I still remember when I first saw this. I was working a shitty night shift at the post office main processing plant and I was on my 30 minute lunch and this came on and everybody in the lunchroom was watching this performance in stunned silence. For just a few minutes Michelle Kwan made all the horribleness of that place melt away and made us realize angels do walk (or in this case skate) among us on the earth.
If you don't know, this song was recorded by Eva Cassidy, who died a relative unknown in 1996 at the age of 33. She is now a best-selling recording artist, posthumously. You can find her music here on YT, or buy it anywhere now. Thanks, Michelle, for introducing her to so many of us, and for your performance at the Salt Lake City Olympics.
EvE cassidy who looked exactly like my sister who also died of melanoma very young I must say this is exceptional performance .perhaps Michelle's best ever
Proof that the Olympics are NOT the be-all, end-all in a sport. MK is the best, and if she doesn't have Olympic Gold? Maybe Olympic Gold isn't all it's cracked up to be.
@@thesupremediva Considering what is happening in ladies figure skating now, i’d say that is an absolute truth. If the Russians want they’re tainted gold they’re welcome to it. They’ll never be true champions like Michelle.
Michelle Kwan is an inspiration to everyone who has ever competed, tried, acheved ,lost, won..etc. her enormous talent, grace, professionalism , class, and persavierance will never be matched. The fact that she won more titles, medals, got more perfect 6.0 scores in the history of the sport, speaks to what an incredible person, athlete, champion, and role model she will always be..She is and will always be unmatched by anyone in this sport,,She will always be the best skater of the figure skating world, female or male...PERIOD.
No one will ever replace Michelle Kwan.She is what a true champion is.I still have tears in my eyes watching her.She is missed by everyone around the world.Thank you Michelle for giving us years of enjoyment of watching you skate
Most beloved American figure skater--male or female--of all time. Many other greats--I love Sasha as well, and Sarah Hughes absolutely earned her OGM, and I even like Tara. But no one compares to our Michelle. Long live the Kween!
I love her too, but Dorothy Hamil was a superstar in her day, a household name. I loved her so much when I was 3 I made my mom cut my long hair into the "Dorothy Hamil" haircut, lol. If you're young, it's hard to explain, think "Good" Miley Cyrus times 100. Srsly.
I dont think she was destined to win gold at the Olympics. She wouldnt be the skater she is today. When you look at other skaters who have achieved their goal in winning gold, they leave satisfied, but with Michelle, she always rose back stronger, again and again with more love to the sport. She showed you have to love what you do no matter what.
The last truly great skater in the area where artistry counts. Gracie Good has some of Michelle's grace. Elegance, and poise, it's a shame they overemphasize jumping and technical performance in judging nowadays. However, that means the Kween will remain the all-time leader in 6.0 scores. And ph how I love watching "Mrs. Six Point Oh" skate! Tears every time-she's the reason I'm converting many years worth (dozens of VHS tapes) of recordings I made of comps during her years to DVDs. Forever a Kwanatic.
To my own comment, please ignore typos. I obvi meant Gracie Gold...although my initial typo still applies to her...Gracie Good. :-) Can't go back and check for other typos now so apologies if something didn't make sense.
I am a former skater and performer with Holiday on Ice and I can tell you that this is about as good as it gets. A beautifully choreographed and skated program matched only by the hauntingly beautiful voice of Eva Cassidy.Style, grace and class trump a medal any day in my book.
Forgive Loco madre, he/she doesn't know a thing about skating. All he/she knows is how to run his/her wicked mouth to degrade talented people out of jealousy. Diarrhea of the mouth describe him/her perfectly.
Even though she never won the gold medal shes still an athletic icon and inspiration to many people around the world. No one will ever hold as many nationals or as many world titles as this woman has. She made anyone who watched her want to pick up a pair of ice skates and take lessons or just go for a free skating session wherever they lived. How many other figure skaters can we say that about? Shes a true champion and icon in the world of figure skating.
Longevity? That is a major understatement ! This woman is a remarkable undisputed champion ! Hard irony that she never won an olympic gold. She slayed everyone else's careers in nationals and worlds but never in the olympics. Will there ever be another Michelle Kwan? Only artistry, longevity, and time will tell.
Sandra Bezic may often have extreme diarrhea of the mouth, and say some really stupid things, but she hit the nail on the head with this simple saying.
@Mountain Lover You just never get tired of talking shit do you? It's a sad day when the Russian Figure Skating Association is an example I can point to of a more mature person.
The music, the costume, the skater.... Perfection. The dedication, the passion, the grace. That is all Michelle Kwan. She is definitely one of a kind and definitely well loved and admired by so many. I thank Michelle for all the times I anxiously awaited each season to see what her latest program would be, and she never disappointed. Always more beautiful than the last, her performances so mesmerizing they took me with her. She will always be one of the greatest skaters of our time~
I miss her. She was wonderful in so many ways. She's built a terrific life outside of skating. Inspiring human being to say the least. She's magnificent.
Figure skating is not as popular before since Michelle Kwan stop competing in the event. Now there's World championship and its not even promoted or shown on television. We no longer have a candidate as good as Michelle Kwan. Michelle was such an icon in figure skating. Nobody can be like her with such artistry and emotion in her performance. Kudos to you Michelle. Thank you for being a legend.
