Nagano, JAPAN - 1998 Winter Games, Figure Skating, Ladies' Free Skate - Maria Butyrskaya of Russia skated a strong program but would place 4th in the Free Skate. She would drop from 3rd to 4th Place overall.
I remember being so heartbroken after seeing this live, especially since we didn't know she'd have her moment a year later and win the world championships in a stunning victory. For me, Maria was just one of those underdog athletes you can't help but root for. Her talent was obvious from the start, but her apparent severe anxiety held her back. As sad as I was, I'm glad she got 4th now, b/c I don't think she would have suck around and become the 1999 world champion! We miss you Maria.
Maria actually wasnt that talented at all. She was an overachiever through determination and hard work. In addition to her lack of talent (at the very elite level) she suffered from bad nerves in competitio on top of that, making it all the more amazing she achieved what she did. Add to that a biased federation which was up Slutskaya's ass and gave her little help.
I agree - I loved her long lines. She was so graceful! I think her height (maybe - she looked tall) may have gotten in the way of some of her jumping sometimes, but when she was on, she was on!!!!
I remember when women skated. Now it seems injured little girls with breaking bodies are replacing them. Ladies are gone. Now it is girls’ figure skating and fewer watch. Love and joy to Maria the Magnificent. You are missed.
As much as I loved her skating, from the start she looked like she just wanted to get the program done and get off the ice, hence, why so many of her jumps were either slight two footed or leaning. On top of that, out of the top 5, she was the only one who didn't have a 3double, or 3triple, such as Slutskaya or chen. She only managed a 3 into steps 3 jump sequence. She gave the bronze away. Nevertheless, beautiful!!!
I was so sad for Maria in '98. She had the bronze in her hand - just needed to hold on to it. Lu Chen of course had the most amazing comeback that just happened to be at the same time as Maria's climb. Glad she got some reward the next year at Worlds.
Just too cautious. A 5.8 was really too generous for technical, but the rest of the marks were right on par with Lulu. Had she landed the lutz more cleanly or gotten in the second triple toe, I think it would have been much closer. The overall performance suffered because she didn't go out with enough attack so it didn't have the impact, like at Europeans. It's too bad because she had the perfect draw, skating last.
She lost the bronze by only .1 so just 1 less small mistake or skating with a bit more of her usual artistry or attack even with all the same mistakes would already ensure the bronze. Not merely "make it closer" as you so foolishly put it when she lost the bronze by only .1 as it was.
Perhaps not but, but he failed to bring up an important point CBC atleast did. If she had a great skate she could have possibly changed the oridinals between Tara and Michelle and put Michelle back over Tara. If she took a couple of Tara's first place ordinals away and put her in the minority again, Michelle could again win.
Irina should've been the bronze medalist here. Two footed landings on lutz and flip by Maria plus the missed triple at the end, and too many under rotations by Lu Chen.
not quite good quality of jumps, unfourtunately.Judges could penalty 0.1 with every jumps's landings.Moreover, she missed second triple toe and make only double and ceirtanly - no one combinaiton!!
