What amazed here was how, even near the end of her career, she was still improving. This was the fastest I've ever seen her spin! Plus her artistic expression was just unparalleled.
There are good skaters, great skaters, some I quite enjoy watching...then there's Michelle Kwan. She is in a league of her own. When she spins, she blossoms, and when she spirals, she extends right into your heart. No one else has this effect... After watching everyone else, she is the one I always come back to.
Think of the gifts and joy she has given the world, and she's still in her 20's!!!!!!! It's so nice to come on you tube and realize that Michelle had such a profound effect on so many people. For 3-5 minutes she takes us away from all the stresses and troubles of life, and shows us what beauty looks like. Utterly glorious.
@@azbycx56 It just sucked as a fan to see her body breakdown just at the point as you said we really started seeing significant technical improvements.
@@azbycx56 she had been doing 3F in the SP for 5 years at this point. But yeah, you can see she was paying more attention to different aspects of her skating as she was gearing up to compete in the new scoring system. It's too bad she got injured in the lead up to Torino.
There is no other skater in history who skates with her type of "magic". It's so hard to describe, but you can feel her tugging at your heart and you end up really believing the emotion she is trying to convey. Michelle Kwan -- the greatest artist on ice.
I totally agree Josh. This short does belong on her stunning "signature" list. My favorite part is the build in the music and in her passion after the flip & the footwork and finally into the iconic spiral. Just brilliant!
The music choice was brilliant, the spiral was perfectly placed at the crescendo and the footwork that followed it was crazy. Her best footwork sequence in her career imo.
Michelle Kwan is my alltime favorite figure skater--so elegant so ethereal so confident so disciplined so perfectly at home on ice--more than any figure skater man or woman i ever saw. Such a wonderful performance. And only 1 of very many ! 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How much do we miss her?? A joy to watch for ten years, and she single handedly upped the artistic standard for lady's skating; remember what passed for "artistry" and got 5.9's before Kwan came along? Yeah, exactly. For all of those younger folks saying yuna kim is the equivalent, just remember that it was Kwan who was the trailblazer and set a standard that forced skaters to perform even better. I think her influence on skating is immeasurable. And she still brings the tears years later.
This SP always brings tears to my eyes. You cant teach someone to skate with their soul. Michelle just has that ability to draw you into her performance & the whole time you forget she's doing jumps because she's the complete package.
My favorite skater OF ALL TIME! No other skater has made me cry again and again at her heart on the ice. This program I have watched dozens of times and it is more beatiful every time. Michelle, you are a legend with the inner beauty of no other.
There's a reason Kwan is still so frequently discussed; there's a reason why, when journalists write about figure skating today, Kwan's name is invariably mentioned: It's all because of routines like this one. When Michelle Kwan took the ice, you just could sit back, get comfortable, and know that you were in for something truly magical and special. It's a cliche, but there truly will never be another one quite like her.
As Terry Gannon said, she takes us to that beautiful place no other skaters can. And nobody has been able to since then. Thats M.K.s magic nobody else have.
Amazing... stunningly expressive, emotional, and strong. THIS is what figure skating is all about! The last few seconds still gives me chills when I watch... the look in her eyes tells you that she was living every moment of the performance! I miss her!
light, ethereal, and angelic... watching kwan skate to this feels like gliding in a wintery wonderland or a swan gliding across a lake... it feels like we're soaring when she does her spiral to the dramatic climax of the music... watching this makes me take calm, beautiful breaths
I love this program. The music and the artistry of MK was so awesome! When she is given the right music and choreography to inspire and be passionate. No one can beat her Artistry.
I adore this program, especially the flip and the axel; I also think that the costume is just perfect. But, most importantly, I literally tear up everytime I watch that spiral sequence.
I've watched this SP over a dozen times and have tears in my eyes each time I watch it. Michelle has the heart like no other. The greatest of all time.
I can watch Michelle Kwan videos all day. I one day want to meet her in person, and that has always been my DREAM! I analyze every move and sequence because she is remarkable. Such inspiration to achieve big dreams. Her spiral sequence in this selection was just so fitting with the music. I LOVE THIS! I wish she had more triple/triple combinations, though. Thank you for your amazing talent, Michelle!
One wonders what would've happened if the injuries hadn't taken their toll. Her spins here are some of the best I've ever seen her do, especially the combo spin after the flip. So fast!
hyters: Brilliant comment! I couldn't agree with you more. I was lucky enough to see her live at the 1996 nationals, and even back then she was totally captivating like no one else; when she finished, i looked around and most of the people around me had tears in their eyes, including some men who had been dragged along by their wives/daughters!!! She is magic,and there will never be another. It's the joy!
Figure skating will never be the same without Michelle Kwan. I miss her grace, and everthing she is. Good Luck Michelle, wherever you and whatever you are doing. You are one of the greatest figure skater.
Watching this is bittersweet for me. As all the comments here show, despite some great talent today, the entire sport is a bit off without the brilliance of Michelle Kwan. Her flawlessness was wonderful, but more than anything else, it was her passion and total emotional investment in every program she did. She really was an artist out there, and what made her the legend she is today was her generosity on the ice: She gave so much of herself every damn time! I miss her so much.
