I don't think there will be another Michelle Kwan, not just because all skaters are different, but because she is such an icon. Her longevity and the way she offered us her heart when she skated made her so memorable.
The thing that the camera didn't capture in this video is during the final pose, as she lifted her arms, the whole audience stood to their feet in unison. I think it's probably the most iconic memorable moments in the history of skating.
Let me add that the TV sound did not do justice to the roar of the audience at that moment. I was up in the nosebleed seats next to the ceiling, and that burst of applause came in like a breaker at the beach. I had binoculars, but I never used them during the performance. Michelle was able to reach out to us up there without optical aid. Definitely one of my biggest thrills at sports events.
And no one dominated the sport for more than a decade! That is why Michelle will be remembered, Gold medal or not...in fact, most everyday people think she won anyways, lol... More World and National Titles than any of them...
Who’s here watching in 2020? ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. Chills and goosebumps to the core. No skater in this day and age can ever take her viewers with her in her journey as she glides through the ice like Michelle Kwan can. 🥰
I was in the stands that night with my Mom and my husband. I can't even begin to describe the energy that was there. When Michelle went into her straight line foot work, there was not a soul sitting down. We couldn't even hear her music, that's how loud and electric the crowd was. If a skater can be lifted by positive crowd energy, we sent her straight thru the strastophere! It was such a joy to watch the medal ceremony. What a fabulous skater.
I still cry. I still cry when I see this. This is my #1 favorite Michelle moment, moreso than '98 Nationals. She was constantly trying to prove to the critics throughout these years that she could stay at a high level to be World and Olypmic champion, and just when some critics would count her out, she would perform a program like this.
Her LPs were often divided into acts, like a play. The first set the tone: athletic, abstract or soft and gentle. Act II showcased her spins, musicality, and usually her spiral. Act III brought it all home; usually beginning with a footwork sequence, plus a final jump or two and some grace notes like a falling leaf, spread eagle or Charlotte. IMO, it's why her LPs are so memorable. Today's programs often seem to me to be simply a series of elements with no master plan.
This is one of those skating performances that I watch when I'm feeling down on myself and need a cathartic cry. There's something about this one that tugs at my heartstrings in such a way..
That split jump into that spread eagle get me every time. Just magnificent. Not a triple jump or quad. A freaking split jump into a spread eagle! I miss when artistry mattered.
Oh, how I miss Dick Button's commentary. He's the best. This was a great performance. I'm still sad she didn't get a third shot at the Olympic gold. American female figure skating hasn't been the same without Michelle, and it's been lacking without Sasha, inconsistencies and all.
You watch the performances of today and they just simply don't compare. Kwan was and always will be in a league of her own. Extraordinary. Had the commentators in tears. And the rest of us.
So true, artistic figure skating which is what it should be instead of all this who can have the most jumps is crap now. Pit those skaters of today agaisnt Michelle and I'm sure they would still lose
There has never been anyone like her! Michelle Kwan deserved every standing ovation she ever rec'd over her ice skating career, and every single one of those flowers thrown down on the ice. Have you ever seen anyone get as many flowers as she did? No, and you never will! She was the greatest!
@@lulumallory8259 It's a accident that Tara and Sarah won the Olympics. （∩▽∩）Under the new system, Tara's technique wouldn't get marks, the ISU raised the age limit to 17 NOW, which means Tara Lipinski should go to the kid's Olympics with her Disney Cartoon program and incorrect triple triple combo. （∩▽∩）Michelle skated like an angel on ice, Tara skated like a happy puppy running in the park....Michelle was robbed at the 98 Olympics. 😎
@@lulumallory8259 Sarah Hughes never won any National titles or World medals.....she was a middle skater who skated under Michelle's shadow. Unfortunately, Michelle fell at the 2002 Olympics and Sarah was lucky to win because the other better skaters like Michelle and Irina made mistakes.
She raises both hands slowly at the end showing and telling the crowd that she was their to perform...and then the beautiful smile to the crowd to top it off. Most powerful part of the performance for me was the ending. Absolutely loved it.
