive because despite everything, he's still one of the top skaters in the world and I think that he's got more to show, but at the same time I hate watching him be disappointed with himself after a less than ideal showing and I don't want him to keep injuring himself trying to keep up with guys so much younger than he is now. Twenty seven is "old" for an elite skater and he's not going to bounce back from injury as quickly as he used to. He's had a stellar career that no one can touch (even the mighty Nathan Chen). Yuzuru might have more that he wants to do in the sport, but I want him to do it on terms that make him happy.

2 hours ago, justmehere said:

Missed seeing Jason Brown. How do they decide who to invite?

Mostly it seemed the top three and then a few special invitees. I guess that Yuzu made the cut as the two-time OGM, but some of the choices were pretty random.

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On 2/19/2022 at 2:33 PM, Conotocarious said:

In reflecting on how different skating used to be I returned to watch this program….

 

Where if you read the comments everyone is like “OMG….that STEP SEQUENCE. It gives me chills”. And it does. And there’s just nothing like that anymore. The only thing anyone cares (and no one cares all that much anymore) about is these pre-rotated and mediocre jumps in the middle of limp programs. 

Back in the day, the step sequence in a program could be that moment. 

FUCK.   That still holds up.

 

 

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2 hours ago, caracas1914 said:

FUCK.   That still holds up.

 

 

I just watched this (even though I've seen it many times...it's *that* good!) Has there been any female skater since whose performance has shaken the rafters like this? (I added female because I just thought of Hanyu & his adoring fans). I love that straightline footwork where she's "running" several steps.

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2 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

I accept that he's the current "best" (at least until the new "best" comes along).

Indeed. Though Nathan is awesome I’ve never heard anyone refer to him as one of the greatest of all time ala Yuzu. Granted I’ve not heard every comment any commentator or sports reporter has said about him. 

That said the greatest has come up in recent years with ladies, Of course there was Kwan with that label back in the day, then came Yuna Kim, then this year everyone was saying Kamila Valieva was the greatest ever to grace the sport. The greatest or best ever is certainly in the eyes of the bolder. That’s not to say these skaters are/were great but “the greatest” is subjective.

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2 hours ago, ChitChat said:

 I always admired Michelle Kwan and found her performances to be so beautiful and elegant.  That's the kind of skating I like to see.  

It was so, so full of passion. It was so amazing to watch a skater grow into themselves. I remember the first time I ever watched Michelle skate….it was to “the Man From Snowy River” and she was basically a child.

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On 2/20/2022 at 6:29 PM, sweeks said:

Ashley Wagner is a different story. Whenever I've heard her do commentary, she talked nonstop. Also, and this is definitely shallow on my part, I can't stand Ashley's voice.

I told Ashley what you said, and this was her reaction:

PresentFrighteningGossamerwingedbutterfl

I told her you were right, though, and she...did not like that:

Finally-Ashley-decided-all-bullsht.gif?r

The truth hurts.

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6 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

Mostly it seemed the top three and then a few special invitees. I guess that Yuzu made the cut as the two-time OGM, but some of the choices were pretty random.

It seemed like they were trying to spread out the invitations among countries, even if some countries didn't have high-placing skaters (Italy, for example). More eyeballs on the gala around the world than if it was awash in Russian, Japanese, and American skaters. I would have made some subs though.

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1 hour ago, Moxie Cat said:

It seemed like they were trying to spread out the invitations among countries, even if some countries didn't have high-placing skaters (Italy, for example). More eyeballs on the gala around the world than if it was awash in Russian, Japanese, and American skaters. I would have made some subs though.

I think the Italians were there as a nod to the next Winter Olympics. 

It was nice of them to include Vincent. IIRC, his parents are from Beijing.

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I taped what was supposed to be the full Gala in USA but in typical NBC clusterfuck fashion it was all Finland hockey and 5 min if the Gala. Do I was thrilled to find that my Cox cable has it On Demand in full. So I'm watching it now and Jesus H. Christ, Ashley Wagoner needs to SHUT.THE.FUCK.UP. I want to stuff a dirty rube sock in her maw and tape her mouth shut. Apparently I have a problem with her. 

ETA: I'm watching Chock & Bates and thinking if thye did their Gala program for their free skate maybe they would have a medal, it's so much better than that stupid Alien program.

Also, the difference between classy and trashy is so obvious when you compare Yuzu's 'bird' themed sleeves whi h give a delightful essence of flight vs. the tacky wings on Anna, replete with LED flashing lights. She looks like she had that made by the same ladies.who sew those godawful wedding dresses on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding show. Taste vs. Tasteless.

Edited by gingerella
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1 hour ago, Moxie Cat said:

It seemed like they were trying to spread out the invitations among countries, even if some countries didn't have high-placing skaters (Italy, for example). More eyeballs on the gala around the world than if it was awash in Russian, Japanese, and American skaters. I would have made some subs though.

I think they also tried to get some fun programs in there too. I assumed that's why the Italian pair was invited - my sister and I thought their exhibition was hilarious.

2 hours ago, Conotocarious said:

It was so, so full of passion. It was so amazing to watch a skater grow into themselves. I remember the first time I ever watched Michelle skate….it was to “the Man From Snowy River” and she was basically a child.

I like to watch this early version of East of Eden because it's fun to compare it with what the program becomes later. 