After watching the 2009 Nationals, I am so happy for the winners, especially Allisa. But figure skating competitions will never be the same without Michelle. Commentator Terry Gannon is so right when he says, "she takes us to places that no other skater can." I don't think any skater ever will. Those places are special, they are Michelle's alone. She's a legend.
@Karosanyo: I agree with you completely. As a true artist, Kwan always seemed to live the music she was skating to, leaving the audience with no doubt that she deeply understood the music's meaning. Most skaters (especially today) seem to lack a basic respect for their music, and it comes off as separate from the actual performance. Kwan and her music where always inseparable, which is how it should be.
It doesn't get any better than this. I agree, this is one of her greatest sp's (and that's saying a LOT); the footwork is the best she's ever done, in my book (def. the most difficult), and, as usual, the tears in her eyes at the end show you how much she puts into it. Thank God for Kwan.
One of my favorite Michelle Kwan performances.... it just really takes your breath away, to watch something as brilliantly flawless as that. And the emotion, and the passion that flows through every tip over her finger. Unmatched so far in my opinion and won't be anytime soon. Spellbinding.
Michelle was the total package. Jumping technique -- superb. Her layback and spins were never as strong, but her arm movements and carriage made them very effective. Inspired footwork and spirals, again strong technique. Simple costumes, always in beautiful colors, perhaps with unique necklines -- never any distracting frou frou. I don't believe any other skater has ever interpreted music as brilliantly as Michelle, except John Curry. She makes me cry, too, and raises my spirits every time.
The audience, along with me now watching this on RU-vid, goes ballistic just prior to Michelle's spiral. Then the audience absolutely loses their minds during her spiral! This is Michelle's greatest SP of all time- even better than Rachmaninov's and Gabriel's "Feeling Begins." I love you Michelle!
It's funny to see her do circular footwork, cause her straight line is always so intense. But that pattern was very expressive and her extensions were great. It just made me nervous to see her do the newer spiral sequence and footwork. haha.
When Michelle skates faster to build up speed just before her spiral, the aduience knows what's about to happen. At this point in the program just prior to her spiral, is when tears well up in my eyes.
You're right deep - I never really noticed that before, and I've watched this video lots. Dick says nothing until she's all done. As we know, he can be critical, even of Michelle at times, although it's no secret he's always been crazy about her. Maybe old Dick was struck speechless by all that perfection!
I get the feeling old dick is savouring the moment, he's a very insightful man, I think he senses that this is the last time he is gonna see his beloved Michelle on ice, and he is right.
This is what I call skating. And this is why I skate. Sometimes all the frustration and falls make you forget. But when I look at her, it all comes back.
This is one of the best short programs. Skating just isn't the same anymore. I don't really like the new judging system. It has sort of destroyed figure skating, with all the stupid rules. And now the spiral sequence is no longer in the short program! Just look at Michelle's gorgeous spiral at 2:25. We'll now never see something like that again.
this is my favorite sp of hers! the only problem i had was that the spiral after here change of edge one is that it seemed dangerously close to the barrier.
Alissa's SP at the last Nationals was one of my top 10 favorites ever (too bad she doesn't have the consistent jumping to skate as well in her long programs) but this program is another one of my favorites. With just a few changes, it seems like this could be a competitive SP today.
My favorite short program of Michelle's. The audience erupts just prior to her spiral because they know what is about to come. Michelle, you are the best ever- the Olympic Gold Medallist in my heart.
I keep coming back to watch this SP! I think it is the best one Michelle ever performed; although I can't remember any I didn't like. It really is a piece of ballet on ice, the adagio from Sparticus.
great and terrific short program really as you said Sindarin . i like so much this perdomance 6.0 really deserved . i do not understain why at the worlds she is been trat bad afetr the short , shame the first position of slutskaya after her mistakes .
As much as I love this program, I hate watching it because it reminds me that it is pretty much one of the final programs she skated before calling it quits. So sad.
Loved this spiral and the emotional crescendo that came with it. Too bad they started throwing those stupid requirements that completely ruined the impact this inside-outside, fully developed spiral had for the audience..
I heard that she in going for the 2010 in Vancouver and that she's currently training. I heard Sasha Cohen's going for it too, but I want to see Michelle get her gold. It's so unfair that no name newbies beat her every time she goes and it's her time to get the gold.
I had almost forgotten this SP, but I watch it all the time now because I love this music and because the timing is perfect on everything. (Too bad she had to delay the spiral at Worlds.) P.S. What's up with a 5.6 technical score?
Michelle knows better than anyone that her entire sport has been turned upside down in the last five years, and she's gotten five years older. Many of her competitors will be half her age. Still, if she says "yep, I'm coming back" it will be because she is knows what she's up against. 29 isn't too old to win a major skating title; (Butyrskaya won her world title at age 29) but Michelle will have her work cut out for her. I'm rooting for her all the way!
