Olympic Champion Peggy Fleming Gives Michelle Kwan a Replica of her Gold Ice Skating Medal

MSNBC ^ | February 22, 2002 | Lester Holt

[codebreaker]

MSNBC showed footage of a press conference and Michelle had two medals on her neck the bronze and the one given to her by Peggy Fleming.

She looked liked she was about to lose it..

[Kaslin]

Hey Kwan, you LOST! Get over it.

I deidn't notice Michele Kwan whine about it that she did not get the medal. As a matter of fact she admitted that she fell

[codebreaker]

Well said, I don't want Peggy's medal to be Michelle's most treasured..and that is why we say these things-so she can live out her own dreams.

[Scarpetta]

Pretty? She could use a nose job and lip waxing, IMHO.

[Kaslin]

note to myself deidn't=didn't

[Phantom Lord]

Your right. My comment should have read... Hey Kwan Fans, she lost. Get over it!

For it is the fans and others that are doing the whinning that she didnt win.

[Scarpetta]

It bothered me that Kwan didn't acknowledge the fans in the audience after her skate. Sweet Sarah made a point to look up to smile and wave to her fans.

[codebreaker]

I think Michelle was bawling her eyes out instead.

[dalebert]

Please do not gripe about Kwan. She has brought much to the sport. Most of all good sportsmanship. She is the one who raised the bar so high and though she is sad about losing I am sure she is happy for Hughes. All our girls deserve gold.

[Revolting cat!]

I must admit that I couldn't decide on my favourite girl skater among the Americans. I kinda liked the Cohen girl after the first night, but I couldn't admit it for fear of being labeled racist anti-Asian-anti-American. So I thought, I'd go with the Kwan chick, but then of course I'd be labeled anti-semitic. And since the Hughes chick was a honkie, there was no question of giving her support. In the end, I decided the prudent thing to do would be to abstain which is what I did. (Is this why the honkie ended up winning, you think? Sorry.)

[codebreaker]

We almost got a sweep of the medals.

[jimt]

Yah, six national US national champions and three (or is it four?) world championships???

A very impressive record, I agree.

I think the hype was over the top from the media about Michelle Kwan, but she has been classy and gracious in both defeat and victory.

Either we have seen different appearances, or you've seen more than me. My negative impressions were formed from Nagano, and nothing I've seen has changed them. I was deeply disappointed in her post-Nagano-competition behavior and have honestly been biased against her ever since.

She's been consistently the best US woman skater in the past eight years. I dislike haughty prima donnas.

I simply can't agree with that. Specifically, she was vastly inferior to Tara Lipinski at Nagano, and we've just seen her beat at SLC. Perhaps it's the "consistently". I can't claim to have seen every National and World's. Maybe that's what I've missed.

[Revolting cat!]

Oh please

Ordinarily humourless, ain't we, huh?

[Utah Girl]

Well, I won't give you my impression of Tara Lipinsky then. Tara needed more work on her artistry in Nagano, she did deserve the gold, but she wasn't vastly more impressive than Michelle Kwan. Michelle held back in Nagano and it showed. Tara was graceless in winning the gold at the Worlds the year before, she made a snide comment about Michelle Kwan and the growth spurt Michelle had just gone through. That is where I lost all respect for Tara.

[dalebert]

Yes, we did almost get a sweep. I am proud of all our fine girl. There is not a Tonya Harding in the bunch of them. Michelle is the one who truly brought back the integrity of Americas women figure skaters. She has done a great job of promoting good standards and sportsmanship to the youth of our country. I remember a very young Huges saying she wanted to skate like Michelle. These girls are fantastic.

[Utah Girl]

I simply can't agree with that. Specifically, she was vastly inferior to Tara Lipinski at Nagano, and we've just seen her beat at SLC. Perhaps it's the "consistently". I can't claim to have seen every National and World's. Maybe that's what I've missed.

I think it is a style preference. I like the artistic style of skating, others prefer the more athletic style of the jumps. And I think that is where Michelle blew it for this Olympics. She didn't add the difficult jump (just ONE) to her program. I think she rested on her laurels and her presentation. At the 1998 US Nationals, Michelle was ethereal, one of the best programs I have ever seen skated. Technically, a notch below Tara, artistically, head and shoulders above Tara. But Michelle couldn't duplicate it at the Olympics. When Tara Lipinsky won her first Worlds medal over Michelle, it was well deserved. Michelle's Sheraherzade program was marvelous the first time it was performed a few years ago. She shouldn't have resurrected it for this Olympics.

Michelle Kwan needs to step back and refocus on what she really wants out of skating. She needs to up her jumping ability, but it may be too late at the Olympic level of competition. If Sasha Cohen lands a quad, then Michelle is left in the dust. She needs to get a coach and go pro after the Worlds...

[Illbay]

That's like saying "man, that Susan Lucci, what a gift to our generation." In reality, she's an actress in a seamy, inconsequential genre.

So it goes for "athletes" like figure skaters.

Yes, they're talented, but the scoring is a subjective joke, rife with "feelings" and prurient emotions.

Don't get me wrong, it's fun to watch them skate. But that deal last night was as comprehensible as watching someone win a beauty contest.

Give me a REAL sport: How far, how fast, how high, how many pucks in the net, how many times they crossed the goal line.

This business about "artistic interpretation"...what a joke.

[TBP]

Sarah Hughes was the best skater out there last night, but I am disappointed for Michelle. In four years, Sarah will be younger than Michelle is today. This was probably Michelle's last chance.

I'm just glad the Russian didn't win.

[ExpandNATO]

Speaking of growth spurts...

In four years Sarah and Sasha will probably have physically matured, meaning their adolescent advantage of more muscle per body weight will disappear (eg compare Oksana Baiul during her Olympic victory vs. later). The rematch, provided Michelle stays in, should be on a more even.