Sarah Hughes (USA) - 2002 Salt Lake City, Figure Skating, Ladies' Free Skate 

I keep coming back to this one. The precision, her surprise/joy at the precision, the build up with the crowd absolutely roaring at the end... she had to win. Some moments are just magical!

The smile on her face at 0:43 to 0:46. This is the reason she won. She was relaxed and where she wanted to be. No pressure. She said afterwards she was not thinking about a medal. She was thinking about her performance. And gave the performance of a lifetime. It was not about winning and losing to her. It was about doing her best. Still wonderful to watch.

I don’t know why everyone thinks Sarah Hughes didn’t deserve the title. Everyone else, Michelle Kwan and Irina Slutskaya included, underperformed. Back in the day with the 6.0 judging system, flutzes and under-rotations weren’t as harshly scrutinized or penalized, so it doesn’t negate the validity of her gold medal in any way. Sarah Hughes skated the best that night, her lines and artistry were also extremely impressive, and she deserved the championship no doubt.

Even now, it so beautiful. Sarah was the best skater that night.❤❤❤❤❤

And one of the best laybacks of all time. Turned out hip, free foot parallel to the ice, amazing back position. That is how it is done.

I just saw this now for the first time in 2020 and I 'm having tears of happiness for this girl I don't even know, that's how much the pureness and authenticity of her performance has touched me.

I play this video from time to time whenever I need a feel good moment. It hasn't failed yet to make me feel good and let out a much needed cry. Mostly what I love is her enthusiasm, even during the routine, and her pure joy after.

Her performance is great - I'll leave the qualifiers for those more knowledgeable about the sport and its particulars - but I will never get over the absolute roar of that crowd for the last 25 or so seconds - and that face she makes around 5:16. Kind of cool to be able to see one of the best moments of someone's life.

Sarah's risk to do two tripple-tripple combinations fully paid off! The performance is as beautiful as difficult! A magnificent, solid and impressive performance! ❤💝🧡

I feel like her score in the short program set something free in Sarah - based on the scoring at the time, she didn't feel she could possibly win, so the pressure was off. She just wanted to do the best she could do *for her.* So she skated her heart out, put all of her love for skating into the performance. Plus, she seems to have fed off of the energy from the audience. The better she did, the more they gave her in response. The cleanest possible jumps (including a triple-triple!) and some amazing spins. And that combined energy NAILED IT. I come from a theatre background. I hate auditions, because I'm competing. When I'm performing, I love when an audience gives me energy, and I try to better my own performance.

One of my favorite Olympic memories. I remember watching this at 15 and being mesmerized. Sarah embodied the Olympic spirit to a tee. It was all about the skate and not the medal color. Her reaction along with her coach in the warm-up/dressing room was priceless. What an awesome moment. Hard to believe this was 20 years ago!

It's been 20 years, and her beautiful performance still brings tears to my eyes!😀

This is when the Olympics were just pure beauty! Great memories!

What an incredible performance 😊

Not a dry eye in the house that night! Love, love, love an underdog! Phenomenal

Twenty years later and I'm still so happy for her!!!! I remember this night so well.

if you are going to use all your luck in one night, let it be on the night of the free skate of the Olympics... God Bless Her....

I remember watching this when it was live. This is still the best free skate I've ever seen at the Olympics.

She just seems so polished and graceful.. This was just great skating. And she won it fair and square.. SHE DELIVERED. Sadly.. the others had not. SHE WON. THIS IS CLEAN skating

Bravo to Sarah and her team 👏❤️. In the history of upsets, this one is up there for sure! From a homemade ice rink to olympic gold. Love her story.

Nobody expected her to win. She just went out there and put on a great show.

never ever gets old. she's a lawyer, studying for her MBA at Stanford

Triple loop combos are underrated in skating it's absurd they are given the same value as triple toe combos when they are far more difficult. And Sarah had two of them her flawlessly

Absolute perfection. Totally flawless

I remember this live on tv. I was trying to get home but was stuck in a cab. My husband was watching and gushing over Sarah’s performance and I told him from the cab “tape it so I can see it!”

Absolutely superb!!! I was watching this live on TV and jumped up screaming and clapping from my couch. Sarah brought that whole arena to its feet, and rightly so.

I still cry watching this. Amazing performance.

My favorite Olympic moment. I rewatch it all the time. I was only 11 at the time but I knew that I had just witnessed something magical happen.

I also smiled at the end of her program! Wow! ❤️💚💙

This is one of my all time favorite videos. I watched it live in 2002. The emotion of that moment remains with me to this day. I find great inspiration in the accomplishment of Sarah Hughes. Her reaction to learning she has won while in the locker room under the stands is worth seeking out. Tears every time.

just lovely.. her joy is so palpable… a moment she’ll never forget for as long as she lives!!! “flow” at its finest… that’s what the olympics is all about

This is my favorite Olympic story. She was just 16 and skated the cleanest program ever. Reminded me so much of Peggy Flemming elegance . Beautiful all these yrs later.