If you truly understand technique and technical merit as a skater, then it’s easy to see why Michelle was so good. While judges give marks technical marks for triple jumps, speed and placement of spins (and # of rotations)-one thing I think gets truly missed is how skaters “reach” for their jumps. Some flutz their jumps (I’m looking at you, Tara) while others jumping technique was quite sloppy (Oksana B. and Irina S. come to mind)- but Michelle’s jumping technique was always good and got even better as she aged. This program shows the epitome of her jumping technique. Her landings are soft and almost silent, which doesn’t detract from the program. Her edges are solid, there’s no wavering on her landings. True perfection and something the young skaters now don’t practice and implement enough. I watched the Russians at the Olympics, with their jumps flinging their arms over their heads, and it was sloppy and distracted from the program. There’s so much of artistry that’s being sacrificed for jumps, jumps, jumps. I don’t enjoy skating anymore. There will never be another skater in my opinion who blends the best of both technique and artistry into a seamless package as Michelle Kwan did. She was incomparable. The true Queen of the ice, regardless of Olympic Gold. She’s golden, period.
I love Michelle's performances so much! I wish I could meet her some day, give her a big hug, and thank her for all the years she brought a little joy to my life!
I'm not a fan of current figure skating with all the constant jumping and lack of connection to the crowd that you see in younger skaters. Frankly, their performances, while they are good, don't tend to be athletic in my own opinion. The quads don't appear strong, clean or controlled. Just clumsy and distracting. To me, the type of performances like Kwans or Cohens are a display of real athleticism because they require more discipline and control like you see from ballet performers and dancers at Alvin Ailey or Juilliard. Plus, they have toned and athletic bodies showing how much time they put into the sport. Just my two cents.
Perfection on every level. No performance at worlds has touched is in 10 years. CoP has all programs looking the same, like rush jobs with no room for artistic interpretation.
I know nothing about ice skating...but I do know that every time I watch this video I get chills all over..she clearly throws her whole being into what she does, as a dancer this motivates me greatly :)
@fluteAHS I think footwork in the late 90s/early 00s had reached an ideal balance between sophistication of steps and speed of travel, the latter of which has been totally sacrificed in order to increase the former, making much of the footwork we see quite tedious to watch. This sequence that she did here was especially brilliant.
Such an amazing moment. The roar of applause after she lands that last triple lutz, right into that gorgeous straight line step sequence, then a beautiful split jump and Dick yelling "I love it! I love it!", it's just magnificent!
It's between this program and Tosca at the 05 nationals that are my favorites. The whole program gives me goosebumps, there will never be another Michelle.
This was so solid and perfect. Not to mention - MOVING! Yet another year when our ladies miss the podium...we'll never see another one as great as Michelle. How I miss her.
Hahaha, well, here's the thing, I thought the first ones you mentioned were very graceful skaters and beautiful, and I thought that Lu Chen was graceful and emotional. But, for some reason, and it's a personal preference, there's an electricity to Kwan as well as an emotional connection that I just don't think the others captured. Don't get me wrong, the skaters you mention are wonderful, but Kwan captured something in people I just don't really know how to describe.. She had crowds in tears!
This performance is simply beyond scoring, judgement, placement, or medals. Of course the Champhionship is hers, but this night she was divine and transcendent., simply above and beyond all expectations or limitations.
I've always felt like this program just sails! The music and her seamless choreography make you feel like it begins and ends so quickly, because it's effortless. Just wonderful!
Stupid copyright holders. Don't they realize that most people would never even have been aware of this music if Michelle hadn't skated to it? They probably had increased sales because of it. And it's really not a violation--fair use. Too bad RU-vid mutes the commentary, too. This video contains the famous "rusty hoot" comment by Dick Button.
@overdale32 I agree. She skates TO the music not over it, well put. For that reason I adore the straight line step sequence in this program. Others of her generation were good, I've always loved Maria Butryaskaya's artistry (99 lp beautiful) but Michelle had the whole package and was consistent. It is a shame about no Olympic Gold but 5 World Golds, (lost count of world silver/bronze), one Olympic silver, one Olympic bronze. I mean.... WOW!! Respect.