+ Arlene De Castro - Yes and No. Kwan (and the skaters of her time) wouldn't have gained national recognition if it weren't for the Nancy - Tonya saga. The whole ordeal put US figure skating on the map like never before. A great number of new figure skating fans (including myself) were born as a result of that ordeal. At the time, Michelle Kwan, at 13, was a potential replacement for Tonya Harding at the 1994 Olympics. After that year, Nancy Kerrigan (who won silver at that Olympics) retired and Tonya Harding was banned from competing for life. So, when Kwan started skating at senior level the following year, along with skaters in her generation such as Angela Nikodinov, Tara Lipinski, Sasha Cohen, US figure skating just exploded. All these girls made figure skating more fun to watch than ever. And then, of course, there was this one unexpected little champion named Sarah Huges. In mid 2000s, with Kwan getting ready to retire, we still had girls such as Alissa Czisny, Jennifer Kirk and Kimmie Meisner to follow. It wasn't until 2009-2010 after these girls retired that US figure skating truly lost its luster. So you were right in the sense that figure skating is not as popular these days.
I remember watching this during the 2002 Olympics. Michelle was overwhelmingly expected to win the gold medal. She unfortunately stumbled during her competitive program - so much pressure was on her!! The next night was what's shown in this video: no pressure whatsoever, just skate your heart out. She wore the gold dress, skated to Eva Cassidy's "Fields of Gold" (Michelle introduced Eva's work to most of the world), and successfully relived her dreams of gold - magical! She just simply nailed it! At the end she burst into tears - tears for what might have been.... I was so moved by this moment, wow - impossible to express in words... Michelle's always a champion in many people's hearts. She's a great example to everyone. I owe her many thanks....!
@Mountain Lover Interesting that you are still a salty bitch decades later. Get the fuck over it. And YuNa is pure class. And Michelle Kwan is her idol. You, on the other hand, are a pure ASS.
Michelle is by far my most favorite skater that has ever skated. She always skates from hear heart. She feels the music and has a natural sense of artistry that most lack.
Now, this is a figure skater-as graceful as a deer running through the field! Michelle Kwan will always be the Figure Skater's Figure Skater!and the true Gold Medal Winner in our hearts and minds! Thank you, Michelle! We love you!
I think I cried through her entire performance the first time I saw her perform this piece... I wanted her to win the gold so bad.... beautiful song...
simply the best......maybe we love her more because she didn't win the gold......I cry with her every time I watched this video of Fields of Gold........beauty and grace
Beautiful and classic, we miss you dearly Michelle, no one has come close since. I'll take a skater who has the love and passion for the sport to stick it out even when it's tough, than a flash in the pan any day, or someone who takes the money/gold medal and runs...grace and class defined. I watch this every so often to remind me what is best about skating.
It's been 6 years since the SLC Olympics and I still cry when I watch this performance. Isn't it odd that the past two Gold Medalists have been all but forgotten but Michelle Kwan's legacy still remains.
I often think of Dick Button's comment--years ago--about how many skaters use "arm flailing". Michelle was and is one of the few women skaters who appear to be totally in control of every movement. Every bend, point, touch and stretch is carefully controlled and choreographed. Her performances are often without equal. Young skaters can learn simply by watching her. This number, I believe, is a showcase for her elegance.
I remember how much I cried when I watched it the first time, and I still get emotional everytime I rewatch it, pure beauty! Amazing skater and amazing performance from the heart..
Grace, strength, class and pure perfection! Michelle Kwan is bether than a gold medal. She deserved more . Classy and amazing. I get chills watching her
I'm not usually a huge Michelle Kwan fan, but this is absolute perfection, one of the most beautiful skates I've ever seen. I never tire of watching it
I so agree!! What a beautiful skater, and what a beautiful human being. My husband took me to Birmingham to watch her skate to " fields of gold"!! It was so beautiful!
This performance always brings me to tears knowing that this was her last Olympic. i always wonder what would have happen to Michelle Kwan had she won Olympic Gold that night ? Even though she didn't win that night she captured Olympic Gold in my heart
Michelle Kwan, So beautiful, so perfectly done, absolutely mesmerizing. This ice skating performance deserved a sparkling diamond medal as it is superior than that performed by the Olympic gold medalist. :))
Michelle always had a knack for picking the best music. This song is so very beautiful and is enough to make me cry all on its own without her beautiful skating.
I saw her skate this live on a tour and it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. She will always be my favorite and I'm so sad she never won gold. Beautiful!!
More than any other ice skating performances I've ever seen, I fondly remember this particular performance most of all. Michelle absolutely shined that night. I was watching it with others & we were *all* in awe!
I have never been too much of a fan of this sport... but OMG... have I just fell in love with it... one of my favorite EVER songs combined with the wings of a swan and the feet of an angel... WOW!!!
Your such an inspiration to me you've made me cry I've been skating since I was three and everytime I watch your videos u inspire me to keep moving on and don't give up I am 12 now and just landed my double sowcow and axel I just wanted to I couldn't have done it without you Michele.
I have read that this is Michelle's favorite performance, It is breathtakingly beautiful and brings me to tears every time. Total artistry, total class. There is no one like her.
One of the most memorable Olympic moments for me was this, even many years later. Perfect choice for the soundtrack; I wasn't familiar with Eva Cassidy until this. I remember watching it on TV at the time and being very teary-eyed by the end.
When a bautiuful skater comes together with a beautiuful voice like Eva Cassidy, did the world realize what was going on here? I don't think they did. This was perfection on so many levels. It still stops my heart for a second when I see this. Thanks for this video.
This clip never fails to bring me to tears. Such an enchanting performance. One that I don't think I will ever forget. She has given so much of herself in her skating that their is so very few skaters today that is in the same league as Michelle. Tara Lipinski and Sarah Hughes made history by winning gold but Michelle Kwan became a legend with this performance.
i will always admire you Michelle. may you be blessed with all your endeavors. you are such a powerful,talented and beautiful inside and outside. to me you will always be my gold.