Her squeal of delight at landing the triple toe loop was wonderful. I loved the excitement in Scott Hamilton’s voice when she landed her first set of triples is the voice you’re hearing when you’ve landed something you’ve been struggling with.

I'm not sure why this was so memorable. Something about her graceful confidence that just said "This is my night". ❤️

Now that's in the zone!!! One of the best athletic performances I've ever seen every one of those jumps we're near perfection, and what a time to do it congrats Long Island Girl😀😀😀👍

A classic lay back spin ! Too bad its not done anymore. The "Code of Points" has ruined the beauty of skating.....

Her coaching making sure she took a moment before getting off the ice to take in what she just did at the Olympics! Bravo that’s a true testament to their relationship

She didn't make a mistake. She skated clean and was flawless. She skated without the pressure and, in the end, she came out on top because the others fell. Great job, Sarah, you were great!! Well deserved!!!❤

I remember this night..spectacular!

Just an incredible, amazing performance by a young 16-year-old! Under the pressure (hardly any, after her 4th place finish in the short program), she mesmerized everybody who saw this outstanding performance. She just skated as calmly as if she were practicing on her home rink. Love that terrific spin finish! Nobody expected anything like this, with 7 triple jumps (5 in combination; that were more difficult than those from Irina Slutskaya (silver) or Michelle Kwan (bronze) in the free skate from her, or her vault from #4 to #1 by the judges. But she got lucky in that Kwan fell on a triple jump, pushing herself down to 3rd for the bronze. The sheer joy on Sarah's face after stopping (at 5:17), is one of the greatest smiles in an Olympics performance I've ever seen! Her scream of excitement (at 7:16) after seeing the judges scores I've also remembered! It's 20 years later, and now she is 36, with a law degree (May 2018) from the University of Pennsylvania. A smart and lovely woman. If she skated to that program 100 times, she would never have done it any better than she did on Feb. 21, 2002! The greatest artistic performance in a figure skating event I've ever seen or probably will see again, and to win the gold after 4th place in the short program may never be done again! figureskatersonline.com/news/2010/02/07/olympic-moments-to-remember-sarah-hughes-in-2002

Wow!!!!! This brought back memories!!! What a smile on MY FACE!!!!

Still to this day one of the best Olympics performances

I love her squeal at 4:50 when she realizes she is through the obstacles and home free

This performance always makes me smile.

Sarah Hughes didn't fall, didn't stumble, and looked brilliant on the ice. Anybody who saw something different is delusional. The other skaters looked like amateurs.

I wasn’t even alive when this happened, but watching this performance: you just know that she IS the Olympic champion.

Никогда не обесценивайте чужие достижения, если не хотите, чтобы обесценивпли ваши! А Сара - чемпионка!

I think one of the reasons why she did so well was that she was so damn relaxed.

This is when the Olympics was about presentation, great choreography, music. I am disappointed in today's pair/dance. 2002 and 1998 were Olympics were people performed, told a story and had stunning performances.

I like the way she talks to her friends like no biggie!!Love this 🥇⛸️

I remember watching this live. I always enjoyed Sarah Hughes. I was thrilled for her. She totally deserved the win!

that 3s-3lo was super impressive.

"TAKE THIS IN!" Robin said to her. I absolutely LOVED IT!!

Just watched this after many years and compared to the Beijing performances, especially the Russian ones, this one brought me such joy.

I'm glad I'm here just for the artistry and sheer joy of this performance. I remember watching it live at the time and (thankfully) I know nothing about technique, so relate to it a purely emotional level. Here is someone having the best day of their life and I am here for it, 20 years later.

Incredible. She got the day she deserved. Wonderful to behold💜

The music is so beautiful too!

Perhaps the best overall Olympic performance ever by a lady; so beautiful, so musical, so free, so powerful, so mesmerizing, so liberating. This was a perfect choice of music for her, and she interpreted the music perfectly with her skating using a blend of wonderful technique and glorious artistry. Simply amazing!!! No other woman skated near her level that night. Her scores should have been much higher.

SH's program is a marvel of rare technical purity and above all so much above that of all the other skaters on the artistic level. Having made this very sure musical choice of Lever Du Jour extracted from Ravel's Daphnis and Chloé is the proof of great finesse when the others skate on worn music so heard and without much interest a well deserved gold medal !!!

The triple toe - triple loop combo was insane! So well done

One of the 2-3 great sports moments of my lifetime, watching someone go for broke, let it loose, and deliver.

Had she skated later, the scores would have been higher, which they should have been.