How many skaters are out there that we can say they've performed magical performances like this.. MULTIPLE times in their career? There may be a few performances from others that stick out, but Michelle? 96 World LP, 98 Nationals SP & LP, 2000 World LP, 2001 National SP, 2001 World LP, 2002 National LP, 2003 National LP, 2003 World SP & LP, 2004 Nationals LP, 2005 Nationals SP.. I'm sure I'm missing some. That many times!! Def. one of the most breathtaking skaters who will ever live!
@fluteAHS SO very true I feel that after Michelle left the heart just left figure skating. When you can bring Dick Button to tears and caputre the heart of an audience like that, you've done your job!!! She's truly in a class by herself!
The most artistic, most consistent, and best skater of all time. She can do 7 jumps, but all you remember is the interpretation and the artistry of the program. I still remember 1998 Nationals.
This is my favorite world championship performance of hers. I think I like it most because she came in with no expectations, was very relaxed the whole time and you can clearly see that she's enjoying every second. To still walk away with the top prize just made it perfect!
People have described her skating as the closest thing to flying. Her programs have an emotional pull which brings the audience to their feet before the program ends.
Magic! We as viewers never had to worry when watching Kwan; I was never on the edge of my seat hoping she'd hit jumps like other skaters. We all just sat back and watched her put on one hell of a show! And the amazing thing was that she did it time after time after time.
I miss when skating looked like this and not the jumping festival it's become. I simply miss Michelle Kwan and many talented skaters like her of her time. So exciting watching this program again after all these years. It moved me then and it moved me now.
Beauty, elegance, power, precision, supreme artistry, sophistication and control and let's not forget that all important Superstar presence. Not to mention that rare ability to take her audience to a very special place when she skates. A once in a lifetime, lightning in a bottle skater. The G.O.A.T...
The only skater that makes my bawl my eyes out. So much passion and emotion, not only athleticism. Everytime I watch this it's so hard to me not to feel goosegumps and a lump in my throat. She makes every movement and jump look so easy, you can tell she BELONGS there, that's her place.
I literally just typed in her name today to see some old footage and ran across this video!!! I cried! I was so moved by her passion, goodness!! What am amazing athlete!!! I love this performance!
Oh, God. No one, absolutely NO ONE, can skate like Michelle. Have you ever seen such passion and strength and heart and pure emotion on ice? Even 4 years later, watching this program brings tears to my eyes. Timeless, timeless, timeless.
This will always go down as one of my favorite world championships. Kwan in what ended up being a glorious send off internationally (Tosca was great in 2004, but only at nationals). Goebel's arguably best performance at Worlds (sorry, never was a fan of Plushenko's choreo that year). Bourne and Kraatz beating the Europeans at their own game and finally getting World gold. And the best, Shen and Zhao's Turandot. What a year!
For my money she is my favorite skater of all time and that includes the current skaters with quad after quad jumps. She has a joy as she skates that no one else comes close to and all current skaters sacrifice elegance and choreography and emotional expression for more points on their jumps. It gets downright boring. Michelle is a joy to watch. No one can touch her level.
best performance by Michelle... I always get emotional when she gets to the spirals sequence... there's a great crescendo that leads to a big release into the spirals and then the end of the program is just explosive always gives me goose bumps... too bad this commentator gets on my nerves...
The greatest figure skater of all time has no Olympic gold.....and i love that fact because that makes her glorious career even more mystifying.The only one that can make the ice, the music and herself appear that you are watching a show...a story...a performance....not an athlete.Orgasmic!!!
How?! How can one petite human have a heart like the ocean and take the entire audience on such an emotional journey like this? Never will there be another communicator like Michelle Kwan.
Also, I think she was under considerable pressure this year, going up against Olympic champion Hughes at Nationals and Worlds while trying to justify another competitive season to many naysayers. She silenced all of them - and would have done so even if Hughes hadn't melted down in the QR.
It kills me that they took the sound off, I've watched this performance literally hundreds of times over the years. The copyright holder should be HAPPY that the music is reaching a wider audience who never would have heard it otherwise, screw them.
Zuranthium DITTO It Really...Well My Feeling about this is the same as yours since it was the 2nd best performance of her life and music is critical to the skating
omgosh. I can watch this program over and over and it still brings tears to my eyes. In the footwork sequence she's just putting her heart and soul out and her gestures look so heartbreakingly desperate.