You can really see how much better she gets in terms of holding her lines, extending her arms and feet, and just performing and how the program was revised to emphasis her edges and flow.  

 

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No "hanging laundry" (as Dick Button used to say about skaters' arms flying up & down). When Michelle skated to Lori Nichol's choreographed programs, her arms, hands & fingers embellished her skating. Does anyone skate this way today? Maybe Madison Chock.

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On 2/17/2022 at 6:12 PM, Minneapple said:

Ooh I can’t wait. Who do we cast as Eteri? Saoirse Ronan maybe? The Russian girls would be new fresh-faced Hollywood unknowns, we’d have to have a casting call. 

 

Jane Lynch or bust.  

 

On 2/17/2022 at 9:24 PM, Lady Whistleup said:

Apparently Kamila said 'well now the medal ceremony doesn't have to be canceled" and burst into tears.

https://t.me/biellmann/702

There's really a special place in hell for all the adults who put this child through this ordeal.

I'm of the mind that she threw her program, but not because her coaches told her to.  I think she sacrificed herself for her teammates.

On 2/17/2022 at 11:04 PM, Lady Whistleup said:

 

 

On 2/18/2022 at 7:43 AM, Ohiopirate02 said:

Psycho is an extreme word here.  What we witnessed was Sasha finally figuring out her abusers lied to her.  She's seventeen and has spent the last however many years in an abusive environment so she does not know how to process her emotions in a healthy manner.  She may also have realized that her career as a figure skater is over and she was never going to get a gold.  All of her hard work, everything she gave up and all the abuse she suffered was for a silver medal.  She broke.  Apparently, she refused to leave the arena, refused food and drink and had to be forcibly removed at 3am by Eteri.  

 

That's what I saw, too.  She was probably told all the "hard work" (abuse) would be worth it in the end, and now she's at the end and realizing it wasn't worth it.

On 2/19/2022 at 4:33 PM, Conotocarious said:

In reflecting on how different skating used to be I returned to watch this program….

 

Where if you read the comments everyone is like “OMG….that STEP SEQUENCE. It gives me chills”. And it does. And there’s just nothing like that anymore. The only thing anyone cares (and no one cares all that much anymore) about is these pre-rotated and mediocre jumps in the middle of limp programs. 

Back in the day, the step sequence in a program could be that moment. 

MY GIRL!  There has never been anyone I've enjoyed watching more than Michelle Kwan.  She was the full package.  And those....extensions?  Where you hold your arm out and leg up and just glide across the ice?  NO ONE does them better.  

On 2/19/2022 at 5:59 PM, Conotocarious said:

And for another stunning OLympic memory, I always remember my sister calling me after this performance of Michelle’s, in 2002 after she won the bronze and in the last Olympics she attended…

 

I get chills every time I watch that performance.  

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1 hour ago, HartofDixie said:

Are banned steroids usually found in makeup? I did see an article that some athletes have claimed they were exposed clostebol during sexual intercourse 😮 and blamed that for a failed test……

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On 2/20/2022 at 1:42 PM, ChitChat said:

I caught up on last night's skating this morning.  Congrats again to Sui & Han.  I thought their program was superior to everybody else's, even with that one mistake.   The entire program was beautifully done.  

It was fantastic, and so obviously better than everyone else's.  And yet, I was worried that the skating while Russian bonus would rob them of a greatly deserved gold medal.

On 2/20/2022 at 5:56 PM, ChitChat said:

I love the three of them together. Terry does most of the intros, and then he lets Tara & Johnny take the lead by giving us the play by play, as it were.

I hate the three of them together.  Johnny actually is better at staying on subject when Tara is not there.

On 2/20/2022 at 5:13 PM, Lady Whistleup said:

Johnny has his annoying mannerisms (like his overenunciation of Russian names), but I'm glad he does try to explain things like underrotation or GOE. These things might not be obvious to a viewer on first glance. For instance, one time he replayed Karen Chen's jumps and I could actually see the underrotation. 

I do like this about his commentary.  If only Tara weren't there, I could probably enjoy him.

 

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I think NBC can do better than Johnny and Tara but I know they won't. Polina Edmunds would easily be my pick if I could choose to have a knowledgeable commentator. Maybe now that Iohnny is disillusioned with the Russians he won't annoy me as much but I'd like NBC to give another "B" team a try like how they did with Johnny and Tara in Sochi. 

I agree 100%.

On 2/20/2022 at 3:28 PM, tracyscott76 said:

I don't believe so.

I'd much rather have watched him skate in the exhibition than any of the other male skaters.  His programs are beautiful.

I didn't see Kamila's performance in the team competition, but even without the falls on the jumps, her long program was ugly.  The choreography didn't suit the music at all, and frantically flailing your arms about is not artistry.

 

On 2/21/2022 at 10:35 AM, jenh526 said:

I agree. She never got much height on her jumps.

And had very little besides jumps.

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On 2/21/2022 at 3:48 PM, absnow54 said:

For a pair that has the most interesting and creative competition pieces, I was kind of surprised by how boring their Gala number was. I wish they had done something more fun, but also respect that they wanted to do a skate that was more personal. 

I find their competition routines boring as well.

1 hour ago, 88Keys said:

MY GIRL!  There has never been anyone I've enjoyed watching more than Michelle Kwan.  She was the full package.  And those....extensions?  Where you hold your arm out and leg up and just glide across the ice?  NO ONE does them better.  

Yep.

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