I remember watching her I was so excited for her it was so perfect loved everything about it

I just always loved the choreography to this music.

Just like in 1998, sarah / tara skated to win, michelle skated to not lose. Big difference.

This performance, after nearly 20 years, gives me goosebumps!

I was a kid in 2002 and couldn't realize the beauty of this performance. But watching it now like holy craaaaaaaap girl

Pure art, gorgeous!

I watched her combination jumps in a very slow-mo, and those were not under-rotated in my eyes.

Sarah Hughes is what I imagine Brianna of Outlander to be like (sorry for the off-the-wall-referece). Not necessarily pretty in the usual sense but *a force of nature* - someone that you can't ignore. Even here when Sarah was only 16 and kind of a dorky teenager she has those moments of unconscious power. You can't fake that! I love her!!

the most beautiful of all the lay back spins. to be so poised so young. she went for it. amazing skate. congrats to sarah hughes.

She had never skated at that level and never staked at that level afterwards. A stunner!

Sarah Hughes is planning to run for N.Y Congress. I just recently heard about it. What do you think?

Spectacular! Almost make me cry 🥹🥹🥹

Как сейчас помню, в 8 лет тогда смотрела эту Олимпиаду и так ужасно была расстроена из за Слуцкой, и что опять засудили и всё-такое, и как трудно приходится на этой Олимпиаде России. Сейчас спустя 20 лет посмотрела оба выступления (наткнулась случайно на интервью Слуцкой), и объективно- американка откатала без ошибок и на льду она летает, а Слуцкая тяжеловато выглядит и ошибки сделала. Поэтому победа абсолютно заслуженная считаю

I am amazed at the snooty comments about luck. She wasn't lucky, she prepared and performed when it was time to shine, To all the negative people, where is your Olympic qualification, let alone your gold medal, Jealous and hateful, the internet is a place of no nothing experts

So glad she changed the last minute of her program...It really added to the excite and intensity...I was BORING before...

Chills. Incredible performance!! The music so effervescent, the dress simple but sparkly. It was all about the skating. Amazing to witness. I absolutely love her layback, it’s SOOOO pretty and her arms so fluid and graceful. Isn’t that what it is all about?

An American Classic 🇺🇸 ⛸

Just to let others know the last song 🎵 by ravel and her choreography is in 5/4 time. She has to count in five while skating ⛸️ not the usual 4 or 3. It makes the last triple so suspenseful and explosive when counting along. She lands exactly on the 1st beat

Как давно и недаано это было. Трибуны заполнены до верху, яблоку упасть негде. Ни пандемий, ни масок, прелесть и красота!

the 16 year old is now a lawyer in new york city

Sarah was also the best spinner in teh competition besides Slutskaya

Did she end up having the most illustrious and storied career in the top 4? No, in fact, the least by a considerable, considerable margin. Were there holes in her skating that are hard to ignore in today's skating world? Absolutely. But on the night, at the Olympics, she undoubtedly outskated the world, and to litigate that is a waste of time.

I cannot stand figure skating. Just by chance I get home from work and flip TV on. I could see about half way through this was something special. No matter what sport it is, when you see something like this. Someone bringing their A game. You have to appreciate it. This is my favorite Olympic moment. Hands down. Not to discount The Miracle on Ice.

A truely special performance. Thank you Sara ❤❤❤

Till this day, this is the best figure skating performance I have ever seen….

Saw her interviewed tonight on TV. Had to come watch this again. I remember watching this when it first aired. I was worried about the ice, because she was on fire that night. I mentioned I saw her on TV tonight? Still beautiful. Gracious and centered. Would love to meet her someday.

I wanted Irina to win this one so bad, but she and Michele both had this Olympic stage curse. I mean who could forgot her triple lutz-triple loop combo and that awesome Biellmann spin.

She nailed it! And very underrated. Thar haircut though...

This was one of the most mesmerizing skating spells ever cast. Period.

Her coach!!! Happy😂😂

wow! When triple-triple combos were the hype. 2022 Quad combos!

It's interesting how often the underdog wins the Olympics. We want the one with the credentials, like Kwan, to win, but it's really about this particular performance that wins. Often the underdog is relaxed enough to come through

Simply amazing!

Beautiful performance. Enchanting choreography. No other way to put it

I cannot understand why people blame about her Flutz.... Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Fumie Suguri, Irina Slutskaya.... All of them jumped the lutz as the Wrong edge.

Amazing her home crowd ❤😍💙💕💖♥ Sarah Hughes.

This is what true champions do !!!!

THE girl next door-------the cute girl--------at 16 y/o, goes out & just skates like nothing I have ever seen Not even the glorious Peggy Fleming had this program, that smile, & the joy of skating like she had never----------would never, ever, skate, again. Absolute beauty, on ice. It's The skate for the ages ! --------MJL< 77 y/o