✯Beth's Favourite Olympic Figure Skating Moments✯

✯FOUR✯
Elizabeth Manley -SILVER - 1988 CALGARY



So besides the fact that she looks "so 80's" (and pink) and the music sounds like she's in the circus, she skates a phenomenal long program. The girl skates like the wind, she guns it the whole program... the double axle at 1:03 is 6 feet in the air, she makes it look so effortless!

Unfortunately I don't actually remember watching the program on TV like I remember my #3, #2 and #1 moments, (I was only 5 at the time) but I remember when I watched it for the first time when I was about 11 and wanting to be able to skate just like her.

✯THREE✯

Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz - FORTH - 1998 NAGANO

Ok, HOW is that a forth place program!?!? The footwork is so intricate, difficult, and non-stop, it's mesmerizing to watch. One of my favourite moments is at 1:53 in the program. I always remember that little move they do everytime I watch it and it makes me smile. I can remember back in the day the judges used to give them guff about doing the hydroblading because they didn't think it really was Ice "Dancing". So, for this program they cut the amount of it way back and really only have it at 3:32 and you can hear the crowd responding; it was always a crowd pleaser.

I saw them perform this program at the 1998 Canadian Championships (of course they won) and from 4:05 in the program on, the crowd was losing their minds screaming and clapping. For some reason, when they perform internationally, they aren't received and appreciated in the same way. I think that what they did for Ice Dancing, is something that was so different from what everyone else was doing, the judges didn't know what to do. They had fun, the always got the crowd into it and they were the only ones to do that. It's too bad they skated before the Jamie Sale and David Pelletier debacle, it makes you wonder if there was some corruption in the judging of the Ice Dance.

✯TWO✯

Elvis Stojko - SILVER - 1994 LILLEHAMMER

This program gives me shingles (shivers and tingles). God, watching this almost brings tears to my eyes... the music takes me right back to watching Elvis skate this program many times that year. During 1994 I was devoted to my figure skating VHS library and would record any skating I came across on TV. For the most part, it was watching Elvis over and over and over. I did get to meet him in 1998, I probably mumbled something that made absolutely no sense. Anyways, back to the video. While Elvis had the jumps, the judges always busted him for not being as artistic and graceful as some of the other men (Alexei Urmanov) and unfortunately, this was proof of that.

Amazing that he can pop a jump and then just casually throw it in later on to make it up, rarely does that happen. 4:16 to the end of the program actually gives me goosebumps... the music really just reminds me of back in the day... funny for music can take you right back to another time. sigh...

✯ONE✯

Jamie Sale and David Pelletier - GOLD - 2002 SALT LAKE CITY

Like you didn't see this one coming :) You've all seen this, you all love this, but here it is anyways. Of course, it is a piece of friggin' art. It's perfection. I love the hand hold move at 3:45 in, it's so beautiful, as well as 4:41 with the arm reach before the death spiral... although I love at 4:10 the most when the crowd goes crazy! If this isn't a 6.0 performance... I don't know what is. What else did they have to do??! Oh right, bribe the judges. I love how shocked Jamie is at the end... I love when David kisses the ice... I love... them :)

It's so weird to think that if they had made even one mistake, the whole judging scandal may have never been discovered. I wonder what would have happened in the future... huh.


Okay that's it, I'm done. Night night.